wrote in message
oups.com...

So far you've got some good advice, the other extreme I have right next to
me an iAudio 5 (1GB). Just did a sound check on it, after amplifying the
output file (took quite a bit of amplification) the sound was passable for a
cheap podcast. Recording from 3 feet the audio was surprisingly clean, but
the center point is shifted down to about -0.1 ([-1,1] scale). Once I
shifted it, and amplified it the voice can be easily understood as saying
"Check 3 feet". Prior to amplification the sound would've had to be up an
enormous amount. It came through at 8kHz, 24-bit, mono. It's a 32.5kB, 2
second file if it would help to hear it. It was recorded in an extremely
squirelly room (Architecturally interesting, audio horrible). Such a device
won't work very well for the panels, by 7 feet it was almost unintelligible.
I can also send you the original 28 second file with my voice at approximate
intervals, the loudest part is where I turn off the recording.

This isn't a high (cost) end MP3 player, they're each about half the cost of
the iRiver, I think I paid about $150 each.
Joe