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Edirol R-09 vs Roland R-05

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Nelle B:
For tapers who have used both the Edirol R-09 and Roland R-05, is there any discernible sound quality difference in the internal mics?

I currently have an Edirol R-09 and use it mainly for voice lessons, concerts, recitals, symphonies, etc. and I thought of investing in a Roland r-05 mostly for better battery life and GB space. I bought one on amazon... but unfortunately the seller mislabeled the product (wtf?) and what I got was the new r-07. I did not keep it because according to most reviews the r-07 is a disappointment. Luckily was able to return it with a full refund. Is buying an r-05 worth it for the internal mics? For louder shows, is one better than the other at handling heavy bass and hot signals?

Thanks for any input.

DATBoy:
I say if battery life is a concern, look into a used Sony PCM-M10. External mics are decent, but I honestly preferred the R09HR's mics more. I stopped using the R09HR because I found the build quality to be a bit problematic and at one point, the buttons were falling off and the screen got cracked. Not to mention that the battery door once got lost, which I had to replace (oops). The build quality probably improved with the R05, but I never used one.

I will say this about the Sony if that looks like a possibility - I think they are priced a little too high since they are discontinued. It wasn't in the 300 dollar range when I bought my replacement model in 2016, but that was before Sony sadly ended production on that.

Fried Chicken Boy:
I had an original Edirol R-09 (non-HR) and got many years of good use and recordings out of it until the Roland R-05 was released and I bought one of those.  To be honest, I don't use the internal mics that often, but I noticed that the overall sound quality of the R-05 recordings is better than the R-09.  There is considerably less self-noise as well.  Aside from the Sony's astounding battery life, the R-05 and PCM-M10 are roughly on par with each other, with the R-05 having marginally better internal mics (so I've been told) and a smaller overall size.  Which deck is "better" comes down to personal preference. 

Point of note that the Roland R-05, like the Sony, has also been discontinued and even used ones will fetch around $300 (they averaged around $200 new when in production). 

Edit to add: To answer your original question, "Is buying an r-05 worth it for the internal mics?", I'm of the opinion that you might be better served taking the ~$300 or so you would spend on a used R-05 or PCM-M10 and putting it toward a set of lavalier mini-microphones and a battery box from a retailer like Sound Professionals.  Better yet, buy a used set of mini-mics from the Yard Sale here in the community for even less money.  They will sound far better than the internal mics of any pocket recorder I can think of. 

Nelle B:
I agree, I don't understand why a used Roland R-05 on amazon clocks in at around $300, when the newer version is cheaper.

Until I find a reasonable deal for a used R-05 on Ebay (hopefully soon), I'll probably just keep using my R-09 until it starts deteriorating.... which is hopefully not for a while....

edtyre:
The new R-07 is way better than both of them.
$229.00 brand new free shipping

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