Product Comparison: Tascam DR-05 vs Zoom H1

Advertiser Disclosure

This site is a free online resource that strives to offer helpful content and comparison features to its visitors. Please be advised that the operator of this site accepts advertising compensation from certain companies that appear on the site, and such compensation impacts the location and order in which the companies (and/or their products) are presented, and in some cases may also impact the scoring that is assigned to them. The scoring that appears on this site is determined by the site operator in its sole discretion, and should NOT be relied upon for accuracy purposes. In fact, Company/product listings on this page DO NOT imply endorsement by the site operator. Except as expressly set forth in our Terms of Use, all representations and warranties regarding the information presented on this page are disclaimed. The information which appears on this site is subject to change at any time. More info

Best Pick

Tascam DR-05 Portable Digital Recorder, Silver

Check Price

Zoom H1 Handy Portable Digital Recorder

Check Price

General Specifications

Brand

Tascam

Zoom

Model

DR-05

Origin

Japan

China

About the Product

TASCAM’s DR-05 brings high-quality stereo recording to an easy-to-use portable powerhouse with a size and price that anyone can handle. The DR-05 records in MP3 or WAV format – including 96kHz/24-bit high-resolution audio – to microSD or microSDHC media. A pair of all-new microphones handles up to 125dB SPL with the sensitivity to capture every detail. With new recording features like Peak Reduction and Quick Menu, the DR-05 puts album-quality recording in the palm of your hand.

The ultra-compact H1 Handy Recorder brings new meaning to the term "portability." Small enough to slip in your pocket, it offers professional-quality stereo recording at an incredibly affordable price. Take it with you wherever you go—live concerts and band rehearsals, location video shoots, lectures and meetings—or use it to capture your musical ideas whenever inspiration strikes.

Key Specs

Maximum Recording Time

17.5 hours

10 hours

Voice-Activated Recording

Frequency Response

20Hz to 40kHz

Recording Quality

96kHz, 24bit

Number Of Recording Modes

What customers say about "Key Specs"

Tascam DR-05 Portable Digital Recorder, Silver

The built-in omnidirectional mics sound very good--clean, full range and accurate--and easily records sounds throughout the room.
Wav files recorded at 48kHz 24-bits or 92kHz 24-bits sound excellent and process easily in Bias Peak Pro or Apple Logic. For the best sound, guitar and voice tracks need a slight EQ boost in the lower midrange.
Playback through the recorder is possible but better appreciated through external earbuds or a headset. Recording quality was excellent for voice recordings. Because of the sensitivity of the integrated microphones it takes some adjustment on the user's part to achieve an acceptable balance.
The Tascam DR-05 is a great sound recorder. I have used three for over 2 years. It is better than the equivalent priced recorder from Zoom and others. Recordings, in my opinion, sounds even better than the newer Tascam recorder coming out (eg. the more expensive DR-22WL with wifi).
Tascam DR-05 - Great sound, 3 click operation to start, stop, pause. Can be a little confusing, even just setting the levels on the fly. However, the sound quality is a notch above the H1. Its now my go to for recording our band through the headphone mix.
While this is fairly easy to use and to download recordings, the recordings are so quiet that they are hard to hear, and I cannot find a way to increase the volume, even after downloading. I have been online and it says the recordings are very low.

Zoom H1 Handy Portable Digital Recorder

This is an incredible product; the superb sound quality one expects from Samson and amazingly simple operation (one button recording!)
I love it, have used it for live music sessions and interviews -- 69 hours of continuous recording at 128kps, that's 5 days!
This is really great sound quality for this amount of money. It is easy to use. You can either use the built in microphones or attach a lavalier with a 3.5 mm plug.
the sound quality is excellent for the lowest cost mic from the excellent Zoom product line.
My only real complaint with it is the high frequency response is about on par with a SM-58 - nowhere near as good as you'd expect from a condenser mic.
It's a good little recorder but you can't turn it off and come back to the same spot you left off at, you have to start from the beginning again unless you use markers.

Size & Weight

Height

5.55 in.

5.35 in.

Width

2.4 in.

1.73 in.

Depth

1.02 in.

1.22 in.

Weight

4.1 oz.

2.12 oz.

What customers say about "Size & Weight"

Tascam DR-05 Portable Digital Recorder, Silver

It's considerably smaller and lighter than the DR-40 and DR-100 MKII, fitting comfortably in my medium sized hands.
The size of the recorder is quite tall. It is bigger than I expected but with the types of capabilities, I am not surprised. It is lightweight but it doesn't include a lanyard or holster for carrying.
The small size lets me attach a lavalier mic and slip the DR into a pocket for recording a subject who is walking around.
The unit may have been a little smaller, but i am not sure why some one would want that. compact size is nice, but too small becomes counter productive.
I love it's size. It fits in the had well and has a good build quality feel to it.

Zoom H1 Handy Portable Digital Recorder

Super handy two track (stereo) recorded.
This is a great backup for my Tascam DR-100. It is perfect for most DSLR audio since it is small, lightweight, and has a big record button.
Its a compact recorder. easy to use and the quality or feel of the product is a 4 out 6.
If Zoom could have but a better body on this handy recorder then it would be perfect.
The body is very cheaply designed. It is difficult to say the least to open the micro sd door in order to get to the micro sd.
The bad part is it is made out of cheap plastic and the part that is around the mics, assumably to protect it, bends and breaks with the slightest pressure.

Features

Display Type

128×64 pixel graphic LCD with backlight

127 segment custom LCD (with backlight)

Computer Compatibility

Yes

Cue Marker Function

Yes

1-Touch Recording

Yes

Supported File Formats

WAV, BWF, MP3

WAV, MP3

Integrated Speaker

Yes

Interfaces

Mic/line input jack, Line out 3.5mm jack, MiniUSB, microSD card slot

microSD card slot, Mic/line input jack, Mini USB jack

Extras

Proven high sound pressure design, Peak reduction function, Self timer recording function, Seamless gain control, Three low cut filter levels, Level align feature, Divide/delete functions, Loop/repeat playback function, Tripod attachment screw-hole built in to the unit

Up to 99 marks per recording, Auto Level, Low-cut filter, Mounts directly to tripod, mic stand or DSLR, 90˚ X/Y stereo mic

Cue Marker Function
Integrated Speaker

What customers say about "Features"

Tascam DR-05 Portable Digital Recorder, Silver

Features are mainly aimed at musicians but it's also a good general use recorder for dialogue and DSLR audio in spaces where omnidirectional mics are appropriate. I’m pleased with this little recorder: most of the audio quality of the DR-100 MKII but at one third the cost and a much easier carry.
There are many adjustable features, including backlight adjustments which can also affect battery life (5, 10, 30 seconds, continuous or off). The sensitivity of the microphone can be adjusted to pick up the slightest sound or can be used to pick up only the speaker intended.
If you are missing the overdubbing feature, don't despair. Go to tascam's website and look for firmware updates, and also download the manual for the new firmware, or you might not figure out how to get the overdub feature to work.
The mics are pretty good, very sensitive..it's nice to be able to control the level, and the auto feature is really great for recording lectures.
Unit takes some time to learn all the features but overall I like it. The built in speaker is not the best but works well with headphones.

Zoom H1 Handy Portable Digital Recorder

It has a very widely adjustable input gain, the ability to plug into outboard mic or line level signals, and great battery life. It can record in WAV or MP3, and it's very easy to set up for recording and to extract the audio via USB or sliding the memory card into your computer.
It doesn't have XLR inputs like the higher end units do, but it's also much cheaper than those units. It does have a 3.5mm input for very basic microphones. It's also not very compact, so it's probably not best for hidden recordings.
I love this little 'take-anywhere' recorder. It is extremely easy to use and very light-weight, It cannot get any easier than this when it comes to using it.
Very easy to use right out of box, play back is super easy. Holds a lot of music in MP3 format
The record button on this device is large and easy to reach, even with gloves on. The audio is also very easy to sync with the GoPro video during post. The audio and GoPro sync well when the bit rate is set to constant, not dynamic.
"Auto Level" occasional does some weird level jumping, so now I just use "Manual".

Warranty / Certifications

Manufacturer Warranty

1 year(s)

Certifications

FCC, CE

Other Information

Manufacturer

Link

Manual

Download