Microphone Input Noise Comparison
The various manufacturers of portable audio recorders often use different and confusing specifications for their products that might prevent an reliable and objective evaluation of their capabilities for recording soft animal sounds in the field. This page provides more homogeneous specifications across the different recorder models. Details on the relevant properties of a recorder in conjunction with a specific microphone are available on the page Understanding microphone and recorder/preamplifier noise specifications. Other details on the properties of the recorders are available in the tutorial on Sound Recording in the Field.
Noise levels at the maximum available gain settings (except where indicated otherwise)
| Equivalent Input Noise (EIN) impedance: 150 ohms |
Input Clipping Level [2] corresponding to 0 dBFS |
Dynamic Range at max gain! [3] | |||
| A-weighted | unweighted 20Hz – 20kHz |
dBu | mVrms | A-weighted | |
| SoundDevices 722 | -130dBu (-130dBu) |
-128dBu (-128dBu) |
-46dBu | 3.8mV | 84dB |
| SoundDevices MixPre-3M | -129dBu (-128dBu) |
-127dBu |
|||
| Fostex FR-2LE | -129dBu | -125dBu | -45dBu | 4.3mV | 84dB (85dB) |
| CEntrance MixerFace R4R | -129dBu | -127dBu | -46dBu | 2.8mV | 82dB |
| Tascam DR-701D | -128dBu | -126dBu | -50dBu | 2.4mV | 78dB |
| Zoom F3 | -128dBu (-127dBu) |
-126dBu | |||
| Zoom F6 | -128dBu (-127dBu) |
-126dBu | -58dBu | 0.95mV | 70dB |
|
TASCAM Portacapture X6
TASCAM Portacapture X8 TASCAM FR-AV2 (16bit, 24bit and 32bit float) |
-127dBu (-127dBu) |
-125dBu | -54dBu | 1.6mV | 73dB |
| Tascam HD-P2 | -127dBu | -125dBu | -40dBu | 7.7mV | 87dB |
| Tascam DR-680 Tascam DR-680MKII (MIC GAIN : HIGH) |
-127dBu | -125dBu | -58dBu | 0.95mV | 69dB |
| SONY PCM-D100 | -127dBu | -125dBu | -60dBu | 0.7mV | 68dB |
| * SONY PCM-D100 (REC LEVEL 5, S/N100, 24 bit) |
-127dBu | -125dBu | -27dBu | 35mV | 100dB * not max gain! |
| Tascam DR-70D
(GAIN : HIGH) |
-126dBu | -124dBu | -51dBu | 2.1mV | 75dB |
| Tascam DR-100MKIII | -126dBu | -124dBu | -53dBu | 1.8mV | 73dB |
| SONY PCM-D50 | -126dBu | -124dBu | -58dBu | 0.95mV | 68dB |
| * Tascam DR-70D
(GAIN : MID) |
-125dBu | -123dBu | -36dBu | 4.3mV | 90dB |
| Marantz PMD661 | -125dBu | -124dBu | -52dBu | 1.9mV (1.2mV) |
73dB (65dB) |
| Marantz PMD671 | -125dBu | -123dBu | -50dBu | 2.4mV (1.2mV) |
75dB (65dB) |
| Olympus LS-100 (XLR) | -125dBu | -122dBu | -48dBu | 3.1mV | 77dB |
| SONY Hi-MD MZ-RH1 (4) | -124dBu | -122dBu | -64dBu | 0.49mV | 61dB |
| Roland R-26 (XLR ANALOG IN) |
-124dBu | -122dBu | -70dBu | 0.25mV | 54dB |
| * SONY PCM-D100 (MIC ATT : 20) |
-123dBu | -121dBu | -40dBu | 7.7mV | 83dB * not max gain! |
| SONY PCM-M10 (SENSE HI, LEVEL 10) |
-122dBu | -120dBu | -57dBu | 1.0mV | 65dB |
| Olympus LS-5, LS-10, LS-11 (SENSE HIGH, LEVEL 10) |
-122dBu | -120dBu | -54dBu | 1.6mV | 68dB |
| Roland R-05 (5) (MicHI+28dB) |
-122dBu | -120dBu | -57dBu | 1.1mV | 65dB |
| * Olympus LS-10, LS-11 (SENSE LOW, LEVEL 10, 24 bit) |
-121dBu | -118dBu | -30dBu | 25mV | 92dB * not max gain! |
| Zoom H5 | -121dBu | -118dBu | -53dBu | 1.8mV | 68dB |
| Roland R-05 (5) (MicHI) |
-121dBu | -119dBu | -47dBu | 3.5mV | 74dB |
| Zoom H4essential Zoom R4 MultiTrak |
-120dBu (-120dBu) |
-118dBu | |||
|
Olympus LS-12/14 (Rec Level 70) |
-120dBu | -118dBu | -56dBu | 1.3mV | 64dB |
| Marantz PMD670 | -120dBu | -118dBu | -52dBu | 1.9mV (1.2mV) |
68dB (65dB) |
| Marantz PMD660 | -120dBu | -118dBu | -52dBu | 1.9mV (1.2mV) |
68dB (60dB) |
| Tascam DR-60DMKII | -120dBu | -118dBu | -50dBu | 2.4mV | 70dB |
| * SONY PCM-M10 (SENSE HI, LEVEL 4.5) |
-120dBu | -118dBu | -36dBu | 12mV | 84dB * not max gain! |
| * SONY PCM-M10 (SENSE LOW, LEVEL 10) |
-119dBu | -117dBu | -36dBu | 12mV | 83dB * not max gain! |
| SONY PCM-D10 | -119dBu | -117dBu | -58dBu | 0.95mV | 61dB |
| TASCAM DR-100MKII | -119dBu | -117dBu | -51dBu | 2.1mV | 68dB |
| Marantz PMD661MKIII Marantz PMD561 |
-118dBu | -116dBu | -50dBu | 2.4mV | 68dB |
| Olympus LS-3/LS-7 | -118dBu | -115dBu | -65dBu | 0.45mV | 53dB |
| Edirol R-09HR (MIC Gain H) |
-118dBu | -115dBu | -43dBu | 5.0mV | 75dB |
|
* Olympus LS-12/14 (Rec Level 50) |
-118dBu | -116dBu | -50dBu | 2.5mV | 68dB * not max gain! |
| Roland R-26 (3.5mm PLUG-IN MIC) |
-117dBu | -115dBu | -45dBu | 4.3mV | 72dB |
| Roland R-07 | -117dBu | -115dBu | -48dBu | 3.1mV | 69dB |
| KORG MR-1000 | -117dBu | -115dBu | -46dBu | 3.8mV | 71dB |
| SONY DAT TCD-D3 | -117dBu | -115dBu | -56dBu | 1.3mV | 61dB |
| * SONY PCM-D100 (REC LEVEL 3, S/N100, 24 bit) |
-117dBu | -115dBu | -8dBu | 310mV | 109dB * not max gain! |
| SONY PCM-A10 | -116dBu | -113dBu | -54dBu | 1.5mV | 62dB |
| SONY ICD-SX1000 | -116dBu | -113dBu | -41dBu | 6.9mV | 75dB |
| * M-Audio MicroTrack 24/96 (1/4″ input, +27dB) | -115dBu | -113dBu | -48dBu | 3.1mV | 67dB |
| Tascam DR-1 (MIC 2 IN) | -115dBu | -113dBu | -28dBu | 31mV |
87dB |
| Olympus LS-100 (External Mic) | -114dBu | -112dBu | -45dBu | 4.3mV | 69dB |
| Olympus LS-P1/P4 | -114dBu | -111dBu | -61dBu | 0.6mV | 53dB |
| Tascam DR-100 (GAIN : H) |
-113dBu | -111dBu | -39dBu | 8.7mV |
74dB |
| Tascam DR-07 (GAIN : HIGH) |
-113dBu | -111dBu | -46dBu | 3.9mV |
67dB |
| * Olympus LS-10, LS-11 (SENSE LOW, LEVEL 10, 16 bit) |
-113dBu | -110dBu | -30dBu | 25mV | 81dB * not max gain! |
| iRig PRE with Samsung Galaxy SII |
-113dBu | -111dBu | -53dBu | 1.8mV | 60dB |
| TASCAM HS-P82 | -112dBu | -109dBu | -51dBu | 2.1mV | 61dB |
| Marantz PMD620 | -112dBu | -110dBu | -40dBu | 7.7mV | 72dB |
| Tascam DR-680 (MIC GAIN : LOW) |
-112dBu | -110dBu | -34dBu | 15mV | 78dB |
| Tascam DR-1 (MIC 1 IN) | -111dBu | -109dBu | -41dBu | 6.9mV |
70dB |
| Tascam DR-05 |
-109dBu | -107dBu | -42dBu | 6.0mV | 67dB |
| M-Audio MicroTrack 24/96 (1/8″ input) | -109dBu | -107dBu | -32dBu | 19mV | 77dB |
| Tascam DR-07MKII | -108dBu | -106dBu | -42dBu | 6.0mV |
66dB |
| Tascam DR-2d |
-108dBu | -106dBu | -43dBu | 5.0mV | 65dB |
| Tascam DR-40 |
-107dBu | -104dBu | -43dBu | 5.0mV | 63dB |
| Zoom H4n (6) | -107dBu | -104dBu | -47dBu | ||
| SONY ICD-PX470 |
-107dBu | -105dBu | -53dBu | 1.8mV | 54dB |
| M-Audio MicroTrack II (1/8″ input) | -106dBu | -104dBu | -46dBu | 3.8mV | 60dB |
| Tascam DR-08 |
-106dBu | -103dBu | -46dBu | 3.9mV | 60dB |
| Edirol R-09 (MIC Gain HIGH) |
-105dBu | -102dBu | -41dBu | 6.9mV | 63dB |
| * Olympus LS-10, LS-11 (SENSE HIGH, LEVEL 2) |
-103dBu | -100dBu | -30dBu | 25mV | 73dB * not max gain! |
| Edirol R-09HR (MIC Gain L) |
-103dBu | -100dBu | -22dBu | 62mV | 81dB |
|
* Olympus LS-12/14 (Rec Level 30) |
-102dBu | -100dBu | -39dBu | 8.7mV | 63dB * not max gain! |
| M-Audio MicroTrack II (1/4″ input) | -101dBu | -99dBu | -41dBu | 6.9mV | 60dB |
|
Zoom H2
(7) |
-99dBu | -95dBu | -43dBu | ||