> The MZR55 looks very nice but I hear reports of short battery charge life
> (not surprising really, being that small).

It's a decent enough recorder, but that tiny size means that some buttons
are a bit fiddly to use and it doesn't have a jog dial. so titling is a
pain. They're great as a supplement to a home deck - it could get annoying
doing all your recording on something so small.

That battery life is a bit short (2.5 hours recording, 4 hours playback),
although you do get the extra screw-on batery case which takes 2xAA
batteries, taking it up to ~15 hours playback.

> The MZR37 is a cheap and cheerful looking device and looks promising.
Who's
> got one?  Does it have any vices?  Ease of use? reliability? Does it come
as
> standard with the usual accessories like a mains power unit, leads,
> headphones etc and have the usual line in (inc optical) and line out and
mic
> connections?

In my opinion, it's a horribly ugly machine :) It's meant to be fine
reliablility-wise and should be as easy to use as your R30. Comes with a
(non-LCD) remote, and as far as I know, all the leads etc.

However, I think it's just overpriced here in the UK - it's a basic
no-frills recorder, and the price is just a bit too high compared to what
others offer. Spending an extra 10ukp can get a much smaller, lighter,
better equipped (LCD remote, etc.) portable, and spending less (like the
Sharp MDMT20) gets a similar spec one.

> What about the cheap Sharp models seen recently in Dixons?  What's the
> snag there?  Lack of accessories (see above)?

If you mean the 99 pound Sharp MDMT15, it lacks a remote and rechargeable
battery. Richer Sounds sell the MDMT20 for 140ukp which includes those
accessories. Worth spending the extra - I beleive buying a remote separately
costs about 45 quid!

> Anything else is recommended based on personal experience?  Recorders, not
> player-only machines, please.

As you've mentioned the R37, I'm assuming you're looking at the 160-180
price range - others to consider -

Sharp 722 and MDMT20
Aiwa F65 / F70 (F70 has a nicer remote)

Try to get to a Richer Sounds store if you can - in general, their prices
are better than Dixons/Currys/Comet (especially for blanks!), with more
helpful staff. There are several in central London.

hth,

Simon

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