Iriver 20Gb

Review by C. Williams : Iriver Clix is awesome

The Iriver Clix is the best player I have ever owned, and I have owned a lot. The sound quality is excellent, and Fm radio reception is excellent. I don't use the voice recorder a lot but when I did use it, it worked very well. Watching videos is an enjoyable experience. I have no problem watching movies. The screen for me is big enough and it doesn't hurt my eyes. The player has great flash games that can be very addicting. Adding album art to the player is another great addition to an already amazing player. If you are going to buy this player I would recommend buying the cradle. It's a great accessory to have. Another thing that you need to get for it is a silicone case from Javoskin. It protects your mp3 player from bumps and scratches. Iriver also sells a silicone case but I have found that the Javoskin silicone case is a better choice. To get the Javoskin silicon case, just go to Javoedge.com and select Iriver Clix from the list. It also comes with a belt clip and a laynard, and it is cheaper than iriver's silicone case. To sum up this is the best mp3 player to have. It will keep you occupied. To find out more about this mp3 player go to cnet.com. They have a full review of it and they even have a great video about the Iriver Clix. This mp3 player I would recommend to anyone. 5 out of 5!

Review by the savvy shopper : not perfect in absolute terms but probably the best one can buy

I bought this mp3/video player for my girlfriend, mostly because she wants to listen to and watch lectures on the go. I must say she was amazed since the first day she saw the player, and usually she doesn't get impressed by gadgets. After 1 month of using it she loves it more and more.

So this player has a jaw dropping factor for anybody (confirmed by all the people who saw it and who tried it):
- it's a tiny cute little player
- yet it has a full color, bright and high quality display that lets you even see movies (I was skeptical about it too, but I test it and it's an acceptable way to watch movies especially when you consider the size of the player you carry with you; you can even convert DVDs to play them on iriver).
- impressive sound quality and fidelity: my music never sounded so good as on this player (and this is using the supplied headphones)

Other positives:
- high quality Li-Polymer battery
- extra features like flash games, FM radio, ability to display text and pictures. I didn't use those much, but I test them and they work fine and it's nice to have them.
- important advantage over ipod: the iriver player works with popular music formats like mp3, wav, wma, ogg, and avi for the movies. With an ipod you need either to convert all your media library to Apple's proprietary format or to buy media from them (the latter is I think the reason why they restrict the ipod users to their proprietary media format)
- works with most music subscription services (with an ipod you can only buy songs at $1/song): yahoo music, napster, rhapsody, urge etc
- fairly easy to use, and unlike ipod you can skip to the next song, pause and restart playing without pulling the player out from your pocket or/and taking off your gloves. This is because of the clix system.

On the down side:

Not so much here from my point of view. However if you're a mac or linux user you might want to consider the U10 version of this player (only 1GB of storage) as you can use the firmware upgrade utility to convert that player to a compatible mode of operation.

Also I would like to see on the nice color screen more information about the song I play. Unfortunately I can't see the bitrate, the file type, and neither other information from the ID3 tag. And why not, I would like to see some graphic representation of the sound level.

My conclusion:

If you own a PC (especially a windows PC) I don't think you can find a better player on the market. Even if you would compare only the music playing features I think this player is superior in quality and it comes at an affordable price.
The video playing feature shouldn't be neglected though, as it could be quite a nice and useful feature (maybe along with the FM tunning).

Review by Elizabeth : With the Clix now available nobody should buy an Ipod

This is the best mp3 player / personal media player I have ever owned. It has a large, well lit screen and great sound quality. It comes with some fun games and you can download more at the iriver website. I havent done much with the videos yet but the ones preloaded on the clix are good looking. It also displays pictures quite nicely which you can set as the wallpaper. The interface is very intuitive and works well with the "tilt" screen. You can also make "quicklists" on the go which is very usefull. It also has cool features such as FM radio (which can be recorded), a voice recorder, the ability to view text files, an alarm clock (which you really need the dock for), and it works seamlessly with URGE. The only thing bad about the clix is that it is only 2gb. Otherwise it is a small, reliable mp3 player, well worth the money.

Review by L. Leong : Nano who? (Clix with Cradle Dock Review)

*I bought the Clix with the Dock as a complete package from iRiver and this review covers both items*

Packaging

iRiver does a good job with their packaging by making it simple and clean, probably taking note of Apple's packaging strategy, though not as refined. All the included accessories are placed in clearly labeled paper boxes making it simple and easy to find what you need quickly. There is no foam padding of any sort to protect any of the accessories or the player itself but I do not think this will be a problem because the Clix is a flash based player. The Clix itself is protected by a sticker with a printed on animation of the "now playing" screen. There is a "starter kit" that comes with the Clix that contains the manual, quick start guide, software CD, various documentations, and a neoprene case with a screen cleaner. The case fits the player very snugly and is padded enough to ensure proper protection. The screen cleaner does a decent job though I sometimes found that it just smeared the oils from my skin instead of absorbing it.

The packaging for the cradle dock contains a series of boxes as well with no foam padding to protect anything but everything came out of the box in perfect condition. The cradle comes with a line-in cable, 3.5mm extension plug, the dock itself, and an IR remote.

I enjoyed the packaging but it did not wow me as Apple's packaging does. I was concerned with the lack of protection for the components though none of them were damaged. I would like it if iRiver included some plastic molds to hold their components to make it seem more professional while adding some protection at the same time.

Design

The Clix is one of the most beautifully designed MP3 players I have ever seen. The button-less screen creates a very clean and sleek look that resembles a flat panel television. Since there are no buttons to press, navigation is done through pressing the sides of the screen. The sides of the screen are tactile buttons and not touch sensitive, which would have made it too sensitive. The rest of the controls are located on the sides of the player which include dedicated volume buttons, a power button, a "smart key," and a hold switch. The hold switch does not only cease the function of the screen buttons but actually locks the screen buttons into place so they can not be pressed. This is a wise choice by iRiver because it will prevent wear and tear on the buttons. The back of the player is made of glossy white plastic and has a clean look to it instead of having a bunch of Windows, SRS, WOW, and other logos. While the screen of the player seems very scratch resistant, the back seems to be more prone to scratching so users should exercise caution. One of my favorite design features of the Clix is its ability to switch between landscape and portrait modes. Portrait mode is useful in allowing one-handed operation of the player, though it is a little more difficult that I would have liked it to be. Since users have to touch the sides of the player to navigate, they will find their thumbs and hands obstructing their view when pressing some buttons. Though it this is a little annoying, it is bearable and does not take away from the overall pleasurable experience of using the player. Another gripe is that the reset button can only be pressed by inserting a paperclip into a pin-sized hole located at the bottom of the player. Both Creative and iRiver have to find a simpler way to reset the player. I really like the simple button combo that makes the iPod reset itself. Creative and iRiver should take note.

Once in the Cradle Dock, the player will resemble a retro-style television which will draw stares and wow your friends. There are tiny speakers on the back of the dock that allow wireless use of your player. The dock gives the player the awesome feature of line-in recording but also disables an important feature, the FM tuner. I assume this happens because there is no headphone lead to act as an antenna, which would have given the player horrible reception. The dock also lets you connect a line-out cable so you can listen to your music on better speakers and there is a mini-USB connector to allow you to sync your player while it is still in the dock. The included IR remote is the only method of navigating the player while it is in the dock. The remote has a very slim profile and membrane type buttons and while this remote provides excellent functionality for the player while it is in the dock, it is poorly designed because the buttons become a little exhausting after prolonged use and the directional buttons are a bit more spread out than I would have liked. The remote also looks quite cheap with an uneven fit and finish and lack of attention to detail. Perhaps I am being nit-picky but I do enjoy the fact that every function can be accessed wirelessly.

One design feature that I find refreshing is the USB cable that is provided with the player. It has a mechanism that locks the player into place on the cable and can only be unlocked by holding buttons on the side. This results in a secure attachment to your computer, making it impossible to accidentally disconnect your player while it is performing a sync which could wreck the player. More manufacturers should take note of this simple, yet ingenious locking mechanism.

Finally, if you are worried about the durability of Clix, worry no more. I gave this Clix to my sister as a present and she has the reputation of having the "touch of death" with all things electronic. It has been over two weeks and I'm happy to report that the player has not scratched. This is truly an amazing testament to the kind of plastic that iRiver chose to make the Clix's screen with.

Performance

Once I fired up the player for the first time, I was immediately impressed with the fluidity of the interface and how beautifully simplistic, yet sophisticated the menus were laid out. Everything is laid out very logically and can be picked up without reading the instruction manual, which I believe most people do. The GUI reminds me of Windows Media Center, which makes sense because iRiver worked very closely with Microsoft on the development of this player. The "now playing" screen really impresses me in that it uses its screen real estate to deliver tons of information without searching through a sub menu. Song title, album name, song rating, artist name, year of album release, time, battery meter, EQ setting, number of songs in current playlist, and my favorite, next song. More companies should add a "next song" display on their players. Though this may seem like an overwhelming amount of information to be displayed on one screen, I did not find it confusing at all. One thing that bugged me about the interface was the fact that you could not delete songs or recordings from the player.

Pictures are browsed on the player in list form, displaying a small thumbnail of the highlighted picture. Photos look accurate and fluid on the screen as it would on the computer screen though detail is lost because of the 320x240 resolution. There is no over saturation as with other players, namely my Creative Zen Vision: M. Videos can also be played on this device and look good for 15 frames per second (fps). I expected the video experience to be severely degraded compared to the 30fps that my Vision: M is capable of but I am pleasantly surprised that there was minimal difference. Music videos looked great and the screen provided excellent viewing angles. I would advise against watching anything longer than a few minutes on the Clix because of two reasons: one being that the screen is so small and will fatigue your eyes and two being the fact that the player maxes out at a dainty 2 GB.

My favorite feature about the Clix is its ability to record in several different ways. There is FM recording which is very handy for catching shows or songs you want to save, thought the RIAA will not be happy about the latter. You can also perform voice recordings and line-in recordings. Voice recordings were of average quality and had a hard time picking up sounds that were far away. I would not use the Clix to record lectures or conferences though it is a handy tool for taking notes or to do a casual podcast. Line-in recording provided much more of a use because of its excellent recording quality. If set at "high" recording quality, files are encoded at 256kbps MP3s and 128kbps at "medium" quality. Recording whole albums is a simple process though editing the file names and ID3 tags of the songs is not as fun or pleasurable. I did encounter a few problems when recording, one of which was the recording volume. Even when set at the highest recording volume and max volume from the recording source (my ZVM) the volume of the recorded tracks was still lower than I would have liked them to be. Another problem I encountered was the track splitting function which breaks up the recording when it doesn't sense any sound for 2 seconds. For classical albums, it could not sense the gaps correctly and recorded the album as one huge MP3. My final gripe about the line-in recording function is that the recordings are stored deep in the submenus of the "Extras" section which is irritating when you want to find your recordings and listen to them since they are not included in your library. Hopefully a firmware update will place a folder in the music library for recordings.

With all of these extra features, it is easy to forget what the Clix was designed to do and that is to play music and boy does the Clix deliver. This is one of the best sounding MP3 players I have ever heard. There is also an incredible amount of adjustability with this player. Users can choose from a number of very good EQ presets or tweak the SRS and WOW features to their liking. The SRS WOW features really impressed me by generating great sound to whatever type of music I was listening to. The TruBass provided enough bass to literally blow my brains out. I could feel the insides of my ears vibrating from the powerful bass. One downside to all of this adjustability is that users might be intimidated or might not know how to adjust the settings to make their music sound great. It takes some time to fiddle around with what settings sound best but once you find them, you will experience musical nirvana. Cliché, I know, but there is no way else to put it. The included headphones may not be the most stylish but they do sound pretty good for stock headphones. They reproduce a neutral sound across the spectrum but a little more bass than the stock headphones from Apple and Creative. The ear-bud design may be problematic for some as they easily fall out, which is the case for both my sister and father. As with all the cables that come with the dock and player, the headphones are gold plated for better conductivity. Though the stock headphones are decent, anyone looking to improve their musical experience should definitely look into buying noise isolating or noise canceling headphones.

Syncing the Clix with Window Media Player 11 is a pleasure. Everything works seamlessly and swiftly. I am impressed with its sync speeds and how the Clix did not have to rebuild its library after syncing which means it can be unplugged and is ready to use in an instant. Throughout the whole experience, I never had the player freeze on me except when the battery was completely drained. I tried connecting the player after its battery had drained to recharge it but it would not respond at all. I had to reset the player and everything worked again. This is quite odd as there should be a little battery life left to sustain the player long enough to be connected. I would advise users to charge their players without draining them all the way first because lithium ion batteries do not like being completely discharged. Continually draining the battery until there is no power left will hurt the battery, causing lowered capacity which equates to shorter battery life.

As you can tell, I am enamored with the Clix but there is one thing that bugs me to no end which is that audio files are not normalized. This is annoying beyond belief because I have to keep lowering or turning up the volume for different artists and albums. One thing that iRiver can learn from Creative is the "Smart Volume" function that is included on many of Creative's players which normalizes the tracks automatically. Users can use programs such as MP3Gain to normalize their MP3 on their computer but it would be more convenient ifthe player itself handled all the normalization.

Conclusion

iRiver has created a beautifully designed and incredible performing MP3 player that they can be proud of. Despite its few flaws, I fell in love with the Clix and would definitely recommend it to anyone. It is easy to use yet has a billion features that will satisfy the most demanding techie. I hope that iRiver will come out with a Clix that has a higher capacity, which should not be too hard seeing as Sandisk just released the Sansa E280 which has a whopping 8GB of flash memory and an expandable Micro SD slot which makes it capable for a mind blowing 10GB of storage. Once iRiver crams more memory into the Clix and fixes its other minor problems, they might finally be able to compete with the Apple juggernaut. I am so impressed with the Clix that I'm going to say it is an iPod killer. Let the flaming begin.

Nano who?

Review by Owlyn : Awseome Audio

I can second the positive comments that everyone else made. The device is excellent. The sound quality is impressive (I was a television production technician for 10 years, so I know audio pretty well.) But, since nothing is perfect, here are few things to be aware of:

* The Clix does NOT have a timer-record function for FM radio. It is possible that it will be added in a later firmware release.

* It does NOT support Audible. Again, maybe later.

* The included ear buds sound pretty good, especially for ear buds, but didn't work real well for my ears- the buds didn't want to stay in place, and they were uncomfortable. YMMV, I'm sure.

* WMP is the only means of synching audio files. Although you can copy files over yourself using Windows Explorer, it is not reccommended.

* Mine froze up several times, but only during certain songs that had a scrolling title (I've had it just a few days). Tech support is very good. This is a known problem, and the current solution (should be fixed in next firmware release- I have 1.11) is to reformat the device and re-synch everything. Not a big deal, as synching is very fast, but you do lose the pre-loaded games and videos. Many games are available for free on iRiver's web site, as are some other videos, but not all of the original games are there, nor are the videos. So, if you need to re-format, back up everything to your PC first using Windows Explorer. So far, no freezes after the reformatting.

* Sound volume may be too low depending on your source material, phones, listening environment, and ripping method. If you use WMP to rip, you can't adjust the volume at rip time. I suggest using a free ripping program (such as FreeRip) that allows for volume adjustment and/or normalization. The volume is fine under most conditions, but just be aware of the issues, and if you have a problem, the solution is easy and free.

Anyway, overall, I am very happy with the Clix. Would I buy it again? Without hesitation. Go for it.

Review by K. Tyler : Great Product!!!!!

I just wish it had more space than 2GB. That is the only short coming in my opinion. And also the fact that you need to download a video converter from Iriver just to transfer you video files too. Besides those 2 aspects, this is one of THE BEST MP3 Players I've ever purchased. I sold my Ipod NANO as soon as I discovered the CLIX.

Review by Ivan Dario Villa V : Extremely Cool!! The mot beautiful mp3 player I've ever seen.

Well, you have to take look at one Clix to see how cool this little player is. Pictures don't make justice to it. The design is really nice, it's small, it's light and its screen is clean, bright and colorful. And beside the design, the features of this player are also great. Don't get me wrong, the ipod nano is a beautiful player but the Clix has a different approach with its original design. The controls are quite different, but work flawlessly with the player. The synchronization with the computer is easy and fast. The video playback is really nice (even if it's 15 fps, it's enough for musical videos, tv series, cartoons, etc.). The ability to read Text documents is a handy addition. Pictures slideshows work fine. FM radio may be helpful (not for me really). And the games are cool enough to pass some time (Sudoku is great!). Anyway, in my opinion this Clix is one of the better players I've seen. The features are great, but the design is truly breathtaking. It's goood to see different and original designs.