iAudio X5 20 GB Portable Multimedia Player with FM Tuner & Voice Recorder (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Cowon? You may not have heard of them (yet) but they make the best audio (iAudio U2) and audio/video (iAudio X5) players on the market. Their products put them in the same league as Sony and Apple.

Positives:
The first thing you notice about the iAudio X5 is the high-quality feel of its aluminum shell and how everything fits together perfectly, with solid controls.

The size is about the same as an Ipod Photo, but with the addition of a video display. The TFT type LCD is not the best you can get on a portable player, only 1.8 inches and 160x128 pixels, but the screen is bright and clear. Video playback at 15fps is good considering the display size.

Navigation is from a 5-way joystick, which is as good as Ipod and more comfortable than just about everything else.
FM reception and audio quality is excellent, close to gapless MP3 playback. Charges over both USB or AC adapter is a plus.

Negatives:
Does not support ID3-tag database.
Cannot view photos and hear music at the same time.
No video recording
No external volume controls
No video output!

Conclusion:
At its current price, the iAudio X5 has no direct competition.
I can only think of two reasons NOT to buy it:
1 - you want a TINY mp3 player (get a JetAudio iAudio U2)
2 - you want to output videos to a tv (still waiting)

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Product Description:
Sturdy, versatile, and remarkably compact, given its voluminous storage capacity, iAudio's X5 portable multimedia deviceis sure to be a hit. The 20 GB audio/video player and recorder can store about 5,000 songs (4 minutes each, 128 kbps) i n a nearly unparalleled choice of formats, from MP3 and WMA to linear (uncompressed, CD-quality) WAV files, Ogg Vorbis f iles (which sound a bit better than MP3 for files of comparable size), as well as FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec, compr essed but designed for 1:1 encode/decode). The X5 can recognize up to 2,000 folders and 10,000 individual files, and itssuper power-saving circuit provides up to 14 hours continuous playback on a full charge.
Coolest of all? You can import photos taken from most digital cameras and view them on the player's 160 x 128-pixel, 260 ,000-color TFT LCD thanks to OTG ("on the go"), the player's USB host feature. (Certain digital cameras are not supporte d; see www.iaudio.com for compatibility.) Create your own logo or download logos from the iAudio web site. You can also set a picture of your choosing as wallpaper.


Click here to view a detailed list of parts.
The player also offers FM radio listening and recording (with one-touch tuning presets), audio recording through either a built-in microphone or analog line-in input terminals, and the ability to read text as well as images--you can even vi ew text, though not images, while listening to music.
Use the included JetAudio software to convert various video files to MPEG-4 (up to 15 fps), then enjoy the transcoded vi deo files on the X5. Another program, JetShell, performs CD ripping and file conversion and facilitates music playback.< P>The X5 provides direct encoding, too, by which you can capture the output of an external audio device. This means you co nnect the output terminal of an external audio device to the recording (input) terminal of the X5 using a bidirectional stereo cable (supplied), letting you load material from components like a DVD player, a cassette deck, a minidisc player , a turntable, or a TV.
And, with the unit's built-in, high-fidelity microphone, the X5 can record speech with the quality of dedicated voice re corders--perfect for important meetings, lectures, and notes to self.
Onboard sound processing includes BBE Sound enhancement, BBE Mach3Bass, MP Enhance (designed to compensate for sound los t in MP3 compression), a 5-band adjustable equalizer, and 3D Surround (3-dimensional sound that gives the sound a wide s ense of space).
What's in the Box
iAudio player, stereo earphones, a subpack, an installation CD (JetShell and JetAudio), a USB 2.0 cable, a line-in recor ding cable, a USB host adapter, an AC power adapter, a user's manual, and warranty information.

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iriver T60 2 GB MP3 Player (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)When I was looking for a portable music player (pmp), I had several criteria in mind that made finding a decent player extremely difficult:

1) Most importantly, it needed to have high sound quality.Mostly what I mean by this is high quality signal processing and a high (>/= 90db) signal to noise ratio.I say this from experience, not as a snob: I tried a Phillips and the sound on acoustic guitar recordings produced noticeable distortion and artifacts around each picked note.On another player w/higher specs, the same exact file was clean.So the specs (if they are accurate) DO really matter if you care at all about sound quality. I'm a plug 'n' play person, and never use any EQ settings (parametric, presets, fancy "SRS WOW" or any of that).It should sound the way the musicians wanted it to sound without any fiddling with those things.

I listen to all sorts of music: underground rap, indypop, folk, acoustic, bluegrass, progressive metal, jazz, classical, etc.So far they all sound good on this.

2) I changed from Windows to Ubuntu Linux (it's free! and also amazingly good!) on my laptop, and wanted something that supported the open (free) Ogg Vorbis format, which is vastly superior to both VBR mp3 and wma in sound quality.And I wanted to support open vs closed standards.Unfortunately, Ogg (and its lossless counterpart FLAC) don't yet have as much hardware support as the closed wma and mp3 formats.

3) I wanted a flash-drive, not a portable mass storage library.I rip my cds to FLAC, encode to Ogg Q6 (~192kbps), and archive the FLAC albums on an external hard drive in case I need to re-encode something.Besides, pmp's with hard drives have too many moving parts and wouldn't last long with the way I abuse hardware.

4) Needed to run off of a standard AAA or AA battery for future-proofing and convenience:standard batteries are everywhere, and can simply be replaced with another fully charged one when they are drained, rather than having to find a wall plug and waiting for a recharge.Plus, when they die, you can be assured that more are easy to buy, rather than hunting for a rare, expensive proprietary battery pack that might be discontinued.I use 4 AAA NiMH rechargeables, and between them I get plenty of battery life in a package that's still not very bulky or heavy when compared to a CD player.And it's super-cheap.

5) Decent microphone to record voice notes, memos, song ideas, and conversations.

6) I learn a lot of songs by ear, so it's really nice to have an AB function that is easily accessible.A lot of casual listeners consider it a bell and whistle ("who would want to listen to part of a song over and over?")Well, anyone who wants to truly learn the song (music and/or lyrics) inside and out.

Other than that, I can honestly say I don't care much about other "features" such as color screens and graphics, FM radio, etc.

Verdict:

1) Amazing sound quality without any fiddling.I haven't even touched any of the EQ and effects settings it has, and probably never will.Some audible hiss, but I have yet to find any player from anywhere at any price that didn't have some, and during playback (which is crystal clear -- no distortion!!) it isn't noticeable.The volume on this sucker goes very loud -- with noise cancelling earbuds (try the $30 ones from Creative -- amazing sound for the $$!) I don't have the volume above 7 - 8 most of the time.When I plug into an external system, I crank it up to 20.

2) iRiver says it supports Ogg Vorbis up to Q10 (highest quality).I haven't tested that, but it plays Q6 well enough. Playback isn't gapless, however, which is annoying on some albums.It also plays mp3s well, and they sound decent.

3) It's flash.I considered the 4 gb model, and sometimes which I would've gotten it instead.But in the end I think 20-30 albums at high quality is enough.

4) It runs well off rechargeable AAA's.I haven't yet measured the actual battery life it gets.Some annoying points that others may have mentioned:a) It drains battery during USB transfers, which is completely unnecessary. b) There is a "battery selection" option to toggle between alkaline and rechargeable so you get an accurate readout.However, the toggle is reversed, and you need to set it to alkaline to get an accurate rechargeable readout, and vice-versa.Weird.

5) Microphone recordings are very clear and of high quality.It does a good job of picking up voice and acoustic instruments, and has a well-tempered balance betweenclose and distant sound sources.It records to mp3 format, which saves space and allows you to choose 3 different quality settings.Good enough for my purposes.

6) The player has a button *dedicated* to AB functions.Like this player was made for musicians.How cool is that?Other players hide it under a couple layers of menus, which can get annoying.Some other musician friendly features:"study mode" lets you use the track forward/back buttons to jump to 3, 10, 30, etc second intervals within a song, making rewind easy without risking a jump back to the beginning.Dedicated ff/rw buttons would be better, but this is nice.There is also a "playback speed" function, but it doesn't work on my player.Too bad, so sad.

Other notes:

a) The joystick is slightly annoying.I don't generally have a problem with it, but you have to use both hands in order to do what you want to do with it.Wish it were just push buttons, though.
b) Like I said above, it drains power during USB transfers.WTF?

At least a couple of these issues could be fixed by a firmware update, but the current version is 1.03 and was released in May 2007. iRiver responds to e-mails for support, but sometimes doesn't answer the question I asked.

As I don't care about the funky shape or other issues like that, four changes would make this the perfect pmp in my opinion:
1) Get rid of the joystick
2) Redesign to run off USB power.Relocate USB plug or get rid of need for a USB cord and have the player plug directly in to the computer like any other flash storage drive.
3) Update the firmware to resolve the stupid software issues:Nonfunctional playback speed option, reversed alkaline - rechargeable setting.
4) (not as important) a dedicated, gain-adjusted line-out jack.But there's only so much surface area on a Toblerone...

Click Here to see more reviews about: iriver T60 2 GB MP3 Player (Black)

Product Description:
Built in Flash memory for skip-free playback - Prism Style MP3 player based on iriver ifp100 series - Jog Button Navigation System - CSTN 65,000 color LCD with colorful GUI - Plays up to 19 hours with a AAA-size battery - Supports music file such as MP3, WMA, ASF and OGG Q10 - FM radio and FM recording reservation - Voice Recording - Image viewer** - Alarm with real-time clock - USB 2.0, Ultra Fast Data Transfer - Firmware Upgradable

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Creative Zen Sleek 20 GB MP3 Player Review

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(More customer reviews)After much research I finally decided to purchase the Zen Sleek 20gb Mp3 Player and I'm quite happy with this unit. I also considered the Dell DJ, Zen Touch, and Zen Micro. I also thought about the iPod for a few seconds - but it doesn't take long to realize that beyond a pretty case, the Zen and DJ line just offer so much more, for less $$$!

As is the case with many folks shopping for a good mp3 player; I needed an Mp3 player that was compact, had above average battery life, at least 20gb of storage, and a few extra features to keep it interesting. But most important of all, it MUST have good audio quality (97db SNR)! Well, this Zen Sleek met all of my goals and more!

Here is what I found while doing some research this weekend both on-line and in the local stores. The Dell DJ, while cheap, simply didn't offer any of the features or battery life the Zen Sleek offered. The iPod had "average" battery life, no nifty features, too expensive, and isn't fully compatible with other music formats. The Zen Touch does have the best battery life ever - but it's way too bulky and the LCD isn't very bright. And with a max storage of 6gb, the Zen Micro just didn't have enough space for my needs. Otherwise, it would have been my 1st choice.

And just to sum everything up, here is a list of Pro's and Cons.

Pro's:

- Considering the storage, it's quite small and light
- 20gb of storage (I'm hoping for more in the future)
- 18 hrs of battery life (As expected, I got slightly less with 192kbps WMA's)
- 97db SNR for the best possible audio quality. I tested the audio quality with everything from a high-end car stereo to a top of the line home theater system. All sounded excellent. It even sounded rather good with a tape adapter!
- FM Radio (not needed, but very handy)
- Awesome and very easy to use touchpad feature as well as Creative's well known interface.
- And it looks great with the silver and white color scheme!

Con's:

- Slighty on the expensive side ($249.99 US)
- Not enough accessories at time of release
- Not a big fan of the velvet-like carrying pouch. Sorry, I just refuse to use that thing. :)

So, basically I can't find anything wrong with the unit itself. :) For this reason, I'll give it 5 out of 5 stars and consider this unit highly recommended.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Creative Zen Sleek 20 GB MP3 Player

Product Description:
Weighing just 5.8 ounces, the 20 GB Creative Zen Sleek digital audio player provides everything you need to take your large music library with you wherever you roam. In addition to MP3s, it also plays WAV and WMA digital file format s--including WMA with Digital Rights Management (DRM) 9 and 10. The built-in FM tuner (with 32 presets) offers an FM rec ording function, which lets you record your programming and tunes from your favorite radio stations. The Zen Sleek also has a built-in microphone and a voice recorder for recording lectures or reminders.

If 10,000 songs isn't enough, simply tune in to the built-in FM radio.
This 20 GB digital audio player will store up to 10,000 WMA (encoded at 64 Kbps) or 5,000 MP3 (128 KBps) CD-quality song s. Its rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides up to 18 hours of playback time. It connects to PCs via USB 2.0, which features download speeds of up to one second per song. The equalization feature offers nine acoustic environments, such as "rock" and "jazz," enabling you to customize your listening environment. Other features include a 2-inch LCD with blu e LED backlighting, easy-to-use touch pad control buttons, and upgradeable firmware.
What's in the Box
Zen Sleek digital audio player, earphones, power adapter, USB cable, pouch, CD-ROM with software, printed Quick Start gu ide.

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Sony Walkman NWZS545BLK 16 GB Video MP3 Player (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)When searching for a new mp3 player the trail always leads me back to Sony. Its more about overall quality then brand loyalty. Over the years Sony's Walkman line has gone the distance and more. The all new Sony S Series Walkman adds to the legacy.

The S-545 16gb Walkman brings it on with a crisp, color enhanced 2.4" LCD screen that is easy on the eyes. At 2" x 4" x .4", it comes in a bit larger then its older cousin. A larger body undoubtedly is required to provide support for the external speaker system. The speakers won't get confused with my home system anytime soon but they do provide an excellent source. With headphones on, this mp3 player delivers a cornucopia of sound. Missing but not that noticeable is the noise reduction feature. The on board equalizer can be tweaked to one's own preferences or users can choose one of the six presets.

The Navigation pad located directly under the screen is a breeze to operate. Three controls are located on the right side of the unit. One locks in the controls. The second one allows for easy switching from speaker to headset. Volume is the third control. The standard headphone jack and a USB port can be found on the bottom of the unit. The detachable flip out stand is an okay feature that allows for easy standing on my desk or shelf top. I would have preferred that it was permanently mounted.

The S-545 supports mp3, mp4, AAC, AVC, WMV, WMA, and PCM. PCM is Sony's version of WAV. It pairs well with Napster To Go. Its hit and miss with Rhapsody To Go. Sometimes its a smooth transfer, other times its not. Downloading my playlists from Windows Media Player was a breeze without the usual hiccups associated with older mp3 players.

Amazon video is a new option that is also supported. Video can be synced from my computer as well. I've never been big on downloading video to my player. I did download a couple of photographs on this model. The display was outstanding. Unlike my older Walkman, this model doesn't offer the wallpaper photo display option.

The built in FM tuner picked up all ten of my stations. With auto scanner functionality, thirty preset slots are available. The FM radio is crystal clear when using the headset as an antenna. The alarm and timer features are a nice add on. This model also has an impressive on board microphone located on the bottom of the unit. There are three voice settings. Voice playback quality was excellent. Battery life has always been biggie with Sony. On a full charge, I got almost a full thirty five hours of music.

The Sony Walkman S-545 16gb Mp3 player comes packed with a USB cable, flip stand, ear buds, installed operating manual and the standard one year warranty. Body finishes include; black and red in the 16GB model. Pink and violet are additional choices in the 8GB model.

Economically priced, this latest edition to the Walkman line is a durable and reliable product that delivers. Easy to use and loaded with features, the Sony S-545 is a prime time performer.

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Product Description:
8GB WalkmanVideo MP3-Black

Get 8% OFF

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Sony Walkman NWZS545RED 16 GB Video MP3 Player (Red) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is my second purchase of a Sony Walkman. My first one was for my husband for our anniversary. I bought him an 8g player (NWZ-E438) and once I got that up and running, I realized that 8g really isn't that much when I realized that he has a whole bunch of cd's and videos and pictures. But the reason why I bought the 8g of that model was because it had an equalizer. Now, let's talk about this beautiful S545 model - WOW! It's 16g and what a beauty. the sound quality is A-Mazing, and the picture/video screen is clear and crisp. AND it has an equalizer - 5 settings, plus 2 custom settings = 7 equalizer settings. I bought mine at Walmart, and it was $119. I also got it in red - the red color is a nice color, not faded or pastelie. The sound quality from the exterior speakers will surprise you. Keep in mind that you will not be able to host a large dance party with it, but it is just perfect for a personal experience, let's say in your room or something like that. The sound from the speakers is quite nice, and I would compare it to the speaker from my Motorola RAZR2. My phone can get a lot louder than the Sony Walkman, but the quality of sound is just as good. I was not in any way disappointed with the quality. The only thing I would change on this player is the placement of the speakers - they are on the back, not the front. The picture of this player might fool you to think the speakers are in the front, but they are not. I also learned that this player will not be able to download podcasts. The higher-end Sony Walkmans do.

Another thing is that the software for the player comes loaded in the player, instead of including a cd in the box. It worked really great, it was simple and just way too easy to use. It was much easier to set up on the computer and get going than the one I bought for my husband. With the software, "Content Transfer" all you have to do is drag a song, or a picture or a video right to the Content Transfer window, and POW - it's there, and it knows right where to put it (music, pictures, video). So you don't even have to fuss around and click into the different files. I already have 1,926 songs in WMA format in 48Kbps, 38 videos, and 223 photos, and I have 10g left. Right out of the box, because of the software itself, there is 2g being used for the player, and you get 14g to play with.

This player will also record voice recordings and FM radio recordings (song, advertisement, talk show or whatever). It looks like they give you 99 hours and 59 minutes of recording time.

The FM player will only work if you have either your headset plugged in or your speakers plugged in. The FM won't work with the external speakers - it needs to use the wire as an antenna. And I didn't think the FM was bad - worked and sounded just fine to me.

So, if you are looking for a player, you just might want to consider this one.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony Walkman NWZS545RED 16 GB Video MP3 Player (Red)

Product Description:
8GB WalkmanVideo MP3-RED

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