Topic: Field Recorder - Battery life test results

[digifish_music]

I noticed this at wingfield audio...

http://www.wingfieldaudio.com/portable-recorder-battery-life.html

1st - Sony PCM-D50 - 25.5 hours
2nd - Olympus LS-10 - 8.5 hours
3rd - Marantz PMD620 - 6.4 hours
4th - Zoom H2 - 6.3 hours
5th - Tascam DR-1 - 5.8 hours
6th - Edirol R-09HR - 5.3 hours
7th - M-Audio MicroTrack II - 4.8 hours
8th - Zoom H4 - 4.6 hours
9th - Sony PCM-D1 - 4.0 hours
10th - Korg MR-1 - 2.8 hours

Battery Life Contest Details

We fully charged the Korg MR-1, MicroTrack II, and Tascam DR-1 and loaded the other recorders with Duracell Coppertop AA batteries - the kind you can find in almost any US retail store.

To minimize the possibility of running out of memory before running out of power, we set all units except the Korg and the Sonys to record in mp3 format at 128 kbps. We set both Sony units to record 16-bit/22.05 kHz wav files for the same reason. We weren't worried about the Korg with its 20GB hard drive, but we set it to record 16-bit 44.1kHz wav files anyway.

We pressed "record" on each unit and left them running overnight. By morning, all the recorders except the Sony PCM-D50 had stopped, but the recorded files remained.

Even after stopping, each recorder except the Zooms retained from 30-60 minutes in reserve power. In contrast, the Zoom H2 and Zoom H4 batteries were fully drained.

Most surprising for us was the phenomenal performance of the Sony PCM-D50. We ran out of built-in memory space and had to add an 8GB memory stick to finish the test. If battery life is a big concern for you, the Sony PCM-D50 seems to be the clear choice.

digifish

[WiFiJeff]

I have no direct comparison, since I use NiMH 2700 mAh cells from Maha rather than Durcells, but the D50 seems a bit high (and I used to get about 5-6 hours on the D1).

Jeff

[digifish_music]

I have no direct comparison, since I use NiMH 2700 mAh cells from Maha rather than Durcells, but the D50 seems a bit high (and I used to get about 5-6 hours on the D1).

Jeff

I was surprised too, I've seen ~12.5 hours reported elsewhere.

digifish

[flintstone]

If my calculation is correct, recording 16/22.05 for 25.5 hours
will use 7.5 GB of storage space.  That's right at the limit of
usable space in an 8 GB flash card.

Other reviewers put the D50's battery life right around 12 hours,
which would be about 7 GB of data recorded at 16/44.1.  So maybe
the 4 AA cells provide enough power to write 7 GB of information.

Flintstone

[digifish_music]

If my calculation is correct, recording 16/22.05 for 25.5 hours
will use 7.5 GB of storage space.  That's right at the limit of
usable space in an 8 GB flash card.

Other reviewers put the D50's battery life right around 12 hours,
which would be about 7 GB of data recorded at 16/44.1.  So maybe
the 4 AA cells provide enough power to write 7 GB of information.

Flintstone

The Sweetwater site says 14 hours recording, 20 playback. Regardless, it's by far the best unit (time wise) on the market.

digifish

[WiFiJeff]

If my calculation is correct, recording 16/22.05 for 25.5 hours
will use 7.5 GB of storage space.  That's right at the limit of
usable space in an 8 GB flash card.

Other reviewers put the D50's battery life right around 12 hours,
which would be about 7 GB of data recorded at 16/44.1.  So maybe
the 4 AA cells provide enough power to write 7 GB of information.

Flintstone

While the power use varies with resolution, it's not directly proportional.  Anyway, I've filled a 16 GB card at 24/96 on the D50 without running the power anywhere near zero (with 2700 mAh Maha AAs)

Jeff

[guysonic]

If my calculation is correct, recording 16/22.05 for 25.5 hours
will use 7.5 GB of storage space.  That's right at the limit of
usable space in an 8 GB flash card.

Other reviewers put the D50's battery life right around 12 hours,
which would be about 7 GB of data recorded at 16/44.1.  So maybe
the 4 AA cells provide enough power to write 7 GB of information.

Flintstone

While the power use varies with resolution, it's not directly proportional.  Anyway, I've filled a 16 GB card at 24/96 on the D50 without running the power anywhere near zero (with 2700 mAh Maha AAs)

Jeff

Rechargeable cells like 2700 mAh Maha AAs typically keep cell voltage steady to end of capacity where the voltage (and the deck's battery gage) drop quickly. So the deck's low battery indication is far less informative of remaining battery power until very close to the end.

AA alkaline cells have gradual (ski slope type) voltage drop giving plenty of time to view remaining capacity condition. 

The test concluding with 25 hour battery life using alkaline seems to have been interrupted after about 12 hours giving the alkaline cells a significant regenerative rest before resuming runtime testing.  This usually results in increased available battery capacity and longer total run times as compared to continuously run cells.