Roland Edirol R-09HR

For anyone who wants a digital recorder capable of creating high fidelity audio recordings suitable for broadcast, radio or podcasts, the feature-packed Edirol R-09HR makes an excellent pick, reviewers say. The Edirol R-09HR records at a sampling rate of up to 96 kHz for the best sound quality and can save these recordings in WAV, MP3 or VBR formats. While the 512 MB of built-in flash memory is skimpy by current standards -- especially for recording high-quality audio -- there's a card slot for adding SD memory cards (up to 32 GB). Reviewers note that there are some other professional-grade recorders, such as the Zoom H2 (*est. $150) that offer similar features and produce recordings that are just as good, but at a lower price. However, the Edirol R-09HR distinguishes itself from the pack by being much easier to use and offering superior construction quality.

Among reviews of the Edirol R-09HR, the most complete comes from CNET's Donald Bell, who tests the device for design, features and performance and makes clear comparative references to other similar models. O'Reilly Digital Media's Mark Nelson also gives good coverage of the Edirol R-09HR, though his original review of the Edirol R-09 is more detailed. Mac users will also want to read the Mac-centric review at Life123. Go to Amazon.com to read the opinions of dozens of users.