I’m new to sound equipment and did some research before making this purchase. In the end, I was stuck between the H4 and H5 as I understood these to be some of the more common in the industry for professional field recording. I’ve been using the H5 for over 6 months now and am very pleased with the crisp, high quality sound it records. I love popping in my headphones and just listening to the enhanced reality surrounding me as I’m recording. Feels surreal, like being in the IMAX. When held close, it captures your voice nicely and is great for audio notes. A bit of a podcast tone to it. The rubber-like material around the grip is great and keeps it from slipping or moving around in your hand. It’s also a slimmer and sleeker build compared to the H4. Light weight and easy to grab with you on the go. I’m very happy with the purchase. While I don’t have personal experience with the H4, I’d say if you can afford it, go for the H5. It’s been improved to offer a more comfortable experience for the user, although I believe the sound itself is highly comparable. The H4 has been used by professionals for years and is too a great investment for a smaller budget.

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.

There is nothing negative I can say about this recorder. It has many input and output option, including XLR connections. It has many different mics that can be attached. Sound quality is impressive and permits professional recordings with a very portable device.

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.

Got this because my old unit was too basic and didn't have any Line/XLR inputs. I'm a huge fan of this, especially the dials for volume control. I feel like I would have gone for the H6 if it was a bit smaller and cheaper, but for what this is I love it and it works super well.

Im a sound engineer and i gatta say this recorder is perfect for just about anything! Supper flexible, great sound capture and quality and love all the attachments available. Great for film makers and audio engineers or anyone needing high quality recordings. Even the x mics it comes with are pretty awsome and supper clean

I bought this recorder and it is exactly what I was looking for. I use it for recording with my DSLR and for music recording. It also is perfect for lecture recording.

It has manual gain controls to control how much signal goes through the mic as well as accessorie mic attachmants where the mic capture pttern can be change so the recorder can capture sound in different ways.