Best mp3/cd Player Available
Written: Apr 07 '02 (Updated May 30 '02)
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Pros: Thin, rechargeable batteries, FM radio, good value, excellent remote, doesn't skip
Cons: no LCD on main unit
The Bottom Line: Excellent mp3 player is essentially a thin Sonic Blue Rio Volt SP-250.
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| bdb55's Full Review: iRiver iMP-350 SlimX Personal CD Player |
Introduction
I first read about the iRiver SlimX on cnet.com. I was looking for something to replace my Apple iPod (I liked it, but the software I had to install crashed my computer) and I saw that the SlimX was a cnet "editor's choice." After doing some more research, I learned that iRiver is the company that makes all the Sonic Blue Rio products. Their previous CD/mp3 players have been released under the iRiver name in Korea, where iRiver is based, and under the Rio name here in the US. But iRiver has recently created an American division and is releasing its newest player under the iRiver name. Enough about the company. The SlimX has all the features of popular Rio Volt 250, but it is much thinner, 16.7mm (.66 inches) to be exact. This means the player plays all audio formats, including mp3 CDs with 120+ songs per CD, has a 23 hour battery life and rechargeable batteries, an FM radio, and is firmware upgradeable!
First Impression
I just bought my SlimX yesterday and it has been everything I had hoped for. I was impressed by the feel of the unit; it's made out of metal and a very sturdy feeling plastic. The SlimX is nicely packaged and includes: SlimX Mp3 CD player, remote, earbuds, two flat rechargeable batteries, extra container to attach two AA batteries incase your rechargeable batteries die, a carrying case, AC adapter to charge the batteries, manual, registration card, and little plastic strips to put over the LCD on the remote so it doesn't get scratched. The first thing I did was listen to an audio CD with the included earbuds. I was impressed by how high quality the earbuds were; It was difficult to distinguish the difference between their sound quality and that of my Sony MD-RD22SL headphones.
Sound
Like I mentioned above, I was extremely impressed with the sound of the SlimX. The sound was rich and each note of music distinct. The radio sounded very good as well. I found it hard to quickly move from station to station on the radio, but once I had created some presets (you can have up to 20) it was very easy to navigate. There are also several equalizer settings and one eq setting that can be customized. And because the SlimX has 8 minutes of skip protection I can listed to uninterrupted hi-fi sound anywhere.
Remote
The remote is easy to read for me (I've read complaints that the text is too small,) and it also has a good backlight. The three jog dials make navigation simple once you sit down with the manual for a few minutes and figure out how to operate it. It is small and has a good clip on the back so it can easily be attached to clothing. Some people complain that the unit is too dependent on the remote, saying that if it was to be lost the unit would be worthless. If you loose the remote, however, a new one can be purchased from irivershop.com, iRiver's website.
Conclusion
The iRiver SlimX is, in my opinion, the best cd/mp3 player available today. It is thin, sounds great, and is only about $200. It seems well made and I was reassured that it is made by the same company as Rio; at first I thought it was a no-name product. Because it is firmware upgradeable, the SlimX will never get outdated. If you are thinking about getting a mp3/cd player or hard drive based mp3 player, you should definitely consider the SlimX.
Update 5/30
A couple of weeks ago I received a letter from iRiver informing me that they had lowered the SlimX's price to $180. They were offering a $20 coupon towards the purchase of any accessories from their website for people who had purchased the SlimX at the full $200 price. I felt this was a very generous offer, and purchased some new batteries (I know that I'm not going to find flat batteries anywhere else, and figured having extras would be a good plan; even rechargeables eventually wear out.) I was a bit underwhelmed with the website (I was told to enter a promotional code at checkout, yet there was no place to enter it. I had to e-mail customer support to get the discount.) However, I did get replacement batteries for only the price of shipping.
I'm still enjoying the SlimX, and getting even better sound out of it with my new Etymotic earphones. The new, lower price puts the SlimX even closer, pricewise, to its competition and makes it an even easier choice for anyone looking at a mp3/cd player.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 199
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Epinions.com ID:
bdb55
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Location: Portland, Oregon
Reviews written: 41
Trusted by: 23 members
About Me:
I love reading, photography, movies, music, ceramics, computers, hi-tech gadgets, and writing epinions!
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