Both the Zoom H4n and H2 feature built-in electret condenser microphones suitable for studio and field recording. The major difference is that the H4n has two microphones that can be independently adjusted at 90 degree and 120 degree stereo positions, while the H2 has four internal microphones that can record a 360 degree pattern. The H2 microphones can be used for situations such as an interview, while the H4n is more suitable for music and film stereo recordings.
The H2 features just one eight-inch external microphone input, which can accommodate certain mono microphones. The H4n has two preamplifiers which can take either an XLR or quarter-inch input. The quality of an external microphone will be greater going into an H4n preamplifier than an H2 input. In addition, the H4n has phantom power capabilities, which means it can provide adequate power for an external microphone if it does not have a built -n power source.
The sampling rate of a recording describes the number of samples per second a recorder uses; the higher the sampling rate, the better. The Zoom H4n and Zoom H2 both record at 96, 48 and 44.1 Hz, which is standard for industry use recordings. The Zoom H2 can only record up to 48 Hz in four-channel mode, while the Zoom H4n can still record with higher quality, up to 96 Hz in multi-track recording mode.
When recording MP3 files, a recorder will compress the sound so the file is smaller, with some degradation in quality. Both the Zoom H4n and H2 allow for recording MP3 files at up to 320 kbps, the highest possible quality. The Zoom H4n can only record MP3 files in stereo mode, so the files are larger in its multitrack modes. The Zoom H2 can only record up to 320 kbps in two-channel mode; otherwise, it can record up to 128 kbps, which will be of lesser quality.