Zoom - H5 Handy Recorder

I will begin by saying that my review is not based on electronic testing equipment but simply on my ears and my views. Having owned two earlier models of the Handy Recorder, and having been always totally pleased, I felt I would give this new model a go. Out of the box, you will immediately see that it is not a sony business-meeting shirt-pocket digital recorder, but rather, a serious semi-pro to pro device for quality sound recording. It comes with a sturdy plastic case, which I would definitely recommend using for transport. While the unit is not flimsy at all, it is a sophisticated electronic device and should be handled accordingly. The menu was easy to follow, having already used this brand many times before. In no time I was recording sounds around the house to test the device. With quality earphones, the playback was totally captivating. As I heard voices in the background, I had to remember whether they were recorded or someone actually speaking as I was listening. Record anything with this device, put in the earphones, sit back and close your eyes and listen, and you will be completely absorbed into what you are hearing. We focus so much today on snapshots, videos, but very little on pure sound. If you use this to simply record the sounds around you to hear again, it will be worth the price. If you plan to record your band or other live performances, you will far more than your money's worth. I see this as another amazing device allowing me to preserve all of those precious sounds around me - from my children playing to the dog barking. These too will be precious recordings in years to come, as are my photos and videos.

I already own and love the Zoom H2. It has been my "go-to" recorder for rehearsals, live gigs and as a quickie USB DAW interface. I was drooling over the Zoom H4, and had the opportunity to audition one for a weekend. The inability to balance hyper-sensitive direct inputs with the on-board stereo mics was a deal-breaker. The H5 addresses those issues, plus provides the flexibility of the interchangeable mic and direct input modules. I would give this 5 stars, except the stereo mic capsule that it ships with does not sound as good to my ears as either of the stereo capsules on the H2. I did not test the H5 mics extensively, nor have I tried any of the optional capsules. Further use and investigation of optional capsules could provide a better impression. Honestly, if I could give it a 4.5 star review, I would. The mic capsule is not my highest priority. The quality of the direct inputs, ease of use as a USB DAW interface is. So far, those functions have been 5 star. Mic pre-amp phantom power is sufficient to power a Shure 87A. To my ears, sound was clear with more than enough headroom for my recording purposes (vocals, stringed acoustic instruments). USB DAW functions are SO much faster and easier than navigating all of the shenanigans required to get anything done with my M-Audio Delta 1010, PreSonus FirePod, Focusrite Saffire and Saffire Pro24 DSP. Call me a technophobic wimp, but DAW software interfaces prevent me from getting from power-up to recording tracks in a reasonable amount of time and effort. The H5 is an instant gratification breeze in comparison. The headphone amp is sufficient to power my AKG K-240S headphones, which are fairly power-hungry. The H5 is an awesome Swiss Army Knife device that may be the only recorder you will ever need. Yes, it's that good.

This is AWESOME!!! You will need to refer to the manual unless u are a professional producer of music. HOWEVER, it is in simple easy to understand language & pretty straight forward. A great thing to do is to get your grandparents, parents etc to read 1 or more books into it! Maybe they know what your favorite book was when you were little & you pick a second book you like as an adult! That way you can find out stuff about yourself as a kid & someday your kids can hear distant (either by miles or health issues or unfortunate circumstances that they are not here with you anymore. Just remember to download the expandable memory of 32gig on a usb 2.0 reader & a 2.0 usb comp. plug.

Zoom is known for producing great quality recorders among other types of gear for musicians. I had previously owned a Zoom H2, but was not quite satisifed with the low pre-amps. So, I recently purchased this H5, and it sounds amazing. The quality is close to my recordings with my condenser microphones. The item feels and looks great. Adjusting the input volume involves using actual knobs, which gives a nice, tactile feel. Navigating through the menu is easy, but a little strange with the button that is provided. Overall, the Zoom H5 is a fantastic product.

I couldn't be happier with my zoom mic. After purchasing a camcorder that didn't include XLR jacks I was looking for a mic that would compare to the required sound. This zoom mic did the job. It has the ability to record 4 separate tracks 2 from the included mic head L/R and two XLR jacks for an external mic or instrument. There was an xd card included to save recordings. There's a multitude of professional recording options and would be a great addition to any setup.

This is NOT a simple recording device. It is for audio geeks only. It is complicated beyond reason and only for those willing to read pages and pages of detailed instructions and even then, one might not get a sound. It's worse than any "point and shoot" camera, which never did fit that description. After 5 recording sessions, we still haven't gotten successful, complete sessions. It's just not worth the money......unless you have an engineering degree.

I do a lot of weddings and commercial work and audio is vey important to me. I bought this to record vows and toasts at weddings and for interviews and it has saved me incredibly. I would be lost without it. The audio quality is amazing, it is very user friendly, and it is pretty affordable. Being able to have multiple audio sources is great. I would highly recommend this to anyone who records important audio for their work or personal life.

I'm a live sound engineer and love to record my shows. I can't always multi track so the H5 is exactly what I need to get a matrix recording. The XY pattern mics also get a great ambient recording. This is great for movie audio recording as well. The card that comes with it is operational but, not big. Definitely get a larger size one for big projects.