From the manufacturer
In the box
The H2n comes with everything you need to get started right away.
- 2GB SD card
- 2 x AA battery
- Steinberg WaveLab LE software
- Operation manual
The Zoom H2n Handy Recorder
Five microphones, four ways of recording
Zoom’s H2n Handy Recorder is the only portable device to come with five built-in microphones and four different recording modes: X/Y, Mid-Side, 2-channel surround and 4-channel surround. The H2n can handle just about anything from live concert and rehearsal recording to location videography. It’s also a great choice for generating lasting audio documents of important events like lectures, meetings, weddings, and parties.
- Five built-in microphones and four recording modes: Mid-Side (MS) stereo, X/Y stereo, and both 2-channel and 4-channel surround
- Records directly to SD and SDHC cards up to 32GB
- Supports up to 24-bit/96kHz WAV audio as well as a variety of MP3 formats
- Analog-type mic gain knob
- Onboard effects, including compression/limiting and low-cut filtering, plus chromatic tuner and metronome
- Auto Gain, Auto-record, and Pre-record features, plus Data Recovery function
- Requires just two AA alkaline or NiMH rechargeable battery, with up to 20 hours of battery life
Convert and mix
The H2n allows you to easily convert WAV files to MP3 format, plus you can use its internal mixer to mix down four-channel surround files to stereo, with independent control over level and panning.
Flexible inputs and outputs
The H2n offers a variety of inputs and outputs for flexibility in recording.
There’s a Line In jack that can accept two channels of mic- and/or line-level signals (including microphones requiring plug-in power), as well as a stereo line out / headphone jack with a dedicated volume control. There’s even a built-in speaker for fast monitoring without the need to make any connections.
In addition, the H2n’s USB port allows recorded files to be imported into computer editing software such as the supplied WaveLab LE. You can even use the H2n as a 2-in/2-out audio interface or as a USB microphone.
H2n Microphone configurations
X/Y
X/Y recording provides a great way to cover a wide area while still capturing sound sources in the center with clarity and definition. The H2n’s built-in X/Y microphone provides two matched unidirectional mic elements set at a 90 degree angle relative to one another.
Mid-Side
The ‘Mid’ microphone element in the H2n’s MS mic picks up signal coming from directly in front, while the ‘Side’ mics capture the sounds coming from the left and right. You can then adjust the relative level of each, either during recording or during post-production, to alter the stereo width while still maintaining perfect mono compatibility.
Surround
The H2n allows you to combine the signals from both the X/Y and MS microphones in order to create two- or four-channel surround sound recordings that capture everything you hear, not just those sounds coming from in front of you, but from all directions.
Amazon Customer –
After 2 years review from India
the recorder works fine. I bought it for 10k. The stereo speakers are better than the mid side speaker. The only issue is that Iam not able to edit the spatial audio editing.
After 2 years :
This was one the best decision I ever made. This mic is a King in recording stereo sounds. It’s is also reliable and working just as new after a lot of usage. I takes this everywhere I travel to make videos and this mic never fails me.
Another big advantage of this mic is the AAA battery. If I ran out of battery I can just buy battery from any nearby shops.
Loved it.
Dhyanesh Singh –
Handy superb multichannel recorder
Have been using for couple of weeks, and I must say; its fantastic device. Multichannel recording through inbuilt mic is crisp and clear.
Device is handy and easy to use. File format is convenient and usable ( mp3 and Wave).
Shipping was perfect, with proper packaging and delivery.
Pros: superb recording through inbuilt mic, handy and ease of use, mount option for tripod, battery lasts longer.
Cons: glossy surface. No pouch or carry away plastic box, still runs on old usb generation.
If recording on the go is what you seek and spatial sound recording is your interest thsn go for it…
CarbonLogic –
Best portable recorder in the price range and segment
Best portable recorder in the price range and segment. You can go for the Zoom H1 as well but its worth investing slightly more and picking this up.
UPDATE: The product had a small internal power connection failure as a result of which I wanted to claim warranty from Bajaao. BEWARE, donot Purchase Anything from the seller BAJAAO. They are FRAUDS. They will not provide you any customer support, instead they redirect you to the distributor which is Rivera Digitec. However even the distributors are Big Frauds. Instead of providing the standard 1 year manufacturer warranty, the distributor provides private 6 months warranty.
Anupam Sarkar –
Zoom H2n Review after two months of use
Before writing my review, I would clear it beforehand, that the device doesn’t ship with a SD card out of the box. Also, warranty or after-sales service for this product is quite doubtful.
The product comes in a nice packaging, Wavelab LE and Cubase LE, both are bundled with this product. Recording is flawless, no compromise in output, but overdubbing is not available in this model, that’s ridiculous because even the lower priced H1n has overdubbing function. Recorded file might not sound good in the recorder itself, but it does sound crystal clear in other devices, all the mids highs and lows are perfectly captured in the recording !
For extra functionality and protection, it is recommended to get the AP-H2n accessory pack, which is sold separately. The complete package costed me around 16k, but it is worth the price, and delivers what you need.
Alkaline batteries were supplied, and they had a great backup, though Ni-Mh batteries are somewhat less in backup when compared to them. Adapter is included in the accessory pack, but it is more of a useless item, since this product is designed for outdoor work. Included tripod is good enough to hold it firmly. The remote is a great accessory, as it has pause button. The buttons on the recorder as well as the remote are carefully designed, they don’t make a click sound on pressing.
My final verdict : Go for this Zoom product if you are not concerned for warranty services, and need a professional recording system without burning a hole in the pocket. 🙂
Sushant –
… recorder are very encouraging and I am starting to love this product
Initial trials of this recorder are very encouraging and I am starting to love this product. I had also purchased the accessories with it and I am glad I did. The wind screen and the remote are invaluable to me. On the recorder, I have tried XY Stereo as well as MS Stereo mode and I feel that I will be using XY stereo most of the time.
As suggested by the manufacturers, I keep the peak signals at approx. -12 dB and that gives me noise free recordings with neither any distortions nor any hiss or hum. I have yet to try recording my video interviews by attaching my Rode shotgun mic to the recorder and then recorder to the video camera. Will update after assessing the results.
Anil Nair –
Easy to use and great quality audio
This is my second Zoom H2N.
I still have the first one and works very well. I had a new member in my team and I ordered this without a second thought.
Amazon Customer –
Perfect
Perfect Mic, I had Zoom H2N for almost 10 years. I bought this again and it doesn’t disappoint. Great Mic
RM –
Nice product.
Came on time.
Good audio recording mic. Captures sound accurately, better than smart phones & DSLRs inbuilt mics.
I did not buy accessory pack, rather I bought in lesser price a selfie stick (YUNTENG YT 188) with tripod extension. This now serves as condensor mic, survey / interview mic, boom mic.
Couples with sound editing software, output is very nice.
Overall build is nice, buttons & plastics are fine.
Comes with battery pack and 2GB card.
Overall great product.
Fred Gandt –
High quality device for high quality recording and playback
Although I have yet to experiment with the multitude of settings, I can say the XY Stereo is outstanding.
Aside from the quality of the recordings, I am impressed by the build quality and ease of use.
All the knobs and buttons are firm and positive, and the menu system is a doddle!
The screen is easy to read and has an adjustable contrast for comfort.
Although photos make it look substantially larger than the alternative I was considering (the ZOOM H1), it’s really very pocket friendly; not the lump it appears.
For in-the-field monitoring, I bought some Audio-Technica ATH-M40X headphones which power easily directly from the ZOOM’s line-out, providing a purely flat reference. Highly recommended for saving a lot of time and energy.
Using these headphones revealed to me just how much detail the ZOOM’s microphones can pick up!
They are really amazing. That’s not hyperbole – I am actually amazed by what tiny detail can be clearly recorded.
There are already so many reviews of this device available here and elsewhere, so I’ll not clutter the place with repetition.
Suffice to say – it’s great.
UPDATE: Can also be used as an extremely high quality Mp3 player for music, audio books (in the right file format) etc. After connecting the ZOOM to a PC and entering USB > SD Card Reader mode, files can be dropped into the SD card’s folders, and played back in the same way as recorded files. Excellent sound quality and album tracks played in the correct order, which apparently some dedicated Mp3 players inexplicably have trouble with. A very handy bonus feature.
Steven –
An amazing recorder that solves a lot of problems
This is an absolutely fantastic little unit. It came out half a decade ago but even despite huge technological advancements in other areas (smartphones, computers, etc) this thing really does holds its own still and will be a great product for years to come.
This thing is like a little Swiss army knife for general purpose recording. You can record high quality tracks directly on the unit itself, you can import these tracks to your favorite DAW (digital audio workstation) for further processing, you can use it as a great little USB mic, and it even doubles as an audio interface with a stereo input. There are some great options for mic configurations. You can configure it for X/Y, mid-side, 2 channel, and 4 channel, easily adjusted with the turn of a little dial. A pair of handy LED lights tell you which side (or sides) of the mics are active. These same lights will flicker when the signal is clipping, which is a very nice visual indicator. Furthermore, it can be mounted on a tripod or you can buy the super cheap mic stand adapter for around $10 which allows you to mount this unit on a mic stand (plus it doubles as a useful handle). It has an onboard speaker so you can listen back to recordings, or you can plug in a pair of headphones to the line out. The on board speaker is terrible, but what do you expect? It’s a recording device, not a mini boom box. You can also plug in a remote which is useful for creating WAV markers. I like this because with a DAW that supports it allows you to easily navigate through your recordings.
There are some useful options, such as auto-gain (to help prevent clipping and such), a compressor/limiter, a low cut filter, and a few other options.
This unit operates on a pair of AA batteries and it’s amazing how long the batteries last given the quality of recordings. Zoom claims about 20 hours of battery life which I find to be a bit optimistic, but even still at around ~15 hours the battery life is great.
The interface on the device is quite nice. It has a backlit LED screen and navigation is simple with a selector switch that allows you to move up/down or press it in to make a selection. It only took me a few minutes to get used to it.
This recorder uses a single SD card for storage, up to 32GB which is plenty adequate for my needs. I record at 44.1 kHz / 24 bit (any higher is overkill for something like this IMO) and with a 32GB SD card I can get about 33.5 hours of recording. If you record at CD quality, which is 44.1 kHz / 16 bit, then you get a little over 50 hours of recording time. The max setting of 96 kHz / 24 bit will give you over 15 hours of time, and if you don’t mind recording in mp3 then 128 kbps (said to be CD quality, but debatable) gives you over 550 hours! 256 kbps will give you half that.
I primarily use this for recording band rehearsals and even demos. Recording rehearsals in the past was annoying, either I would use a smartphone which would provide terrible recordings, or I would use a laptop, dedicated recording interface, and microphones, which did give me better recordings but it became really cumbersome dragging that stuff around to every practice/demo session. Plus it’s annoying dealing with all the extra wires/cables and such. Also, I believe it’s a law that when you introduce a computer into the mix then you’re going to have glitches and other issues. The H2n solves all my problems, all I have to do is plop it down and hit record and I feel confident that my recordings are going to sound good every time.
The negatives are pretty minor. The biggest issue being that it only has a single universal gain knob, it would really be nice to have separate gains for each side of the mic. A minor issue is that it doesn’t come with a USB cable in the box (my H6 did), I have plenty of USB cables lying around but including one in the box would have been useful for a lot of people. It does feel a little cheap-ish being all plastic, but I haven’t had any issues with durability yet, though thankfully I haven’t dropped it. Also for the best results you really need to mount it on something, whether that be a tripod or mic stand (using the adapter, not included), recording while handling the device introduces a lot of noise, though this is probably just the nature of the device.
Despite the minor issues noted above, this is an easy 5-star product. 5 stars doesn’t mean “perfect in every single way” it means “I love it!” and I certainly do love this thing. It’s super useful and feature-rich, all in a device that can fit in my pocket.