Questions for anyone knowledgeable on the H140 and above.

[Shuji]

Hey all. New to the community, and I've found it a wealth of information so far. Thought I'd post a few questions that have been brewing ^^;

I'm an iRiver owner - I am very (very) pleased with my iMP-400, despite a few minor flaws (mostly solved by putting up, or by taking a couple of cautions). Recently I've been looking at purchasing an H series player, as I'm sorely missing a Hard Disk based DAP.

One of the main reasons I'm looking at purchasing one now is that I'm going overseas this year and possibly the next for an while. Last time I travelled, especially given I was in an environment where there was little English, I really missed my music!

I've considered buying an H series, most likely the H140 because of its capacity and the little difference there is in price between the lower model. I'm considering, however, whether it's worth holding out for the H300. Here's a few questions anyway - I'd be very greatful of anyone was able to answer any ^^;

1) Does anyone know if the battery pack and/or remote from the iMP400 is compatible with any of the H series players? One of the reasons I'm a little discouraged from the H300 (even before its release) is because it apparently doesn't have a remote with a display, which is really important to me.

2) I've been reading bad things about the joystick. Is it really that bad? One thing that concerned me was reports of it coming off hold, even if the hold button was on the player, if the stick was moved too much. Is there truth behind these statements?

3) I've read the H300 has the ability to take files from digital cameras and store them on the HD. Does anyone know of earlier H series players can do the same, or if there is any accessories that can do this (like in the case of the iPod). This would be a very useful feature if I'm travelling, as I'd like to take shots with my digital camera and would prefer to have a medium sized card and just transfer files over to another device...

4) A few seem to have said the remote has a few design flaws. Any comparisons to the iMP400 remote? Because...I love it. If it was similar at all, I'd definately be satisfied. From pictures it looks like it has 3 of the dials...which I find to be a brilliant way to navigate.

Basically, I'm looking for bad points at the moment and deciding whether I could live with them or not. So...get selling!

Cheers in advance though, seriously.

[Big D]

Hi Shuji,

1) I don't know if the iMP-400 battery pack works for the iHP, the remote is a no. There is a know sticky thread dedicated to battery packs started by yours truly here with many suggestions for battery packs that work. No-one knows exactly what the iHP-300 series remote will finally look like as there has been no official announcement.

2) I have never heard of the joystick working if the hold button is on, certainly never posted here, if so the player was faulty - not a general problem. There are some people who use something stuck onto the top of the joystick to add a bit of friction and make it easier to use. I have no problems at all.

3) You can use a device called the Macally Syncbox found here. This allows transfer at USB1.1 speeds. Read about it at the link as I've never used it myself. If you search the forums using the "Search" button next to "FAQ" not the one at the top right you'll find more info posted here too.

4) I think the remote is perfect. Absolutely no grumble here at all. Some disagree with the clip's direction and have turned it round. Again serach for this yourself as above.

If you like the iRiver interface then the iHP will suit you just fine. Given the recent price drops of the current iHP line I find it hard to recommend the newer 300 series with so few new features. Guess it just depends on what you need.

[sweetspot]

Does anyone know if the battery pack and/or remote from the iMP400 is compatible with any of the H series players? One of the reasons I'm a little discouraged from the H300 (even before its release) is because it apparently doesn't have a remote with a display, which is really important to me.

I doubt that the IMP battery pack will work. I have an IMP 350, and if the adapters input is the same as the 400's which I'm pretty sure it is, then it's a totally different design from the IHP's input holes. The IHP adapter has one main input prong and the IMP has two.... About the remote, I believe that they'll be selling two different packages. One with the plain remote, and one with an LCD remote for $15 extra. However, I THINK (not sure..was rumored) that the LCD packages will only be sold in certain regions. Don't fret though, I"m almost positive that the IMP 400's remote (if it's the same newer remote that comes with the IHP 120/140 and other newer IMP's) will work with the new ones.

I've been reading bad things about the joystick. Is it really that bad? One thing that concerned me was reports of it coming off hold, even if the hold button was on the player, if the stick was moved too much. Is there truth behind these statements?

I think that this bug was fixed very quickly. So no worries there. I'm one of the people who uses a little felt bumper (found at local hardware store in a pack of 49 for under $2) and for me there's no going back. IMO, it hardly adds any real mass to the profile, and makes it SO much easier for me to use. (slippy fingers)

I've read the H300 has the ability to take files from digital cameras and store them on the HD. Does anyone know of earlier H series players can do the same, or if there is any accessories that can do this (like in the case of the iPod). This would be a very useful feature if I'm travelling, as I'd like to take shots with my digital camera and would prefer to have a medium sized card and just transfer files over to another device.

Like Big said, you can use the macally sync box HOWEVER, it does not work with Kodak or Canon cameras according to their site, because those cameras use proprietary ports etc...How this will effect the H 300 series is unknown. The only way to know, is to find out if your digi camera supports "USB on the go". That's the official name. If it supports it, you're good to go. Otherwise if you dont' care about a battery pack or dock or pic viewing...it may be a waste for you.

A few seem to have said the remote has a few design flaws. Any comparisons to the iMP400 remote? Because...I love it. If it was similar at all, I'd definately be satisfied. From pictures it looks like it has 3 of the dials...which I find to be a brilliant way to navigate.

Again, you may be able to use your 400 remote, which I believe also works with the IHP 120/140. These remotes are known to work with each other player...but not with the IMP 350..I tried it and it gets all messed up. And if this is the case, you can also buy a spare one at the Iriver site. I don't know what flaws people are talking about. It works like it should and is very convenient..or is there something you mentioned that I'm missing ?

Just make sure that if you get it, you have an adapter which is suitable for which ever region you're travelling to. I think that what makes the H series so attractive, especially for someone who travels a lot, is the following:

1)voice recorder (you NEVER KNOW when this might come in handy)

2) Long battery life (plus battery pack with new one, or you can buy a battery pack for the 120/140 for very cheap at Radio Shack)

3) No need for ANY extra software in order to work on PC's with modern OS's (over win 98 ) can transfer files on the fly, and PLAY music files straight after transfer..can't do that with karma or iPod, as they NEED extra software to do so.

4) LCD remote control allows you to keep your expensive player in backpack away from those thieves who are looking to rip off people in Hawaii shirts and ugly shorts looking like true tourists.

5) The IHP 120/140 have a line in and line out ON the unit for those times when you want to encode on the fly, or pump your music into someones stereo.

5) You may not have time to do it now, but there's a thread here which goes into how to make a USB cable which can be used to charge the player...so on those flights when you're not using the laptop, and the IHP's battery MIGHT be near the end, you can charge from there.

6) Iriver customer service in terms of returns on faulty units etc..seems to be fantastic. Over the period of time from when the IHP's first cam out, till now..there have been a small amount of returns (on the whole), and those who we've personally seen return, have had nothing but good things to say about Irivers service. Fast, and satisfactory they say...no refurbished units as returns...only new units with all the goodies, and all they ask for is the unit in return, so you wind up having extra accessories ! Also, there's a nice 1 year warranty, so no need for an extended warranty which will cost you another $50.

Aside from those things, there are other things which make the IHP great players, but I am trying to be specific towards your travelling needs. Sound quality is fantastic (just make sure you have good cans (with a nice and high sensitivity rating)..stock ear buds SUCK) and IMO there's NOTHING difficult or weird about the navigation. It suits me to a t. Just know that the DB function at the moment is pretty useless and you'll most likely use the file tree nav mode. Iriver is working on fixing this though, so ang' on if you're a DB fan.

I gotta jet, but feel free to ask away, I'll be back in a bit.

[roushfan]

Elite! Thanks for the info pertaining to the Macally Syncbox! I didn't know such a device existed, but now that I do, I may purchase one this week before I head down to Charlotte, NC.
I have just downloaded the user manual for the Syncbox, and am going to peruse through it to see it's capabilities.
I hope to find that I can set the Syncbox to move files off the camera and/or memory card via card reader to a specific directory on the destination.

[Big D]

Originally Posted by roushfan

Elite! Thanks for the info pertaining to the Macally Syncbox! I didn't know such a device existed, but now that I do, I may purchase one this week before I head down to Charlotte, NC.
I have just downloaded the user manual for the Syncbox, and am going to peruse through it to see it's capabilities.
I hope to find that I can set the Syncbox to move files off the camera and/or memory card via card reader to a specific directory on the destination.

I believe the Syncbox generates a new systematically numbered folder everytime something is imported into it. e.g.

0001 - first transfer
0002 - second transfer
etc.

[Shuji]

This is awesome news! If I could get an XD card reader to send it all over for me, that would solve my problems...although I'd get paranoid abou deleting them, since I won't have any quick way to check that the transfer was successful...

Apparently the power pack accepts a wide range of voltages, so that's really handy for my travelling needs.

One other query I had, though, was how safe it is to transfer files between it and a computer without a power supply attached (for use as a USB storage device). Is there any risk in damaging the player if the battery isn't full and a transfer only half completes? Or is it possible to run access files without the player switched on?

As long as I don't get it and corrupt the firmware on the first night, as accidentally happened with my iMP...eh heh. ^^; I wasn't happy to say the least, but it was no one's fault really. And it was gladly fixed (after some shipping).

Thank you all for your responses! I'm basically sold, when I can find a good retailer here in Aus.

Cheers again

[Big D]

You could possibly corrupt the file structure by an incomplete transfer if the player were to shut off half way through a transfer. Here you are only talking about transfering 128-256Mb across USB1.1 which should take 5-10 minutes. If you have access to an AC powet point I'd always rcommend to use it.

[Shuji]

Originally Posted by Big D

You could possibly corrupt the file structure by an incomplete transfer if the player were to shut off half way through a transfer. Here you are only talking about transfering 128-256Mb across USB1.1 which should take 5-10 minutes. If you have access to an AC powet point I'd always rcommend to use it.

Not really the transferring of photos that was the issue with the power (whenI plan on doing that I should have access to a point anyway) but it's more for connecting it to computers while I'm here. I guess I could always read up on that charging USB lead...

But I guess there's always that risk if the battery does get low. Just be careful ^^;

[Big D]

Well I can say that in the past I have transfered without using the AC adaptor. The player was fully charged and I transfered 30Gb total over USB 2.0. Took about 2 hours and drained 2 battery bars.