Product Comparison: Tascam DR-05 vs Zoom H1n

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Tascam DR-05 Portable Digital Recorder, Silver

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Zoom H1n Handy Recorder

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General Specifications

Brand

Tascam

Zoom

Model

DR-05

H1n

Origin

Japan

China

About the Product

TASCAM’s DR-05 brings high-quality stereo recording to an easy-to-use portable powerhouse with a size and price that anyone can handle. The DR-05 records in MP3 or WAV format – including 96kHz/24-bit high-resolution audio – to microSD or microSDHC media. A pair of all-new microphones handles up to 125dB SPL with the sensitivity to capture every detail. With new recording features like Peak Reduction and Quick Menu, the DR-05 puts album-quality recording in the palm of your hand.

The evolution in portable recording continues with the Zoom H1n. Designed for creators of all kinds, the H1n boasts built-in 90-degree X/Y stereo mics, advanced one-touch button controls, and distortion-free recording. It’s powerful enough for professional projects yet small enough to fit into your pocket. It’s the ultimate.

Key Specs

Maximum Recording Time

17.5 hours

10 hours

Voice-Activated Recording

Yes

Frequency Response

20Hz to 40kHz

Recording Quality

96kHz, 24bit

Number Of Recording Modes

What customers say about "Key Specs"

Tascam DR-05 Portable Digital Recorder, Silver

The built-in omnidirectional mics sound very good--clean, full range and accurate--and easily records sounds throughout the room.
Wav files recorded at 48kHz 24-bits or 92kHz 24-bits sound excellent and process easily in Bias Peak Pro or Apple Logic. For the best sound, guitar and voice tracks need a slight EQ boost in the lower midrange.
Playback through the recorder is possible but better appreciated through external earbuds or a headset. Recording quality was excellent for voice recordings. Because of the sensitivity of the integrated microphones it takes some adjustment on the user's part to achieve an acceptable balance.
The Tascam DR-05 is a great sound recorder. I have used three for over 2 years. It is better than the equivalent priced recorder from Zoom and others. Recordings, in my opinion, sounds even better than the newer Tascam recorder coming out (eg. the more expensive DR-22WL with wifi).
Tascam DR-05 - Great sound, 3 click operation to start, stop, pause. Can be a little confusing, even just setting the levels on the fly. However, the sound quality is a notch above the H1. Its now my go to for recording our band through the headphone mix.
While this is fairly easy to use and to download recordings, the recordings are so quiet that they are hard to hear, and I cannot find a way to increase the volume, even after downloading. I have been online and it says the recordings are very low.

Zoom H1n Handy Recorder

Records amazing audio for the price. You will notice significant gains in clarity compared to using a smartphone or built in camera mic. It's like night and day.
Excellent recording quality with line in and way above average with the internal mics.
It is so simple to use and the sound quality is excellent. Even on the highest settings, with a 4GB card I was able to record most of the day and never really worry about running out of space. It worked great for recording supplementary/backup audio for my DSLR.
It's pretty much impeccable. I got this so that I wouldn't have to suffer through the terrible recording I do on my phone. You can use this to create samples for music production. You can use this to record audio for videos.
Plastic body feels cheap for a $99 device. However, you'll forget it feels cheap this after hearing your audio.
The playback volume is not adjustable, and it's extremely low unless used with an external speaker or uploaded to a computer.

Size & Weight

Height

5.55 in.

5.4 in.

Width

2.4 in.

1.9 in.

Depth

1.02 in.

1.2 in.

Weight

4.1 oz.

2.12 oz.

What customers say about "Size & Weight"

Tascam DR-05 Portable Digital Recorder, Silver

It's considerably smaller and lighter than the DR-40 and DR-100 MKII, fitting comfortably in my medium sized hands.
The size of the recorder is quite tall. It is bigger than I expected but with the types of capabilities, I am not surprised. It is lightweight but it doesn't include a lanyard or holster for carrying.
The small size lets me attach a lavalier mic and slip the DR into a pocket for recording a subject who is walking around.
The unit may have been a little smaller, but i am not sure why some one would want that. compact size is nice, but too small becomes counter productive.
I love it's size. It fits in the had well and has a good build quality feel to it.

Zoom H1n Handy Recorder

Small and compact. You can easily fit this in a pocket, use it handheld, or attach it to a camera with a cold shoe adapter.
It's reasonably compact, measuring approximately 5-1/4" long x approximately 7/8" thick at the base, approximately 1-1/8" at the head, approximately 1-3/8" wide at the base, and approximately 1-3/4" at the head. It's lightweight.
This is a great little recorder. Its very light weight and has all the functionality you want in a run and gun recorder with no added fluff.
This thing is wonderfully small and light weight.
It is a small, very light weight design. As such the materials are very thin and delicate feeling. It carries vibrations very easily, a shock mount is a must have.

Features

Display Type

128×64 pixel graphic LCD with backlight

1.25" monochrome LCD

Computer Compatibility

Yes

Cue Marker Function

Yes

1-Touch Recording

Yes

Supported File Formats

WAV, BWF, MP3

WAV, MP3

Integrated Speaker

Yes

Interfaces

Mic/line input jack, Line out 3.5mm jack, MiniUSB, microSD card slot

microSD card slot, Mic/line input jack, MicroUSB port

Extras

Proven high sound pressure design, Peak reduction function, Self timer recording function, Seamless gain control, Three low cut filter levels, Level align feature, Divide/delete functions, Loop/repeat playback function, Tripod attachment screw-hole built in to the unit

Lo-cut Filter, Limiter, Test Tone, Slate-Tone, Voice Emphasize Filter, Playback Position Skipping, Playback Speed Control, A-B Repeat, Auto REC Level, Self-Timer, Overdubbing, Stereo X/Y 90˚microphones handle up to 120 dB SPL

Cue Marker Function
Integrated Speaker

What customers say about "Features"

Tascam DR-05 Portable Digital Recorder, Silver

Features are mainly aimed at musicians but it's also a good general use recorder for dialogue and DSLR audio in spaces where omnidirectional mics are appropriate. I’m pleased with this little recorder: most of the audio quality of the DR-100 MKII but at one third the cost and a much easier carry.
There are many adjustable features, including backlight adjustments which can also affect battery life (5, 10, 30 seconds, continuous or off). The sensitivity of the microphone can be adjusted to pick up the slightest sound or can be used to pick up only the speaker intended.
If you are missing the overdubbing feature, don't despair. Go to tascam's website and look for firmware updates, and also download the manual for the new firmware, or you might not figure out how to get the overdub feature to work.
The mics are pretty good, very sensitive..it's nice to be able to control the level, and the auto feature is really great for recording lectures.
Unit takes some time to learn all the features but overall I like it. The built in speaker is not the best but works well with headphones.

Zoom H1n Handy Recorder

Versatile. Can easily be used as a handheld mic, connect it to a lapel mic, cold shoe it onto a camera, use for podcast ingredients, etc. Perfect for interviews, podcasting, or YouTube.
Easy to operate. Most of the controls and functions are easy to figure out. I was able to familiarize myself with the entire device in a few minutes.
Comes with a micro SD card and AA battery so you can start recording right away.
Can be connected to computer and used as a skype mic. It's nice to be able to select compression and low frequency cutoff right on the unit.
The battery bleeds out quickly if you leave the battery in when turned off.
It's difficult to remember which buttons need to be pressed/held to access certain functions. I always have to return to the manual.

Warranty / Certifications

Manufacturer Warranty

1 year(s)

Certifications

FCC, CE

Other Information

Manufacturer

Link

Manual

Download