Sony PCM-D100 PCM/DSD recorder RMAA test

2014-11-18 15:41:51

My colleague just purchased Sony's flagship portable recorder. Since it is quite expensive (in my opinion) I think it is worth to test it a bit.

Testing condition:
Test file player: RME Multiface II's 6.3mm headphone jack at max volume, foobar2000 + ASIO
Test file recorder: Sony PCM-D100's 3.5mm line in jack
Test file playback format: 24-bit 96k
Test file record format: 24-bit 192k PCM and DSD64
Interconnect: Sony 3.5mm extension cable (about 1 meter?) and an unknown 3.5mm to 6.3mm adapter

Note 1: Sony PCM-D100 can adjust left/right channel input level independently with a rotary pot. Unfortunately I don't know how (or there is no way) to reset/determine the default value because there is no indication when I move the pot, I can only see the peak meter to determine input level. Accuracy of the peak meter in PCM-D100 is only up to +- 1dB so it is not easy to fine tune channel balance.

Note 2: recorded PCM and DSD files are converted to 32-bit float 96k using foobar2000's SoX (foo_dsp_resampler 0.7.9) and SACD plugin (foo_input_sacd 0.6.6) so that RMAA can correctly analyze them. There are several options in the SACD plugin, except "Direct" mode has a earlier HF rolloff other modes are basically the same (or I don't know how to measure their differences). All DSD to PCM conversions were done using +6dB PCM volume and 352800 PCM Samplerate before sending to SoX.

RMAA result:
http://www.hydrogenaud.io/forums/index.php...ost&id=8068

Sony PCM-D100 PCM/DSD recorder RMAA test

Reply #1 – 2014-11-18 19:37:33

I'm sure it's a nice product. The specs look good. What does your colleague want to use it for ?
There are no XLR inputs for external microphones though, which means that the only option are the built-in microphones. In XY position the mics aren't completely coincident, which is a silly compromise and might reduce mono compatibility.
Battery life looks good. You might want to check if it's possible to seamlessly switch from battery to external power (USB?) while recording. An external battery pack can be a life saver.
I wouldn't worry too much about the accuracy of rec.levels. The mic noise will be higher than the ADC so it's fine to adjust levels afterwards. Although..., that might be a problem with DSD files, which are supposed to be left untouched.
Please let us know your experiences.

Sony PCM-D100 PCM/DSD recorder RMAA test

Reply #2 – 2014-11-19 02:44:23

It supports external "plug-in power" microphones via 3.5mm microphone jack (like those on Sony MD walkmans). My colleague is a big fan of Sony and he is interested in needle drop and listening to hi-res formats such as DSD (yes I know HA members don't like about this idea). He also planned to use it to record things like live performances and conferences via microphone.

It takes power from AC adapter (not included), USB connector is for data transfer only. Therefore he doesn't know if it's possible to seamlessly switch from battery to external power or not.

Sony PCM-D100 PCM/DSD recorder RMAA test

Reply #3 – 2014-11-19 07:12:39

DSD can sound very good. It's just an impractical format as soon as you want (or have) to do post processing, like EQ, declicking etc.
If it's "just" to store and reproduce the (needle drop) input, it should be fine.

Recording conferences should be no problem, especially with the huge amount of storage capacity these days. IME Intelligibility is improved a lot when the mics are close to the speaker(s). External (wireless?) mics might be an advantage here.