I received a Zoom H4n yesterday, and have formed a few impressions.
First, the H4n is a big improvement over the H4. It's got solid constructi=
on and much improved ergonomics. The recorder is large and heavy (340 g), =
but it's possible to hold it and operate the controls with one hand.
The H4n showed two flaws in my initial tests. First is battery life when r=
unning phantom power to mics. I got 95 minutes of battery life in one test=
recording stereo at 24/96, and 107 minutes recording at 16/44.1. That's u=
sing garden-variety AA cells, purchased at a local store. You'd probably d=
o a bit better using expensive rechargeable AAs.
In contrast, the Marantz PMD661 lasted 3 hours using the same alkaline AA c=
ells. The PMD661 uses four cells, while the H4n uses two.
The second shortcoming is preamp performance. The H4n self-noise is genera=
lly under good control, showing itself when the record gain is pushed to ne=
ar maximum. I'd say the H4n is in the same class as recorders like the Tas=
cam DR-1 and Marantz PMD60
The 1/8-inch input, on the back of the recorder close to the built-in mics,=
seems just a little bit quieter than the XLR inputs. I'll perform more te=
sts to confirm.
The H4n offers unparalleled value. For about $350, the H4n offers desirabl=
e features like XLR inputs, phantom power, decent built-in mics, mid/side d=
ecoding, a pre-roll buffer and four channel recording.
The H4n would not my first choice when recording in a very quiet setting, b=
ut it would be a worthy companion when matched with a mic with a similar se=
lf-noise, and when recording a louder source.
More comments to come.
--oryoki
"While a picture is worth a thousand words, a
sound is worth a thousand pictures." R. Murray Schafer via Bernie Krause
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