Zoom H5 Review: The Ultimate Podcast & Audio Recording Tool?

I’ve been using the Zoom H5 to record podcasts for almost ten years. The thought prompted me to check when Zoom actually released this famous old warhorse of a digital recorder. As far as I can see, it celebrated its tenth birthday in January 2024. I hope there was cake.

Ten years seemed as good a time as any to revisit this Zoom H5 review. Hopefully all of our equipment reviews are interesting and useful, but they’ll usually be written off the back of 2-3 weeks of rigorous testing. Using something regularly for almost a decade is a different sample size altogether, though.

There has been enough new audio and podcasting equipment developed in the past ten years to fill a cargo ship. Does a digital recorder that was released when Leonard Nimoy, Christopher Lee, and B.B King still walked the earth have any right to be competing with them? That’s a question I’ll try my best to answer in this updated Zoom H5 review.

Just a heads up before we dive in. We’re using an affiliate link for the Zoom H5. We’d earn a small commission (at no extra cost to yourself) should you choose to buy via it. Affiliates help support all of our free content, though they never cloud our judgement when it comes to fair and honest assesments.

What is the Zoom H5?

The Zoom H5 is a digital recorder. It’s a piece of kit that’s akin to carrying around a complete recording studio with you. It can record and store audio as a stand-alone device, or you can plug external mics into it and use it that way. You can also play back the audio on the device and upload it onto your computer via USB cable or Memory Card.

Who Would Use the Zoom H5?

The Zoom H5 is such a versatile device that it’s easier to ask who wouldn’t use one. A prime example of someone who doesn’t need an H5 would be a podcaster who records solo or online interview episodes directly into their computer with a USB mic. USB mics are the only type of mic you can’t plug into the H5.

Popular setups and uses of the Zoom H5 include folks who want to record interviews on the go with studio-quality audio anywhere in the world. That said, the H5 is equally useful as a home recording device. You can set it up as part of your ‘fixed’ recording setup or even use it as a USB interface to run XLR mics into your computer.

Look & Feel of the Zoom H5

Slightly too large to consider “pocket size”, the Zoom H5 still fits easily in your hand and weighs less than your average cup of takeaway coffee. It’s a sturdy and robust feeling device, built for years of ongoing use in all sorts of scenarios and situations.

Features

As standard, the Zoom H5 comes with a detachable capsule on the top, with two little mics. These are known as “X/Y” stereo mics; you can record with them right out of the box. Whether you’re using them for a single voice, multiple voices, or general ambient recordings, you’ll get great audio from these.

Zoom have a range of capsules that you can buy and use instead, if you’d like to customise your recorder. For example, the SSH-6 can turn your Zoom H5 into a laser-focused Shotgun Mic.

There are two ‘Combo’ jacks on the bottom of the recorder, where you can plug in mics that use XLR or 1/4″ connections. If you need additional mic options, you can also run a mic with a 3.5mm (traditional earbud-sized) connection into the recorder. This is handy if you’re using a typical lavalier mic.

On the front of the recorder, you’ll find the gain dials for each recording input. These are guarded by useful protective bars, which can help prevent accidental toggling during a recording session. You’ll also find your channel selection buttons, as well as the usual Play/Pause, Record, and Stop options.

Recording

Once you’ve decided on what mic you’re using, you simply select the corresponding channel via its button on the front of the recorder. These have LED lights to show that they are active. The LED lights also double up as a warning when your audio is clipping. If you see them flashing during a recording session, you’ll know to turn your gain down a notch.

You can record WAV files, from 44.1kHz 16bit to 48kHz 24-bit. If this is gibberish to you, don’t worry. Just set it to 44.1kHz 16-bit and forget about it. But, here’s more info on sample rates, if you care to learn more.

You can record in Multitrack (independent channels for each mic) or Stereo mode. Stereo mode will almost always be fine, and will take up less room on the Memory Card, too.

The Zoom H5 has settings to turn on things like a Lo Cut filter, Compression, and Phantom Power, which provides power to any condenser mics you have plugged in.

Other Technical Specs

If the sample rate stuff wasn’t gibberish to you, then this info won’t be, either:

The Zoom H5 has an input gain of up to 52dB. You’ll find gear that offers a lot more these days – for example, the Zoom PodTrak P4 (70dB) and the Rodecaster Pro II (76dB). The H5’s maximum Sound Pressure Level (SPL) of 140dB is still pretty impressive, though.

You can record in 16 or 24-bit and in WAV or MP3 form. The Frequency Response of the H5 is 20 Hz to 20 kHz (built-in mics) and 10 Hz to 24 kHz (XLR inputs). Of course, you’ll find a wider range in many newer devices, but the H5 is still competitive on this front.

Cost of the Zoom H5

At time of writing this Zoom H5 review, you can buy the recorder brand new for $210 on Amazon.com, and £169 on Amazon UK.

Sound Quality of the Zoom H5

Here are a couple of unprocessed sound samples, recorded into the X/Y capsule, directly into the Zoom H5. With the first, you’ll get an idea of how it picks up the voice, and also, how well it deals with handling noise.

I captured a small selection of ambient recordings for making audio drama in the second clip. Again, these were all recorded using the H5 in its “out the box” form.

Here’s a sound sample from 2024, too. I recorded it with the Rode NT1 5th Gen condenser mic running into the Zoom H5.

A Sticky Situation: Degraded Coating on the Zoom H5 (2024 Update)

I didn’t know this, but the rubbery coating on the Zoom H5 is known as “elastomer” or “thermoplastic elastomer (TPE)”. It’s fairly common on portable electronic devices. The problem is, the coating on mines has recently started to perish, making it sticky. Whilst this hasn’t affected the H5’s ability to record audio, it has made it undesirable to use on-location – you wouldn’t want to hold it in your hand for very long.

I don’t know if this is due to a fault on my part, having used or stored it in suboptimal conditions, but I’m pretty confident I haven’t. Keep an eye out for this if you plan to own an H5 for eight or nine years!

Thanks to Lyndal Harris, who got in touch with the following advice:

Yes… I had exactly the same issue with the sticky coating. I’ve had mine for about 7 years. I did fix it cleaning it with rubbing alcohol but it took a bit to remove the stickiness. Good as new now 🙂

Good to know, then, that alcohol can fix even more of my problems than I’d previously thought!

Zoom H5 Alternatives in 2024

In our 2024 Podcaster Gear Survey, 3% of podcasters who use an audio interface or digital recorder reported that the Zoom H5 was their kit of choice. That’s still pretty significant, and shows the recorder is holding its own, all these years later.

The Zoom H5 predates the concept of podcast-specific recorders. Today, you can buy gear that was specifically designed with podcasting in mind, ranging from the Zoom PodTrak P4 and Rodecaster Pro II to the Mackie DLZ Creator and Focusrite Vocaster.

It’s brilliant to have equipment made and marketed with podcasting in mind, but at its price point, there aren’t many features you’ll find elsewhere that will blow the Zoom H5 out of the water. If you want to record remote calls but don’t want to use software on a computer, then one of the devices mentioned above would be a better option. Aside from that use case, 32-bit float is the only other obvious reason to opt for an alternative.

Here are our full roundups for the best digital recorders and best USB audio interfaces for podcasters, if you’d like to do some shopping around.

Zoom H5 Review: Summary

The Zoom H5 is still an excellent option for many podcasters, regardless of experience level. If you’re looking for a robust and quality recording source in your home studio that doesn’t involve a computer, then it’s ideal. Likewise, if you want to do a lot of recordings and interviews on the go, then it’s served me well this way for almost a decade.

$210 isn’t a small amount of money, though. The majority of beginner podcasters won’t need to spend anywhere near that to get up and running. If you’re doing a solo or online interview podcast, then get yourself a Samson Q2U, and that’s all you’ll need. It’s a mic that plugs into your computer via USB but also operates in XLR form. Should you decide to invest in a Zoom H5 later down the line, you can use your Q2U with it.

If you’re won over to the idea of getting a digital recorder, but still want to shop around a bit, there are loads of quality Zoom H5 alternatives on the market, so check out our section there for a wider range of options, too.

Need More Help?

Finally, if you need more help with choosing your equipment, or with literally any other aspect of your podcast, check out the Podcraft Academy. There, you’ll find all our courses, downloadable resources, and get access to weekly live Q&A sessions!