Product Spotlight: Portable USB Power Bank Voice Recorder

In a world of WiFi hidden cameras and nanny cams, another popular type of spy equipment are covert voice and audio recorders. These “spy audio recorders” can be designed like many different things, and in the case of the VR500, is designed to look like a portable USB power bank. And best of all, it works as a functional power bank too - so you can place it almost anywhere and it won’t look out of place, one of the key components of any hidden audio recording device.

The Pro Grade Portable USB Power Bank Voice and Audio Recorder is our latest spy recorder, and as the name implies, looks and functions as a portable USB power bank charger. This small recording device is easy to both set up and operate, and records high quality HD voice and audio.

Where to Place the Audio Recorder

The VR500 is small, so it fits in the palm of your hand, and can be placed almost anywhere. You can place it on a table, a desk, a shelf, or almost anywhere in your home or apartment. And because power banks are so common, no one will give it a second glance. One unique feature of this spy voice recorder is that it has a magnetic mount on the back, so not only could you place it on a table, you could place it underneath it on a metal surface. You could put it under a car seat in your vehicle as well. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination!

Getting Started

When you receive the recorder, getting it set up is quick and easy. Inside the box you’ll find the recorder, a USB charging cable, an OTG cable (more on that later), and the user manual.

The VR500 features an internal rechargeable battery, which can get over 300 hours of continuous recording, or over 150 days in standby mode. To charge the battery, just connect the device to your computer’s USB port, or use the optional wall charger to charge it via any standard AC outlet.

Turning the Recorder On/Off

The VR500 audio recorder is easy to turn on or off - there is a small rotating dial on the end of the device, just rotate it to the right or left, depending on which recording mode you want to use. There are two small icons by the wheel. The “___” icon is for continuous recording, and the “. . .” is for voice activated recording.

In continuous recording mode, the recorder will record continuously, until you turn it back off (by rotating the dial to the middle position), or until the battery is exhausted. In voice activation mode, the recorder will only record when it detects voice or audio nearby, which saves battery life as well as memory space.

Listening to Your Recorded Audio Files

Audio files are saved to the device’s 16GB of internal memory. Those 16GB can hold almost 600 hours of recordings at a time, more than almost any other voice recorder on the market. You can also store other important files like a regular flash drive too, so you can actually use this device as a portable drive to take those important files with you.

To listen to your files, simply connect the device to your computer’s USB port with the included connection cable (same as if are charging the device). Then open the VOICE folder, and double click on the audio files to play them back.

For best playback performance, we recommend using VLC Media Player, which is a free download for both PC and Mac computers.

If you have an Android device that is OTG capable, you can use the included OTG cable to connect the recorder directly to your Android phone, and listen to your recorded files on your smartphone too.

To learn more, or to purchase the VR500, check out the product page for the Pro Grade Portable USB Power Bank Voice and Audio Recorder.