Which one to get?

[theclimbtree]

I've been looking for an mp3 player to record my lectures with, and from countless reviews it sounds like iRivers have the best recording quality.

I'm a bit confused as to their product line though, which is oldest and which is newest. The H3xxs looks brilliant because of the USB in-thing; they cost less than a 20gb digital camera memory card, but it looks as though the newer iRivers don't have this.

What I want in a mp3 player is primarily a voice recorder, then a mass storage device, then price then ability to play music. Would it be best to wait and see if iRiver starts putting all the things back in that made it the iPod killer, or should I buy an old h3xx or other iriver product, or should I start looking at different companies?

[jewman]

1st off, welcome to MR!

The h1xx series of players (the older series) seems like the best choice for your circumstances. It has superior recording quality, and is loaded with recording options. With the addition of Rockbox, it can't be beat. If a color screen and video are important to you however, as well as USB otg, consider the h3xx series.

I seriously doubt that iRiver will revive the h3xx or h1xx series. It looks as though they are focusing more on the flash-based market, figuring that they can't pose any serious competition to the iPod.

[theclimbtree]

Thanks for the welcome, the h1xx has better recording quality than the h3xx?
A color screen and 10 fps video are really really unimportant to me, but the USB otg sounds amazing.

First and foremost I want a voice recorder though, so if the h1xxs have better quality recording I guess I'll steer in that direction.

The prices are quite close though, so I guess whichever I find first (since both are discontinued now?)

[jewman]

Originally Posted by theclimbtree

Thanks for the welcome, the h1xx has better recording quality than the h3xx?
A color screen and 10 fps video are really really unimportant to me, but the USB otg sounds amazing.

First and foremost I want a voice recorder though, so if the h1xxs have better quality recording I guess I'll steer in that direction.

The prices are quite close though, so I guess whichever I find first (since both are discontinued now?)

Yep. Unfortunately, they're both discontinued. If you want usb otg, there are pices of hardware that will act as an interface between 2 usb devices. You can pick on up for around $50. I forgot their names however. If you get the h1xx, definitely check out Rockbox. It will give you many more recording options than the stock firmware. Here's some info about recording on Rockbox.

[theclimbtree]

Is the h1xx smaller than the h3xxs? Small enough to warrant carrying around an intermediate OTG thing?

It seems much much cheaper, by several hundred dollars, to get a h120 than an h320. How does the battery life compare etc?

These things are upwards of $600 here so it's not a small decision!

[jewman]

The h320 is thinner and smaller than the h120. The battery life is less than the h120 by several hours however, unless you upgrade to an iPod battery, which will push the battery life to around 20 hours (you might want to confirm that). If you want an h320, you should get one. It's a great player, and probably the best one to get if you're looking for a combination of recording functionality and and usb otg.

[theclimbtree]

Thanks a tonne, I'm going to start hunting right now!
If I get one you'll probably see me around here a lot more!

[jewman]

Originally Posted by theclimbtree

Thanks a tonne, I'm going to start hunting right now!
If I get one you'll probably see me around here a lot more!

Sounds good!

[theclimbtree]

I'm posting here again so I can get into the sell/trade forum and compare prices!
I wonder if it's be cheaper buying overseas and shipping one in or buying locally.

[GDA]

If I were you Id try something by iaudio the x5L. Ive had my h320 a year and a half now and the battery is crapping out allready

[andrewmel]

Hmmm, so much information. IIRC the battery life of a new H1xx and H3xx were the same. If you are not recording in .wav, then the recording abilities are the same. To make use of .wav you would need a very good microphone to be able to ABX 192k and .wav recording.

Using the internal mic on the H3xx, .wav would not be a good option. .wav files are bigger for the same amount of recording, and would therefore cause the HD to spin up more often. HD spinup can be heard when recording.

a

[theclimbtree]

I ended up getting something called the "Hi-x8" which met all my needs/wants.

GDA, the thing with lithium batteries is that they lose their capacity whether you use them or not, so you may have only had the player for a year and a half but it could have been sitting on the shelf for a year already.