Topic: JB3 and iRiver owners who bought a Zoom H2

[blackdiesel]

I know the H2 is not a top level recorder as compared to the heavy weights, but can any JB3 or H120 owners compare the sound quality between these units, especially those who have them used them with the same preamp and mic?

[tiberiusbkirk]

I'm interested in this, too. as it appears the prices for these 3 flash based recorders are similar.

[jonohull]

I'm interested in this, too. as it appears the prices for these 3 flash based recorders are similar.

The iriver and JB3 are hard drive based. I only experienced the iriver, so I can't say for the others, but I liked it a lot.

[blackdiesel]

I'm interested in this, too. as it appears the prices for these 3 flash based recorders are similar.

The iriver and JB3 are hard drive based. I only experienced the iriver, so I can't say for the others, but I liked it a lot.

Have you also used the H2?  I'm trying to gauge the sound quality between the three.  I have 2 JB3s and just ordered a H2 and want to know how it stacks up. 

[shayne]

I think JB3 and H-120 owners, not all but quite a few are using digi in which I am not sure the H2 has.

[Ozpeter]

The H2 has no digital input.  Its line input is fine (low noise, flat response) but a bit oversensitive - hopefully you can control the level sent to it from the preamp - there is no analog control of line input level provided on the H2 itself.  The mic input is on the other hand rather insensitive with most mics and gives noisier results than ideal.

[tms]

Do you think AT-853 > SP battery box> line in would work?  In the past I've run these line in to a JB3 and been very happy but always ran with the gain turned up, sometimes near max (+12dB) on the JB3. 

How well do you think the H2 would work if I needed +12dB of gain?

Thanks for the help, there doesn't seem to be alot of info on this.

The H2 has no digital input.  Its line input is fine (low noise, flat response) but a bit oversensitive - hopefully you can control the level sent to it from the preamp - there is no analog control of line input level provided on the H2 itself.  The mic input is on the other hand rather insensitive with most mics and gives noisier results than ideal.

[Ozpeter]

I'm not hands-on familiar with the gear you mention but all I can say is that the Zoom line in has too much gain rather than too little - so if with another item's more standard line-in you have to crank up your preamp's gain, then I would expect the Zoom to require less of that upcrank.

Here, with a mic preamp I've used with many other items of equipment, I'm finding that to get a good match with the Zoom line in it's best to use the -20dB input pad on the preamp - otherwise I can't get reduce the level enough with the mic preamp's gain control fully down.

[sailcat]

I've got an H2, and it makes excellent recordings within its limitations. The internal mics are very good, and it seems, as other people have said, that as a point-and-shoot device it's better than some of the others. The mic in is marginal enough that you probably don't want to use it. The line in is just fine, with the limitations mentioned above - you will probably need to pad, but otherwise the sound quality is also just fine. No digi in, so comparison with JB 3 or iRiver is apples and oranges if that's what you need. Given all that, for the price, there's nothing that will touch the H2, IMHO.

By the way, I read an interesting hint on another list that I want to try - using a sony minidisc player as a preamp for the H2 in a pinch. Plug the mics into the md , set the it on rec/pause, and run the headphone out into the line in of the H2. The minidisc players from sony sound very good, so this sounds like it could be a poor man's (me!) way to use external mics if you already have a minidisc player gathering dust.

[cgrooves]

By the way, I read an interesting hint on another list that I want to try - using a sony minidisc player as a preamp for the H2 in a pinch. Plug the mics into the md , set the it on rec/pause, and run the headphone out into the line in of the H2. The minidisc players from sony sound very good, so this sounds like it could be a poor man's (me!) way to use external mics if you already have a minidisc player gathering dust.

Have you tried using line transformers?  I used to run mics into a DAT via line-in without a preamp, and just threw some line transformers into the chain to get good levels.  It would be more compact than using a minidisc and you wouldn't have to worry about batteries either.

[blackdiesel]

No digi in, so comparison with JB 3 or iRiver is apples and oranges if that's what you need. Given all that, for the price, there's nothing that will touch the H2, IMHO.

I'm not trying to compare them to determine whether I should get one of the other or which recorder is best.  I just wanted to know if recordings with the H2 are in the same ball park as far as sound quality.

I went ahead and got an H2 so I'll know soon enough.  I have 2 JB3s but wanted something more compact.  from what I've read, I think I'll be happy with the H2.  I'm not a hardcore audiophile and just want decent recordings of shows that I can't video tape.