B&H Guide to handheld digital audio recorders

B&H has put together a nifty little guide to the current generation of digital audio recorders, with models ranging from the low-end Zoom H2 to the high-end Sony PCM-D1. (Translation: Some of these recorders cost as little as $200, while others will set you back as much as $1800).

Each item includes a brief product description and a small chart letting you know its weight, dimensions, what kind of battery it takes, what kind of microphones and memory it uses, and what kind of input/output options it has. There’s also a space in each chart for “unique qualities,” and some of the recorders do have some unique properties worth noting. For example, the Zoom H2 does virtual surround sound recordings, while the HHB Flashmic is a digital audio recorder built into a high quality handheld microphone.

What you won’t find in this guide are the negative qualities that come with some of these recorders. After all, B&H is a store, and their goal is to get you to buy some of the products listed. So they won’t mention the fact that the Zoom H2 and H4 have somewhat noisy preamps (which is most noticeable when you plug in a microphone. The sound quality from the built in mics is reasonable for a low cost recorder).

Still, if you’re shopping for a recorder, you should check out the guide, which makes it easy to compare the following devices at a glance: