Field Recorders - Sony PCM-D50 & Zoom H2n

[Fran Guidry]

A buddy loaned me a Sony PCM-D50 so I put it up alongside my new Zoom H2n to create some comparison clips. I added the Zoom H2 since it was laying around, then put up a Rode NT4 through the Echo Audiofire Pre8 as a reference track.

Here's the YouTube clip showing the process, the comparison clips are at the end: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbSbIUUFiAA

Here's the blog post at Homebrewed Music: http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/2011/...-d50-zoom-h2n/

And here are the level matched, same performance sample clips:

http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/audio/20110907/NT4.wav

http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/audio/20110907/D50.wav

http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/audio/20110907/H2n.wav

http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/audio/20110907/H2.wav

Fran

[alohachris]

Aloha Fran,

I've been waiting for someone to make this comparison. I'm glad it was you, with your customary thoroughness, great clips & friendly, useful information.

I've never liked the quality of Zoom products or results beyond capturing moments of music or for practice. They're very good at that, but do not offer pro level recording or noise levels. I know you don't expect that from them either. I have owned both the H4 & H2 for brief times. They are fun for what they are.

However, a musician friend has a Sony PCMD-50 that recently floored me with the quality of sound on the moments it's able to capture & process. I think it may be worth spending twice as much as the Zoom's on that unit. However, I don't think you can plug in XLR mic's into the PCMD-50 (the NT4 would work). I got great results recording through a couple of great condensers, through the SPS-1 line-levelled into the PCMD-50 when I borrowed it from my friend.

I'm at work in Mapunapuna right now & so can't give a proper listen to your comparison clips until later. But I just wanted to thank you for the timeliness of this thread, Fran.

Mahalo a nui!
alohachris

[Steve Berger]

Fran . . . Thank you very much for your time and expertise in making these comparisons. Lovely guitar playing by the way.

i repeatedly listened to the four sound files using the following five 'signal- chain' listening experiences:

- iPAD 2 > Sennheiser PX100 headphones
- iPAD 2 > AKG K240 headphones
- iMAC > Adam Audio A7 monitors
- iMAC > Apogee Duet > PX100 headphones
- iMAC > Apogee Duet > AKG K240 headphones

Upfront let me say that IMO all four sound files sounded very similar and I enjoyed/liked them all. Having said that, my favorite (by the slightest of margins) was the H2N sound file. Regardless of how I listened, to me it sounded slightly sharper and fuller.

My 2nd choice was the reference NT4 file. My 3rd choice was the Sony PCM-D50. My issue with the Sony was that in comparison, it sounded a little thin. I would be happy with that recorder, but wouldn't pay the difference in price for it based on my experience. In last place was the H2 as I thought it sounded somewhat muted in comparison to the others.

I should mention that I use and really like both the H2 and the Rode NT4 stereo mic.

I should also mention that I asked my wife Nancy to listen to all the sound files using all the listening methods and she chose the H2 by the slimmest of margins.

Thanks again Fran, that was fun!

[Doug Young]

I've only listened casually, but they all sound pretty close to me, which is what I'd expect. A lot of noise at the end of all of them, is that just room sound?

[Fran Guidry]

Thanks guys.

Doug, check the NT4, that's the room noise. Then refer each of the recorders to that to hear the self-noise they add.

Fran

[alohachris]

Aloha Fran,

Man, now that IS some very useful hands-on, step-by-step video about how to set up a proper & more useful comparison test in Reaper. I'll save that one, brah! MAHALO!

Gave it all a good listen, several times, pau hana. Used my Adam A7X near-field monitors, Daedalus W803 mid-field monitors & AKG Studio 240 headphones to listen to each sample/source several times in my treated "studio." Of course, it's always easy for me to listen to your nahe-nahe slack-key, Fran.

Nice clips. To my ears, the trebles on the PCMD-50 were smoother, fuller & less tinny or shrill than on the other three sources. I can usually hear any Rode mic from a mile away because of their edgy upper mid's & trebles. I heard very little difference among the H2N, H2 or the NT4 in this comparison. And pretty good sound to boot. But the Sony was smoother & less edgy with fuller sounding trebles to my ears. Worth twice as much as the Zoom's? Depends on what people can hear & what they're using it for.

Using headphones, the H2 lost the noise battle, but not by much. The NT4 naturally was the winner, but not by much at all. And the D50 & H2N didn't add a crazy amount of noise on these samples, not like I remember the H2 & H4 being. And it was the mic's on those that were so noisy with occasional cross-talk issues due to the small size of those recorders.

I probably still won't get a small recorder again. However I did hear a quality with the PCMD50 on my friend's recordings of live gigs that I'd never heard before with a Zoom. To me, it's just too easy to use a two-channel Apogee Duet (w/ great mic pre's & conversion) combined with great external condensers into a Macbook Pro for location apps than use a small recorder. And with less noise by far. Still, the small recorder quality has never been better. The PCMD50 is pretty special among them - but still not as good as your old Fostex, right Fran?

I think a player interested in achieving some good beginning recording results for not too much money should look into the Zoom H4n. It allows the use of better external mics. And if you record through it in a treated space, a la these clips, you can achieve very good results & also learn the recording process including miking techniques. It could keep the initial investment down for a player interested in start-up recording. I just wish that Zoom would provide better quality to ALL it's cheap plastic enclosed products. Even the mic's are plastic! And even the visuals on the new Zooms still aren't that great for aging eyes.

Mahalo again for that great comparison & always helpful mana, Fran.

A Hui Hou!
alohachris

[Fran Guidry]

I ran my Rode NT4 (using its 9v battery option) through a passive splitter and into the D50, H2n, and H2. The blog post contains the original files straight from the recorders (watch out for the test tone at the beginning), level matched excerpts of the guitar playing, and level matched excerpts of the tails boosted 12 dB. http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/2011/...-all-with-nt4/

There's also a video, this time detailing the level matching process in REAPER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3b4qBkOXxM

Fran

[mesa]

Fran, your a Gem!..... Thanks for all the work you put into this stuff and share it freely!

I thought the Zoom H2n and H2 sounded like the same unit. As for the D50 and NT4, why pay hundreds more?

Thanks again Fran!

[cotten]

Thanks, Fran. Your reports are always interesting and thorough! Unfortunately, I'm still listening though my cheap little computer speakers, so just about every possible nuance is lost. A better listening experience has now been added to my wish list, though it's probably about number 5 at the moment. Still, I'm making gradual progress, and enjoying the steps along the way.

Your tests have been educational and inspiring. Keep 'em up!

cotten