Sony ICD-AX412

Bottom Line

The Sony ICD-AX412 falls short compared to some high-end models, but it earns high marks as a digital voice recorder for everyday use. Great battery life and a useful noise cancelling feature are key pluses among those who feel this recorder delivers impressive sound quality and function for a reasonable price.

Performance

Cancel the background crud. With a powerful noise-cancelling function that cuts out extra background bleed-in, the Sony ICD-AX412 is a very capable pocket recorder that delivers ample recording quality for documenting meetings, interviews and lectures. The lower-fidelity MP3 format will undoubtedly be a deal breaker for users looking for pro-grade features, though the vast majority of user reviews indicate that the ICD-AX412's recording quality is quite good for the cost.

Ease Of Use

Are you a Mac or a PC? The Sony ICD-AX412's straightforward controls are easy to understand, and the highly portable design is good for on-the-go recordings. The MP3 recordings take up less room than higher-fidelity formats, leaving plenty of room on the built-in 2 GB flash memory to work with, and that's easily expanded with memory cards. Transferring the MP3 files to a PC is simple and easy to do. However, the included software isn't compatible with Mac computers. The lack of LED backlighting is a common complaint for users who record in dark settings.

Value

Cheap and functional. The Sony ICD-AX412 delivers a lot of bang for the buck, even if it's not quite as proficient as the Olympus DM-620 (*Est. $150) . On the other hand, it's also a little bit pricier than some other basic recorders that perform about as well, such as the Olympus VN-702PC (*Est. $60) . Still, though the quality takes a hit in comparison to recorders supporting a wider range of audio formats, this MP3 voice recorder is a reasonable choice for general use.