Rigol MSO5074 - Four Channel, 70 MHz Digital/Mixed Signal Oscilloscope

I adore my Rigol of course. It can take and hold over 8 gigasamples! I'm delighted that I invested in the MSO5074 because it has all the tools I'll need for a long time. I still feel spoiled using a touchscreen (or use knobs & buttons too for same tools if I want) on an oscilloscope and dragging dialog boxes and measurements around as needed.

There is no other scope within this price range that comes close to the features offered by this oscilloscope. A 8 G/s scope for under $1000 is unheard of, with all 4 channels on it goes down to 2G/s which is way more than adequate to cover the 350 MHz bandwidth if the scope is opened up to the full bandwidth, actual bandwidth (-3db) tested by several users is around 460Mhz . There are numerous posts on the EEVBLOG which shows that this scope can be patched as most other digital scopes to full bandwidth. My scope came with a free bundle to open up several features, you will have to contact Rigol to see if the offer is still available, but I think it is likely still being offered. The Cons: 1. Some may or may not like the black color 2. Noise floor is high for very low level signals, likely due to the new high sample rate chips they use. 3. Does not have internal 50 ohm termination if that is something you are interested in, external works fine for me. 4. Early versions came with old firmware and so numerous reviews in 2020 highlighted bugs, most have been fixed but call support and get latest firmware as Rigol appears to be late in publishing updates to their site. Pros: 1. Comes with 350Mhz probes no need to buy probes if you upgrade. 2. fully upgradable via software key or hack to 350Mhz 3. no aliasing or bandwidth limiting due to its high sample rate, unlike the nearest competing Siglent scope. 4. full manual controls along with touch screen and mouse, if touch screen is not your thing buttons still work, touch screen not great on most scopes but are workable. 5. Separate controls for the 4 channels, hard to find these days 6. ability to connect to displays with HDMI port, works on my 4K TV, ideal for presentations. 7. Web interface also available 8. Large enough fonts much easier to see from a distance 9. DIY logic probe exists which you can build for under $50, official probe is about $350. 10. Dual AWG with modulation, good for doing testing if out in the field and don't want to carry extra signal generator. 11. Nothing comes close at this price, if you choose to go the hacked upgrade route.

Feature rich - Leaning a lot towards a professional scope rather than a hobby instrument.

As a hobbyist, I am very happy with this scope, which I purchased with its free bundle option. Its best-in-class sampling rate, memory depth, waveform capture rate, and record length alone make this scope an incredibly good value for the money. (The Rigol NA website has various videos demonstrating/comparing the advantages and uses of these key specs with other much more expensive brand models.) In addition to its convenient touchscreen, one can use a USB wireless mouse, web browswer, VNC and an HDMI monitor with this scope. Its 2 AWGs are great for modulation projects. Since its inception, this scope has evolved through firmware updates, with high resolution acquisition mode, Bode plot, and VNC control capabilities added, and I look forward to Rigol continuing to add even more capabilities in the future.

Fantastic oscilloscope. You want to run auto calibration before you use it. It can be controlled with Python from your computer via network cable.