Evistr L157 Digital Voice Recorder Review & Audio Test

A small voice recorder for those times you can't or don't want to use a smartphone. This one offers oodles of recording time using the built-in memory, but the lack of any kind of automatic or even manual gain control is a bit of a deal-breaker.

Still, considering what and whom it's intended for (like recording lectures), where you don't speak directly into the microphone like a news reporter, it's not that bad.

[vwestlife]

The audio quality of the microphone would actually be pretty good, if only it had either a manually adjustable recording level or an AGC to prevent it from overmodulating.

[kareemahmullen]

Discovered the unpleasant sound when trying to record my piano practice. However, by loading the recorded file into Audacity (free audio software), I was able to add the 'effect' of 'loudness normalization' and it made the file within range of my comfort zone to listen to. Simple to apply and made the difference for me in the device's usefulness.

[maryjoanhill]

How do you rewind or fast forward a recording

[Miggggy]

good for the price but i think if your gonna specifically want something like this for like commercial use people will spend more and most likely get the zoom h4n

[Hamdan.]

Hey do u think this will be a good product for students and do u think It can record audio far away(cuz the professor is atleast 10 to 15 feet away) ??

[CirkusFreak]

I have a problem where every now and again it just randomly crashes. I had one with maybe 9 or 10 files on it, then one day, for no reason, I plugged it into my computer and all the files were gone, replaced with weird []{[]}[].G[]D files. Like a lot of them, no idea why. So if you want a file long term, move it onto a flash drive or something ASAP!

[MrBlonde]

How do you fast forward a recording so you don’t have to hear the whole thing. Is it possible at all?

[GoodBalak]

This definitely won't be good for recording my bike engine and exhaust note... Gonna go with the zoom h1n instead then?

[bullwinkle]

what I hate is, I should be able to figure this out without a manual. I took it out of the box and want to record data as I drive, for later transcription. nope. now I have to go find the damn instructions-i really should already have several days' worth of data entered. I hate this.

[williamchilders]

You are very good at this I do appreciate it I do things in HMI's PLC A I and others I like vision and setting pramers and great grayscales Is logic control Machine language And I do appreciate others with rexpectable true input and output versus garbage and garbage out I did look for subscribe and I didn't see it I do have enough hours to be master electrician but I don't have the test as well as I went to so many places and to get all of them to be on the same page as impossible I but what I do carry is the ability to have work with many of people and many different arrangements that you got to see the light from lots of different angles

[bobjpgr]

I get strange taping noises without touching the recorder. The VAR doesn’t work either. Do you or anyone have this issue? I just contacted the company to see if they have any tips or if I should return the device. Erin

[handyboen]

Thanks for reviewing this brand... I'd prefer to use Sony, olympus, remax, zoom or tasscam...

[gabby]

Does anyone know when this recorder was first made and available for sale?

[bobcatbents]

Video teaches at graduate school level, and most of us who bought the L157 likely have 5th grade level questions.

[bakonfreek]

This could be alright if it had any gain control at all, but as it is, I don't think I'll be dumping my overkill9000 (Zoom H6) for this anytime soon.

I seem to remember you doing a different one some years ago that was much better as a recorder. Is this, like, a more budget model? Maybe AGC or even manual gain adjustment is just too expensive XD

Hell, my Zoom H6 only has manual gain control (there's no limiter that I can find in its menus, let alone proper AGC) and it's a $350 recorder at outlets like Guitar Center, Best Buy, and ye olde local broadcast surplus (I bought open box in 2016 for nowhere near that price and it's been a fairly reliable recorder ever since). Listening to the segments where you have it positioned to not peak, this thing does at least sound as good as my H6 in monaural mode (obviously it doesn't have the same array of inputs and outputs, but then, the H6 is kind of chunky, "an entire unit" as the kids say, nowhere near as pocketable as this thing).

[LucaToni__]

Word of the day: surreptitiously - "in a way that attempts to avoid notice or attention; secretively."

[royrice]

You cannot queue this recorder. Fast forward and reverse are a joke. I’ve tried it all. 👎