If all you wanted to do was record a single pair of tracks, this would be a wonderful device.
Built in microphones and and such a handy package.
With phantom power for condensers to less!

Sound is good, though setting levels with the XY microphones
is difficult as you can't see what you are doing. Front address would
work more easily, still, with decent headphones you can get around that.

I give this product two stars because of the sadistically convoluted and difficult overdub procedure.

if you wanted to record, say, one guitar part over another, it is really, really difficult to do.

I have found this so challenging that it has been hard to resist the temptation to simply
toss this thing in the trash and save myself the grief. After three years of ownership I have
just let this gather dust, having recorded nothing of value on it. A real disappointment
or a real dumb human. Your call.

Im using it for live practice recordings. As long as the levels are good for each instrument depending on where the device is placed everythings a go. It's a simple alternative than setting up individual microphones.

I been using this mostly to record local bands. I LIKE IT! Gives me great sound. Compared to other recorders I owned, this is excellent.

I've had my H5 for over 5 years, and used it very occasionally during that time. Perhaps it has been used for a day of recording 10 total times in 5 years. It has been stored the entire time in the plastic case that came with it on the shelf in my office, and not in direct sunlight. In other words, it hasn't been abused in any way.

But now the back of the rubberized case is VERY sticky to the touch, and it's actually starting to rub off in some places. The front side, which seems to be made of similar material, is not as sticky as the back. Maybe the back is stickier because that's where you hold it, and skin oils react with the rubber?

Anyway, this is very disappointing. Why not just give it a matte plastic surface with no rubberized coating?

Otherwise, it has been a GREAT recorder. But I definitely wouldn't buy one again, because I expect my gear to last forever if I take good care of it.

I'm not a musician but a hypnotist, and I picked up the H5 in order to make some voice recordings for clients and friends. (I'd formerly recorded with a desktop Yeti, but it was catching the computer fan and other ambient noise that left the files sounding hollow after I'd scraped it off in post-production.) I selected this Zoom model instead of the alternatives because most folks said it had better preamps and stronger battery life. A couple of trial recordings in and I'm very satisfied. The recordings I've made catch vocals very well--so well, in fact, that my listeners have given the thumbs-up to the raw tape with no editing on my part. Still early days here, but it looks like a winner.

This has as great sound quality and is designed well. I use it for ad videos and for recording some guitar from time to time. I'm definitely an amateur but this is a nice upgrade from a H4 that I had that I broke.

As a RECORDER, this thing is basically everything you'd hope it to be and it's excellent.
As an INTERFACE... nope.

After the drivers are updated, the existence of the H5 is present in the drop-down list in your recording program(s), and via headphones, the audio-out functions great. But in my case, that's it. Additionally, even the Cubase LE and Wavelab LE software that comes with it doesn't recognize it past that and I didn't even get to the "warbled playback" issue that many have mentioned online. In short, testing it with three different programs, the interface function does not deliver.

Giving it 2.5 stars because, simply put, the H5 only succeeds in doing HALF of what it's supposed to. Avoid this model and stick with the tried and true H4n or H4n Pro.

There are a lot of applications you can use a device like this for. I happened to use it to record an AK47 on a windy winter day. Performed flawlessly. Love this unit.

The H5 replaced an H4n that had served me well for years. The H5 is more compact, has simpler controls, has better battery life, has excellent mics and pre-amps. Two major bonuses solidify my rating. The removable mic capsule and that the H5 can be an external mic interface for IOS devises as well as Windows computers. This system allowed using an external mic through an IPad on a live Zoom meeting - something not possible for me previously.

It does not work. Not consistently anyways. It has some kind of sample rate/clocking drift issue that causes digital artifacts and a "warble" sound on playback when used as an audio interface. Zoom actually know this, but their response to people with the problem has been "sorry about that" with no proposed fixes or promise of new drivers/firmware etc. Meanwhile they continue to advertise the interface functionality as a selling point. This is completely unprofessional behavior by any company. I won't be buying any more zoom stuff just out of principle. If you are going to sell yourself as a company for professionals, act like professionals.

This model is excellent but has one fatal flaw. The phantom power! Not all units have it but some do and good luck getting Zoom to fix it.

Inputs 1 and 2 if phantom power is enabled will shut the device down requiring a restart. You can use dynamic mics with these inputs but they will be noisy as the preamps aren't that great. You can definitely bypass this noise with several tricks. But be warned, phantom power may kill your recorder and there is nothing zoom will do to help you. As with most large companies, if you are in the minority, you're pretty much on your own. As a first time buyer of a zoom product, I definitely don't trust their brand nor their support.

If I had known it was this easy to record a podcast, I'd have done it sooooooo much sooner!

The Zoom H5 reproduces audio as faithfully as it sounds listening live, when you record it directly into the device. If, however, you decide to use it as an audio interface, and live-stream what it hears over USB, the audio quality is unacceptably bad. There is a very fast "warble" (about 20-30Hz) that renders all straight tones unlistenable. The basic quality is also dramatically degraded.

Here's the kicker: when you write to Zoom's support, they acknowledge this HARDWARE defect as "regrettable." The H6 does not have this limitation. Nowhere do they advertise that the H5 should not be used as an audio interface because it is defective at a hardware level.

So, if you never plan to use it as an audio interface, highly recommend the device, it sounds fantastic. If you ever will need an audio interface, spring for the H6.

I have a long history of recording, and have had the honor of recording in a high end studio as a newly signed artists long ago. The experience was great! I'm saying that to say this... I have been with a lot of fine engineers using gold standard gear, and have heard their side of the conversation. Ok, so we have the Zoom H5 which was made for the purpose of mobility allowing fine recordings of just about anything you want to record. Music, nature, podcasts, film work, and anything your imagination can think of. It truly does do a great job. The recordings I get thus far are of very fine quality, quiet, and totally usable in any kind of work you can muster up. Is it a match for much more expensive gear... probably not, but in the hands of anyone willing to work with it properly it will give you what you want. The built in mics actually sound nice, and are really handy. With external mics you have much lower input settings on your preamps, and it's very quite. Make all the music you want, get it in your SAW, and make a finished product. Don't let naysayers who record ants walking on the ground at three feet away discourage you. Instead, use it with care, record with care, just like they would in a major studio with equipment far more expensive... If they have to do it with such fine equipment, so will you with the Zoom, or any other mobile recorder. My experience was typical for me, I just had to take a day or two to find the sweet spots for this recorder, understand it a bit, and then do good work with it. That's what it's for. It's an amazing recorder, and very useful. I'm glad I got it.

I used to work for a fiber-optic modem company, and us feature designers and engineers would gather 'round once a year and try to figure out how we were going to keep getting customers to come back to the trough. What new, genuine, honest feature could we provide? Something real, something worth asking customers to spend more money on.
Now, in my recording studio are 5 generations of Zoom hand recorders The first, I bought from Sweetwater in 2012, and I was pleased as punch. It added field depth to my recordings. The next year, I bought the newer model, which offered better X/Y capabilities, as well as WAV 16bit/48 recording. Two years later, I bought two of the less expensive, slimmed-down versions, which added M/S recording, as well as 24bit to the possibilities, as well as a Low Cut option for removing rumble, and compression/limiting. . Next year, ZOOM added a more sophisticated external mic to their Zoom line, as well as the option of adding two external mics, for true X/Y and M/S recording, as well as a single-touch Mark in and Mark out option. This year, they made it so you can remove and replace the internal mic with other models, depending on your need, as well as 32-bit Float recording, so that you never have to worry about recording too loud.
Throughout the years, Zoom has maintained the same simple user interface, and setup is a breeze.
Now, the thing is, all these Zoom recorders are still working still up-and-running in my studio, and I'm as pleased with my ancient 2012 Zoom as I am with the new one that just arrived from Sweetwater last week. The tonal varieties such a recording technique provides can be heard in any and all my videos.
Zoom has shown us how a company can keep improving their products, adding new features that are all worth owning, and worth spending real money on."

The H5 is awesome. I was surprised there is no AC adapter. I can work around that with USB adapters. Great unit. Lots of flexibility.

This thing is dope. So glad I bought it. It is also way lighter than I thought it would be. The menu navigation button is not nearly as hard to press in as some reviews on YouTube would have you believe. Not even close to being a reason not to buy this beautiful piece of gear.

I bought this primarily to record myself playing a grand piano. It reproduces the sound beautifully for my purposes (mostly to improve my practicing). But I also wouldn't hesitate to share a recording if I thought my playing was good enough. It is easy to use -important for a non-techie. The software (Wavelab LE) that came with it, however, was very complicated to download, and doesn't seem to have much in the way of features. I could not get Cubase at all. I will look for other interfaces.
Altogether, the recorder itself is excellent, handy , portable and effective. Highly recommended.

The Zoom H5 was a highly, favorably reviewed item and it seems to be all it was touted to be. While I am new to using mobile recorders, there is an ease to its operation and everything works as it should. The accessories allow you to start right away, except mine did NOT come with a SD card, which still has me scratching my head. Otherwise, it's a great unit that will meet my needs for some time. I would recommend it to anyone who needs a powerful yet compact, recorder for their needs.

As far as portability and flexibile I/O goes this thing gets a five star rating. However flexible I/O is nothing if the preamps are too noisy. I"m not talking about the xy mics on the h5. I didn"t expect much from them and they"re pretty good for what they are. I"m talking about the xlr/1/4 inch combo jack inputs. I have been producing voice over for radio theater for about three years now and I was excited about the idea of having a portable recorder for sound effects and an audio interface for on the road recording. But here"s where the problem is. In ordering to get my vocal volume to peak at -12db I have to turn the volume up to 6 or 7 on the dial. However once I turn the dial up past 5 the hissing from the preamps is unacceptably loud. (For Voiceover) I tried this with several of my mics including the Rode NT1-A, the Shure SM57, the Audio-Technica AT835a, the Audio-Technica AT835b, and the Rode NTG-2. I also tried just turning up the gain without any mics plugged in and had the same noise results. I"m still going to keep my zoom h5 but I"ll have to spend another $100.00 on a FetHead Phantom in order to get clean audio for sound effects and voice over. Zoom would have an unbeatable product if they upgraded their preamps! Anyhow that"s my review. I hope this is helpful.

I bought this to provide high quality audio to accompany videos I shoot from my DSLR, including using my 400mm telephoto lens. This unit supports the SSH-6 stereo shotgun mic and that's what I love about it. I haven't tried it, but to test the unit a secondary reason to buy this was to transcribe a number of cassettes I have that I never got digital replacements for into MP3 files to listen to in the car and on my phone. I transcribed one tape and it came out amazingly good, better than the tape. This took a bit of patience to figure out how to make it do what I wanted, between it and the accompanying fancy software. It SW has the ability to do the dividing of a long file into individual files of one song and then rendering it as an MP3 so I was going to do it that way. But then I found the H5 can easily insert markers anywhere I wanted during a recording and also divide one file into two quite easily. So after I recorded the long file with all the songs in it and markers in-between each song, used the divide function to create 20 files of one song each. I used the software to render the files in MP3. This worked so smoothly I can see it will easily do everything I want and a lot more. It doesn't come with any SW manuals, but searching the internet for WaveLab LE and the topics I wanted I found endless YouTube videos that easily described how to do simple tasks as well as really exotic things quickly. It includes cleaning up noisy tape recordings with frequency search and modify in the SW. This was a very good purchase recommended by Logan and I'm really happy he listened to my needs and recommended a really good and affordable product that should last me as long as my cameras and lenses.

I have an older digital handheld recorder that I used mainly as a scratch pad for ideas, but after wishing it had multi-track capability and seeing some videos on YouTube that used the Zoom H4n for audio I decided to upgrade. The H5 fits my bill perfectly; I can be up and running and ready to record a fresh idea in basically under a minute. Or I can work out the details of an idea and record multiple parts using my studio mics. I've also started experimenting with it as an audio interface for my Zoom Q4 camera and it works superbly there as well. Most importantly, it sounds really great. I haven't yet done a deep-dive on all the things it can do, but I do recommend picking up the EXH-6 capsule that adds two more XLR inputs; it really opens up the unit even further.

I bought this when it first came out and fell in love. The quality of the mics along with the high SPL handling made it a must in my use. However after being used for many years, the coating on the outside started to fall apart like all rubber does and it is now super sticky and almost unusable.

Support wants to charge me over half the cost of a new one to get it replaced. If it had an aluminum body or something stronger than just plastic/rubber I'd totally buy again.

I feel like I"m just scratching the surface of what the Zoom H5 can do. I"ve used the multi-directional mics in conjunction with two connected XLR microphones to record a live band, and after the recording, I realized the XLR mics were overmodulating a bit. Thinking those channels were unusable, I looked further and realized I could mix down AFTER the fact and created an awesome mix that was perfectly balanced. Knowing that I can also connect headphones to monitor the mix live and make changes in real time makes this a very powerful tool. I"m using it for film-making as well. SO glad I picked this up. I"ll be purchasing additional microphone module options as well. HIGHLY recommended!!

This recorder is very useful tool to record everything while in a writing session. I use it for the two input channels and remove the attached mics. I plug my guitar in one channel and a dynamic mic in the other. Then I record the entire time I am writing and working out ideas. I record 44.1/24 bit as you can get many hours at that quality. When I write, so often I will do something that I am so glad I recorded as I just forgot what I did a second later. This recorder captures everything. It is easy to use. These days you can record to your phone but the H5 gives you the quality that you can only get with a direct guitar input and a good quality microphone. In the case you get that magic take you want to use for a record you will have it in CD quality.

Haven't had a chance to use recorder, but Sweetwater has been incredible checking up on purchase!

I needed a stereo recorder for field recording, and this portable machine fit the bill. Small, powerful, and lots of front end control on board. I don't do anything complicated, but this was super easy to use right out of the box. The batteries last a long time for me, but I don't have it running for long bouts. Plug in earphones, and hear everything being recorded real time, or play back. Simple buttons, simple operation. And look out, it fits in my camera bag. Clean texture recording with great stereo sound.

Very few things I didn't like, but there are remedies. Any little air movement will show up on the mic. The foam cover didn't cut it for me at all. Even just walking with it would make distracting air-motion wind sounds. I went and got the dead kitten cover and put it over the foam and it helped a lot. Deadened the sound slightly, but no wind sounds. Also, any hand/clothing movement or bone creaking will show up on this. You need a stand, camera mount, or hand stick for the cleanest sound.

I purchased this on the recommendation of an experienced pod-caster and a professional photographer, as well as the positive reviews of numerous YouTube reviewers who demonstrated the versatility, quality, and multiple functions of this recorder. I was looking for a high quality stereo field recorder (for live programs that I present) as well as a secondary audio recorder as a backup for recording audio for a podcast that I'm preparing to produce. The unit arrived sooner than expected and was exactly as advertised and reviewed. It only took a few minutes to unpack and begin using the H5 and I have not been disappointed! Before the H5 arrived, I had already downloaded the manual and had been studying the functions so that I would be familiar with the buttons and recording process upon arrival and - combined with the information from the many online reviews and instructions - was prepared when the H5 showed up on my doorstep. As of this writing I have not had the opportunity to explore all of the capabilities that this recorder allows but, in time, I'm sure I will be even more amazed and satisfied with all that it can do! It is unlikely that I will outgrow it's capabilities any time soon. Ordering from Sweetwater was easy and efficient and their customer service is top rate. Over the past several years, I have not had to ask too many questions, but, when I did contact Sweetwater I have always received prompt, professional, knowledgeable answers/rsponses. I do have to say that - although it wasn't a conscious aspect of why I order from Sweetwater - finding that small bag of candy in the shipping box was an added 'bonus' to the transaction and probably did play a (subconscious) part in choosing Sweetwater over over other online sellers. : ) I absolutely recommend the H5 if you are looking for a high quality, versatile, small footprint, multi function, stereo/4track recorder that can be adapted (with switchable microphone capsules) to accomplish just about any type of field and studio recorder need for podcast, live photographic/video (weddings), or DIY recording projects for the independent musician. The H5 and Sweetwater both 'deliver' on all 'fronts'! More than satisfied with this investment and definitely look forward to any excuse to order more equipment when I need to (confirmed 'gear-head'!)!!

I needed a quality, mobile recorder that offered XLR connections. This unit does a beautiful job in all respects. It's easy to learn how to operate, and using the special features (like the auto generated synch tone to synch to video) really speeds up my work. I'm really pleased.

Wow! Like most of my fellow musicians these days I'm on a tight budget. I have developed a habit of researching my musical purchases prior to spending my hard-earned money.
I spent weeks reviewing the Zoom H5 before purchasing it at Sweetwater. It was a challenge to find any negative reviews--most reviews were glowing & gushing with love for the H5. So I plunked down my money and bought mine. All I can say is despite the great reviews I was not prepared for how AWESOME this thing is!!!
I don't usually gush or give glowing reviews but I will tell that every time I power on the H5 I get a giddy Christmas Mornin' Feelin'.
The recording quality is great with the onboard LR mic module. It's even better with a quality condenser mic plugged in--and it's phenomenal with a ribbon mic, condenser mic and the onboard LR module in combination.
One of my favorite features is the ability to use 48 volt phantom power on one XLR input or both. This allows for the use of a condenser and ribbon mic together.
I record mostly acoustic guitar/vocal.
The H5 has also helped boost my video views in the month since I bought it. I record the live audio in my H5 then marry it to live video. The low cut filter and included pop filter make recording outdoors easy and clean. The setup allows me to record live song performances cleanly in interesting locations which has helped boost video views and audience retention.
My experience with the H5 has led me research other Zoom gear.

Easy to use good quality , portability. I'm using this for scratch recording ideas while practicing. Haven't downloaded anything yet just plug it into amp and play to tracks I've recorded. The mics work well had to lower levels while recording. I would recommend for someone looking for portability. I bought the mount and use a mic stand makes it easy to operate from there.

I'm just awestruck by how nice this recorder is. It's just what I need and more, I love the interchangeable mic capsules and all the features. The fact it has a built in tuner and metronome just add to the versatility of this handy recorder. Add the accessory package and and the other capsules and you get an awesome recording studio in a mil spec box.

We purchased this and the case for a church planter in Africa. He plans to record his sermons for a radio program. He was thrilled!! Thank you!

I have yet to use all of the benefits of this recorder. I find it to be a much more comprehensive device than my past recorders.

Does everything it's suppose to do without being a pain to use. The screen is a good size and gives you lot's of info. Simple menu system gets to all your settings in just a few clicks. Feels good in the hand. Sounds is fantastic. The only disappointment was the day it arrived Sweetwater put it on sale ;)

Just started exploring the H5. Saw a voice/guitar video shot outdoors with the H4N and was impressed with the sound quality, so picked up the H5. I can see a ton of potential uses for this, but I think I'll be using it most as a quick way to record guitar voice demos without having to deal with the hassle of setting up my DAW and home studio gear. Turn it on and go; transfer the files later for mixing. Might use it to record a natural reverb (i.e. stairwell), and definitely for on location DSLR videos.

There are some noise issues. The included XY capsule mics are fine for a basic demo capture, but have too much hiss to be useful for clean music recording (i.e. solo acoustic guitar). However, plugging a couple of low noise LDCs (Rode NT1 and CAD E100S) into the XLR inputs was far quieter; the XLR preamps noise floor is low enough to be useful. I'll likely pick up the XLR capsule (no phantom power, alas) for two more inputs, as I suspect the capsule preamps are the same as the XLRs, and the XY mic is the culprit. Built-in headphone amp is also hissy, but I can deal with that as it's not printed to the files.

It's a bit picky with the USB connection to my MacBook, definitely need to do things in a defined order to get it properly recognized. Much easier (and faster transfer speed) to pop the SD card into the reader than use the USB connection. I plan on getting a fast 32GB card, not that it's necessary for recording, but so the file transfer to the computer will be as quick as possible.

I upgraded to the Zoom H5 from my h4n which is a great upgrade and well worth it. I use it mainly for recording better audio for my videos. I use Rode NTG-3 shotguns, Sennheiser ew100 wireless lapel and also use the xy or shotgun attachment for kind of a pseudo backup (if the h5 goes down you have nothing which happened recently due to some faulty batteries that were brand new so I now run with rode on camera shotguns as another back up and my h4n sometimes. I'm paranoid, haha). I really like this machine, but those darn preamps are just noisy. I'm use to recording audio in my studio with some high end preamps and those Rode NTG-3s are dead quiet. I always have to do noise reduction in post if I use the H5. After that it all sounds great, but wish I didn't have to do so much reduction. I record at -18 BTW with no comp or limiters the same way I do in the studio.

On another note I did use this on a movie set for interviews and some boom work. I told them about the noise issue so their editor would know to use reduction, but they said it will the best sound they will have on the entire film. It sounds great, just too noisy for me. The shotgun attachment isn't too bad on this, but it's no NTG3.

I bought this to record a concert, and it did not disappoint! Setup is simple and easy, menu is detailed and easy to follow. The mic gain on the integrated shock mount mic is more than enough to record any live concert. For best results, you should hook a noise-isolating headphone to the headphone input jack and listen to the live recording to set the best settings.

For the concert, I set the compression to "concert" and added Lo-Cut filter at 80hz, enabled Back-up recording to record an unedited copy at 20db below original recording. Mic gain was set at 3-4 and the sound peaked between 12db-6db during performance.

The final result is hiss-free and sounded very clean.

Only complain I have is the toggle/click switch for flipping through menu is very hard to use and press, often gets stuck half-way pressed.

Highly recommended.

I wish I had bought this first over the roland r5 recorder. I like the fact it has the xlr combo jacks on it and woulve liked that from the beginning. I bought what someone else had recommended instead of coming here first to look. Live and learn.

This recorder is awesome. I can't believe how clear it is on playback when capturing a recording. My wife thought I was still playing my guitar when she can out to listen to the recording. I definately recommend this recorder.

Easy to use and very compact. The included XY microphone has a great pickup of left and right interdependently.

A simple to operate little tool that can be used on the spur of the moment to record whatever you're working on. We will often set it up to record our weekly practice sessions, especially when adding something new. A lot of high quality WAV file options that can easily be converted down to MP3's for easy trading through e-mail. Did I mention it's simple to operate? The attached XY stereo mics are surprisingly good!
Unit came with a 2 gb SD card that I replaced with A 16, which gives me all the room I need. The H-5 will take up to a 32 gig card. Terrific battery life using rechargeables + an accurate battery charge indicator on the main screen. I did pick up the accessory pack for the plug in charger and the remote, but the batteries have been fine so far.... and did I mention it's real simple to operate?
Instruction booklet is extremely clear, and well written.

Sennheiser Shotgun microphone MKE 600 + EK 100 G3-B + Zoom H5 perfect solution for my needs! Sound clarity on H5 is beyond my expectation. Love it!!!!!

I have recently graduated college and found an internship with Sound Design for Game Audio, and so I was going to need a portable recorder that can capture clean recordings so I can sculpt later on in Audacity. This was the best investment that I could make, the clarity of the x/y microphone is Immaculate! It is very easy to user, and very compact and durable. I also liked the H5 because of the other capsules that you can interchange. I am going to buy everything that compliments my Zoom H5. Best in it's class!

When I first took the Zoom H5 out of the included hard shell case all I could say is "WOW" this thing feel fantastic in your hand. They gave it a slight curve to improve ergonomics compared to the standard square shape of most recorders.

The build quality is Amazing. This thing feels very solid. It's mostly made of plastic that is covered in a soft touch rubber type coating that is very nice. The microphone capsule is made out of metal as well as the guard bars over the gain adjustment dials.

The Zoom H5 is a recorder that has a very simple design and menu setup that I really like. It's easy to pick up and work with from the start without having to go into the manual to figure out how to do what you want. Zoom really took their time to design the recorder.

I love the manual dials to adjust the gain input. They are a huge improvement over other recorders where you have to click buttons. No only is the adjustment silent without "click" noises you can also adjust the levels much faster and you can visually see what you are currently set at. Along with that you also have separate dials for your different inputs.

Zoom also added a line output to go along with a headphone jack so you can monitor the audio and output it to your camera at the same time. Another great feature is the ability to input a line level in without a separate line signal adjustment.

This is the second recorder to use the new capsule system that allows you to expand the recorder. They have a shotgun mic, extra xlr inputs, and other capsules.

Basically this thing rocks!

Gets the job done stereo is sick crystal clear to a pin drop. Make it happen. Sturdy.

It's a little early but so far I can say the H5 is doing a fine job .
The clarity is excellent .
I need to work with it more but see no problems ahead
other than operator ones .
The Service at Sweetwater is fine as always
Thanks Mike

I have been putting the H5 through the paces and enjoying every minute. Every sample and bit rate is rapidly and easily accessible and sounds GREAT!. From what I have have experienced so far, I am sure to purchase the additional microphones available. All factors considered this is the most reasonably priced recorder of this quality. I have experience with many other brands and THIS IS THE ONE!
And my sales associate, Brian Loney did a great job of educating me about this product... and I am very happy.

I plan to use this as a supplement to DSLR video but I can see it will be quite useful many other strictly audio uses. This is very well made, nice grippy texture, I like the simple jog wheel for menu control. easy to use with abundant configurability features. The use of interchangeable modules adds a LOT of flexibility. The included X-Y Mic's sound great but the shock mounting on them still passes a lot of handling noise on to them. The ability to set audio levels using traditional rotary controls is a huge plus for an guy like me, born in the 50's. But as small and compact and 'handy' as this is you get a lot of bang for the buck, for sure. Love it!

I have owned the zoom H2n the last few years and was a little frustrated with the gain volume noise when I would crank it for classical guitar but I will tell you the preamp on this product is by far superior. I have noticed that the guitar sounds nice and crisp without being harsh. I have a nice room with a wood floor that has great acoustics and this recorder was able to match the sound superbly.

For under $300, this really sounds wonderful.