Sony PCM-M10/B Portable Linear PCM Recorder, 96 kHz/24-bit, 4GB Memory & USB High-Speed Port, Matt Black

I'm a journalist who does interviews. I don't record "voice," much less music. I've used Sony's EV500 mono tape recorder--the high-end standard for print journalists--for over 20 years. My colleagues thought it was overkill to switch to stereo. When I showed them my new Sony PCM-10 (purchased in October 2009), they thought it was pretty cool, but when I told them the price, they thought it was too expensive (journalists are congenitally cheap; goes with the salary).

The PCM-10 lets you record in 10 modes, including uncompressed LPCM and compressed MP3, so we did a test recording (that is, an interview) in the highest-quality stereo mode: LPCM 96kHz/24 bit. Well! Let me tell you: Eyebrows arched. The sound was spectacular. One guy grumped--beforehand--that he didn't need interviewees to sound like Maria Callas. Mono was good enough. Then I played it back. He listened. He stroked his chin. "How much did you say that was?" he asked. Because, if you listen to a lot of...Read more

I had a Zoom H4n for about a week, and I returned it, and got the Sony PCM-M10. It ended up being a nice trade for me. The mics and preamps on the Zoom were fantastic, but the Sony's are as good, if not better, quality than the H4n. The H4n is a multi-tracker, and has XLR inputs, etc., making it a different type of device than the Sony, and the H4n was very large in the hand, making it a little too big for subtle hand-held recordings, and other situations where you don't want the recorder to be the center of attention. The mics on the Sony are fixed in place at 90 degrees, unlike the Zoom where you can change from 90 to 120 degrees with a twist function. I didn't change to the Sony necessary for the functionality as much as the form-factor. The Sony is compact and is a little more discreet, making it almost (visually) pass as an MP3 player in appearance. It is the same size as an iPhone, but a little thicker, and it feels nice and solid in the hand.

Another thing I might...Read more

The Zoom H4 is the benchmark portable digital recorder, and Sony's M10 blows it away.

The M10 is a very small recorder, roughly the same shape as an iPhone but as thick as a deck of playing cards. The buttons are firm, and the recording level wheel stays where you leave it. You get LEDs for -12db and overload for each of the two microphones.

Sound quality is noticeably better than the H4. There is very little handling noise, unless the recording gain is cranked way up. If you do need to turn up the gain, just use the included wired remote to start and stop the recorder. The noise floor is present when you are recording quiet sounds with the gain up, but it seems easier to avoid than with the Zoom.

A tripod socket is built in to the bottom of the M10, just above the twin AA battery bay. You can...Read more