Best portable recorder under 100

Today I’m going to compare three handheld audio recorders to see which one is the best value for money for under 100 dollars or here in the uk £100. I would say that these recorders are aimed more for people who just need to quickly record interviews or use it with a LAV mic for weddings or events and maybe record some song ideas on the fly.
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Table of Contents:
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0:00 - Intro & Disclosure
1:04 - Olympus Build Quality & Design
1:58 - Zoom Build Quality & Design
2:36 - Tascam Build Quality & Design
3:27 - Zoom In-built mic test
3:40 - Olympus In-built mic test
3:51 - Tascam In-built mic test
4:04 - RF Test
4:20 - LAV mic test
5:20 - Which one would I go for?
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Disclosures: All opinions are my own. Sponsors are acknowledged. Some links in the description are affiliate links that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
#audiorecorder #bestrecorder

[michaelraytyler]

The Tascam clearly has a more smooth and deeper sound quality. :)

[wahabdilawar]

Excellent video. My layman's 2 cents:
1. Olympus sounds tingy
2. Tascam sounds like the voice has been processed in post
3. Zoom H1N sounds the most natural and the best of all.
I am glad that I have a Zoom H1N and it has never disappointed me.
Thank you very much for your time and effort.

[fazreenzulkipli]

What a great review, i recently picked up the Olympus Lsp1 for really cheap price.. I was going to look for a comparison video for the recorder and found this. Very informative, thank you.

[ericholmberg]

Very thorough, straight to the point, great job. I wish every how-to and review video was this well done.

[MisterHenry]

0:00 - Intro & Disclosure
1:04 - Olympus Build Quality & Design
1:58 - Zoom Build Quality & Design
2:36 - Tascam Build Quality & Design
3:27 - Zoom In-built mic test
3:40 - Olympus In-built mic test
3:51 - Tascam In-built mic test
4:04 - RF Test
4:20 - LAV mic test
5:20 - Which one would I go for?

[drstew]

Thanks for your in-depth review. Very helpful after all that i went for the Tuscam DR-07 MK ll. I like that you move the mics and you can layer

[jboutame]

I like the Sony ICD-UX570 so much I bought a second one ($72) for the business. Small, solid quality, simple menus and buttons, and easy to use. I really like the convenience of its slide-out USB-A connector. It head headphone and mic jacks. Sony didn't skimp on this. The free audio software does all I need it to do.

[williameldenhowes]

Great video. Looking to replace my 1st gen Zoom H1 which I've had for a few years now. Unfortunately one of the mics is bust (lots of static coming through, other mic is fine). Tascam sounded the best to me and I like that you can move the mics, so will probably go for that one.

[BabaSalam]

This is one of the many reviews and comparisons that won my comment and LIKE... Good one there, Daniel. And yes, the Zoom H1n rules recorders of the same level.

[Michael.Chapman]

Great review! The old Olympus DM-670 also does a great job in its durable metal case--three microphones and 8 gB internal storage (from memory). The new Olympus LS-P5 has even more capability in a tiny package--at a great price, with a shock absorbing camera accessory also available.

[josezuniga]

Although I do think the tascam has the best audio of the 3, I'll be choosing the zoom since I only really need it to record line in, and some minor voice stuff, works nice since its about the same price as a proper audio interface. Not to mention it's cheaper and with the about $20 I save against the tascam, I could buy an arm/wind sock kit. Also they sell them at my local bestbuy.

[Sadiquecat]

Cheers for the lovely vid :D
Tascam sounded the best to me ^^
I wish there were a bit more tests and in a blind (revealed at the end).
But very nice vid much appreciated :D

[NUeB_net]

Thanks. That was a short but comprehensive review. I love the small form factor, so I've just ordered the Olympus LS-P4. I'll mostly use it for recording atmo and w/ a lav mic when moving around the camera.

[Dozenspeed]

Wow, some callous comments on your little video, yet it seems you're still nobly paying attention to them, nice. Maybe you could use some more civil feedback 🙄 I found this video through a duck duck go search for stereo digital microphone recorder and chose yours because it was short. I don't know enough about microphones and what is out there and I'm desiring a good external setup to record environmental sounds, perhaps something unidirectional that won't pick up my breathing. Anyway I appreciate your effort to make a helpful video, I didn't learn a whole lot since it is 3 years old now and the market changes every 5 minutes but definitely a couple things, so thanks. I think the Tascam sounded best all around, that Olympus is totally unacceptable, a GoPro can do better. Cheers 🙂

[NeverLeaveIt]

Thanks Dan. I tried a Tascam DR-07X and sent it back due to the noise floor problems - soooo noisy!! Could you do an unflitered silence test so we can hear the noise floor of each at various gains? Was also useful to know that particular Olympus is off the shopping list. Good vid

[agenericguy]

This review is so useful.
I especially appreciate how you actually test it and show the quality of the audio instead of just explaining it.

Tqsm for this, I've been thinking about audio recorders lately and this video helped a lot.
Though, I still don't know which one to pick.
So, any recommendations?

[JUSTINBUISSON]

Thank you so much for this great review!

[MyTutorials]

Great review! It could really get some more attention.
I recently bought the H1n for a good price.
Now I'm curious to see how well it will fit my needs.

[tisasquatch]

It really depends on your use. The tascam & zoom sound quality, price & build quality are very similar but I prefer the tascam due to its 17.5 hr battery life compared to only 10 hrs with zoom h1n. Also you can use up to a 128 gb micro sd card in the tascam compared to only a 32 gb in the zoom. If you need to record for a long time or just want more storage then the tascam is the clear winner imo & I also think it sounds a little bit better than the zoom.

[BodyFixExercises]

Fantastic, to the point video. Loved it. Thanks