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Customer Ratings & Reviews

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Customer reviews

Rating 4.6 out of 5 stars with 144 reviews

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  • Value

    Rating 4.4 out of 5 stars

  • Quality

    Rating 4.4 out of 5 stars

  • Ease of Use

    Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars

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90%would recommend to a friend

Customers are saying

Customers love the Handy Recorder for its exceptional sound quality, user-friendly design, and portability. They rave about its ability to deliver clear and crisp audio, making it a great choice for video production and other recording needs. Its compact size and affordable price point also make it a popular choice for those looking for a reliable and budget-friendly recording solution.

This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.

The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 144 reviews
  • Pros mentioned:
    Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    A must get for every camera bag!

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Doing full-time video and photography there are a lot of items you should have with you to make sure you're able to catch every moment, and some people tend to forget how important audio is! This has been a perfect sidekick for my Foley and other audio capturing needs. It's amazing, the quality you get from this tiny mic is insane for the price! Definitely a 10 out of 10 recommend!

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Versatile recorder

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    One of many advantages of this recorder is that I can mount it on my camera rig as well separate from my camera specially on interviews (with an external mic) or when recording live music events. This model in particular offers a great value for the price.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Excellent for basic recording

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I bought a Zoom H4N before the H1N. In fact, I wrote a review of the H4N that concluded that I probably should have tried the H1N because the capabilities of the H4N are sort of buried and - in the age of DAWs that can run on a tablet - there isn't a good reason for the full capability of the device. That got me thinking, so I went ahead and purchased an H1N just to compare the two. I'm writing this review now having returned the H4N. This is why. The H4N is a great device, but the downsides are that it is heavy; recording can take several steps, depending on the type of recording you'd like to make; and getting to settings that pertain to recording is clunky and unsuitable for serious recording. To my mind, the H1N solves these issues and makes it the right recording device for my purposes. First off, the H1N weighs about a quarter what the H4N weighs. It is very light and can be carried around pretty easily in a musical instrument bag. A trade-off to that is that the H1N is sometimes *too* light. I've almost dropped it a couple of times because of how light it is. It also doesn't have rubber feet on the back side like the H4N, which means it could slide around a bit where you put it. I wanted to be able to carry the device anywhere, so being light is a great advantage. The build quality of the H1N isn't so high that I don't care about dropping it, but for some reason, it feels slightly more robust than the H4N. Something about the H4N made me feel that it is fragile. Setup for recording on the H1N is remarkably easy. Hit one button. Now you're recording. That's pretty easy! To be clear, there are far fewer capabilities in recording on the H1N compared to the H4N. Gone is dedicated multitrack recording - even multiple microphones - that the H4N supports. That said, the H1N allows you to layer recordings. So you record a guitar, then vocals. Each time you layer, a new file is made with all of the content. That's actually pretty cool; you never lose any work. It is clear that the builtin microphones on the H1N are of lesser quality than the H4N. The recordings are good, but you're not going to produce an album on the H1N. I sort of doubt you'd do that on the H4N, either, but the sound quality is higher on the latter device. It is possible to plug a passive 1/8" jack microphone into the H1N. I haven't used this feature yet, because if I really wanted quality, I am going to use a good microphone into a dedicated audio interface with a DAW, not a Zoom device, so this point is almost negligible. I mostly appreciate just hitting one button and moving forward. The H1N has far less capability than the H4N, but that means that the interface can be extremely straightforward. The H4N suffers from trying to stuff a bunch of features into a tiny screen, and it does not work well - to the point where I simply would not bother trying to use it instead of a DAW. The H1N can do less, but you can usually find what you want to do quickly. There are still some oddities to the interface (such as getting to and using the Play menu), but overall, what you need to do to accomplish your task is typically obvious. The layered recordings you made above are a notable exception. It is difficult to find files, but if you want to do anything other than listen on the device (which I highly discourage, as the built-in speaker is pretty poor), you will need to plug the device into a computer, so this is more of an inconvenience than anything else. I said above that the H1N is the right recording device for my purposes. My purpose is to carry a device anywhere I want, set up and record with no work, and do basic recording setup tasks quickly. The H4N sort of suits my purpose, but the H1N suits it better. Frankly, if the H1N were more expensive and I hadn't had a little time on my hands to do a comparison, I probably wouldn't have bothered trying the H1N out. The H4N is a good device, and it has capabilities that are remarkable. That said, it does not feel worth using that capability to its fullest because the experience is poor. That H1N is good enough, and that's why I am sticking with it.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life, Ease of use, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    High-quality and easy-to-use audio recorder

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    Posted . Owned for 1 year when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Last year, I purchased the Zoom H1n Handy Recorder, and I have been thoroughly impressed with its performance. As someone who records audio frequently, this device has become an essential part of my setup. The H1n is incredibly easy to use, with intuitive controls and a simple menu system. The compact design makes it easy to carry with me wherever I go, and the built-in microphone provides clear and crisp audio quality. What's more, the H1n also has the ability to connect an external microphone for even better audio quality. The device also features a built-in speaker, which allows me to quickly playback recordings to ensure that they sound good. The battery life is impressive, providing several hours of recording time on a single charge, and the ability to swap out the batteries means that I can easily bring spares with me for longer recording sessions. One of the standout features of the H1n is the ability to record in both WAV and MP3 formats, which gives me the flexibility to choose the best format for my needs. The device also has a range of useful features, such as automatic level control and low-cut filtering, that help to ensure that my recordings sound their best.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use, Price
    Cons mentioned:
    Sd card

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Easy, Handy and Compact

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Good price and easy to use. The only drawback was it does not come with a micro sd card so I had to purchase one. I wanted something so that I could record in my Choir rehearsals with ease for playback later.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    easy to use (good for folie)

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    Posted . Owned for 5 months when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    primarily use this zoom to connect to my lavalier mic when recording studio audio but it's extremely user friendly and the mic itself is great to record folie type audio. pairs well with a wind screen

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use, Price, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great product!

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    Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Very easy to figure out and use. Use it for YouTube videos, and comes in very handy. Great audio and simple to sync up with video. Excellent price for the quality.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    great sound quality

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    Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This unit provides quality sound recording in a simple and easy to understand package. Using the online instruction manual I was able to figure out everything in a couple hours. I had initial problems connecting to a computer using Windows 11 but I tried it on a WIndows 10 machine and it all worked. Back to Windows 11 and it works there as well. With a computer it will either become a USB microphone or an SD card reader. The Zoom units have high quality sound options.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Size, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Better than the Zoom H1

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Much needed upgrade to the H1 model. A better build quality makes this feel more sturdy in your hand. The handling noise while recording is way reduced. I have the H1 also and this was always a problem when using it as a handheld mic. It is slightly bigger the the H1 but still able to fit in a pocket. I've used the H1N and the H1 with a Rode smartlav+ lavalier mic and a handheld condenser microphone both work using the correct adapter. (trrs to trs) this eliminates the handling noise.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great audio recorder for zoom meetings

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I needed this Audio Recorder for my job as a Court Recorder. It works just as described. Very easy to use. Picks up audio just as it's supposed to. Rly great for recording zoom meetings. I just invite my phone number and connect the male to male aux cord to the phone and to the red line in port. Click 1 to join meeting and I'm able to record meetings from my phone and using the handy recorder.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Excellent Recorder

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    Posted . Owned for more than 2 years when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I use it to record lectures and sometimes as external microphone for my PC. Recording quality is excellent and I get ~15 h of high quality audio recording with 32 GB micro SDXC card. Controls are simple, but you may have to play a bit with settings to get the best quality for your use.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great addition

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    Posted . Owned for 1.5 years when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Purchased this to add as a mic for my video camera. My camera offered great video but the built in mic could not handle rock music levels without distortion. This works amazing. Many adjustments to get the sound just right, but clear and no distortion. Batteries last a long time in this product.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use
    Cons mentioned:
    Sd card

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Good, not great, but good

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Good price for the equipment you get. Records well, though you really want something to cut the noise like a Deadcat. Fairly easy to use. Requires a 32gb OR LESS microSD which is a little frustrating as I wont ever be able to use that for any of my other equipment. Still, good for what you are paying.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Can't beat for $$

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    We use this for weddings and is the perfect device to use a portable mic/lav. You need to find one this does not come with one. And if you need to record great audio from a musician you can use the stereo built in mics which sound great. The only thing is that the line in is really a mic input meaning connecting to DJ (even though you can still do so) will be a bit distorted. We use the Zoom 4n Pro for that application. Buy it.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great Product

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    Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Perfect for recording with the GoPro. Personally I have the hero 9 and this product helps with editing and quality control of the audio. You can have it set up in line with the GoPro or have it record the audio separately. The choice is yours.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Sound quality

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Light weight

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    Posted . Owned for 2 months when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Light weight to carry around. Don't think it could take a pounding due to all plastic. But recording with built in mic or attached mic works good. Menu is hard to workwith but gets the job done. The x/y microphone works well for getting two people recorded. Did well in inrerview that took place in crowded space. Although loud back ground noise it picked up our voices clearly.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Bang for your buck Audio recorder.

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    Posted . Owned for 2 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    If you want quality audio recordings for YouTube and don't want to break the budget. This one is really good. I snagged the last one at my store. Has excellent controls and is simple straight forward to use. I like this better then my buddies H4n.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Size, Sound quality

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Nice budget friendly mic

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    Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Great budget friendly mic. Solid build quality and I love how small this is, makes it easy to handle or throw in a small bag and not take up space. I only wish there was a dedicated menu button and you didn't have to restart the mic to go into the settings.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great value for the money.

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This is a great product for beginners to video audio. The recording sounds great - much better the the camera audio. It is relatively easy to operate and includes sound editing software. I am totally satisfied with the product - it is a great value for the money.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great little mix recorder...

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I bought this recorder to record my DJ mixes rather than use the internal mix recorder function of my DJing software. It has an 1/8 inch earbud-style stereo input that I use to get sound from my DJ controller to the Zoom H1n recorder. It works great. It will take a minute to get the input levels set right. It does a fine job of recording mixes. The bonus is that it also has some nice mics on board you can use to grab samples to use in your production work.

    I would recommend this to a friend
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