The DR1 LOOKS to have similar capabilities and carry size to R-09, PMD-920, and having a bit of the H4 with instrument tuner and such features for musicians.
To me, while these decks have nearly identical audio recording features/modes the audio (analog input) quality varies greatly with noise performance being the almost most important only second to reliability.
Not so acceptable reliability example is R-09 deck with break-away analog input jacks! Otherwise, R-09
is excellent at least for LINE input audio quality and a personal favorite with glued down jacks.
So far, no flash deck model seems perfect, but as more of these appear on the market offering the recordist many to choose from for having
most important deck qualities and
least important deck shortcomings.
It does help to have someone (like me) post noise spectrum performance graphs of each new model and do some other electrical bench tests like I usually post in TS. This helps at least me get 'a handle' on how these decks stack up in having exercised some degree of 'engineered refinement' of the analog audio path.
Like is the digital polluting the heck out of the analog front end? I've seen this in at least of few models, and sometimes only under certain input conditions!
Looking forward to testing both LS-10 and the DR1. Anybody in USA up for a short term loan please PM or EM for paid shipping details.
So far, direct at -35dB MIC level input comparison gives best chance of 'apples-to-apples' comparison of important
(easily audible) audio performance.
Below are deck noise spectrum graphs with all decks having the same mic input gains, along with deck noise if using low noise external preamplifier
(the line input mode) on these different models.
Comparing the noise performances of these different models
over frequency is possible with eyeing the
dB scale numbers at the right to the graph lines showing the recorded deck noise levels.
How audible, or
interfering to the audio signal purity a deck's internal noise is going to be depends on the frequency, the character of the noise (like is it continuous Gaussian type or more audible digital impulse with harmonics) and the dB level (loudness-amplitude) of the noise.