Zoom H2, H4, H5 and H6

[Vindellama]

Originally Posted by YeOldRocker

Quick (I hope) question: are the mics in the H5 and H6 different from the mics 0f the less-expensive H4 or H2s, or is it the circuitry (beyond the added track capabilities) that are different - I'm curious why Zooms seem - according to many here - to get quieter and fuller-sounding as the Zooms steps up a notch.
Insights?

The mics that come with the h5 and h6 are different... Supposedly the h5 one will handle higher sound pressure better.
They both have the same professional grade quality pre amp though, so with a couple of high quality external mics you could probably get close to studio quality on your recordings. If you don't need more than 2 mic entrances the h5 would be the better choice.

[Fran Guidry]

Originally Posted by YeOldRocker

Quick (I hope) question: are the mics in the H5 and H6 different from the mics 0f the less-expensive H4 or H2s, or is it the circuitry (beyond the added track capabilities) that are different - I'm curious why Zooms seem - according to many here - to get quieter and fuller-sounding as the Zooms steps up a notch.
Insights?

The Zoom engineers take technology created by the integrated circuit industry and package it into these recorders. As the IC folks develop new higher performance circuits on a chip Zoom is able to produce higher performance recorders.

Transducer (mic and speaker) technology moves a lot slower than IC tech, but there is a well established market in commodity mic modules, so Zoom can spend a few pennies more on mics with lower noise and better frequency response as they take their recorders up market. But if you use an external high quality mic the higher end Zoom recorders will exhibit lower self-noise than the lower cost models.

So mics, preamps, and a/d all get upgraded as Zoom goes upscale. Of course other details get upgraded as well. Better switches, better body and chassis, better LCD screens all appear on higher priced models. The H1 for instance, is a minor miracle of cost cutting and feels exactly like it, while the H6 has a solid hefty feel that gives an impression of quality and longevity.

Fran

[YeOldRocker]

Thanks all - I think that answered my question!