iRiver H320
Written: May 09 '06
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Pros: Firmware can be upgraded, above-par battery life, music, pictures, movies supported.
Cons: Slightly larger than an iPod.
The Bottom Line: iPod killer, as claimed!
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| thirty30's Full Review: iRiver H320 (20 GB) MP3 Player |
iPod killer? I'd say so.
If you're looking for an mp3 player and don't want an iPod like every other person in the country these days, look no further than the iRiver. I needed a good mp3 player, but wanted something more... unique. After some research, I found the H320 and was not disappointed. Instead of rambling on, I'll just elaborate a bit on the pros.
Firmware (or software, whatever you'd like to call it), can be upgraded. That means that if you're willing to spend 5 or 10 minutes downloading form the iRiver website and transfering the file to your player, your player will never become obsolete.
File transfers are simple and quick. All you have to do is drag and drop, and your music is there. Also, many formats are supported. The only kind I've had trouble with is m4a, but I downloaded a converter demo that had me up and running in less than 20 minutes.
Photo capabilities. Got pictures you want to store? Not a problem. It can hold a buttload of pictures that are displayed brilliantly. I was really surprised at the quality.
Acts as a external hard drive. Using the data port, you can store anything-word documents, powerpoint, whatever you'd like. Plug it in to any computer with a USB port and you have access.
SRS Wow sound. I don't really know exactly what it is, but I do know that is some sort of sound enhancement technology that you find on expensive plasma tv's, etc. Great quality, and bragging rights!
Video playback. Out of the box, the iRiver won't support movies. However, you can upgrade your firmware and transfer any video in divx-mpeg 4 format. DVD quality, plays great. You may have to convert your videos, but it's easy after a little bit of research.
Style. It may be a little bigger than the iPod, but it still looks and feels great. Surrounding the buttons and display is a carbon fiber-looking cover, tough to scratch and stylish indeed.
Recording capabilities. The iRiver has a microphone that records with surprising quality. Also, you can record from other sources (laptop, tv, cd player, anything else with a headphone jack) in mp3 format. I'll be honest, I use it to put protected music onto the player and you can't tell a difference in quality. You can record in high quality, ranging from 64 kbs to... 256, perhaps? I use 192, which sounds much better than your average mp3 in 128 kbs form.
Storage. 20 gigs is more than necessary. I have about 3000 songs on mine with much, much more room. You can also get the H340, which sports a 40 gig harddrive for you hardcore music enthusiasts.
There are many more pros to the iRiver, but those are the functions that I believe put it above the iPod. Not to trash apple's player, I think it's great, but many of my iPod owning friends admit they love my player more.
Oh, battery life is great. I get 10-14 hours playback per charge at a volume not suitable for my ears.
Hope the review helped, and if you're going to get an H320 I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I do.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 240 I think
Recommended for: Music Lovers - High Capacity Storage for an Entire Album Collection
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Epinions.com ID:
thirty30
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Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 0 members
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