Maybe. I have one (like new, used 3 times only) and I don't like at all . To my ears, it doesn't come even close to the R-09HR.
Anyone have an Oade modded one? (PMD620) I'm sure it will be a great improvement, but still would like to hear how it ends up comparing to the other machines, after being modded. Could it be the winner??
I have one of the Oade 620's and I think it sounds great. I am using it with DPA4060s, mic-in with a DPA battery box, and getting some nice results. There is another user who is running some Schoeps > battery box > mic-in Oade 620, and he said he is getting some great results as well (search "schoeps CMR" and you can probably find it). A third guy I know of here has one and said that he thought it sounded almost as good as his open rig (which his signature lists as an Oade R-44).
It has higher bias voltage than most of the other pocket recorders, so it will adequately power many small mics with no battery box...It is also easy to use, fairly well built, small, and good on batteries (I got 12.48 hours on a pair of Duracell 2650 mAh NiMHs).
The stock one sounds pretty good too, but not as good as the mod.
Just ignore Dede2002; he is sort of like the anti-PMD620 troll...Every time the thing is mentioned, he pops up with the same comment...I doubt he has ever even seen the Oade mod'ed version. And, at one time or another, he seemed to think it sounded pretty good:
To my ears, the R-09 internal mics are better than the PMD 620's. But the Marantz has a better pre.