I've been reading a lot of old threads on the various portable recorders, trying to see if there is an all-in-one portable and stealthable recorder with phantom power and XLR inputs. These are what seem to be the different options:
1. Fostex FR2LE - everyone loves it, especially with the Busman mod, but it is really pretty large and not realistically stealthable. Tad expensive.
2. Marantz PMD660 - smaller than the FR2LE but not sounding great without additional mods (Oade?). Still kind of bulky to stealth. Battery life issues without an external power supply. Also only 16 bit.
3. Zoom H4 - sounds like no one uses it anymore, but attractive (not aesthetically) for its size, XLR inputs, and phantom power, but sounds like your recording will suffer sonically using this one. Cheap but also cheaply constructed?
4. M-audio Microtrack II - evidently this one really blows. Sonic problems, like "sprinkler sounds" and a lame, non-removable rechargeable battery. No XLR inputs either.
So it seems the best options when stealthing, would be the Marantz PMD660. Or would it be better to just stick with the R-09 with PS-2 for phantom power until an ideal device comes out someday?
Any thoughts or suggestions would be great, thanks!