Field Recorder Comparo – Sony PCM-D50 & Zoom H2n

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

A friend loaned me a Sony PCM-D50, a unit that many people seem to feel is at or near the top of the heap in hand-held recorders. Since I just got my Zoom H2n I thought it might be interesting to compare them with some level matched, same source clips. And as long as I’m putting up recorders I threw in the old faithful Zoom H2. For a reference I included a Rode NT4 stereo mic connected to the Echo Audiofire Pre8 here at Digital Duck studios (my upstairs man-cave).

As usual when I do these comparisons I take a little trouble to get the clip levels matched. The more I’ve investigated audio the more I realize the importance of matching volumes. So for this comparison I used REAPER to generate a 1000 hz test tone and recorded it into all the systems. Then I used that recorded tone to adjust the volumes of the recorded tracks. This is more reliable than trying to match peak or average levels in the constantly changing energy of the music track.

Here’s a video that takes you through the process of generating these clips.

And here are the trimmed and volume matched clips for you to download and compare:

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

So how do those clips sound to you? When you go to the fadeout and turn up the volume, you should be able to hear a car go by out on the street, even though the window was closed. Listen to that section for the differences in the background noise.

The build quality, at least the “feel” of quality, certainly goes to the Sony in this comparison. It’s constructed of finely detailed metal, with firm precise switches and a solid hefty feel in the hand. Many of its features are are controlled by dedicated switches instead of relying on a menu.

The Zoom H2n instead feels light, even a bit cheap. Definitely constructed of plastic and with a minimum of dedicated external controls. The Zoom offers variable stereo patterns, but so does the Sony, using different technology. The Zoom has the advantage of a surround sound mode, and I also much prefer the “electric shaver” form factor of the H2 because it doesn’t require a stand and the metering is visible when the unit is in recording position. And of course there’s a substantial price difference between the units.

They both offer external mic and line in recording features, which I’ll look at in a future post.



This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 7th, 2011 at 6:25 pm and is filed under Comparisons, Recording. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


16 Responses to ' Field Recorder Comparo – Sony PCM-D50 & Zoom H2n '

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  1. Steve Berger said in post # 1,

    on September 8th, 2011 at 11:56 am

    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!

  2. Fran Guidry said in post # 2,

    on September 8th, 2011 at 1:25 pm

    Steve, thanks a lot for stopping by and commenting. Glad you enjoyed it.

    I certainly share your opinion that the files were similar far out of proportion to the cost of the recorders. This was a surprise to me and once again a big difference from what I read on the internet.

    As far as the subtleties, I rarely worry about the fine details. If the recording conveys the emotional impact of the music without distracting problems, I’m a happy recordist. After all, as you experienced with your wife, those details of tonal balance can easily fall into the realm of personal opinion and taste.

    Fran

  3. Karl Engel said in post # 3,

    on November 4th, 2011 at 7:34 pm

    Apologies if you’ve mentioned this but I couldn’t find it: was the H2n on MS or XY? Was the H2 on 90 or 120 degrees?

  4. Fran Guidry said in post # 4,

    on November 4th, 2011 at 8:43 pm

    Hi, Karl,

    Sorry if I omitted that detail. H2n on XY, H2 on 90.

    Fran

  5. Karl Engel said in post # 5,

    on November 5th, 2011 at 5:16 pm

    Thanks. Might be just gear envy as an H2 owner, but I hear a significant improvement in the H2n over the H2 sound, despite a lot of reviewers saying the capsules essentially sound the same. Of course the H2 is a little further from the source in your test but probably not enough to explain the difference. Even if I had the extra cash for the Sony, while I like its lower noise floor, I think it sounds a bit lifeless compared to the h2n (and the gorgeous sounding Rode) in this test. Do you find yourself recording more in XY or MS mode with the H2n?

  6. Fran Guidry said in post # 6,

    on November 5th, 2011 at 6:16 pm

    I think the H2n does offer an improvement over the H2, both in frequency response and noise floor. And the battery life is the kicker.

    I will likely use the XY mode of the H2n most often because I prefer to see the meters when I’m recording, but I used MS for my REAPER demo video and cranked the width down to mono. The surround option is one I use often as well, in fact it’s one of the reasons I prefer the H2/H2n over most other pocket recorders. Here’s a video I did with the H2 in surround: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUwoJavVRjw

    Fran

  7. Tom Burnside said in post # 7,

    on January 31st, 2012 at 7:39 am

    Fran, Wow! My H2N arrived yesterday and to put it mildly it blew me away. That said I was/am confused the manual gives the “newbee” no basic stepping off point on how to do a basic reordering session… Could you please give me a basic how-to correctly startup the H2N for a recording session—the settings… Bottom line I would like to be able to record both “at home” and “at concerts” once the basics are under my belt. Thanks!

  8. Fran Guidry said in post # 8,

    on January 31st, 2012 at 10:11 am

    Hi, Tom. I’m fine with the default settings – 44.1 16bit WAV. I use the front mics when I’m recording myself, the back mics when I’m recording someone else and want to see the meters, and the surround setting when I’m sitting in a circle with my buddies.

    Setting recording level has to be done based on the situation, and there may be sources that are so loud they overload the H2n no matter what your setting.

    Hope this helps,
    Fran

  9. Tom Burnside said in post # 9,

    on January 31st, 2012 at 11:54 am

    Fran,

    Many, many thanks for your suggestion and insite…

    Errrr, how do I set the “- 44.1 16bit WAV” and the select the “font mics”?

    It all seems–at the moment–like a big blurr to me…

    Ciao,

    Tom

  10. Fran Guidry said in post # 10,

    on January 31st, 2012 at 2:24 pm

    I believe 44.1 16 bit wav is the default. To check look in the lower left hand corner of the display.

    Menu operations in the H2n are accomplished with two buttons on the side – Menu and Play. Play is a three way switch that can flip up or down to scrool or be pressed straight down to select. To exit from any menu, press the Menu key.

    The mic settings are adjusted by rotating the dial on top. There are cute little pictures showing the patterns. The setting I call “front mics” is the XY pattern. Back mics are the MS, etc.

    It really pays to take out the manual and go through every single step they illustrate. Much better to put up with the frustration and head scratching at home than at a gig you want to record.

    Fran

  11. Tom Burnside said in post # 11,

    on February 4th, 2012 at 8:26 am

    Fran,

    OK, I cracked the booklet and s-l-o-w-l-y read through it, guess what? Yup, I’ve got a better idea how to handle on the H2N–what a powerhouse. Back in the early 50s I had a gigantic Ampex reel-to-reel tape recorder (the cutting edge then), the H2N is 10 times more powerful. With more “live hands on” time with my H2N I’ll get it.

    Thanks again for your pointers.

    Ciao,

    Tom

  12. Chris said in post # 12,

    on May 6th, 2012 at 4:18 pm

    Fantastic website, I’m learning things it’s great, I just bought an h1 zoom I wonder if I can return it and buy the h2n…..hmmm.
    All the best.

  13. Fran Guidry said in post # 13,

    on May 7th, 2012 at 1:44 pm

    Chris, it really depends on what you want to do with the recorder. The only advantage I see for the H2n is the surround recording, which is useful _if you need it_ but otherwise not. The latest firmware update apparently adds a USB interface function to the H1, so the H1 can be used to record directly into your computer: http://www.zoom.co.jp/products/h1/software/

    I still prefer the “shaver” form factor of the H2n, but otherwise the recorders seem pretty equivalent.

    Fran

  14. walt disney world resort said in post # 14,

    on May 10th, 2014 at 3:10 am

    Hi there just wanted to give you a quick heads
    up and let you know a few of the images aren’t loading properly.
    I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue.
    I’ve tried it in two different internet browsers and both show the same
    outcome.

  15. Jon said in post # 15,

    on May 27th, 2014 at 12:50 pm

    Sony sounds more natural but slightly thin with its built in mic – this could be down to small capsules. External mic recordings Sony D50 is hard to beat it will even give sound devices a tough time, the way it drives low output mic with ease – its a miracle. Sony wins in my books.

  16. Fran Guidry said in post # 16,

    on May 27th, 2014 at 1:29 pm

    Thanks for sharing your opinion, but just to be clear there’s no reason for a small capsule to have a “thin” sound. Measurement mics with tiny diaphragms can be flat down to the lowest frequencies.

    Fran

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About the Blog

    Howdy, my name is Fran Guidry and this is my Homebrewed Music blog.

    I play Hawaiian slack key guitar and recorded my solo acoustic CD at home. Most of the recording information I find on the internet seems focused on bands, drums, multitracking, and so on but my main focus is recording solo acoustic guitar. Lately I’ve been enjoying video recording along with audio, so that shows up in the blog as well.

    I’m also a guitar nut. I love big ones and little ones, handmades and factory guitars, cheap ones and expensive ones. So I’ll be sharing the fun of exploring guitars as well, along with the challenges of amplifying acoustic guitars for live performance.

    Welcome!

Philosophy

    My recording philosophy is pragmatic, skeptical, not super critical. After all, the performance is by far the most important component of a track, and every aspect of any recording is a matter of taste.

    But I do like to know “about stuff.” Back in hifi days I learned about double blind testing. I learned that we humans can easily hear differences that don’t really exist. The more I’ve learned about our human auditory system, the more I’m skeptical of what people say they hear, especially if they claim that a particular microphone or preamp or cable has some magical property.

    I’ve only been recording since 2001, and when I started I found the usual places on the internet. I sought advice and accepted it, thought I would improve my recordings by using more expensive equipment. It didn’t work.

    Two things that did seem to lead to better recordings were experience and room treatment. Getting an appealing sound is the combination of many small details, and learning those details only comes from experience. Amd the sound of the recording space is obviously a big factor.

    I’ve only recorded seriously using digital technology, but I remember trying to record rehearsals and gigs back in analog days. I don’t have any nostalgia for analog recording and playback systems at all. I think even low end digital systems can capture marvelous recordings. So when I look at gear, I look for good specs: low noise, broad flat frequency response, wide dynamic range, low distortion. I’m not interested in colorful components, mics and preamps with a sound, I want the sound to be the sound of my guitar.

    But the last word is that I’m just learning and I hope you find something useful in my posts.