[RNLD] H6 summary

[Mark W. Post]

Dear Listmembers,

Thanks to everyone who responded to my Zoom H6 query, both on-list and 
off. To summarize:

1) Battery life for the H6 seems longer than for the H4n, not shorter.

2) The H4n is no longer being made as such, although it is still 
available through some channels and the H4nSP seems basically identical.

3) The H5 gets good reports, and may be just as good as the H6 for most 
applications.

4) Some people prefer the H2n for its relative unobtrusiveness, although 
other people point out the advantages of the H4nSP/H5/H6's XLR ins.

5) Opinions vary on the swappable mic heads - people who can afford and 
use external mics are understandably negative about them, but people who 
can't or prefer not to use external mics seem to like them a lot - which 
makes sense. But clearly, it seems as though having them is better than 
not having them - nobody said that their quality is so bad that they 
shouldn't be used at all.

6) Very few langdoc people seem to use all the XLR ins of the H6, but 
nobody complained about their existence either, and very few people 
considered the H6 to be too bulky, heavy or more battery-hungry due to 
its additional features.

In sum, the H6 seems like a good tool for people looking for a good 
all-round audio recorder, although the H5 seems about as good and costs 
a little bit less. People on an even tighter budget or with other 
concerns might go for the H2n or an early-model H4n, but people using 
external mics shouldn't use the H2 as their primary machine, and people 
using the H4n should be aware of the potentially inferior H4n software, 
battery life and handling noise.

Thanks again

Mark