iriver H140 40GB MP3 Jukebox
By: iRiver Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 86
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by: Anonymous On: 2006-07-20
I have googled up "40 GB Mp3. Players" I found the ones I thought looked good and opened them up in Amazon. I looked at The Toshiba Gigabeat, The Iriver (That is this one), The Creative Zen, and The Sony Vaio. Of Them I have Come to the Conclusion That The Gigabeat however good has had many, many hardware problems. This Player Is Very good matchng up to those however many complain about the abitlity, and use of the software. The Vaio very compact, sleek design, new design no click wheel or any imitations, many say the screen is big and very clear. And finally the creative zen, not as good but it gets a three for all around basic use with onkly mnor hassle. So My choice is left between The Iriver and The Sony Vaio.
If You are researching I should tell you to avoid taking nto account those saying whatever is an ipod killer or they stole the design.
P.s If you buy any mp3. Player buy it with coverage many people have had problems with these mp3. players though I doubt it was a majority I would still reccomend it.
 On: 2006-04-21
Ive owned the iriver 140 for a couple of years now and would buy it again without a second thought. The battery really does last 16 hours (or very(!) close to it), managing the files on the disk is no more difficult than managing files on your hard disk, and you can store anything on the device (music, pictures, documents, you name it) even if the player knows not what to do with the files, so it can just as easily double as one of those USB memory sticks if you have need for one (with 40gb of storage).
The FM receiver is superb and although irivers software for the player does not allow FM radio to be recorded and gapless playback is not supported as well as it should, there is always the 3rd party RockBox software, which is sufficiently stable and feature rich (Apr 2006) to replace the standard software: with RockBoxs software the player can indeed record from the FM radio, show pictures, read text files in fonts of your choosing, play mp3 and ogg files without gaps, and becomes enormously configurable.
Bottom line: After two years I continue to be impressed with this player, use it almost every day, and can recommend it without hesitation.
 On: 2005-10-06
Have had this player for a good stretch of time and it is my gym-in-a-pocket, not to mention provider of much sanity at work, while flying, in the car, etc. One of the best electronic purchases Ive made, and its only too bad that iRiver never gave it all the continuing support it deserved and killed this high end off, rather than developing it further.
However, the last laugh is that the product has acquired a second life through the continuing development of alternative Rockbox firmware (rockbox.org), giving the player abilities that the most modern of players just dont have, in the way of user customization.
And the battery indeed can be replaced by the user, through an easily-obtainable replacement battery kit that comes with a torx wrench (and easy instructions) to open the player up (http://www.pdainternalbattery.com/irivermp3battery.html). But odds are, the battery will outlast the technology.
On: 2005-09-25
I really like this product as it allows for the easy transfer of the music from my computer to the juke box. Its ability to perform multiple functions is a major advantage. The only reason i didnt give this product 5 stars is due to the size of the product, as it is not as small or compact as other players. I would recommend purchase to anyone looking for a similar product
On: 2005-09-10
I have this IRiver IHP140 for about 1 year and Im using it almost every day to record external audio,hear music,etc.The ear phones are good enougth,and the sound is clear. The cons of this device is that battery is not replaceable by the user, need to send it to manufacturer for replacement. Overall is an excellent player and recorder.
On: 2004-12-14
I have own my unit for about 5 months and its
been pretty reliable. I like to record my old
minidiscs onto it and with in-line recording
features thats possible. I like the black design,
the sound quality is pretty good, and battery life
is good. I have not gotten 12-16 hours of playback
on a charge yet but Im always playing this in shuffle
mode so I imagine that may use more power faster as the
unit does do alot of spinning. I really like the remote. Im not happy with the lack of firmware updates. These units need to have an option to create playlists on the fly.
 On: 2004-12-14
After using a 20 MB RIO that died on me (hard disk failure after 5 months) I decided to purhase the iRiver iHO140 becuase the hardware sounded top notch. While I agree that this is a very solid player its been quite difficult and very frustrating.
I have not been able to get Playlists to work and Ive also noticed that none of the On Line songs I purchase will work on this unit. When I sent an e-mail to tech support asking if the iHP-140 will sync with Windows Media Player They took 1 week to return an answer and they said this player doesnt currently Sync and they dont forsee it working this way anytime in the future. So basically if you buy music on line DONT purhcase this player. I should have bought an IPod.
On: 2004-11-21
So the good news, yes you can record (although not off the nice radio)...yes it plays almost all the formats under the sun....yes its reasonably compact....but heres the thing, its impossible to make play lists on the fly. Sure you can play through the songs in a folder that you have preset on the juke box, sure you can even cue a song one song ahead of the one you are listening to.....but suppose you go to the gym and want to listen to this song then that then another and dont want to fiddle....well unless you had the foresight to organize your songs in a folder exactly that way and upload them (admittedly straightforward) then it cant be done....I really liked this player, I really wanted to keep it, but I couldnt make it play my songs in the order I wanted when I wanted and sadly that was a deal killer so back it had to go....Fortunately Amazon service as always was great and it wasnt a problem....given iRiver solved all the hard problems it seemed amazing they hadnt solved this easy problem, but I spent hours on the discussion boards and ultimately with their help people (a patchy experience) and they confirmed it....on the fly play lists cannot be created....so sad.....
On: 2004-11-05
"IPOD Killer"? Puh-leeze. Start by not immitating even the name of Apples player. Then invent a navigation system as cool and easy to use as a scroll wheel. Next, work on getting some decent sound. Follow this with a jukebox even half as eficient as iTunes (no, you dont have to buy all your songs from Apple to store them on iTunes or iPOD). Then, while youre at it, work on a cool design (read, not clunky). Finally, try concentrating on making a few funtions perfect instead of a load of half-baked extras nobody wants anyway. And im only talking about last years iPOD, not the new models. Dont waste your time and hard-earned $ on a throw away like this folks, spend a little bit xtra and get a keeper. If this sounds harsh its only becuase I was dumb enough to fall for iRivers hype last year. But I since switched from one of the many the followers (iRiver, Creative, etc.) to the leader (IPOD) and have never looked back. Theres a good reason why IPOD is #1. It leaves the rest in the dust. Just wish Id waited a little longer for the new 60GB photo/music IPOD :(.
On: 2004-11-01
Almost perfect. ipod comes nowhere close. I mean really, this thing RECORDS.
Cons: The joystick design is really dumb. Doesnt have gapless playback, but this will hopefully be available in a firmware upgrade.
For all you people having trouble with the menus- geez, what the heck do you want? For a service rep to come to your house and hold your hand while they open the instruction manual for you? Makes perfect sense to me.
And if you are reading this, YOU NEED TO START USING OGG VORBIS RIGHT NOW. www.vorbis.com. If you like this concept, its going to get killed by Apple and Microsoft when they start being able to demand more and more money for this. Steer the digital music revolution YOUR WAY and USE OGG!!!!
On: 2004-10-23
This is a beautiful, feature-packed mp3 player. Ive owned this player for almost 6 months, and Ive never regretted choosing it over other hard-drive based mp3 players available.
The H140 is almost the same size as the 40GB iPod, (about a quarter of an inch thicker and 9 grams heavier than the iPod), but has more features - most importantly, much better battery life. The iRiver manual claims up to 16 hours of battery life. Manufacturers claims are usually exaggerated, being based on "ideal" conditions. But Ive gotten 13-14 hours of playing time on a charge, and thats twice what youd usually get from an iPod. Hard drive based players typically spin the drive either when (1) navigating menus, or (2) when you select a song to play. Once you select a track, the player loads the file to memory, and the hard drive shuts down. Battery life depends a lot on how you use the iRiver. If you load a play list and then just sit back and listen, the charge will last longer. On the other hand, if you fiddle with it a lot and keep switching songs after only listening to each a few seconds, the hard drive will spin constantly and battery life will not be as good. In any case, the iRiver offers the best battery life of any hard drive player in its class.
The iRiver plays mp3, wma, wav, asf and ogg format files. It reads ID3 tags (V1, 2, 3) and displays the ID3 information, if available. If no ID3 information is available, it displays the file name. Ive had no problem with mp3/wav/wma/ogg files at various bit rates, both CBR and VBR.
The FM tuner works well. You can save up to 20 stations to memory. The voice recorder is handy for dictating quick memos, like where you parked your car or a phone number, and works well off the internal microphone (or you can attach the included external microphone). Since the H140 has a built-in hardware mp3 encoder, you can also record from the Line Level input or the Optical input at any bit-rate you choose. For playback, you can select from various preset equalization settings, or create your own.
Navigation is not as intuitive as the iPod, but its not hard to get used to. Once youre accustomed to it, its easily as fast as navigation on the iPod. One big advantage the iRiver has is the LCD on the remote (which the iPod lacks). This is very handy, because it makes it completely unnecessary to ever remove the player itself from your belt clip or pocket or backpack. The remote can control ALL the functions of the iRiver. You can lock either the player or the remote (or both) so you wont have to worry about accidentally hitting a button.
The iRiver comes with Moodlogics software for organizing your music, and device drivers for your operating system. If you use Windows XP, you dont need to load anything. The iRiver is automatically recognized and shows up as a drive in Windows Explorer when you connect it with the USB cable. If you use WinAmp on your PC, you dont need the Moodlogic software either. The iRiver can read WinAmp play lists (*.m3u files).
Sound quality is very good, possibly the best of any portable mp3 player Ive used. You can dramatically enhance the sound quality of ANY mp3 player by substituting better headphones and buying an external amplifier, but that makes it less portable. When I use the iRiver with a set of Sennheiser HD600 headphones and a tiny cMoy amplifier, it sounds as good as the headphone output from my stereo.
On: 2004-09-10
I couldnt be more delighted with this player. Upon receiving it, I opened the package, connected the AC Adapter, and connected the included USB 2.0 cable.
WindowsXP immediately recognized the player as an external drive. I flashed the BIOS, and then started copying files. About 20 minutes later, my 15GB MP3 library was on the player. I immediately started listening to music, and I was bowled over by the sound quality.
Since I wanted to be able to choose music by genre or album title, I downloaded the "Moodlogic" software from the iRiver website; and a few minutes later my music library was sorted and categorized in the iRivers database. The set-up couldnt have been easier, and the manual is excellent.
With just a few taps on either the wired remote (which has a bright LCD with all of the functions of the main unit) or the navigation button, I can be listening to a random selection of all of my "Folk Rock" songs; or listening to my favorite Van Morrison album. Build quality, design, and feature set are all top notch; and Ive yet to find something that I want it to do that it cant. Although I rarely use it, the FM tuner also works very well.
In addition, its a great way to back-up your PC. The iHP-140 works flawlessly as an external drive.
This is one of the few cases where you actually get more than you pay for. Highly recommended.
As an added note, the Moodlogic software and BIOS updates are here: http://www.iriveramerica.com/support/H100.aspx
On: 2004-09-09
I couldnt be more delighted with this player. Upon receiving it, I opened the package, connected the AC Adapter, and connected the included USB 2.0 cable.
WindowsXP immediately recognized the player as an external drive. I flashed the BIOS, and then started copying files. About 20 minutes later, my 15GB MP3 library was on the player. I immediately started listening to music, and I was bowled over by the sound quality.
Since I wanted to be able to choose music by genre or album title, I downloaded the "Moodlogic" software from the iRiver website; and a few minutes later my music library was sorted and categorized in the iRivers database. The set-up couldnt have been easier, and the manual is excellent.
With just a few taps on either the wired remote (which has a bright LCD with all of the functions of the main unit) or the navigation button, I can be listening to a random selection of all of my "Folk Rock" songs; or listening to my favorite Van Morrison album. Build quality, design, and feature set are all top notch; and Ive yet to find something that I want it to do that it cant. Although I rarely use it, the FM tuner also works very well.
In addition, its a great way to back-up your PC. The iHP-140 works flawlessly as an external drive.
This is one of the few cases where you actually get more than you pay for. Highly recommended.
As an added note, the Moodlogic software and BIOS updates are here: http://www.iriveramerica.com/support/H100.aspx
On: 2004-09-07
I mean seriously! Who wouldnt get an iPod?!! After all, the iPod has half the battery life, worse sound quality, plays fewer audio formats, has no radio, has no built in mic, cant read text files, has no remote, has no realtime mp3 encoding, needs software to port music over, and cant create playlists without the computer! Who would want a player like the iRiver that does all that?
</sarcasm>
On: 2004-09-07
40 gigs is a lot. not only coes my iRiver carry all the music i have ever owned. it also carries movies, pictures, school documents etc etc. it really nice to be able to pick up the player at a friends place and start watching some movie...
it supports ogg. why use mp3 or wma when ogg is smaller, better sound quality, and open source? why support microsoft when you have another option?
optical line in/out. finally i can plug it into my dvd-video and record my dvd-concerts right into cd quality wave files, totally lossless.
voic recording. now i dont have to carry papers and a pen wherever i go.
and i like the design. the white plastic hospital look of the ipod made me concentrate of not scratching it all the time. one is black, and the metal in the ends of it makes it look really robust and powerful.
even though the firmware have been delayed a couple of times, this version of it really rocks. people are mostly angry about that the promised on-the-fly playlists and the gapless playback didnt come with the last version. but hey, i can live without those.
unfortunately the battery doesnt keep up for the promised 16 hours, but its still better than the ipods 12 (or whatever it is).
this is a really good player. his player really has as least as many features as the ipods design rewards. why even consider the ipod an option?
On: 2004-09-06
I mean seriously! Who wouldnt get an iPod?!! After all, the iPod has half the battery life, worse sound quality, plays fewer audio formats, has no radio, has no built in mic, cant read text files, has no remote, has no realtime mp3 encoding, needs software to port music over, and cant create playlists without the computer! Who would want a player like the iRiver that does all that?
On: 2004-09-06
40 gigs is a lot. not only coes my iRiver carry all the music i have ever owned. it also carries movies, pictures, school documents etc etc. it really nice to be able to pick up the player at a friends place and start watching some movie...
it supports ogg. why use mp3 or wma when ogg is smaller, better sound quality, and open source? why support microsoft when you have another option?
optical line in/out. finally i can plug it into my dvd-video and record my dvd-concerts right into cd quality wave files, totally lossless.
voic recording. now i dont have to carry papers and a pen wherever i go.
and i like the design. the white plastic hospital look of the ipod made me concentrate of not scratching it all the time. one is black, and the metal in the ends of it makes it look really robust and powerful.
even though the firmware have been delayed a couple of times, this version of it really rocks. people are mostly angry about that the promised on-the-fly playlists and the gapless playback didnt come with the last version. but hey, i can live without those.
unfortunately the battery doesnt keep up for the promised 16 hours, but its still better than the ipods 12 (or whatever it is).
this is a really good player. his player really has as least as many features as the ipods design rewards. why even consider the ipod an option?
On: 2004-09-02
I have been using IHP 140 for 3 months now. It is excellent. There were no issues with installation and start using the device. Initially did not install any of the software that came with it. And everything worked fine. My Win XP Professional recognized the device and copied files into it really fast and started listening songs (I used MS-MPlayer 9 files to rip CDs). Controls and buttons are as difficult as some reviewers mentioned. I played with Ipods, IHP is not as "cute" but it is very sturdy and plays everything. Belt clip is well built. Headphones are not that good but it should not be deal breaker for this unit. If there are a lot of files in the device, it takes a while to start as it checks the files. I currently have 2000+ wmas in approx. 200 folders. It takes 5 seconds to power up. Battery life is excellent. Sound quality is excellent. I use it with several different headphones. I have researched HD MP3 players for 1 month and decided on IHP. After I purchased several editorials picked IRiver IHP 140. I think they are right. I you are hesitating you dont need to.
On: 2004-09-02
Bought my iHP-140 in June after extensive research on the various competing products.
Great battery life, and the support of Ogg Vorbis files was big for me. The record function is a nice feature, although I havent used it that often, but mainly I wanted something to listen to on my bus commute and when Im at the gym, and for that Im 100% satisfied.
40GB is a lot, although Ive filled mine, but if you dont have that much music you can use the additional as a portable hard drive.
Im disappointed that the recently-released firmware upgrade doesnt do anything that Im interested in, while avoiding the common user complaints.
Having said that, if my player were lost or stolen, which would I buy to replace it? Without a doubt, Id buy this one again. Its not hard to use (particularly for Windows users - it shows up as another hard drive when linked to your computer via USB, and you can treat it as such).
The only reservation I can give is that if youre expecting a firmware upgrade to give you what you want, dont. On the other hand, its feature as currently packaged are stronger than the competition.
Id give it four stars or five stars.
On: 2004-09-01
Bought my iHP-140 in June after extensive research on the various competing products.
Great battery life, and the support of Ogg Vorbis files was big for me. The record function is a nice feature, although I havent used it that often, but mainly I wanted something to listen to on my bus commute and when Im at the gym, and for that Im 100% satisfied.
40GB is a lot, although Ive filled mine, but if you dont have that much music you can use the additional as a portable hard drive.
Im disappointed that the recently-released firmware upgrade doesnt do anything that Im interested in, while avoiding the common user complaints.
Having said that, if my player were lost or stolen, which would I buy to replace it? Without a doubt, Id buy this one again. Its not hard to use (particularly for Windows users - it shows up as another hard drive when linked to your computer via USB, and you can treat it as such).
The only reservation I can give is that if youre expecting a firmware upgrade to give you what you want, dont. On the other hand, its feature as currently packaged are stronger than the competition.
Id give it four stars or five stars.
by: gadgester On: 2004-08-25
Pros:
+ Feature rich
+ Decent sound quality for MP3 files
+ LCD on inline remote
Cons:
- Disappointing quality, flimsy buttons, feels like its going to break anytime
- Crashes more often than other HD-based players
- Very ugly
- Heavy and bulky, esp. compared to iPod
- Very confusing user interface, too many menus
- Sometimes does not show up on Windows XP desktop
- Did I mention its butt ugly?
For the first couple days youd probably be thrilled with the many features the 140 includes. But once the novelty factor wears off, and you start getting crashes, and people start asking why you are holding a black brick in your hands, youll regret your purchase.
On: 2004-08-24
Pros:
+ Feature rich
+ Decent sound quality for MP3 files
+ LCD on inline remote
Cons:
- Disappointing quality, flimsy buttons, feels like its going to break anytime
- Crashes more often than other HD-based players
- Very ugly
- Heavy and bulky, esp. compared to iPod
- Very confusing user interface, too many menus
- Sometimes does not show up on Windows XP desktop
- Did I mention its butt ugly?
For the first couple days youd probably be thrilled with the many features the 140 includes. But once the novelty factor wears off, and you start getting crashes, and people start asking why you are holding a black brick in your hands, youll regret your purchase.
On: 2004-08-09
Have owned this unit for approximately a month. Battery life hasnt yet reached the slated 16 hours, but doesnt fall short by much - can squeeze 12-13 hours out of it with intermittent backlight and lots of manual changing tracks in between. They DO say its only 16 hours for 128kbps files though, and a lot of my music is coded at higher bitrates.
Setup is a breeze, plug in the USB, power it on and do your thing. Item is very small, compact and lightweight. Feels sufficiently solid. My one quirk with this product is the limited character capability of the screen - which supports titles up to only 52 characters long. Hopefully a firmware upgrade will be made to expand it.
Sound quality is excellent and sufficiently loud, have used it in the car, on the bus and on the train to and from work with no problems. Good bass and treble, and options to customise equaliser settings are present. No problems yet with file formats. No sticking, no skipping, no erasing.
Included recording capability rocks the house. The lapel mic is VERY clear and can pick up your voice from adequate distances. Onboard mic isnt much different, but can pick up surrounding noises as well. An excellent feature, though.
If youve never owned an iRiver before the button interface may be confusing, but give it a couple hours and youll be fine. The navigation is more or less intuitive.
Id also recommend Red Chairs Irivium software if you want to run the database function. It does a MUCH better job than the stock iHP Manager.
Overall - an excellent buy.
On: 2004-07-30
I have looked at many mp3 players over the past 6 months and the IHP-140 has everything I was looking for and more. The 18 hour battery life is the main reason I bought this mp3 player but the FM tunner is also nice feature I wanted. The sound quality on this mp3 player is awesome. The remote it comes with is a great thing to have and I use it all the time. Navigating on the IHP-140 was a little strange at first but after about 2 minutes of playing I figured it out. No messing with I-tunes using this mp3 player, just drag and drop files to the player with the ultra fast usb2 connection. If you are looking for a mp3 player that can do it all this is the one you want.
On: 2004-07-20
(Update: Sept 27: Iriver finally offered some firmware update. Finally! )
From the July official iriver forum, heres the list of firmware updates:
First Upgrade (Expected end of July ~ early August) New features
1) File delete function supported
(Files can be deleted from the player itself) - on the fly file delete
2) Format function supported
(Will be supported for Window 2000/XP- based devices due to difficulty in formatting 40GB files from the operating platform)
3) Adjustable playback speed supported
(Playback speed cannot be manipulated as in the iFPs but adjustments can be made with select speed options)
4) Gaps between songs can be deleted
(Gaps are deleted through scanning for silent periods at the end of the music file) - Gapless playback.
5) DB Unicode is supported
(Supports technology in Unicode).
6) DB OGG file adding is supported (OGG is supportd in DB Update).
7) Hebrew language added.
8) Sub folders supported for TEXT folders.
9) SHUFFLE function improved to Real Shuffle.
10) Problem with ID3 Tags resolved with EX?? (Problems from using MP3GAIN resolved).
11) Remote control display problems from NAVI functions in PLAYLIST mode fixed.
12) Internal playlist supported (Programming function supported) on the fly playlist.
13) Problems of FM tuner display fixed.
14) Interference on the display from remote control usage is fixed.
15) External battery supported for H100 series (External batteries will be recognizable for the H100 series).
16) Problems recognizing select files in Japanese fixed.
Second Upgrade (Expected in October)
New features
1) Recording volume adjustment function supported.
2) No recording delay from the push of the RECORD button.
3) MONO recording supported (Supported during VOICE Recording)
4) Truncated voice recording fixed.
5) SAD function supported.
6) AUTO SYNC function supported.
The firmware is really late (and owners are getting exasperated). Still, all of these are significant improvements, and even if we assume schedule slip and the usual marketing puffery, these would be significant improvements. Im happy to see that they are updating firmware regarding recording for the October firmware update. I would feel good if this second firmware update comes before Christmas. If it comes earlier, so much the better.
On: 2004-07-19
ITS A GOOD PLAYER, BUT DO YOU GUYS KNOW THAT YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE BATTERY?. THE BATTERY HAS A RECHARGEABLE LIFE OF ABOUT 3 YEARS, AFTER THEN STARTS TO FAIL TO RECHARGE. WHEN I ASKED TECHNICAL SUPPORT THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE CONSIDERING OFFERING TO REPLACE THE BATTERY WHEN NEEDED, FOR A FEE AT THEIR SERVICE FACILITY. BUT THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE JUST STARTING TO CONSIDER THAT POSSIBILITY AND THAT THEY COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT SUCH AN OPTION WAS GOING TO BE MADE AVAILABLE. I FOUND COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE TO SPEND ALMOST 400 DOLLARS FOR A PRODUCT THAT ILL HAVE TO THROW AWAY BECAUSE I CANNOT REPLACE THE BATTERY. I RETURNED THE PRODUCT. BEWARE.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-07-17
This is a very nice player in terms of many functions, sound quality, battery life and amount of storage. But: it is very cumbersome to use in contrast to iPod, especially with regard to playlist management. There is NO random shuffle playlist - songs always play in the same order as on the playlist, support is poor to non-existent, the unit needs a firmware support desparately to address several problems but its been over 6 months and no upgrade still. The remote has a really weird recessed headphone jack that requires a proprietary extension cord to fit most headphones. The 12 volt adaptor was out of stock for months, you could not even place a preorder for it but finally its available. Ergonomics and music management dont even come close to an iPod synched with iTunes on an Apple computer - I use both Windows XP and Mac systems. And this doesnt allow playback of many online music tunes...so forget that option...Most disturbing: iRiver already has the replacement model (H320 series) about to come out, and yet the firmware that seems as though it could fix some of the major problems in the H140 or H120 has not been released in OVER 6 months and support is close to non-existent. Its a lot to spend when theres a new and improved model about to come out and customers whove just purchased an H140 feel neglected and insulted. Please check the iRiver discussion groups for confirmation of the many unhappy H series owners, despite what could have been the BEST unit out there and still is a very good unit...If I had to do it again I would definitely wait for the H320 to be released and re-evaluate; if iRiver does fix the H140, they should become available at under $200 which would be a very fair price for this player with the bugs fixed...
On: 2004-07-16
This is a very nice player in terms of many functions, sound quality, battery life and amount of storage. But: it is very cumbersome to use in contrast to iPod, especially with regard to playlist management. There is NO random shuffle playlist - songs always play in the same order as on the playlist, support is poor to non-existent, the unit needs a firmware support desparately to address several problems but its been over 6 months and no upgrade still. The remote has a really weird recessed headphone jack that requires a proprietary extension cord to fit most headphones. The 12 volt adaptor was out of stock for months, you could not even place a preorder for it but finally its available. Ergonomics and music management dont even come close to an iPod synched with iTunes on an Apple computer - I use both Windows XP and Mac systems. And this doesnt allow playback of many online music tunes...so forget that option...Most disturbing: iRiver already has the replacement model (H320 series) about to come out, and yet the firmware that seems as though it could fix some of the major problems in the H140 or H120 has not been released in OVER 6 months and support is close to non-existent. Its a lot to spend when theres a new and improved model about to come out and customers whove just purchased an H140 feel neglected and insulted. Please check the iRiver discussion groups for confirmation of the many unhappy H series owners, despite what could have been the BEST unit out there and still is a very good unit...If I had to do it again I would definitely wait for the H320 to be released and re-evaluate; if iRiver does fix the H140, they should become available at under $200 which would be a very fair price for this player with the bugs fixed...
On: 2004-07-16
Ive owned various mp3 players good and bad over the course of about 4years now. I was looking forward to picking up an H120 or H140 from Iriver and was waiting for a price drop before making a purchase. Well my girlfriend beat me to it, and got me a H140 for my birthday right when they came out. I was excited about all the advertised features especially recording with digital line in, and it being "firmware upgradeable" These were definitely selling points for me. Well time has passed and now Iriver has reneged twice on firmware upgrades, and now they are claiming they have no date for when the firmware will be upgraded because of being understaffed (simple hire more capable coder/s). Initially the lacking features GAPLESS PLAYBACK, ON THE FLY PLAYLISTS, DELETE SONGS FROM PLAYER ETC. werent a huge deal to me. It was only when Iriver announced these features and dates when they were have supposed to be implemented then breached their end of the deal by not communicating with customers and missing deadlines did I start to get upset. Now there is a known issue with the hard drive not spinning down properly (faulty firmware problem) and potentially causing wear on the drive. Their are also crackle s and pops on every recording ive made with various mics (included and audiophile quality). These I am very upset with as well and would suggest you not buy Iriver until they fix these issues, and establish better support with their once loyal/future customers.
On: 2004-07-15
Close but no cigar.I waited several years for the dust to settle before getting an MP3 player. Sure, the iPod was the first one I heard of but at its introductory price, I wasnt going to be one of its field beta testers. Even as a long-time converted Mac user, my m.o. has always been that of Alexander Pope:
"Be not the first by whom the new is tried, nor yet the last to lay the old aside." That said, after following several evolutions by Apple and attempted copies by others, I eventually got the 40 GB iPod. Why? It is far more than an MP3 player, thanks to the 3rd party add-ons. (just google iPod accessories). It is of course a (backup/external) FW drive, I can now download thousands of photos to it from my camera without having to tote around my iBook or buy more fash memory cards. I can port calendars, alarms and to do items, my contact list, driving directions, audio books and text. With the add-on voice recorder it is an on-the-fly input device, eliminating, for me, the need of yet another digital gizmo, the PDA. I see nothing in the specs of this JukeBox that suggests it can do much more than play music. For the same $400, get the 30GB iPod (less space, but more options), or fork over the extra $100 for 40 GB iPod and get the sexiest handheld device you can share in mixed company. I am glad I waited. Thank you, Mr Pope.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-07-13
My ihp140 is now full and I have gone through the painstaking job of reducing all my files to 52 characters so they can be indexed in the database (artist, album, genre ...). Alas, when powering the ihp 140 in the DB mode (so it can use the tags in indexing), it needs around 4 minutes to boot. YES, 4 MINUTES! The only solution is to turn the DB function off and to multiply the number of folders so you can find files relatively easily. But forget about albums if you dont create folders according to albums. Basically, this machine will give you the functionality of Winamp 2.8 which may be enough but a bit half baked to my taste.Sound quality is OK but nothing to write home about. As other reviewers said, maximum volume is way too low. One issue about build quality: on the left side, there is a void between the top and the bottom parts, through which one can see the backlight. This is an issue with design because both parts are very stiff and I dont see what could have brought them apart. I am worried that dust and water may (and indeed will) get in. Also, the supplied (black) case is a bad fit constraining the jog dial. The rest is OK. I am considering returning it.
On: 2004-07-13
Ive had my H140 for about 3 months now, and Ive really enjoyed it. The interface isnt as easy to learn as the ipod, but it is functional. The FM reciever works pretty well. It doesnt pick up stations as well as my car, but I still get quite a few stations clearly. The ability to plug it in via usb to the PC and be seen as a removalbe drive is really nice. Moving files with my old Ipod was much more of a hassle, and now I can also back up other types of files to my H140 to take with me to work, etc. Also, the voice recordings is handy to have at work for meetings. The only really bad part of owning it has been the lack of customer communication from iriver. They have basically given up on responding on their messageboard, and when I tried to send them an email via their web site, it came back as an invalid address. Its really a shame that such a nice piece of hardware has such poor support. Please check out their messageboard before commiting to buying anything from iriver. They make good products, but you should know what you are getting yourself into in regards to support. The address is http://www.iriver.com/community/
On: 2004-07-12
Ive never owned a HDD MP3 Player before. But I have played with clients and friends. So I know a little about the features and cool factors that each one has. Creative makes a really cool box - easy, feature rich, and not too pricy. But I didnt buy the Zen because it seems to me that theyre always changing. iPod - awesome product but cost too much for so little. Dont get me wrong - apple offers a lot but not enough to justify the bejamins you have to fork over for it. After much research I stumbled on the iHP! WOW! I purchased it and I love it! The inline remote, case (a little cumbersome - but came w/ cant complain), 40 GBs, flashware upgradeable, long batt life, slick exterior, multi-equalizer settings, and multi-codec! I would recomend this little bugger to anyone and everyone who has more than 3000 mp3s. For those with less, go with the 20 GB model. Either way the $$$ is worth it! Shop around though - dont buy direct - find someone thats reliable and priced well. YOU CANT GO WRONG!!! Oh, and for those who said that it has a learning curve, learn how to use a computer because this thing was cake to learn.
On: 2004-07-02
I like the ihp-140. It is practical, sleek and filled with features. Heres something you should look out for: 1)there are lots of problems with the firmware. Iriver has promised a firmware updates for the last four months, but it hasnt come through. I suspect that the firmware will come eventually, but it might be worthwhile to wait until the firmware update has been released and that people on the user forums can confirm that it is relatively bug free. 2)I found the GUI next to impossible to navigate through. Partially for usability reasons, but partially because latency causes you to end up pushing a button more than once. I expect this to be alleviated with the new firmware update. 3)I was disappointed with the record function. Latency problems, plus limitations on record time and difficult interface. Usability is somewhat easier when you use the included LED accessory. 4)if possible, you should try to examine the machine first before buying. It is NOT as user friendly as IPOD, although it is more powerful. 5)when recording from internal mike, you will definitely hear intermittent whirring sounds on all recording. Fortunately, there is an easy solution: use the miniature external mike included with the ihp-140. That solves the problem. In summary: This is a very powerful and useful machine, but I would wait until the firmware has been updated. (That might give time for the price to go down as well).
by: Anonymous On: 2004-06-29
I got my hp-140 about a week ago, and Im 90% satisfied. The player certainly has its pros and cons, and there are some catches that you have to figure out for yourself, and it can be very frustrated until you do. All the pros have certainly been mentioned, so Im just going to list the problems I had that prompted me to give 4 stars instead of 5.Even though the player does support OGG files, it does not read the tags. So if you want to use the Search by Artist mode, OGG files are useless. On MP3 tags, there is a 52-character limit. If a title is longer, the player wont read the tag, and it will not be included in the database (though the song will still be on the player.) This can be frustrating if you have a lot of classical music, and the manual doesnt tell you this; I had to find out in a user forum. Manual good for learning basic functions, but doesnt offer much beyond. Luckily, theres a great user forum at iriver.com. Within albums and artists, tracks are listed in a seemingly arbitrary order; neither alphabetically nor by track number. This can definitely get frustrating. Navigation takes some (frustrating) time to learn; the manual isnt always clear. (Bad translation) Overall, I am satisfied with my purchase. The sound quality is great, and navigation makes sense once you get used to it. The presense of a stop button is a great plus; I always got extremely frustrated by that when using friends i-pods. I would certainly recommend this to anyone considering buying one, but be aware that, as with all products, there are imperfections and flaws.
On: 2004-06-26
Not much to add to what other people have said. Except... The Brown Sandal case has changed (is now black), IMO the case could use some tweaks, but that is petty. Operation is pretty smooth. For the price, capacity, and overall merit this is the best thing around. You may not score cool points for not having an ipod, but the extra $100 in your pocket is cool enough for me. I actually prefer it being slightly bigger (case wise) and think it looks pretty snazzy.
On: 2004-06-21
I recently acquired the iRiver IHP 140 MP3 player, and wanted to share my thoughts on the product to any who may be considering an MP3 player of this capacity. I also have an iPod, though it now only plays out of the right channel, and does not hold a charge for more than 4 hours. This was to be the successor to the iPod, and I am very pleased so far with the choice to go with the iRiver.Whats good about it?
First, at just under $400, you are getting double the capacity of the iPod. Second, I have to say that after several days listening to it and trying out the many EQ options, that the sound quality BLOWS AWAY the iPod. I was very pleasantly surprised at how much more detail I was able to hear on the same set of earbuds with the iRiver vs. the iPod. This thing is fantastic.
Second, it has a built-in FM tuner. The sound quality and reception was surprisingly good. Third, no driver software is needed. The iRiver is recognized as a USB mass storage device when it is plugged in. Just drag and drop files onto the IRiver using a browser. There is database software included, which greatly assists in navigating through your collection. The database software will categorize and allow you to navigate your tunes collection by artist, title, or music genre, among other options. You can also create customized playlists through Winamp. Whats wrong with it? Nothing major, in short. The user interface is not as slick as the one-handed operation provided by the Ipod, but its not bad.
It will take some getting used to if youre coming from an iPod.
The depth of options to plumb through, and the range of customization possible make the unit somewhat more complex to navigate through. Bottom line, if youre in the market for a player with this much capacity, the iRiver is definitely worth your time and attention.
You wont be sorry.
On: 2004-06-19
The Good is well documented in other reviews : great battery life,
seems sturdy, plays multiple formats, remote has a decent LCD so it can
spend more time deep in your pocket/bag. FM Radio, sound recording,
digital and analog line in and out, no PC software required. But it seems Im harder to please than most, and there are a number
of disappointments meaning I doubt Ill ever love this machine. Firstly, I dont have access to an iPod to compare sound quality - my
only reference is the Mark I of HD jukeboxes, the venerable PJB-100,
which definitely beats the iRiver on sound quality, though quality was
always one of its strengths. The iRiver sounds muffled in comparison,
though with a very strong bass. The interface is quirky to say the least. Im a gadget geek and so
Im finding my way around, but its awkward and Im anticipating trouble with the WAF
(Wife Acceptance Factor), having chosen one over an iPod. Its basic mode browses the files by directory, and while it will read
file tags, allowing you to browse by album/artist etc. (once you install
the software to generate the DB when you upload tracks), it displays the
tracks within an album in a seemingly random order (not even alphabetical)!
This means that the only way to get it to play by tracknumber is to
browse by directory and filename, making sure you have the track number
at the start of the filename! Track display is fixed at folder name, artist tag and track tag. If
you havent named it all to suit you may get redundant information in
your display, and/or miss out on the album name. Since its reading the
tags it should be able to extract Artist/album/track and/or other tags.
It also sometimes gets confused, showing the album name as the artist.
I havent quite worked out what causes this yet, as the tags show up
correctly on my PC software... The firmware and documentation are written by people with a very weak
grasp of English. Surely they could have hired a native English speaker
to proofread the manual and GUI? Even the closing splash screen says
"iRiver iHP100 series, Thank you for using". It has numerous small
oddities of GUI design - it just hasnt been thought through. The display is quite high resolution, but browsing files gives just
14 characters across for the filenames due to pointless graphics on the
left and the large font used. It really needs selectable font sizes. Its bigger than advertised - width/height is the same as an iPod,
but while it claims 22mm thickness (vs iPod 19mm), 22mm is at its
thinnest point, and its mostly about 25mm not including the nipple
control in the middle (which takes it to about 28mm). Oddly, the built-in microphone is very sensitive, but picks up lots
of noise from the hard drive. The supplied external mic is not
sensitive and only really useful clipped to a lapel. Plays compressed WMA, but not lossless WMA. In summary, I still like it better than an iPod for the battery life
and no requirement for special software on the PC. If the reviews tell
the truth the sound quality is better too, which doesnt say good things
about the iPod. The iRiver does the job, but the quality of the
firmware and interface is shameful compared to the hardware
capabilities. It feels like an amateur project - albeit a very
impressive one. If possible iRiver should build this sort of thing on Linux and open
source their firmware. Since theyre apparently not willing or able to
put in the investment of proper firmware design themselves, the open
source community would do it for them (a la Linksys WRT54G router) and
theyd shift many, many, more units.
On: 2004-06-18
Edit 2008: Note that almost every complaint below and more is addressed by installing the open source "Rockbox" firmware, which is superb. Im still using this thing (2008) and its great. If it broke, Id hunt down another one.
The Good is well documented in other reviews : great battery life,
seems sturdy, plays multiple formats, remote has a decent LCD so it can
spend more time deep in your pocket/bag. FM Radio, sound recording,
digital and analog line in and out, no PC software required.
But it seems Im harder to please than most, and there are a number
of disappointments meaning I doubt Ill ever love this machine.
Firstly, I dont have access to an iPod to compare sound quality - my
only reference is the Mark I of HD jukeboxes, the venerable PJB-100,
which definitely beats the iRiver on sound quality, though quality was
always one of its strengths. The iRiver sounds muffled in comparison,
though with a very strong bass.
The interface is quirky to say the least. Im a gadget geek and so
Im finding my way around, but its awkward and Im anticipating trouble with the WAF
(Wife Acceptance Factor), having chosen one over an iPod.
Its basic mode browses the files by directory, and while it will read
file tags, allowing you to browse by album/artist etc. (once you install
the software to generate the DB when you upload tracks), it displays the
tracks within an album in a seemingly random order (not even alphabetical)!
This means that the only way to get it to play by tracknumber is to
browse by directory and filename, making sure you have the track number
at the start of the filename!
Track display is fixed at folder name, artist tag and track tag. If
you havent named it all to suit you may get redundant information in
your display, and/or miss out on the album name. Since its reading the
tags it should be able to extract Artist/album/track and/or other tags.
It also sometimes gets confused, showing the album name as the artist.
I havent quite worked out what causes this yet, as the tags show up
correctly on my PC software...
The firmware and documentation are written by people with a very weak
grasp of English. Surely they could have hired a native English speaker
to proofread the manual and GUI? Even the closing splash screen says
"iRiver iHP100 series, Thank you for using". It has numerous small
oddities of GUI design - it just hasnt been thought through.
The display is quite high resolution, but browsing files gives just
14 characters across for the filenames due to pointless graphics on the
left and the large font used. It really needs selectable font sizes.
Its bigger than advertised - width/height is the same as an iPod,
but while it claims 22mm thickness (vs iPod 19mm), 22mm is at its
thinnest point, and its mostly about 25mm not including the nipple
control in the middle (which takes it to about 28mm).
Oddly, the built-in microphone is very sensitive, but picks up lots
of noise from the hard drive. The supplied external mic is not
sensitive and only really useful clipped to a lapel.
Plays compressed WMA, but not lossless WMA.
In summary, I still like it better than an iPod for the battery life
and no requirement for special software on the PC. If the reviews tell
the truth the sound quality is better too, which doesnt say good things
about the iPod. The iRiver does the job, but the quality of the
firmware and interface is shameful compared to the hardware
capabilities. It feels like an amateur project - albeit a very
impressive one.
If possible iRiver should build this sort of thing on Linux and open
source their firmware. Since theyre apparently not willing or able to
put in the investment of proper firmware design themselves, the open
source community would do it for them (a la Linksys WRT54G router) and
theyd shift many, many, more units.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-06-18
This electronic device could practically revolutionize the way you listen to music. Im serious. I have never owned an mp3 player before now, and I hope Ill never own another. This thing is incredible. It boasts every imaginable feature and packs it into a very tight little iPOD-sized space with no extra weight. There is no need to ever beg for more features. Its got almost too many. The interface is beautiful (its got a very high-res display), and the controls are very cool, although a bit confusing for the first hour. Dont worry, though, anyone can be a master at it in no time. I have used many iPODs, and I will always admit that their interface is extremely well thought out and very easy to fly through menus. That is my only gripe if any about the iHP-140: the interface. Just survive the learning curve, though and youll be right on track. (The remote is very good for perusing through the player too.) The large HDD is definitely worth the extra $$; I found myself filling the first 20 GB within a day of loading my music (It downloads inredibly fast (with USB 2.0) by the way.). Plus, the batteries go and go for hours. I get about 14-15 hours per charge. Thats much better than the iPODs mere 8. Sound quality? Superb! I have never been able to get such amped-up bass response from a portable player before. Headphones (without a subwoofer) cannot create heart-thumping bass very well, but they can get pretty stinkin close when you punch it up with the built in custom equalizer(s). If sound fidelity worries you, never fear. It will blow you away. No iPOD Ive ever listened to can compare. I was also thrilled with all the extra hardware, cables, and accessories it came with. Theres enough stuff to hook it up to anything. I would recommend purchasing a Belkin TuneCast II if you plan to use it in a car. It works extremely well. Integration with Windows is superb. It shows up as a HDD (hard disk drive), and you just have to drag and drop files onto it. Not a problem. I also use Irivium from Red Chair Software, which gives it tons more features. Lastly - the price. Yes, it is a bit pricey compared to similar Creative players and the like, but believe me, it is far worth it. It is way too well engineered to be worth any less. Plus, as said before: the 40 GB is a better deal since it can be purchased for only an extra $100, and you get twice the drive space. Just remember - iPODs are much more expensive. ANY mp3 player you buy will be cheaper than an iPOD. This one just happens to beat it out in almost every category too. You cant go wrong. iRiver is simply the best to date. A+
On: 2004-06-17
I did a lot of research before buying the h140. Originally longing for an ipod, i made my mind for this beauty and now Im every bit satisfied. Just one complaint: the firmware has many bugs, and it seems that iriver has no time to fix them. *they announce the product as firmware upgradeable but they are too slow to release FW, even missing their own proposed schedule.
On: 2004-06-17
I just purchased the iRiver iHP140 on 6/11/04 and I love it! The sound is the best Ive heard with a MP3 player! The transfer of music and data files was super fast! However the naviagator
button takes getting use to still trying to figure it out I guess in time I will? The more I use it the better I like It!!
I dont like the ear-buds it comes with but it least it comes
with them get your own headphones!
On: 2004-06-16
I will caveat that I bought my wife an i-Pod last year and she loves it. This was the one rare time that electonics worked as a gift for the wife. Luckily, I was able to use it quite a bit and got a good feel for how it and HD players operate. Anyway, Im not an apple hater or anything, but a few things bothered me about the i-Pod, so when I went in the market for a HD player, I wanted to see what else was out there. Ive owned the iRiver H140 for over three months. Although I wouldnt exactly give it 5 stars, it definitely deserves more than four. Ive outlined pros/cons, with some inevitable comparisons to i-Pod.PROS:
- Long battery life... They claim 16 hours and Ive gotten pretty close to that. I-Pod gets about six.
- Plug and play... If you have Windows Explorer (or whatever OS equivalent), you can literally plug in the H140, copy in the tunes, and youre ready to go. I-Pod requires the use of iTunes software.
- Fast transfer... It takes me about 4 minutes per GB.
- Organization... You can organize your music however you want, since it uses a folder file system (like Windows Explorer).
- OGG support... Ogg is way better than mp3, especially for listening to live recordings (make up about 1/3 of my collection). Its similar to VBR mp3, but takes up less space. Also supports WMA, WAV, and ASF.
- Features... Theres some good stuff here: built-in voice recorder, line in/out, optical in/out, .txt file reader, FM tuner, and more.
- Firmware upgradeable... They listen to customer feedback and apply some changes in the upgrades. Although it tends to take a while for the releases, at least its upgradeable. There are two releases due out in the next couple months.
- Fully functional backlit remote... You can see this in the picture and really takes this product to the next level.
- Easy to use... Although people have mentioned "learning curves" and "difficult to navigate" on these reviews, it actually is extremely easy to copy files from your PC, turn it on, and play the music. Yes its true that you will have to learn how to use the multitude of features, but I was able to read the entire manual online before I even got the player, so I already knew how to use most of it. If you know the difference between pressing a button and holding down a button, you will do fine.
- Big display... Nice 8-line display. The remote has a 4-line display.
- Value... at $379 for 40 GB, you cant go wrong. Its well built and sturdy (no plastic). You can find cheaper players out there, but thats what you will get. I-Pods (all Apple products) are expensive in general.
- Stable... So far I have had zero issues. The i-Pod has frozen up on us quite a few times.
- Stop button... Had to throw this in here because the i-Pod has no stop button and it p*sses me off. CONS:
- Slower navigation... Its actually not that slow, but when compared to the i-Pod wheel it lags a little. If you can get used to scrolling up to find something near the end of the alphabet (i.e. Rolling Stones) you will be fine.
- Questionable case... it comes with a brown leather case thats kind of ugly and adds to its size, but at least it comes with it.
- Lack of accessories... there are not too many accessories made specifically for the H series. I did find a universal RCA car adapter (couldnt find the same one on amazon though) that works with 5V.
- No clock... this sucks mainly because you cant date your recordings.
- Cant record from FM radio... in case you do this.
- Slower startup time... Here is a big trade-off because the i-Pod starts right up (takes about 2 seconds) because its always in "standby" mode, which is why the battery drains so fast. The iRiver shuts down to conserve battery power, but still only takes about 8 seconds to start up. There is an optional DB functionality that helps organize your songs by genre, etc., which makes for slower startup time (Ive heard), but I dont use this.
- Tiny 1/2 second gap between songs... this sucks but they fixed it and will be released in one of the next two firmware upgrades. So really what it came down to for me was the pros were big advantages and the cons were minor. Im not saying this is the best player for everyone (again, my wife loves the i-Pod and Im not sure how she would do with the H140). It defintely has more power functions than most, if not all, HD players. I would greatly recommend this product to anyone looking for a HD player, *especially* if you are looking to buy an i-Pod.
On: 2004-06-14
The iHP-140 works perfectly with Linux. I just plugged it in to the USB port and SuSE Linux 9.0 Pro automatically recognized it as a USB storage device and mounted it. I used Konquerer to drag several gigabytes of OGG files over to the player and the file transfer worked without issue. So far the iHP-140 has played every file just fine.I use it in the car driving to and from work and intermittently in the office when I can. (In the car I have accessories that play the audio on the car stereo.) A single charge usually lasts Monday to Friday, so I estimate Im getting over 14 hours of play time out of the battery. Why would anyone want to use an iPod?
by: Anonymous On: 2004-06-14
To begin with Im not a techie and I dont know a tweeter from a woofer. I just wanted to copy my CD collection (and possibly my cassettes) so I could listen to them anytime, anywhere. I researched all the choices and read everyones reviews and decided on the iRiver IHP-40 primarily because of its memory size and comments made by manufacturers that they dont think people are interested in large memory capacity (worried theyd stop making this size).The first thing to do when your iRiver arrives is to find the hold button on both devices and change its position. It is shipped with the hold "on" which may explain why some people couldnt get it to work from the get go. You should also go to the main menu and under display change backlighting battery and adapter. Theyre set for 3 seconds and you cant navigate fast enough before it turns off. The data management system shipped on the disc only works if youre going to use MP3 files. Its useless if youre going to copy WMA files. But thats OK, Im using a computer with Windows XP and you dont need the disc at all and the data management system already on the IHP-40 works just great. But if you are going to use MP3s and installed the disc you have to go into the main menu and under general turn on the DB scan in order to use it. Another thing to know is that a friend tried reformatting per page 3 and the IHP-40 is too large to format using FAT32 (at least with Windows 2000 and Windows XP) so dont go down that road. You can get help online. You may have to wait, but they will answer your question. The phone number they give connects to a machine that takes your name and number and someone will call you in two days. It isnt THAT difficult to navigate, after a few minutes you start getting used to it. The case is brown and ugly. I use a generic CD waist belt holder when Im listening. That way its secure and doesnt advertise the fact that I have something expensive to steal. I really wish it could record from the radio, but thats my only complaint. Ive copied 172 CDs so far (classical and jazz) and havent had any problems downloading additions everyday. Have more CDs to copy. Ive also copied a radio program recorded by my Crane recorder (its like a radio VCR) directly from the Crane to the IHP-40. Only complaint is you can only record in MP3 or WAV format and Im trying to conserve space and use WMA files as much as possible. Had concerns about the life of the battery (a lot of money if it isnt going to last forever), but there are places online that sell replacement batteries and instructions for most all of the hard drive jukeboxes. I wouldnt have purchased any of them if I couldnt replace the battery, just too much money for throw away technology. So far Im very pleased with the iRiver-IHP0-40. No more messing with CD cases, CDs in a different location from where I am when I want to listen, changing CDs or being connected to a large disc changer (listen with earphones) when I have to move around. I would recommend buying this if a friend asked me. Id suggest reading all the reviews, because you learn alot about how to work the machine before it arrives. Would give it 5 stars, but thats perfection. Think it should be rated 4 1/2 stars (because of not being able to record from the radio).
On: 2004-06-13
Ian McDonald obviously has a connection with iRiver and wants it to succeed at the expense of iPod. Do you work for iRiver, Ian?
by: Anonymous On: 2004-06-12
This thing rocks! The 3D sound user settings sound as good as my BOSE surround sound home speakers. The iPod can come even close to it.
Remote control has all the features and its very easy to use.
Yes its a hair bigger than iPod but the sound, full remote controll, FM radio and price difference worth it.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-06-12
This thing rocks! The 3D sound user settings sound as good as my BOSE surround sound home speakers. The iPod can come even close to it.
Remote control has all the features and its very easy to use.
Yes its a hair bigger than iPod but the sound, full remote controll, FM radio and price difference worth it.
On: 2004-06-12
Two things set the iHP-140 ahead of its competitors.First, the fact that it acts as a USB hard drive means managing your MP3s suddenly got an order of magnitude easier. Just move your music collection permanently onto the iHP; all the powerful software you already use on your PC can already work with it, to manage, rip, burn, sort, edit, even back up your music collection in place. No need to keep two things in sync, and think of all the disk space youll free up. No matter where youre accessing your music, from your PC, your TiVo, your car stereo, or on a walk, you have the same tracks, the same playlists, the same library, the same organization. Second, the attention to detail on implementing the features on the iHP-140 stands head and shoulders above anything else. This was clearly designed by someone who uses it, and who would rather do it right than fast or cheap. Its in the big things -- like support for Ogg Vorbis, WMA, ASF, etc. -- and the little things -- like how the included remote control can do everything the main controls can (so every single screen has been developed twice). There are a few things that arent perfect. The FM tuner gets moderate reception -- in an urban area itll be fine, in my rural area it doesnt pick much up. You cant record from the FM. You can queue up the next track, but no more than that -- though on-the-fly playlist editing is promised in a coming firmware update. Theres a bit of a learning curve, since a few controls are used to do many things. But by and large the quibbliness of the misfeatures points out how well the features are done. It looks good, it works well, and neither one is compromised by the other. If youve ever looked at another player, been irked by some arbitrary limitation in how it worked (for the sake of simplicity, probably) and thought, "if I were designing one, itd do this instead", the iHP-140 is probably the player you were designing in your head.
On: 2004-06-07
Ive had mine for a few weeks and am a bit annoyed the price has dropped so considerably in that time! but what are you waiting for, this is a bargain.In the last 4 days Ive ripped 3,400 songs and I havent even filled the IRIVER halfway yet. The sound quality is pretty good - Im using the OGG encoded music, but the machine can also handle MP3, WAV etc etc etc. It also has the added bonus of a Radio and a very easy drag and drop music system. Its so easy my Mom was doing it yesterday!! Well - dont wait! come on! Cheap as Chips as they say in Blighty
On: 2004-06-06
Last month I had the toughest time deciding if I should save $ to buy a new Archos MP3 Jukebox Recorder or bite the bullet and get the iRiver iHP140. I decided on the iRiver iHP140 and Im glad I did. Im not knocking Archos. Ive owned an Archos MP3 Jukebox Recorder for almost three years and for the most part its been very dependable. I hardly ever encountered playback problems. It was usually very reliable for downloading music from the internet. The biggest issue I had with the Archos MP3 Jukebox Recorder was the display. If I recorded music using the Line Input, eventually the display would wig out. It wasnt that big of a deal. If I restarted the unit, the display would return back to normal. All the minor problems I had with the Archos MP3 Jukebox Recorder have yet to happen with the iHP140. The iHP140 performance has been flawless. I was completely blown away yesterday when I transferred a 1.1GB wave file that contained almost two hours of mixed music on a single track. Not only did the iHP140 play back the entire wave mix nonstop, the battery indicator still showed that the battery was fully charged afterwards!! The sound quality is excellent. When I feel like cranking up the volume I set it at 30 (75% of maximum). Thats more than enough volume for me. The preset EQs sound descent. I only wished that the iHP140 had AGC or normalization for playback in noisy environments. Thats a big issue for me, especially when listening to music in the car. Thats why I rated the iHP140 four stars instead of five. The reception on the FM radio works better than I thought it would. I wasnt expecting much. Ive listened to all the file formats the iHP140 supports. I have to say ogg files sound the best compared to mp3 and wma files. I hope this review has been helpful.
On: 2004-06-05
Use mp3 id retagging s/w like Tag&Rename which renames your entire collection in bulk. Rename the files using [Track#-Name] and you will be set.This is very useful to play albums like Pink Floyd DSM/Wall.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-06-04
If youre using Napster 2.0 (the legal one) dont bother buying this product. Youd think from the description (supports wma files) that it would be easy to do but they dont support drm wma. DRM is Microsofts way to control the industry and moving a drm wma file to iRiver entails first burning it to a CD, then copying it over to the iRiver device. What a total pain-in-the-$#%.Good luck figuring out iRiver. You have to download firmware and driver updates with instructions written by somebody with a clear lack of understanding of the english language. Ive spent 20 years in the computer industry and am a PC expert - but the iRiver support staff was nasty, implying that it was MY FAULT that their system didnt work! Unbelievable.
On: 2004-06-03
I have no experience with the iPod, but I cant see it being much better than my iHP 140. Ive had it for only a day, but Im in love already. Pros
-Easy to navigate (dont believe the hype!) After a quick thumb through the book ive already learned all the crucial functions.
-FM Tuner (I dont really use it, but its a plus)
-Ability to use winamp playlists.
-100$ cheaper than 40gb iPod.
-Great sound, even with the stock earbuds.. Cant wait for my Sonys!
-The A-B repeat is cool for a sound editor like myself.
-A buncha other things I havent even discovered yet! Cons
-Nasty brown carrying case (it does look like an old sandal)
-It would be nice if songs cross-faded into each other. Buy this thing. You wont be sorry.
On: 2004-06-02
Having owned 3 other jukeboxes including the 2003 iPod 40GB, I can highly recommend the iRiver. I dont think there is a better hard disk player on the market at the moment.PROs:
1. - Sound Quality. This is the reason why I immediately sold my brand new iPod to a friend, it sounds terrible! Although the iRiver doesnt match true CD quality, it really comes close and definitely beats the iPod. MP3s will probably never sound exactly like the original CD, although I encode them in VBR at best quality level allowing for 50% larger file size.
2.- Features and user friendliness. Having an FM radio built-in is a definite advantage, I dont use the recording possibility, but you never know. You need to take the time to read the manual, but once you figured it out it is really easy to use.
3.- Connection to a PC. The easy and speed at which you transfer song is amazing! Less than a second per song! You dont even need to install software, the device is immediately recognized by Windows XP and you just drag and drop files. Beautiful! Dont forget that you need firewire for the iPod (I have it on my Dell desktop PC but not on my HP laptop) let alone the iTunes software (I always use Music Match) CONs:
1. - The sound is not loud enough especially on the line-out jack. This is a problem with a lot of players at the moment and the only reason why I did not give this product 5 stars. I have an auxiliary input built into my car stereo system; I turn both volumes at the maximum (car stereo and iRiver) and the sound remains very low. I currently compensate this with a cheap Radio Shack headphones amplifier which works surprisingly well without distorting sound quality.
2. - "Only" 40 GB. I would have preferred 60GB or 80GB as I calculated I need 60 GB to convert all my CDs, but then again you need time for that. I only have 9 GB of mp3 music for the moment, until I rip the other 50, the new iRiver will be out there. I will just need another friend to sell this one to.
3. - All the other mentioned cons are not an issue for me. Yes the iPod is very pleasant to touch, so what? Yes the iPod is in, but sound quality comes before fashion for me. Yes the case is brown, but it is good qua?ity and thick enough to last and protect the player. Yes the earphone are probably crap, I didnt even try them out, I use Koss portapro for outdoors and BOSE headphones with noise reduction for plane flights. I hesitated between the iRiver and the Archos AV 380 with 80GB, but the iRiver is half the size and the cost. However, I am very tempted by a combined audio/video player in order to carry all my digital pics with me as well.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-28
Does anyone know how to play albums by track order? So far, it just does them alphabetically, which I dont want.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-21
I got mine a few weeks ago, and when i took it out the box i was intially dissapointed - its just not as sexy as the ipod (though it does fell more robust) and the case it comes in, i nearlly cried. its horrible - it looks like a brown leather sandal. and i think that maters when youve spent that kind of money on the latest piece of kit.
it takes a little longer to master the controls than the ipod but im not very technical (i cant even program the video for heavens sakes) but ive got the hang of it now (it helps if read the instructions rather than just randomly pressing buttons). Im really impressed with the ease and speed of putting files onto it and was delighted to find i can easily put all my favorite records and tapes on as well.
The radio is great, the battery life is good, ive accidentally left it playing on shuffle all night and still had power in the morning and it charges dead quick too.
im really happy with this player and would definately recomend it, though the case is vile. maybe ill knit myself another one - it cant be any worse than this one. id give it 5 stars but for the case
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-14
Well Ive had this player for about 1 week now and the performance has been even better than I expected. I decided to buy this after nearly 6 months of researching different products, talking to electronic stores, and trying my friends players (all Ipod). I choose the Iriver over the highly publicized Ipod after considering some important factors:1. User Interface...... Advantage Ipod
I have to admit that one of the resons I initially leaned towards Ipod was the incredible user interface. The second I picked up my friends I had it figured out almost instantly. this could be atributed to lack of features but it is still impressive. The Iriver is a very nice interface as well, but if you arent willing to read over the manual you may have trouble.
2.Sound quality..... Advantage Iriver
After hearing both I was equally impressed although I listened with different earphones. There are two reasons Iriver is better in this department: 1.higher volume ability 2.Many equalizer settings which are all very customizable and provide for excellent sound.
3.Battery Life......Advantage Iriver
The numbers dont lie as Iriver gets 16 hours(mine lasted for 19 on a test) compared to Ipods 8 (often 6). Also there are frequent complaints about paying $100 to replace the already disabled Ipod battery in a year and a half.
4.Design........Advantage Ipod
Its easily Ipod as most would agree;however, the Iriver is only slightly larger, and its durability is exceptional. 5.Features......Advantage Iriver
This is basically useful features versus novelty items. While the Ipod offers games, a calender, and a notebook. The Iriver boasts a FM radio, internal microphone, real-time mp3 encoding, optical line in and out, and the list goes on.
6.Accesseries.....Advantage Iriver
Both have- usb 2.0/1.1 cable(or firewire),earbuds, power cable, case,
Ipod alone-none???? although the earbuds are better, remote(not very functional and only with 20 gig +) Iriver-fully functional reomte w/ lcd, external mic,
7.Music formats/transfers.......Iriver
each has drawbacks-ipod no wma or ogg, iriver not bought music (can get around that) or acc
The winner here is that iriver has easy drag and drop features as well as the database function supported with itunes. You can plug in the iriver to any computer and just drag or drop files without the difficulty of an ipod.
8. Price............Iriver
Not only can you get a 40 gig for the price of a 20 gig ipod, but the value is much greater. Overall... The Iriver is the clear winner here, which is why I choose this. The Ipod is a respectable player but for the price your basically paying for a design and a brand name when you could get a better (slightly less atractive) player in the Iriver. If you want a functional player, but mostly want to make a fashion statement get an Ipod.Bottomline if you really care about music and want the best technology get an Iriver and you will not be disapointed.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-13
i love this player. im going to return it. i bought it for road trips but playing it through an fm modulator is unbearable because of all the noise. went to a car stereo retailer and they hard-wired the fm modulator (couldnt put in a line-in on the factory stereo)... still tons of noise. went to a friends, tried the ipod with the fm modulator. quiet as a mouse. im trading up.
On: 2004-05-11
Great Product ! Great sound, though the output amplifier is too weak to drive larger headphones with low impedance - however most portable headphones work well. IRiver seems to have recognized this - newer products have more milliwatts output !
Digital recording via optical input might cause problems when recording from older PCM machines (like Sony PCM 501/601) or DAT when dropouts occur - recording pauses and does not restart.
Not being able to record from the FM tuner really is a pity !!!
The navigation button on the front is terrible. I nearly never use remote control because I hate cables...
Should I have waited for the newer IRiver devices with USB-on- the-go (OTG) function ?
On: 2004-05-06
I have an iRiver flash player that I absolutely love, but I also wanted a player that could hold all of my music. I seriously compared the iRiver and iPods and decided to go with iRiver based on the slightly better price and FM tuner (come on iPod, whats the problem?). I am very happy and impressed. The controls can take some getting used to, but they are virtually identical to the flash players, so I had no trouble with them. Set-up was fast and easy. Note: Even though Windows XP recognizes the player automatically, you do need to go and update the driver with the ones from the disk to get the full database features. Also, download Winamp to create custom playlists for the player.
On: 2004-04-29
Just purchased the iHP-140 from Amazon.com recently, after 2+ months of researching for the BEST mp3 player out there for the money.I wont go into very technical details with this review. POSITIVE ASPECTS.. FIRST..It has the LONGEST BATTERY LIFE out there. 16 hours based on "normal" playback. Takes 3 hours to charge from a COMPLETELY discharged state. (Much less time if battery still partially charged.) After I researched iPod and ALL others, this was the longest battery life you could get. Has an internal rechargable battery with no memory effect. SECOND...Some people say that there is a long "learning curve" to this player. Actually, if you can move files in Windows Explorer, you can drag and drop files directly. AND with the USB 2.0, its a flash to drop files... virtually NO waiting. Ive become the queen of copy and paste my files to this player. THIRD...You can use it as an extra, external Hard Drive for storing or exchanging files. (a big plus if you need extra HD space) FOURTH...Has a GREAT FM Radio! No, you cant record directly from the FM Radio to the player, but...I havent done that in years, so this is an UNimportant aspect.
FIFTH....Recording operations are numerous..YOU CAN RECORD FROM OTHER EXTERNAL AUDIO SOURCES. Just plug in something (like someones CD player) into the optical jack. OR.. I can use the EXTERNAL MICROPHONE to the LINE IN jack. It can be a DIGITAL VOICE recorder (just talk into the thing while recording voice, just like a separate DVR unit).
OH... it comes with all the stuff to record from these devices. SIXTH...Compare the price to the 40GB iPOD???? OUCH!! iHP-140 sure does win over that one! SEVENTH...Media player compatability is the BEST. It is not just pigeon-held to only MP3 types of media. It is compatable with SEVERAL file types (see product specs). AND the firmware is upgradeable! So future upgrades are a big plus. This unit will still be great in the future too. EIGHTH...you can plug this puppy into a car radio, via a "purchased separately" cassette thing. AND there are many more positive aspects to this unit if you like to customize your music, playback options, equalizer, sound, etc. NEGATIVES........ *Cost can be an issue for some people. I paid a grand total of $400.00 even. CHEAPEST anywhere! All on Amazon.com!!! Trust me, Ive looked EVERYWHERE, (ebay, used, new, retail, wholesale etc.) Amazon had it on sale, with FREE shipping, and $30.00 off for opening up a credit line with them. So, got a great deal. *The earbud earphones are uncomfortable for me. So they supply a special adapter jack for other types of earphones if the ones you like dont fit the units earphone jack. *The unit is slightly heavy, I just weighed it on a postage scale, with the case its about 8 - 10 ounces. Not for joggers, but bikers and for regular people, its great. FINALLY..I just wanted a digital player because my cds were constantly getting lost, scratched or "borrowed" from my teenager. I just wanted to listen to music without the hassels of changing a cd, or carrying around a cd player. With the 1200 hours of music I can store on this, Ill never have to search for a cd again! AND ... it wont be outdated in 6 months! I wanted to have this be the first, and possibly last digital music player I would ever need. WELL WORTH THE INVESTMENT. :-)
by: Anonymous On: 2004-04-26
I just bought this thing from Amazon and all I can say is WOW!!!!This is probably the best purchase I have ever made. This thing is everything I ever expected and more!! Its easy to use as well - even my wife can operate it! I have to say, everyone out there who is thinking of buying this, stop thinking. I bought it and I am extremely happy with it the moment I powered this thing on. YOU ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY CANNOT GO WRONG WITH THIS PURCHASE! I GUARANTEE IT!!!
On: 2004-04-24
i bought this Iriver tyring to prove the Ipod was NOT the best. I WAS RIGHT. My friend Joes Ipod may be a lil thinner BUT doesnt have a radio, a remote, or a voice recorder. The sound quality also isnt as good. Iriver has an SRS sound driver w bass boost (good if u like a ton of bass like me) and trebble boost and a whole bunch of stuff. The navigation is extremely ez and fits in ur pocket like a charm. It also has 16 hr battery life unlike Ipods 8 hrs. its lighter and is alot easier to put songs on. Radio comes in real cris but in ipod u have to buy a big attachment for radio. DONT LISTEN TO THE POSTS AT THE BOTTOM. THERE ALL FROM MAC USERS! THEY DONT WANT IRIVER TO SELL CAUSE THEY WANT TO BE BEST! DONT LET THEM GET TO U! IRIVER IS BEST! if u dont believe me im me at Dark9911@aol.com and ill prove its better than the ipod.
On: 2004-04-12
This is a superb unit. Read the manual, play with it a little, and you will find that it is really simple to use, very user friendly, and will give you an excellent musical listening experience. I have now used it for a month and cant imagine buying a different unit. Below are a few specific comments.
There are only three functions to master on the control button: a short click, a long click, and pushing it back and forth or up and down. Thats it. Practice and you will find that it is easy to operate. The remote is even easier to use.The sound is excellent! While the included headphones do not compare to my Bose or Grado headphones, they are convenient to use and more than adequate for listening while in the gym or commuting. One of the main reasons that I purchased this unit was to record audio from my computer (I subscribe to Music Matchs platinum service). In addition, although you cannot record from the FM tuner on the unit, you can record FM from your stereo or computer. Keep in mind that the maximum size wav file you can record at one time is about one hour and fifteen minutes; after that the unit will stop recording and go into standby mode. Its not a big deal so long as you time your recording so it doesnt end in the middle of a song. Also, even with a 40 GB hard drive, you will fill it up if you dont convert your wav files to mp3 files. I use MusicMatch to convert them to mp3pro files with a variable bit rate to assure the best sound quality and at the same time minimize size. I have Windows XP Pro and sometimes when I want to disconnect the unit, I get a message that it cannot be safely removed. Tech support said to ignore that, and just remove the unit anyhow, which I have done without any problems. When you delete files from the unit, make sure to empty the units recycle bin or you will lose space. I use the cleaner on Norton Systemworks. If you purchase this unit and spend the time to learn how it works, and also educate yourself about recording and converting music files, you wont be disappointed!
On: 2004-04-10
Buyer beware, the only thing that seems to work well on this is the RADIO. Thats a nice add on but come on, is a radio worth $500?! And even that still suffers from muffled sound quality. Battery craps out after only 8-9 hours - I know that is not a bad life but it is only half what they advertize. Navigation is a pain and the hard drive and transfer is lots slower than even older ipods from 2002 . Maybe Im wrong but a lot of the five star reviews here sound like they have Iriver staff written all over them. I personally dont see why anybody would buy this junk, let alone rate it over 2 stars.
On: 2004-04-10
Brief review of the iRiver iHP 140 MP3 JukeboxIn late March, I researched portable recorders for voice, and decided upon the iRiver (1) because it has the capability of hundreds of hours of recording capacity, for recording candid conversations and daily journal entries; and (2) it can serve as a 40GB external hard drive via USB. I was disappointed to discover that, unlike my previous recorder (a Sony MD recorder), that it does NOT affix date and time info with the files (MP3s) recorded. This means that to keep track of the date of a recording, I have to speak that information at the beginning of each track, like the old days when I used cassette tape to make such recordings. iRiver touts "firmware" upgrades, so hopeful that this can be changed in the future, I wrote this email inquiry to iRiver Support:
"When I record using the mic, file date shows as 1/1/02. I need the date
of my recording to be associated with the file (MP3). How is this done?
(Files uploaded from my computer to my iHP-140 show their correct date and
time of origin when viewed from Windows 98se Explorer)" A week later, the reply was simply: "Since the player does not have a calendar or clock, you can not change the
date on the recorded files."
It seems clear to me that for a very small expense in battery life, a software clock could be programmed into the existing hardware. My digital cameras, computer, camcorder, cell phone, and MD recorder all have this fundamental capability. There is another problem with the iRiver: Upon receiving the unit, I did a recoding test at all available MP3 compressions (bitrates), and found that objectionable audio artifacts appear. I have worked with MP3 files using a computer and have never heard such annoying artifacts. Transition sounds (jingling keys, for example), have very audible sounds introduced which sound like the old delay-line flanger units produce (intentionally!) Voice sounds also have some of this "flanger noise". The artifacts become acceptable at or above bitrates of 128kbits/sec. I wrote to iRiver about this problem, but have not yet heard their answer. Again, I am hopeful that this can be changed in the future with firmware upgrades (program error fixes). However, considering the capacity of the hard drive in the iHP140, the unit is very satisfactory using this bitrate setting. Would it surprise you to learn that neither the hard drive nor the battery is replaceable in this recorders? Considering their projected life, this may not be much of a problem, as long as you keep original files backed up on your computer and plan to replace the unit with the latest technology in five years or so. On the supportive side, the USB port works great (at either the old or new standard).
There IS an external stereo microphone included in the package (altho it is not included in the contents listing) and it is very good. If you use the internal microphone, it picks up a small amount of hard drive noise.
Considering this recorder cost me $470, I expected a little more, but except for the first two items listed above, I am satisfied with my purchase.
If you are considering buying one on Ebay, it might be a waste of time (since this item is so new). The effort to save about $30 may not be worth the Ebay effort. I used Amazon Marketplace synbaxp@yahoo.com and received my order only two days after placing my purchase.
If any reader finds new information regarding the iHP140 problems, I would like to hear from you.
Chick Hebert
drchick@mindspring.com
On: 2004-04-07
OK, Ive read all the reviews regarding the iRiver iHP-140 and although most reviews are positive, there are still some "bad" reviews. Having used the iRiver for a month now, Im going to address all those "bad" reviews once and for all. Navigation - Ive noticed that people compare the iRiver to the iPod and say that the iPod is more user friendly. This is true but it is relative. The reason the iPod seems more user friendly is because it has a LOT LESS features compared to the iRiver. Since the iRiver has many more features and settings than the iPod, the navigation is a little more complex. But if you take the 15 minutes to read the manual and then test out the unit, the navigation on the iRiver becomes user friendly. I am not going to list all the features of the iRiver, that you can read for yourself. Sound - Some bad reviews complained of average to terrible sound on the iRiver. This is simply NOT true. In fact, the iRiver has excellent sound. Do yourself a favor and purchase a good pair of earphones/headphones. If you are still not getting enough bass with the good earphones, then make sure you check the equilizer settings. If after all that and the sound is still terrible, then maybe its your MP3/WMA/OGG file that is the source of the problem. Battery Life - The iRiver has awesome battery life. Sure it doesnt get the advertised 16 hours, but it comes pretty darn close. Im averaging about 12 hours. My suggestion is to make sure that you let the unit charge fully (2-3 hours) before using it.
File Transfer Errors - Im using Windows XP and have NO problems transferring files between the iRiver and the PC. If you are experiencing problems or errors, then most likely there is a problem with your PC configuration/settings. Negatives - The only negatives with the iRiver are (1) you cant record from the FM tuner to the hard drive. Hopefully this will be addressed in a firmware upgrade, (2) the horrible earphones that it comes with. They are average at best and (3) the tacky brown carrying case. A newer and nicer design is desperately needed. Summary - For the amount of features and options that you are getting on the iRiver, it is not only a great buy but also the new standard in hard-drive based media players. If the iPod is a base-model BMW, then the iRiver is a fully-loaded BMW. Both units are great, but you get a lot more with the iRiver.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-04-07
This player is perfect to play almost every kind of music or voice file formats. The quality is not bad. The only thing that I can complain is the earphone and the carrying case are not that good design and quality.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-04-07
***** Added 5/13 - FM transmitter!About 3 weeks ago, I purchased a Belkin Tunecast II for use with this product. Sound quality is good. Finding a station to use on trips of about 30 miles is a challenge since you travel in and out of reception areas. Sometimes there is a faint buzz between songs. The volume also needs to be at about 15 to 20 on the iRiver, and about 1/2 way up on the radio. ***** First off - I do not own an IPOD, but I am sure it is a GREAT product. I do own the iRiver iHP 140 - and it is a TREMENDOUS product. Pros: To use - Read the manual then try the controls. You should be able to get the hang of this in about 15 minutes. I found the product easy to learn. I used Music Match to convert CDs to MPs (Read the review at CNet - very easy to do). I attached via USB, and my first test upload was able to move about 500 M of music in about 2 minutes. I also am using a Windows based PC. The sound quality is good - meaning I know what the song should sound like via CD, and this matches the sound closely. Battery life is at least 12 hours, with 1 of 4 battery life bars remaining after the 12 hours. The recharge is very fast - about 2 to 3 hours. The remote is very handy. Do pay attention that the jack on the remote is not a standard jack - use the converter wire that comes with the unit to use most headphones. There is a slight noise from the internal harddrive - but you can only relaly notice it when you are between songs. Even then it is not that loud. Very Important - make sure you do not just unplug the unit from your PC. I think this might cause issues...;) The radio is a nice feature! You can also use this as a memo recorder! I have not upgraded the firmware - I have not been able to find a relase at iRiver.com. HOWEVER, if you do upgrade, make sure you read the manual, and follow the directions to the letter. Not doing so is a surefire way to wreak havoc with this unit. Cons
The earphones that come with this product stink - That is about the only think I did not like, but I bought an MP3 player, not a set of headphones. Something to improve - The case that ships is brown - I think it would look better if it was Black - bat that is not a big deal.
On: 2004-04-07
I had a small iRiver unit, a 256 MB one that taught me how to play with MP3 files and such. I totally fell in love with it but my frequent commutes to NYC and subsequent subway trips also taught me that ~4 CDs worth of music gets old, especially on a two week trip. I did a ton of research and bought this unit. I am extremely glad I did!First off, I have only put about 20 CDs in it and its not even 1/16th used up as far as space is concerned. And let me tell you, loading them couldnt have been easier. You plug it into a USB port and bingo, Windows XP recognized it as an external hard drive so placing files is simply a drag and drop exercise. Of note is that fold and file name information is copied over exactly as you have it on your PC hard drive. Also of note is that this unit sorts alphabetically via the first word in the title so if youre used to sorting by the last name of an artist, youll have to rename the files accordingly as Ive not found a way to correct this once you have copied the files over in their original form. Another bonus, since its seen as a hard drive by your PC, you can copy to it whatever your PC can hold. That is amazingly handy if you want to take work with you from one PC to another, such as Word documents and the like. Edit them to your hearts content and simply copy them back to the unit for transport to your other PC. As for the size, I held it up against the bigger iPod as well as the 15GB Dell, theyre all about the same. Its not extremely sexy or anything and the brown leather case that comes with it is a bit more bulky than Id like, especially the seams around the edges - but overall, thats a minor complaint. For usability, this thing flat out rocks. The way I use it is I put the main unit in my jacket pocket or on a belt loop and the hook the remote to a lapel, shirt pocket or even fold a piece of the shirt material over to grip it and put the remote in about the same spot every time. That way I can easily find the buttions and thumb wheels (they dont fully turn so I guess theyre technically a rocker switch) without looking. I also like how it eases you into the last song you were playing be starting at a lower volume and then working up to the last volume setting you used. This keeps you from being blown out by a sudden hit of sound. It works that way when you pause it too, I sometimes have to listen to subway information being relayed and simply hit the giant play button once on the remote and the song is paused right where I was and starts back at the same point. Again, with that neat low to normal volume increase. One thing I cant seem to master from the remote yet is how to browse up and down folder levels. I know it can be done because I did it by following along with the instructions and it works fine, I just cant seem to easily remember how to do it when Im on the train and want to switch to a different CD. The remote play, stop and volume controls are nice and work well for almost everything. The book says you can do everything with the remote that you can from the unit but Im using the joystick-like device on the main unit every time I want to change to a different album. When its freezing cold out and I have to go under the jacket to do it, its a pain. I guess when I get back home Ill pull the book out and learn how to do all the functions from the remote. I did notice it picks up a minor amount of electrical interference when the subway train accelerates, probably because of the electric motors used to run it. Its low and not a problem as you only hear it when the song volume is very low or youre inbetween songs. Lastly, Ive read that folks believe the learning curve to be a bit long. I had no problems whatsoeve so I guess I think like an iRiver engineer! My wife got my older unit loves it so much, it has me believing Ill be buying her a larger unit soon. Let me tell you, if the iPod or Dell are better, Id be surprised. This unit feels solid, has been totally skip proof for me even though it uses a Toshiba microdrive, and has even been dropped without a problem. I like iRivers web site too, go check the product out there and youll see what I mean. It is really cool and the standard ear buds dont even sound too bad. I bought more expensive Sony ones based on review Ive read online but I find the original ones so light and comfortable, I could literally use them all day without a problem. If youre looking at the Dell or iPod, you may want to consider this one on price alone. It also supports more song file types than the competition and seems like a unit Ill have around a long, long time. Now, Ive got to go rip some more CDs from my collection so I can begin utilizing some of the massive drive space I now have! If youre on the fence, dont be...buy it! Steve
On: 2004-04-05
Stupidly, I gave in to all the hype and went out and bought an iRiver 40GB mp3 player a couple of weeks ago. Big mistake. Heres my list of the biggest problems:1) Keep getting file transfer error messages from my Windows Music Library. Only about about 1/4 of the songs transferred and it took almost 40 minutes, only 60 or 70 songs, and some of them end halfway through - aarrgh! When I contacted IRiver they said I must have a computer problem, so I tried again by burning a couple of CDs on my other work computer (different model) and had the same trouble. In effect it seems Ill have to burn 300 plus CDs all over again to get them in the right format, whatever that means. I had thought the IRiver handled all formats effortlessly. What a joke. Aarrgh again! No thanks. 2) The much touted battery life is waaay off the mark. Mine gave out after 6-7 hours of normal play without any extra power hogging settings, etc. Yet iRiver advertises a 16 hour battery life. What do they base that on? I feel misled because that was one of the main reasons I looked at this thing in the first place. 3) The sound is really terrible. My Sony Discman even sounds much better compared to this. No depth or bass. I tried fooling around with it, even switched earphones to no avail. Maybe the problem is in the iRiver software or hardware. Not much else it could be :). 4) Well, those are my three big gripes but on the less technical side of things it feels like a toy from a Cracker Jack box, with buttons that you really have to mess with to get to work. I cant believe they have the nerve to ask $450 for...this?! If it was only a $100 machine Id have trouble giving it 2 stars. When the buttons did respond the navigation menus were ok if you want to take a long time to figure them out. In general this is not a user friendly machine. I think the iRiver is bigger and heavier than some of the other players Ive since seen, too. For the money I feel totally ripped off so Im going to send this thing back and hope I get no hassle. Maybe Ill try the Zen or the iPOD. Most people tell me those are still by far the best out there. I heard Archer (French?) has a new player out, too. Never again, this has been a constant headache. Lesson learned.
On: 2004-04-03
Hello all,I bought this ihp-140 two weeks ago, and very happy to have it. I am asking this quesion for my friend, who has a Mac (OS 10.3) and want to transfer files to this ihp. I have a Windows 2k laptop and had no problem when tranfer files, even for big size > 2 GB. But when my friend tried to transfer a folder from his Mac, the transfer wizard always stop in the middle, saying that theres some error in some file, and couldnt finish this transfer. But really theres no errors at all! and every time the message appears, it gives a different file name, saying that some errors appear in this file. It just doesnt make sense.
I am wondering is this because the driver in Mac is not properly desinged for ihp? but the manual said its fine with OS>10.2. then whats the problem? thanks in advance.
On: 2004-04-02
I bought the iRiver iHP-140 after extensive research involving ALL of the iPods and their competitors. In actuality, I was drooling over the iHP-120 (which was the 20GB version), but felt that 20GB wouldnt be enough. When iRiver announced the 40GB version, it was like a dream come true.On paper, the iRiver iHP-140 blows the iPod away as far as features. Its one of the only units available that allow for recording directly to .wav. For real audiophiles, this is big news because it gives them the ability to record without having to use lossy (and crappy) .mp3 compression. Like the competitors, .mp3 recording is available as well. Aside from .wav recording, audiophiles will also like the digital input AND output (via optical). 15-16 hours of battery life, fully-functional remote, FM tuner, USB2.0 support, and massive 40GB hard drive make the iHP-140 just that much better. For something this powerful, youd think it would be the size of a computer monitor, but its only slightly bigger than the newest generation iPod. In the end, the iHP-140 is the new milestone as far as mp3 players/hard drive recorders go. Itll be hard pressed for any company to produce a competing product with as many features.
On: 2004-04-01
Reason its not getting 5 stars: ugly brown leather cover, cheap earbuds, navigation not the most user friendly and inability to download directly to player from Windows Media player. Price drove me to give this a try: $419.99 with a $50 rebate. For this price, I can deal with the quirks. It does what I need it to and its enough to satisfy me. I am able to download music by first saving it to the media library then sending the file to the player. Inconvenient but Ill live. In all, its a decent player with an impressive battery life and memory.
On: 2004-03-30
I borrowed one of these for a week and was hoping it woulld be a little better than this for the price, especially as this is a company from Korea. But the navigation was quite difficult and it seemed a bit slow for a hard drive device. It also doesnt recognize Windows files. While the battery life was quite good it still seems more like an iPOD imitation - without the easy navigation - than a device which will break its own new ground. Combine this with sound quality that is average at best and its safe to say Ill stick with Apple for the next while. You just cant beat that scroll wheel. Id suggest iRiver (imitation even of the iPOD name?) stick with what it does best, flash memory machines.
On: 2004-03-30
Ive had my iHP-140 for about a week, 1450 songs, not even a quarter a way through my CDs, and still have > 30 GB left.I own a Sony MiniDisk MZ-R50, over 5 years old, but this is my first portable MP3 so my opinions are based soley on how this works, other or all other players may behave simarliy, I dont know. All the praises that have been heaped upon this are well deserved, but (hoping iRiver is reading this) I do have a few wishes: - Transition options between songs, there is a slight delay, about .250 second, between songs, but it would be nice to fade out the current and simultaneously fade in the queued song.
- Queue up more than one song, or even better, edit a play list from the player
- Edit song info, maybe not rename songs, but, how about flag the file or move it elsewhere for those songs you realize have a problem, easier than remembering which of the 10,000 songs had a problem
- Record from the Tuner, I read there were technical limitations with this but it would be nice to record a radio show and play it back later (how about an auto timer to start recording?)
- Emergency Broadcast Reception, option to have emergency broadcast messages overide the player even if not on the tuner. I would expect this would wear down the batteries, but if there is a big storm in the area, I would hate to stop listening to my player
- Receive and display additional radio information, similar to the car radios that show artists, title, or Genre
- Better quality headphones, because of the size of the plug on the remote it is hard to find good headphones that fit without using the included adapter. Headphones provided would be fine if they just had a rubber surround on the ear buds, for comfort.
- Auto volume leveling, I know I should have checked the levels prior to being put on the player, but, it would be nice if you can have a built in limiter/compressor/gate
- External control by PC, I would like to queue, select, play songs from the computer yet use the playback circuitry of the iHP 140, not my computer. When you connect the computer the player controls go bye-bye
- Rubber tip on the joystick, metal is a bit slippery so a non-slip pad would help when navigating. Ive inadvertenly started a new song while just browsing more than once.
- Pouch for all of the additional cables, complaints have already been made about the included case but I would still like a matching case/pouch for the cables and headphone. I am very glad I bought this (...), I forgot how many great CDs I own, it is nice to listen to whatever, whenever I want. Now there is not only a fight for shotgun when the family goes out but now I control the player is heard as well. Nice job iRiver.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-03-28
It is true that iHP-140 cannt play WM DRM, the music bought online. I have sent a message to i river urging them to resolve this issue ASAP. One way to get around is to use in line recording to record the downloaded music. I tried it, it is very good. But it is a hassel. Some people said you can first burn the music into CD and then rip it into the player.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-03-28
If you want to play DRM files just burn an audio cd and then rip it back into an mp3 or wma file.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-03-27
iriver HARD DRIVE PLAYERS do not support WINDOWS MEDIA DRM
so all the songs i payed for on line WILL NOT PLAY WITH THIS
IHP140. TECH SUPPORT SAID NOT TO LOOK FOR IT IN THE NEAR FUTURE
MAYBE NEXT YEAR.
On: 2004-03-26
i just bought mine and regret every penny i spent! The only thing that keep this mp3 player respectable is its features. lots of it. but at the end of the day, if the sound quality would live up to the expectation , then all is worthless. I have compared the sound quality for ihp140 vs. my thinkpad laptop using sony earphone (6-320000hz frequency response). my laptop sounds much better than ihp140, the sound is richer and crispier. when i plug the ihp140 to my car, 03 nissan pathfinder LE factory premium sound, it just sounded like crap. really really bad! i have tried different biterate ranging from 128 - 320(upper limit). but that didnt make too much of a difference. theres no comparison to CD quality sound. so.... im very disappointed and going to return it oh yeah, and the LINE - IN has a LOT of noise. when i try to record CD from my DVD player using MP3/320Kbs setting, TONS of noise!!! i just cant stand it anymore!!!
by: Anonymous On: 2004-03-23
No it does not record from its |
