Ian, welcome to the forum!
Raimund Specht's Avisoft Bioacoustics web page is the only place online whe=
re we can compare portable recorder preamp noise, tested under the same con=
ditions. Dr. Specht reports equivalent input noise, A-weighted, for the tw=
o recorders as follows:
Fostex FR-2LE -129dBu
Marantz PMD661 -125dBu
http://www.avisoft.com/recordertests.htm
This means that the FR-2LE is a bit quieter than the PMD661, but the two ma=
chines are among the quietest portable recorders. You'd need to record in =
a quiet setting, using microphones with very low noise, to detect this diff=
erence.
Of course, the EIN of the preamp is just one consideration when selecting a=
recorder. The size, weight, battery life, convenience of controls, legibi=
lity of meters and displays, features like pre-roll buffer, high pass filte=
r, limiter, and mic sensitivity, durability of construction, and compatibil=
ity with other equipment you already own may make one machine a better choi=
ce for you.
The FR-2LE can be purchased for as little as $430. The PMD661 costs more, =
in part because it's a new model. The lowest price I see online today for =
the PMD661 is $560.
--oryoki
|