An audio recorder is a device that is used to record sounds. This could be a conversation, musical performance and practically anything that is audible to the human ear. It can be used to store information for subsequent playback. It is easy to carry and to use. You can secretly and discreetly record without it being noticed. You can actually use it storing audio that can serve as evidence or pretty much anything you will like to listen to much later. You can see how useful they are here.

Audio recorders come in different shapes, colors and sizes. They can also be disguised as other objects such as pens, air fresheners, plastic cards, USB flash drives, keys, wristbands, etc. While some are designed to cater to musicians and music industry, others are used by journalists for recording interviews and yes, some are used to record conversations secretly. These last set are usually small and discreet.

Many manufacturers and vendors now offer quality devices with improvements that meet consumer expectations. We now have smaller and portable devices, long-lasting rechargeable batteries and microphones that can pick up sound from long distances. Most also can be directly connected to your computer with a good quality audio format.

Making Your Choice

When buying an audio recorder, some things to put into consideration include:

  • Cost
  • Quality
  • Format
  • Durability
  • Power

What Are The Best Audio Recorders?

Before proceeding, you may watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVPdZo8e6Tk to see how to choose an audio recorder.

To make your selection process easier, we will quickly look at a few ones that come highly recommended.

Zoom H1 Handy Portable Digital Recorder

The Zoom H1 has superior recording quality with great features. It has a small and compact design making it easy to carry anywhere and even conceal it. It has built-in X/Y microphones which are set at an angle of 90 degrees to each other so they can capture the most sound.

This recorder may be small but it produces great sounds. It features a headphone output and dedicated volume control so you can plug in your headphones or connect it with other equipment. It has a large storage space of 32GB and it also comes with a 2GB micro SD card when purchased. This recorder comes in a variety of colors and when fully charges, its battery can last for up to 10 hours. It is suitable for use during musical recording, in investigative journalism, seminars, interviews, and conferences.

Maxpro USB Flash Drive Voice Recorder

This is a voice recorder disguised as a USB flash drive. It comes with an 8GB memory storage, can store up to 100 hours of audio and it can record for 16 hours off a full charge that is achieved in about 2 hours. It is easy to operate and has a very clear audio quality. Because of its dual design, you can easily listen to your files just by plugging it to your computer system. You can also store other files on it just as with a standard USB flash storage.

The Maxpro features a sensitive microphone that helps record and produce clear sounds. You can record easily with just a push of a button allowing you to use it at very short notice. You can use it to record lectures, seminars, meetings, discussions, verbal contracts, and agreements, etc. A downside to the recorder is that it is not compatible with the MAC operating system but it is with Windows and Linux. It is reasonably priced and comes with a warranty of 1 year.

Yemenren Sound Audio Recorder

The Yemenren comes with a solid design with a 1.4 inch LCD screen and a metal casing which makes it stylish and durable. It has a multi-recording mode with a one-touch operation and comes with 3 very sensitive microphones with dynamic noise reduction that can record from different directions enabling it to capture sounds up to 1536 kbps.

Its recording modes include the normal recording which can record all sounds and the voice activation mode which excludes silence so that it can save memory space and provides for easy playback. It also has a timing mode that can be set to record at specific times

This recorder features an 8GB memory and can store up to 576 hours of audio recordings which are crystal clear. It has a 360mAh capacity, rechargeable battery that lasts for about 15 hours. Another interesting feature is that the device is designed to save your recording when it is low on battery or it is accidentally switched off. What’s more? You can easily transfer your files to your computer.

Evistr 8GB Digital Audio Recorder

Looking for a reliable sound recorder? The Evistr is at your service. This is a versatile, flexible and very practical recording device. It has a high-quality PM output of 384 kbps. It comes with 8GB of storage which enables one to store about 560 hours of audio (this is when recording quality is set to 32 kbps). It features a built-in battery that allows recording for up to 11 hours.

The Evistr has an instant auto save feature that saves your recordings at continuous intervals of 5 seconds. It also comes with a built-in MP3 player which enables instant playback. If you need to connect it to a MAC, you may need to use VLC Media player to play your files.

Boocosa 8GB Audio Sound Recorder

The Boocosa is made with polished aluminum making it stylish, elegant, and attractive. It is portable, lightweight and sturdy so it is sturdy and easy to carry around. Asides from its stylish design, it has some great features. An 8GB storage enables you to store audio files for up to 560 hours, it has two dedicated microphones with noise reduction that record at 1536 kbps. Even if you are in a noisy environment, you still get high-quality recordings. It comes with a built-in rechargeable battery that offers about 10 hours of recording time after a full charge.

This recorder comes with a sleep timer and files can be easily transferred to your PC or MAC with the included USB cable.

The above list is not exhaustive but a selection of some of the best. Check out hidden audio recorders recommended by ryansbestreviews.com for other options.

Conclusion

The above is a guide to help you select the audio recorder that is right for you with greater ease. Shopping for one in the midst of the many options can be tough. Hopefully this helps.

Finally, you need to be careful when recording conversations secretly as you may be running afoul of the law. Federal and state wiretapping laws exist that may expose you to prosecution or a financial claim. Whatever the reason for which you are recording, be sure they are legal.