ZoomH5 Handy Recorder

****Updated: See negatives section. ****I have owned this device for almost 6 months now. The more I use it the more I am blown away by its capabilities and all the different situations and ways I can use it. I use it as is (no extra mikes) and the only thing I upgraded is the memory card.The mic unit it ships with is incredibly sensitive and when recording there is no delay whatsoever. It still amazes me that technology allows such instantaneous sound reproduction. I think it may pickup the sound of a pin drop. The mic is also very faithful in terms of range of frequencies. At least for me - it seems to record everything I hear and when I play the sound back - the highs the lows and everything in between is there. Stereo imaging is excellent!I've used it for live show recordings using only the included mic and have had mixed results - placement is very important even in a studio-like sound proofed room. I recorded one show with a feed directly from the mixer and I was beyond thrilled with the results. The band I sing with was also happy to have such a good reproduction of the show. My bass player commented that he had never heard bass captured so well and the loved the results. The quality of the playback of recorded sound is also unbelievable. It makes sense that they should include such awesome playback in this device - its the best way to tell if you got an awesome recording or not. It made me realize that my laptop needed an external DAC because the same WAV file sounded positively horrid on it. I had to go back to the H5n to make sure I was not going crazy with how poor the file sounded on my laptop. The challenge now is how to convert the raw files created on the H5n to a media format that does not lose all the detail. I have used it to provide sound to my D610 and obviously - this is way better than the D610s internal mic - not a fair comparison IMHO.The negatives:- The folder structure is so weird! Whose idea was this? Fire them! Ok, too harsh - but do give them a good talking to. Overall, if making a beautiful and easy to navigate and intuitive folder structure will take anything away from the quality of sound and the ease with which this lets you record - don't bother.- The unit allows you to set a backup recording that will record a few DB below the setting you selected. This option is available only for the mic that comes attached and L and R is controlled by one level knob. Don't get me wrong - this is a GREAT feature. It would be an AWESOME feature if it allowed similar backup tracks for other inputs also. The 2 second buffer is another fantastic feature.-I wish I got the H6 now. If this unit is so awesome and opens up so many possibilities - imagine how awesome the H6 must be. :-( You get he point - this isn't really a negative.The negatives, besides the one about backup track recording - are not worth docking it any stars. This is primarily a sound recording device - and that it is phenomenally good at doing.*New negative added after , what, 6 years? :-) The device has become sticky. The rubber like finish it had to give good grip, has broken down into something that just wants to stick to your hands. This despite it being always stored in its case. After it turned sticky I pretty much leave it lying around here and there out of the case. So, I still use it but try to handle it as little as possible. And after all these years, it still functions as it did the day I took it out of its box. Still an excellent piece of audio equipment.

I use one of these in a corporate setting for recording meetings in a conference room. I have a professional mic that I can connect to my laptop, but using the H5 decouples recording from my computer and gives me more flexibility in placement. It also means I can do other things on my computer, even rebooting if necessary, without losing the recording in progress.PROS:* Simple operation once you RTFM. The number of options can be overwhelming to a new user, but defaults work fine for most settings. A little time in the manual, and it quickly becomes intuitive.* The little menu wheel with its integrated pushbutton switch is very intuitive to use with just your thumb.* Audio quality is amazing. I honestly thought it would not be very good, with those two tiny microphones, but they are much more directional and of much higher quality than I expected. This isn't the way to record audiophile-level music, but for meetings or similar applications the quality is excellent.* Dynamic range is good. If the person speaking is a little off-mic, you will still get a decent quality recording and can easily amplify their voice in post processing.* Voice activated recording with a retroactive feature so you don't lose the couple of seconds before the recording started.* Can look like a USB storage device when connected to a computer, so compatible with any operating system. No special drivers needed.* Threaded mount on the back of the unit works with a standard camera tripod.* Lots of customization settings, if you need them, but sensible defaults allow you to be productive right away and learn the details later.* Ruggedly built, with a solid and professional feel. I have taken it on about a dozen business trips by train, car, and plane, and have even stuffed it into checked luggage. It comes with a protective plastic shell case, which is nicely sized to the device and not overly bulky.CONS:* This thing gobbles battery power. I invested in a set of 4 rechargeable AA batteries which work nicely. I get about 3 or 4 hours of continuous use, maybe more, on one charge.* It is a little bulky to carry around, but the positive counterpoint to its size is that it is ruggedly built for mobile use.