Best Deal for an Ogg-Aware Player
Written: Feb 11 '04
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Pros: Plays Ogg Vorbis files, sounds great, good user interface, nice accessories included.
Cons: Battery is not replaceable.
The Bottom Line: Great player for those with multi-format collections (ogg, mp3, wma) but not the budget for a Karma or iHP-120 or better. Even better for $100 less than suggested retail!
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| tomsirveux's Full Review: iRiver iGP-100 (1.5 GB) MP3 Player |
I picked up this player at Best Buy for $150 (after rebate) after doing research on Ogg Vorbis-aware players. Vorbis sounds much better than MP3 or WMA, and my entire CD collection is ripped as Vorbis files so I wanted a player capable of playing them out of the box. This player is one of only a few that can play Vorbis right now. (for more info about the Vorbis format, check out www.vorbis.com)
The first player I got was defective; I returned it and got another one. So far, the quality is excellent. I have dropped it a couple times, including once in my driveway; I expected the player to be history after this (since it is hard drive based) but it took the fall and still works just fine.
Sound is great, even with cruddy $5 headphones. I didn't try the included earbuds, but I hate earbuds no matter how good. Frequency distribution is good, unlike other players I've had (e.g. MPIO) that seemed to favor high frequencies.
Transferring files is easy due to the lack of any software required. Plug it into a 2K/XP system and it is recognized as a USB hard disk; just drag and drop files. One small gripe is the limitation of only 199 directories; I would have liked to separate my songs by album as well as artist.
The interface is easy to navigate and the screen is fairly large and easy to read. I would have liked more buttons instead of having to hold down buttons to get extra functions, but I suppose that's the price you pay for it being this small.
My only big gripe is the lack of a replaceable battery. The player has an internal Li-Ion battery, and when its useful life is over (iRiver projects 5 years under normal use) there's no "official" way to replace the battery.
I liked the inclusion of a carrying case (which kept the player from getting scratched when I dropped it); the fit is a bit tight but just stretch the straps and it'll work.
In any case, an excellent deal, especially at $150.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 150
Recommended for: Music Lovers - High Capacity Storage for an Entire Album Collection
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Epinions.com ID:
tomsirveux
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Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
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