Xvive XV1-R Portable Recorder | Review

Xvive XV1-R Portable Recorder | Review

MSRP: (UK) £75 / (US) $89

None of us have much patience these days. When inspiration strikes, you want a recorder that's ready to go in seconds, and the Xvive XV1-R is designed to capture high-quality stereo audio on the fly, with easy-to-use controls and a compact build that slips into any gig bag or pocket. Reliable, portable recording—no matter where you are. Oh, and it doesn't break the bank. Nick Jennison reviews.

Xvive never cease to impress with their simple, affordable, and well-thought-out devices that solve all manner of problems for musicians. Whether it's the best-loved affordable wireless IEM system on the market (three of which are currently powering my band's touring IEM rig), a tiny and full-featured audio interface, or even a portable phantom power supply, Xvive seemingly have a device for every application—and every one I've tested has been first class.

The XV1-R is a handy little stereo field recorder that's perfect for recording rehearsals and gigs, making content for social media, demoing songs, recording audio for video… you name it. It features a stereo pair of microphones in an X/Y configuration that are capable of handling SPLs as high as 130dB: basically, anything up to and including a jet engine during take-off. It can record stereo audio in lossless WAV at either 24-bit or 32-bit floating point, offering excellent dynamic range and protection against unexpected peaks—or, if you'd prefer, a selection of compressed formats are also available.

In addition to the onboard microphones, the XV1-R also features a stereo line-in on a 1/8" TRS jack, along with an accompanying 1/8" line out for monitoring, or for connecting to a camera to easily sync audio in post—it'll even record slate tones. There are a host of production features too, with a gate, compressor, limiter, and high-pass filter that can be applied directly to the recorded audio. It accepts a Micro SD card for storage, and there's a USB-C port for data transfer or for use as a class-compliant audio interface.

In our comparisons, the XV1-R's internal mics performed noticeably better than the Zoom H5 we use as a backup field recorder, and absolutely destroyed the sound we captured with our iPhone 15 Pro Max. The Zoom recorder is older, yes, but it's also nearly twice the price of the XV1-R. It also served to remind us that, no, an iPhone won't sound as good as a dedicated field recorder.

Priced well below £100, the Xvive XV1-R is a no-brainer for basically any musician, videographer, or content creator. It's tiny, rugged, super easy to use, and records very high-quality audio with zero fuss. Even if you have a more feature-laden field recorder, this is a perfect backup—and you NEED a backup. Ask me how I know…

For more information, please visit:

jhs.co.uk/collections/xvive