Abstract: Disclosed herein is a portable audio recording and playback system comprised of physically separate audio playback and external recording units, which are operably yet removably mateable. The audio playback unit has a power supply, audio storage, an audio playback device, an audio speaker, a first switch and a first connector all disposed in association with the playback unit housing. The first switch prompts the audio playback device to playback at least one of the audio segments stored in the audio storage. The external recording unit has a microphone, a second switch and a second connector all disposed in association with the recording unit housing. The first and second connectors are configured such that each is operably yet removably mateable to the other. The system also includes an audio recording device operably associated with the microphone and the audio storage and operably connected to the second switch toward prompting the recording device to record one of an audio segment.