iMP owners (former & current) - Debating HD, flash &

[leeraff]

This site came highly recommended from several sources as a group of guys who would help and advise.

Been researching mp3 players for a couple of months. Thought I was sold, now wondering about a different plan. While I realize this is a specific HD section, I realize many of you are enthusiasts and have owned many, many players. Seems more than a few own combinations of HD players and CD/mp3 players, etc.

Based on my current computer situation (Win98, ouch for most current USB needs), listener of predominantly spoken word (audio books, etc), and not one in need of 4000 songs in my Palm (in car all day, device will be for workouts and short stints), I'm actually beginning to lean towards an iRiver iMP device (CD/mp3).

For current and/or former owners, I'm seeking feedback about many features. Posted in iMP forum but getting little to no feedback (Population dying as it's older technology?!?) Hoping to get a little more input from a broader population as I need to make decision quick. For those still reading, and those who don't mind popping over, the specifics are in "newbie" post over in iMP forums.

I DO realize this is not the correct place but hope those who understood Subject and could give advice read post. Hope others just used their fingers and kept on scrolling along. Thanks so much.

Hmmm. Getting crazy, I'm pasting text from other post below.


Have been researching mp3 players for a couple of months now. Made a decision and was ready to pull trigger. Now, truly believe a CD/mp3 player is better option for my particular needs. Please help. Specific background and then question follow.

Background:
Not a total audiophile so having 20gb of musis is total convenience but not necessity. I actually listen to mostly audio books, spoken word, etc. Able to put even the longest of books on one cd in mp3 format, I've got a week's worth of listening on one cd. Having music will of course be important, but simply changing out a couple of cd's is no big deal to me. Most of my books and music are saved as mp3 on cd now, so... Also, many audio books at library are on cd. I currently listen to most on cassette walkman while running or walking and CAN'T listen to Cd's unless in car. That will make this a great intermediate step on the way to future DAP.

Questions:
--550? Is this THE product to buy? Why? Why not? Seems some believe it's not "all that." What instead?
--What other manufacturers? iRiver or nothing?
--Exercise? Can these things REALLY handle jogging? No? Exercise machines?
--How does the extra battery pack work? External? Keep in pouch?
--How do you guys carry these players? Pouches? Belt clips? Specific suggestions/recommendations?
--How exactly is this "bookmarking" feature (exact term) where you can go back to same spot on really long tracks? Example, listening to 70 minute track. Finish run at 45 minutes? Can you stop at 45:01 and start at same point later? How does this work? One button? Need programmer's brain?
--How well do the radios REALLY work? Seems many radios on most of these devices are below sub-par.

Any other advice, suggestions, warnings, etc

Final point. This player basically comes to me free. It's a credit from a company Rewards Program. That said, I do of course value this credit and want to get something that lasts. Unable to get an extended warranty from this source, that is one reason HD DAP's are OUT OF THE QUESTION. Especially Rio! Final nail in the coffin is that my computer is Win98. An upgrade may be in the future, but certainly not just so that I can use an mp3 player. CD/MP3 player will be a great intermediate step as many audio books at library are on CD's. Currently restricted to listening in car. This will be a great way to listen to those without having to convert to mp3, store on player, etc. Then, just convert and burn the ones I really want to keep.

Any other questions you can foresee me asking? All info is good!
Thanks so much!

[SolidGun]

I didn't jump into the HD based player until this year, because I had no use for them until now, and wanted to wait until the market settled down somewhat.
However, I have done the research for months and obviously narrowed my choice down to two players. And you guessed it, it was Ipod and iHP-120.
Personally, I like both players for what they are. Currently, I own the iHP-120 and 15gb ipod. (one actually belongs to my wife, but I use it more than she does)

--550? Is this THE product to buy? Why? Why not? Seems some believe it's not "all that." What instead?

I have not tried the 550, but I have used my ex-roommates CD based MP3 player, but never liked its size or the fact that I have to waste CD's everytime I felt the tunes were getting old. And the fact that you have to burn a cd every time to load up books and to switch the CD's and carrying those CD's isn't my notion of portablility.

--What other manufacturers? iRiver or nothing?

I don't know what you credit limit is, or how much you are willing to pay out of your own pocket, but if you decide not to get the 550, and move on to the HD based players for their obvious benefit, you will want an Ipod or iRiver.
But since you seem to NEED the CD based player, iRiver SlimX iMP-550 should be your choice of player. Every review I have read seems to indicate that the iRiver products in that category dominates over Panasonic and Rio.

--Exercise? Can these things REALLY handle jogging? No? Exercise machines?

I don't care what the CD player says about its Anti-skip funtion, but I don't think it can handle the stress of jogging without skipping. But if actual owners say if it is possible, who am I to argue. Besides, my type of jogging just may be more intense than some.

--How do you guys carry these players? Pouches? Belt clips? Specific suggestions/recommendations?

the package includes a chic carrying case with a Velcro closure strap that can attach to your belt. But if you will be jogging with the unit, I suggest those packs that go around your waist. I can't think of what they are called at this time and don't want to bother looking it up. But they will give you the most comfort for you and your player in motion.

Just because you have Win98, don't think you are limited from USB usage. When you get the CD books from the library, it would be a lot easier to rip them onto a HD player..

I apologize for not answering all your questions, but I don't own that type of player to know its detailed features. Also, my apologies if my reply didn't really help you. I just wanted to contribute and try to convince you to reconsider.

If you are further interested and are willing to purchase HD players, which I do encourage you to do, you can always spend your credit on a nice set of headphones and accessories.
If you are interested in Digital Media Players that are set out to come later this year, such as YH-999 (which I can't wait to get my hands on), save your credits for that item. It is expected to cost around $500.
Good luck with whatever you buy.

G.A.
iHP-120
Ipod 3G 15GB

[Shuji]

I am the owner of an iMP 400, and I have been very happy with it to date. It would seem bulky and cumbersome for many, but up until recently I have not really had the need or desire for an HD based player...

Anyway. The intuitive design of the Iriver remote means that you -never- have to operate the palyer from the actual unit, so it can be tucked away in a bag etc (or, if your pockets are big enough, in there...) Being the 'world's slimmest player', according to iRiver, and being of a strong build, it's definately a nice player - I imagine the 550 being smaller again and more recent, it could only be better.

If you had USB working nicely and you wanted to look at a player for short sessions (and were looking at iRiver), I would recommend looking into an iFP series. But, short of that, here's my answers to your questions based on my experience with the 400:

--As far as CD MP3 players go, I'd say the 550 would definately be in the lead, possibly because it's a market that isn't developing much anymore. As I mentioned, the remote for the player is awesome, and is one of the components that really makes it what it is.

--Panasonic might be worth a look, though I'm not sure if their CD/MP3 players have an LCD display or not (personally I feel it really important to be able to see the name of the track I'm playing, especially as it makes navigation easier). I'm not sure that many players have remotes as exetensive as the iMP's, or if they allow you to search by directory (care to cycle through track 1 to 150 by pressing one button repetitively? If you woud only be using it on random, though, this might not be an issue.)

--I couldn't voice for excessive jogging, but with my everyday use I haven't had a single skip that wasn't due to a faulty CD (that I can remember). Occasionally I have issues if the player is sitting upside down in my bag, or on a funny angle, and I turn it on - on a CD with Japanese titles I've had some interesting results. Generally once it's up and running, though, the buffer does a good job, and I have it set to a lower setting.

--The extra batter pack plugs in to one side and hangs off. Possibly a little bulky if you're jogging.

--Because of the way I use my player, I only need to use the material pouch it came in. There doesn't seem to be any points to attach a clip to the 400 (might be different with the 550, check some pictures). I'll generally snake the cord to the remote from my bag and clip it on to me, then put the earphones in from there.

--I don't know if my model has a "bookmarking" feature...apparently study mode lets you skip a predetermined amount each time you press a button, but other than that I'm not really sure, sorry.

--Personally I don't use the radio feature all that often, the music I have with me tends to be more interesting to me than what's playing on commercial radio It uses the metal components/earphones to gain reception, and seems to do a reasonable job in doing so. Can't say it is better than a dedicated radio feature, though, but nothing tacky about it.

There's a few handy features that have caught me about the player that I've learnt about at later times (you could build playlists on the player and enqueue the next track you want to listen to with relative ease), and the manual is quite helpful.

I know how hard it can be to choose a player, I was doing the same once myself. I settled for the iMP because HD players weren't as common at the time, I wanted a fair capacity (750mb for each CD) and could also use it as a CD player.

Sorry for not giving the clearest answers, and I hope I haven't confused anything more ^^;

Good luck, feel free to ask anything else if you think of it.

[Steelwolf]

After reading the background to your situation, I would suggest that a HD player as suggested by SolidGun is NOT the way to go. The HD player will be just as susceptible to shock as a CD-based player. Its only advantages are capacity and ability to record, both of which seem a little superfluous for your situation.

If you are really worried about shock, a flash-based player is the way to go. But I would suggest that the current amount of buffering and mechanical robustness found in good CD-based players (such as the IMP-550) is actually sufficient for most forseeable activities, even jogging. If your style of running is such that a CD-based player skips, well... a HD-player will also skip in that situation. And the result will be far worse since you will crash the hard drive (which may be a more expensive thing to fix). The only consolation is that the HD will not be spinning all the time, only when it needs to fill the buffer, whereas the CD will be spinning all the time.

For iRiver products, the IMP-550 would suit your needs. Compare with other manufacturers as there may be some with better specs. This will allow you to play the audio book CD from the library without having to rip it, and play your own stuff as well. It should be able to use CD-RW as well, so you don't have to consume a CD-R every time.

For flash-based players, consider that you will have to rip anything you want to listen to and spend time uploading it to your player. If you only change the CD in your CD-player a couple of times a week (as opposed to every single day), this is a viable option even for a slow machine. Get one of the larger players like the iFP-595 or 599 (512Mb or 1Gb). This will give you plenty of space to load up quite a few books but it does mean that if you want to change to something else in your library, you'll have to load it, rather than conveniently grabbing a CD of the shelf and changing it. What I'm trying to get at is that this requires a tiny bit more anticipation of what you intend to listen to. Especially since loading 1Gb might take a little while (think it was 15min).

HD-players are only for idiots like me who can't decide what they want to listen to but want something fresh everyday and don't want to spend every evening uploading a fresh batch of music. So we just carry our entire libraries along. I mean, think about it... 20Gb of music. Approx 1min per Mb, approx 20,000min or 333hr or 13 days of music without ever repeating a song. Doesn't it start to sound ridiculous?

Good luck with your choice.

[Shuji]

Originally Posted by Steelwolf

...a HD-player will also skip in that situation. And the result will be far worse since you will crash the hard drive (which may be a more expensive thing to fix).

Actually, I have a could of questions to ask on that matter (looking at an iHP-140 myself...)

Are HD based players particularly sensitive? Can they take a light knock every now and then, or some rumbling in a car? Are all shocks likely to result in a damaging crash? And finally, how quickly do they read a file?

I assume the case is similar with the iPod...

And while I'm at it, can anyone confirm whether the new style of remote /only/ takes a straight 3.5mm plug or not? I wouldn't get to use the nice buds that came with the iMP...

Cheers.

[First edit: fixed quote tag.
Second edit: added another question ^^;]

[FlameGrilled]

Focusing on the iMP-550, specifically :-

Being one of the few people who's literally killed CDP's in commericial use, being someone who literally found the limits of the iMP series (they are higher than most people realise), i can safely say from experience of old iMP models and feedback i got over 550's from owners when i was involved in the retail side that the following kinda sums the iMP situation ...

1) The iMP-550 is technically more hi-tech and has features lacking in the earlier 250/350/400 decks.

2) The iMP-550 just dont seem to be as bombproof as the earlier decks.

To give a really good example of what i mean by 'bombproof', the following two articles will be of interest as they reflect my experiences of the old iMP-250 (tied for first place next to the 350, it's commonly considered to be one of the best MP3 CDPs ever made) -

iMP-250 Antishock testing

iMP-250 - Practical Quality & Reliability

My assessment of the iMP-550 vs iMP-250 is simple - not as robust, not as flexible (the 250 had decently set out controls making it easy to op without the remote), and generally less tolerent of cheap discs and the antishock isn't apparently working as well as say that of the 250.

I was tempted by one, to replace an old 250, but after seeing a lot of feedback ... i avoided the 550.

In fairness, though, being able to take you existing CD-ROM's of compressed files and shove them into a CDP gives you plenty of easy access to lots of content, with a decent running time re battery endurance.

HDD's are getting better in the battery department - and the storage capacity of HDD speaks for itself.

[leeraff]

Guys, thanks so much for the effort in your responses. All good info. No bashing, condesension, tangents, etc. Also, no offense to the individual who then asked a more specific HD question, but the topic was quickly put right back on track. Further, thanks for allowing this slightly related CD/MP3 question to remain in the H section. I knew I'd find previous owners and am VERY impressed that I haven't gotten a bunch of "Leave and die! Go over to your little wimpy world cd player world" responses. Hopefully assuming that most who can contribute are doing so based on experience and willingness to help. Those who don't have an interest, just scroll to the next post. You don't know how nice that is to see here!!!

I have been very impressed with this site and the level of help I've received. Just think, not one answer was under 3 paragraphs and I didn't get one, "Cause it rocks, dude" type of answer. All answers were based on specs and real-world experience. Not ego or image. Thanks.

Now the question may be that the 550 is a little TOO technical and a little LESS sturdy?

[leeraff]

Only thing left out is the fact that I mentioned the limitation of a computer with Windows 98. (It does have USB, but guess it's older style and OS doesn't support latest players and software?) One mentioned don't worry, but didn't elaborate.

As I understand, all modern players need Windows 98SE as a bare minimum due to USB compatibility. While I'll be upgrading a computer in the not-too-distant future, it's NOT a priority. That pretty much leaves me out of the DAP/DMP world, correct?

By the way, what is the appropriate catch-all term for these players?

[Steelwolf]

What the hey??? I tried to post and apparently my session timed out. Lost everything I wrote.

Leeraff: Yeah, the Win98 OS lacks something. But I sort of remember that most PnP USB device will have a driver disk. This will load up the missing code so that Win98 can handle any PnP USB devices.

Shuji: HDD for portable devices, especially the latest 1.8" drives used in the newer HDD MP3 Players should be very robust against impact. Nothing to worry about. Car rides are fine unless you hit a particularly nasty pothole, the whole car jolts and your player falls off its perch, hits several hard surfaces like the gear stick, gets severely dented, etc... And did I mention that it actually has to be spinning at the time? It has to be a rather disastrous series of events to damage the HD. More likely your player would be scratched and dented with the LCD screen cracked before you suffered a HD crash.

As for the earphone socket on the remote, it does accept a 3.5mm plug. However, the socket is slightly recessed in a hole 7mm in diameter, so any plug you use will need a rather slim body. You can use an L-shaped plug though, as the hole sits flushed with the socket on one side but rises up to a 5mm high wall on the other side. If you can't quite picture it, I can send you some photos.