Sony's Karl Kussmaul (left) and EM editor Geary Yelton

Sony PCM-M10 ($299)

A direct descendent of two previous winners, the Sony PCM-M10 offers a lot of what most impressed us about the Sony PCM-D1 and PCM-D50, but it's smaller and lighter and boasts some handy new features such as a built-in speaker and an included remote. It records MP3s and up to 96kHz stereo WAV files through two built-in omnidirectional microphones. It can even capture five seconds of audio before you press Record. Adjust speed without affecting pitch, or pitch without affecting speed. To expand its 4 GB of onboard RAM, just slide in a microSD or Memory Stick Micro card. Even with two AA batteries (lasting up to 46 hours), the truly pocket-sized PCM-M10 weighs less than 7 ounces.

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