I just bought mine 2 days ago. Adore it. I've used many before, but this one is MINE!
Ok, there's my little gush; now down to business.
I would like to say, for the record, THE H4n's PREAMPS ARE NOT NOISY. They are absolutely, wonderfully, perfectly fine. Nothing at all wrong with them. In fact, all things considered, I'd say they're pretty diggity dang good.
It is the microphones that produce that low level hiss we all wish wasn't there. They're what are called 'electret' condensers, and are designed to have similar characteristics to powered condenser mics without the need for phantom power.
This kind of microphone is inherently noisy because though they are sonically similar to a normal phantom powered condenser mic, they just don't have the juice to bump up the S/N ratio.
Furthermore, the mics on the PCM-D50 are noisy as all hell too, and same goes for the H1, H2, Olympus, Edirols, and any other model of handheld recorder you can think of. The difference you hear between the D50 and the H4n has to do with tbe built in EQ that the Zoom has put in to compensate for the generally lacklustre (literally) performance of electret mics. You can see it if you look at the frequency response chart, there is a very clear, and very unnatural boost at ~12k that really accentuates the noise in the microphones.
However, this boost also accentuates what most consumers want from their $300 "Pro" recorders, clarity and spatial definition. That is what people want. Hell, that's what I want. I have no problem whatever with having to AudioSuite an EQ or run something through x-noise or RX2 if I can get a clear recording of a cricket chirping or that crazy lady screaming about demons, Donald Trump, and drugs in your mayonnaise.
So please for the love of Murch and Thom, please please PLEASE stop talking about the H4n's 'bad preamps,' you're making babies cry and giving angels indigestion.
Thanks + Hugz