My plastic alto observations for what they’re worth: The Ecodear has the best voice of the three. I’m not the only one online that’s found that. It clogs faster than the others, but treating it with some kind of anticlog makes it acceptable and pleasant to play.
The Aulos Haka is the most ‘reedy’ of voice. I find it too reedy to the point of distortion though played very gently it sweetens out. It’s the one I play the least. Interestingly the Haka feels the best just to hold. That’s not important? Maybe because it’s slightly larger? It’s silly, but I just like the feel of it.
The Zen On has a very good voice, doesn’t clog too terribly fast, but most importantly it’s the most articulate – fingering fast – and the most articulate – expressive of the players emotion. Just the best overall in a field of three, any of which a player isn’t going wrong by buying.
I don’t own a Zen On soprano. Your comments have me thinking to buy one. My Haka and Ecodear sopranos are fine to the point I don’t have a preference.
I don’t think it’s uncommon for manufacturers to give different model numbers to the same product being marketed in different parts of the globe. For the time being I’m assuming that the EU and US Ecodears are likely the same. Injection molding is too expensive to warrant different models without a good reason.
While I’m blabbing… I bought a Mollenhauer Dream alto in plum six month’s ago. Wow. I wanted something not Baroque looking for the Celtic, Klezmer, and Renaissance Dance Music I play, but didn’t want new fingerings. I thought I had some fine recorders, but the voice – of the Dream; is a dream. And the inexpensive Thomann plastic bass I couldn’t help but buy at the same time is now my first ‘go to’ bass though my Aulos is also plastic and maybe 50-years old. Nice to get rid of the clogging bocal.
Again… hoping my thoughts are of some help.