Digital Voice Recorder Reviews

Choosing the right digital voice recorder for your needs can seem daunting when faced with so many lining the store or virtual shelves. Here, we'll take a look at digital voice recorder reviews and recommendations from some of the industry's leading consumer advocates so you can make the most informed DVR purchase.

PC Magazine

When it comes to low- to mid-priced digital voice recorders, PC Magazine chooses Olympus models across the board. Top picks are the W-10, a $100, 16MB DVR with a built-in camera; the DS-2, a $149.99, 64MB DVR; and the DS-330, a $150 model with fantastic noise-cancellation capabilities.

O'Reilly Digital Media

O'Reilly Media has been following technology trends since 1978, and recently, it has been seeking out the best in digital voice recorders. O'Reilly staffer David Battino is also an Olympus fan; his picks are the WS-200S model and the DS-2 and DS20 models. The WS-200S is perfect for DVR users looking for a compact, high-memory device with easy USB connections. The DS models, however, offer extra special features, such as MP3 capabilities, better speakers, and larger buttons and screens.

Laptop

Laptopmag.com's Joanna Stern recommends Olympus' WS-331M digital voice recorder, a device she said "puts the digital recorder first and the MP3 player second." At $199, this DVR offers 2GB of flash memory, plugs directly into USB ports, and is an easy-to-handle size. According to Stern's review, while she didn't test the purported 555-hour recording time, the life of the battery used captured 15 hours of recording and playback, with plenty of memory left to use.