Friday, 14 January 2005
Ever since the first ipod, the popularity of hard drive mp3 players on the market has proven them to be the option for the future. However, apples dominance in the market has left for few other options in a high capacity, ortable media player. This is all about to change however, with the growing popularity of IRiver, a company devoted entirely to reshaping the portable media world. One of their creations, the iRiver H340, is definitely a major contender for apples ipod series, offering a more powerful player for only slightly more.
The lowest prices we were able to find the iRiver H340 are PC
Mall ($384.99), ecost ($384.99),
and DBuys ($403.90).
Player Outline
The H340 is priced at about $50-$80 more than an equivalent sized ipod of 40gb capacity. The iRiver player outshines its competitor easily, with a built in FM radio,
color screen, the ability to do photos, user customizable equalizers, and even the ability to link directly with a digital camera and transfer files via
USB, without the need for a pc.
Initial Impressions, The Box
The H340 comes boxed in a rather large, solid, densely packed cardboard box, like any other device of its make. The packaging is simple, and direct. no fancy pictures, just a simple label. However, even without the pictures, you get the sense of expensive quality. Inside the box is your usual setup of cardboard framework, to house the H340 and its accessories. Everything is packed securely, and the player itself is
protected by a plastic casing and a sticker on the screen for scratches.
Whats in the box today?
The iRiver isn't stingy when it comes to accessories, and you definitely get what you pay for in the box.
-The H340 Media Player (duh)
-Docking station
--The docking station is a simple black device, surprisingly heavy at first, but not after its heavy metal construction is taken into account. Basically, all it does is re-route the
USB and ac connections upwards into the player, rather than standalone cords. it has 3 small pins to hold the player securely in place, and 4
rubberized feet. Combined with its weight, these make it nice and stable, not going anywhere on that
Teflon desk of yours :).
-Remote Control
--The remote is simpler than the H320's, with no LCD, but it is still certainly serviceable. Back, Forward, Play/Pause, Volume and Hold are all
that's included.
-Earphones
--The Earphones are nothing to roar about, but decent enough for most. Power users will want to replace these for a more
powerful pair.
-Ac Adapter
-Battery Pack
--When you don't have access to your ac adapter, you can use this to clip onto your player and recharge the Li-Polymer batteries with 4 AA Batteries.
-Line in/Out cable
-USB to host adapter
--For use with the digital camera function
-Carry Case
--A nice, firm, sturdy carrying case with clip for your belt or pocket. You will have to pull the player out to view the screen, but the durable nylon casing will protect it well.
The Player
The H340 takes about 3hrs to charge fully on AC power, and about 8 on USB. The first thing you'll see when you boot it up is the welcome screen, followed by the firmware version and a loading signal. Depending on the amount of files stored on the hard disk, the loading time can be almost instant, to an extreme 10-15mins.
I'm not sure why the load time is so significant, but it sure can be annoying.
The interface for the player is quite clunky compared to ipod, but easily usable. The main difference is that anyone can pick up an ipod and use it intuitively, whereas the H340 requires a quick glance at the manual. The only major issue with the interface is the back and forward buttons are sandwiched between the Navi and surrounding buttons, making them slightly harder to press.
The screen quality is, for lack of a better word, amazing. I was able to view large, 1600x1200 images easily and clearly (within reason, considering the screen's 2" size).
The USB 2.0 is certainly a nice addition, but it seems that something is bottlenecking the system, and file load times can be quite long. If there is ever an upgrade to this version made,
fire wire would be a big bonus.
Software
Software and Firmware is where the H340 falls over. The firmware is upgradeable, but i have found it to be quite buggy and lacking in many important features. for example, want to get to the P section of 1200 artists? be prepared to scroll for about 4 minutes. The firmware simply is not good enough for anyone with a large amount of music on the player. And one would think they would have a large amount on the player, considering it is 40gb and all... I always had the feeling with the iRiver when using it that i was dealing with a beta product, it didn't feel like a finished, well thought out product at all.
Another feature i would love to see is some form of 'jump to'. I have an idea as to how to implement this, and
I have contacted iRiver accordingly. As to whether or not it ever happens is another matter.
Also, be prepared to have the player rendered useless while connected to USB. When connected to a computer, the player is essentially disabled, and acts as an external hard drive.
The final issue that bugs me about the software is the extreme loading times in startup.
I'm not sure what its doing, but I'm sure there's a better way to do it. 15mins for the player to start up is just not on.
Sound Quality
If your spending massive amount like this on such a device, you would want to be assured that sound quality is good. I can assure you, its better than that. With 4 preset
Equalizer settings, 1 User Equalizer, SRS and WOW effects, the sound quality is awesome. Especially if you have the Alpine Bass Test and like to play :).
Conclusion
The iRiver H340 is a sweet piece of equipment, if you can stomach the price tag. The hardware is fantastic, but the software and interface still needs development.
Pros: Large storage space, fantastic screen, lots of features.
Cons: Chunky Interface, Extreme load times, software needs a lot of work
Rating: [where 1 is unusable and 10 is perfection that everyone should have]
6/10
The lowest prices we were able to find the iRiver H340 are PC
Mall ($384.99), ecost ($384.99),
and DBuys ($403.90). |
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