10 Best Portable Audio Recorders 2020

Reviewed by Gareth Otwell | Last Updated: Mar 13, 2020

After analyzing 490 products, scanning 4050 reviews, spending more than 36 hours of research and speaking with our test users, we think the Zoom H1n Portable Recorder is the one of the Best Portable Audio Recorder on the market.

#	Image	Name	Brand	Price
1	⭐Best Choice	Zoom H1n Portable Recorder, Onboard Stereo Microphones, Camera Mountable, Records to SD Card, Compact, USB Microphone, Overdubbing, Dictation, For Recording Music, Audio for Video, and Interviews Check price	Zoom	$$$$$	Check price
2		Tascam DR-05X Stereo Handheld Digital Recorder and USB Audio Interface (DR05X) Check price	Tascam	$$$$$	Check price
3	💲Best value for the money	Sony ICDUX560BLK Digital Voice Recorder 1" Black Check price	Sony	$$$$$	Check price
4	👑Premium Pick	Zoom H4n Pro 4-Track Portable Recorder, Stereo Microphones, 2 XLR/ ¼" Combo Inputs, Guitar Inputs, Battery Powered, for Stereo/Multitrack Recording of Music, Audio for Video, and Podcasting Check price	Zoom	$$$$$	Check price
5	Best under $200	Tascam DR-10L Portable Digital Audio Recorder with Lavalier Microphone Check price	Tascam	$$$$$	Check price
6		Tascam DR-40X Four-Track Digital Audio Recorder and USB Audio Interface Check price	Tascam	$$$$$	Check price
7	Best under $150	Tascam DR-05X 2-Input / 2-Track Portable Handheld Digital Audio Recorder (Black) with Deluxe accessory bundle Check price	Tascam	$$$$$	Check price
8		Zoom H2n Stereo/Surround-Sound Portable Recorder, 5 Built-In Microphones, X/Y, Mid-Side, Surround Sound, Ambisonics Mode, Records to SD Card, For Recording Music, Audio for Video, and Interviews Check price	Zoom	$$$$$	Check price
9		Zoom H6 6-Track Portable Recorder, Stereo Microphones, 4 XLR/TRS Inputs, Records to SD Card, USB Audio Interface, Battery Powered, for Stereo/Multitrack Audio for Video, Podcasting, and Music Check price	Zoom	$$$$$	Check price
10	Best under $50	Sony ICD-PX370 Mono Digital Voice Recorder with Built-in USB Voice Recorder Check price	Sony	$$$$$	Check price

Zoom H1n Portable Recorder – Best Overall Portable Audio Recorder

Streamlined Body with matte finish and newly designed protective mic enclosure
Built-in stereo condenser microphones in 90-Degree x/Y format
One-touch button controls.Battery life (alkaline batteries): Approximately 10 hours (continuous recording time using built-in mic, 44.1 kHz/16-bit)
Localized and intuitive menus for easy operation.Input impedance: 2 kΩ
Playback Speed Control, Voice Emphasize Filter, and Stereo overdubbing functions

Tascam DR-05X Stereo Handheld Digital Recorder and USB Audio Interface

Ensure you buy genuine Tascam products! Products from sellers which say 'fulfilled by ' under the price might not be an Authorized Tascam reseller, and might not be selling genuine Tascam products which would forfeit any manufacturer warranties
The dual internal condenser microphones can handle anything from subtle to loud, with sensitivity to capture every detail
A revamped layout means operations like recording, adjusting levels, deleting bad takes and adding Markers are quick and easy
Uses only two AA batteries, but can record for an outstanding 17. 5 hours; It can also be powered by a USB mobile battery
Connect to a PC using USB Audio Interface Mode for voiceover work, live streaming, podcasting and songwriting with studio-quality audio

Sony ICDUX560BLK Digital Voice Recorder 1" Black – Best Budget Portable Audio Recorder

Built in stereo microphone and voice operated recording
Three recording options: wide/stereo, narrow/focus and normal
Quick charge; up to 1 hour recording time, with 3 minute charge
Easy to use user interface and recording level indicator
Micro SD memory card slot, headphone jack & mic input. LCD backlight

Zoom H4n Pro 4-Track Portable Recorder – Premium Pick

Four-channel recording up to 24-bit, 96 kHz. Built-in stereo x/Y microphones, up to 140 dB SPL
2 XLR/TRS inputs with locking connectors. Records directly to SD/SDHC cards up to 32 GB
4-In/2-out USB Audio Interface. Monaural speaker: 400 mW 8 Ω
Line/phone-line output load Impedance- 10 kω or more. Line rated output level: -10 dBu. Phone- 20 mW + 20 mW (into 32Ω load).Tempo:40.0 - 250.0 BPM
Usb 2.0 high speed. Usb functions can be powered using USB bus power. Plug-in and Phantom power cannot be set during recording and playback. Compatible operating systems is Windows Vista and newer Mac OS X 10.6 and newer

Tascam DR-10L Portable Digital Audio Recorder with Lavalier Microphone – Best under $200

Ensure you buy genuine Tascam products! Products from sellers which say 'fulfilled by amazon' under the price might not be an Authorized Tascam reseller, and might not be selling genuine Tascam products which would forfeit any manufacturer warranties
44.1kHz/48kHz, 16/24-bit Linear PCM mono/poly recording
Support WAV format (compatible with BWF format)
Media: microSD/SDHC cards (supports 32Gbcapacities)
Lavalier microphone with Microphone clip and windscreen included (cable length: 160cm)
Records at least 10 hours on a single AAA battery
Bundled with a free full version of RX7 Elements, iZotope's groundbreaking audio repair and noise reduction tool

Tascam DR-40X Four-Track Digital Audio Recorder and USB Audio Interface

ENSURE YOU BUY GENUINE TASCAM PRODUCTS! Products from sellers which say 'fulfilled by Amazon' under the price MIGHT NOT be an authorized TASCAM reseller, and might not be selling genuine TASCAM products which would forfeit any manufacturer warranties.
High-quality unidirectional stereo condenser microphones that can record in A-B and X-Y positions
XLR/TRS inputs compatible with +4dBu line level / +48V
4-channel mode that can be used for dual recording and nondestructive overdub recording, etc.
Functions as a 2in/ 2out USB Audio Interface for Mac, PC or iOS recording

Tascam DR-05X 2-Input / 2-Track Portable Handheld Digital Audio Recorder – Best under $150

The lightweight and compact design allows you to bring the recorder anywhere, perfect for musicians, teachers, journalists, and more
Quality WAV and MP3 Recording in a lightweight and compact design
Records up to 24-Bit/96 kHz, and can audios can be stored in MicroSD or MicroSDHC cards
Studio-quality 2-in/2-out USB audio interface makes a great fit for podcasting, digital audio workstations, etc.
A built-in chromatic tuner ensures that you're in-key and sounding your best

Zoom H2n Stereo/Surround-Sound Portable Recorder

Over 20 hours of operation using two standard AA batteries
Key Control, A-B Repeat, File Dividing, Normalize, MP3 Post-Encode, Marker and Surround Mixer
Additional functions include Lo-cut Filter, Compressor/Limiter, Auto Gain, Pre-Rec, Auto-Rec, Tuner, Metronome, Variable Speed Playback
Records in WAV up to 24-bit/96kHz and MP3 up to 320kbps
File types supported: MAV,MP3

Zoom H6 6-Track Portable Recorder

Direct recording to SD cards up to 128GB.Display 2.0-inch full color LCD (320 x 240 pixels)
Gain knobs, pads, and phantom power for each input. Maximum Sound Pressure Input: 122 dB SPL
Newly redesigned preamps with an ultra-low noise floor, up to 24-bit/96kHz audio in wav or MP3 format
Mountable directly to dslr or camcorder with optional hs-01 hot shoe mount adapter. Multichannel and stereo usb audio interface for pc/mac/ipad
Includes: owners manual, XYH-6 X/Y capsule, MSH-6 MS capsule, AA size LR6 battery x4, USB cable, sponge windscreen, cubase LE software, case

Sony ICD-PX370 Mono Digital Voice Recorder with Built-in USB Voice – Best under $50

Record MP3 Audio quickly and easily
Up to 57 hours of battery life for extended recording (MP3 128Kbps stereo)
Built in, direct USB Connection for quick file transfer to your PC
In the box: IC Recorder, size AAA alkaline batteries (2), Operating Instructions, Warranty card