[Seijang]

I want to get an amp soon (in about a month and a half or so). I do not think misticriver.net is the authoritative guide on iRiver sound quality - most of the people there do not have anything past Shure e2c's...

 

[donaldekelly]

Yeah - there is a lack of headphone experience there. The ones in the know point people over here.

Same with a lot of audio sites - why try to recreate the best - just go to it.

But, still I assume that to become a faq a post needs to be scrutinized by several people who should know.

 

[Kirosia]

When amped, the iriver line out isn't necessarily better than the h. out. It is cleaner by comparison, but the sound itself is forward, bright, the soundstage is very 2 dimensional, and well, not that good at all. The h.out is still cruddy itself too. If I were I've considered a different brand altogether.

Also, not sure bout the 3** series, but quite a few of the H1** have reportedly failure prone hard drives. I'm experiencing this myself, the player destroys tracks, even ones *just* put on the player. Random freezes, not to mention that any non-audio file placed in it automatically gets corrupted, period. (IME) I read mysticriver too, and similar problems have been reported. I emailed iriver america a week or two ago, haven't heard a thing back. I'm greatly annoyed at iriver as a whole.

 

[Graz]

I've used ihp-120 amped quite bit, and I think it sounds great. I've found that good recordings have good depth & soundstage...not too bright, forward, or 2-dimensional imo.

Despite the effect of not yielding a "true line out", I actually ended up liking the fact that the line out level can be adjusted via the remote. It allows having the base unit & amp stashed away (in a backpack or whatever), while permitting volume tweaks via the remote without having to adjust directly on the amp itself. This config worked out pretty good for me.

Kirosia, you seem to have had a really bad experience with your iriver. If I were you, I'd be steamed too. Is your unit still under warranty or not? Either way, I'd be demanding a refund or replacement if I were in your position.

HDD-based daps are delicate little creatures...I'm sure every major brand has a few lemons out there, as well as a few disgruntled (rightfully so) customers.

I might be wrong, but don't the iriver h-series & iPod 20/40 gb models share the exact same Toshiba HDD?

Peace,

Graz

 

[wanderman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graz I might be wrong, but don't the iriver h-series & iPod 20/40 gb models share the exact same Toshiba HDD?

Yeah they do. Exact same specs in everything. The one thing that hte h1xx are more prone to is lcd cracks. The casee is really tight and that was a problem with the first batches of iriver h120's.

 

[Kirosia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graz I've used ihp-120 amped quite bit, and I think it sounds great. I've found that good recordings have good depth & soundstage...not too bright, forward, or 2-dimensional imo. Despite the effect of not yielding a "true line out", I actually ended up liking the fact that the line out level can be adjusted via the remote. It allows having the base unit & amp stashed away (in a backpack or whatever), while permitting volume tweaks via the remote without having to adjust directly on the amp itself. This config worked out pretty good for me. Kirosia, you seem to have had a really bad experience with your iriver. If I were you, I'd be steamed too. Is your unit still under warranty or not? Either way, I'd be demanding a refund or replacement if I were in your position. HDD-based daps are delicate little creatures...I'm sure every major brand has a few lemons out there, as well as a few disgruntled (rightfully so) customers. I might be wrong, but don't the iriver h-series & iPod 20/40 gb models share the exact same Toshiba HDD? Peace, Graz

It's outta warranty. Regardless, it sounded crappy from the beginning. So do all the other ihps I've tried. And insinuating that those of us who negatively criticize the iriver sound aren't using good recordings is bull. (I know you didn't mean it so harshly, but it does come off that way) No matter what, even a really great recording doesn't sound right.
__________________________________________________ ________________
*rant* (not targted toward anyone specifically, kinda)

It appears that people refuse to believe that "their" dap isn't perfect or great. I know preferences exist, but when you're referring to "portable reference" quality, some players just don't cut it. The iriver is a decent dap as a whole, but nothing more. Compared to other popular offerings, I doubt it can hold it's own when push comes to shove. Am I being overly critical? You bet your ass. What else do you expect. This is head-fi afterall. We thrive on being anal about everything.

Hanging out in the portable forum is horrible now, since not a single person can make legitimate comments about a popular product w/out taking some s**t. Not to mention the fact that people refuse to use their ears and common sense, only relying on numbers that can't be universally proved or accepted. This whole thing is just messed up. At least with headphones, most members accept the shortcomings of their model. I recall a few of the oldre members saying they left cause of crap like this, and at the time, I thought they were being elitists. Now I understand them. But I ain't leaving anytime soon.

And considering this is the PA forum, I've no doubt fanboys will reply to my post in the stupidest way possible, like always. Don't quote my post unless you have something meaninful and legitimate to say.

 

[Graz]

Quote:

No matter what, even a really great recording doesn't sound right.

In your opinion...

Peace,

Graz

 

[Kirosia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graz In your opinion... Peace, Graz

Right . . . F' opinions.That response is the most commonly used defense by fanboys. Iriver is mediocre. This is head-fi. If it ain't the best, it ain't nothing.

EDIT: Screw this, I'm tired of arguing with fanboys. You just can't win, no matter who's in the right.

 

[Sweet Spot]

Donald, (OP) thank you for inadvertently bringing that FAQ thread to my attention. Most times, FAQ's have to be glanced over by at least a mod or two, or an admin (which I rarely do to be honest, because the other mods do such a good job) who MUST confirm that the information given is accurate, and with a good source to back it up. For some reason, this thread, which ironically enough, is one in which the topic at hand has always sparked some controversy, slipped through the proverbial cracks at MR (I didn't even see this thread to be honest, which is not good, because these are the types that are very easy to screw up the most.)

In anycase, I've taken down that information, and if time allows, I'll try and compile a bunch of more accurate info from here, to put in its place. Had I seen that FAQ before this thread here, I would have taken it down then too. I've never prescribed to the notions which the author of that post supports so fervidly. In fact, I'm a bit embarrassed by that, since it's a "FAQ", with no actual data from anywhere to back up the statements made, and only a bunch of threads in other forums, including MY posts on Mistic, which contradict it.

My apologies for the mix up. Chalk it up to "one of those things".

S.

 

[wanderman]

alot of iriver owners no their player isn't great. They have a bitchn' session everyday 365 days a year about it over at misticriver. The navigation is cumbersome and boot times are awful. But it has wondeful audio reporduction which so no crictical issuses with sound reproduction and is or one of the best recording daps period. Alot of users have speculated the the sound is rolled off in the highs or boosted to present a sound appealing to the consumer, but the graphs prove otherwise. Simple as that. One calls 'em as one sees 'em. If you ask most hardcore iriver owners they will tell you one- Navigation is slow, two- Boot times are awful. Audio quality is a non issues for the majority of h100's and h300 owners. But I do ask what firmware are your running on your iriver?

 

[Graz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirosia Right . . . F' opinions.That response is the most commonly used defense by fanboys. Iriver is mediocre. This is head-fi. If it ain't the best, it ain't nothing. EDIT: Screw this, I'm tired of arguing with fanboys. You just can't win, no matter who's in the right.

Ack! Dude...chill!

I'm no fanboy. iriver is neither "best" nor "perfect". I'm usin' it & it sounds good to me...it's OK for me to say that kinda stuff here, yes? If I see a post that seems to lay down an emphatic stamp that iriver has widespread reliability problems & also doesn't sound good at all (a story I've seen from you in several iriver threads, btw)...then hey, I think it's cool for me to say that I'm using that gear & it's workin' for me. That's what the forum is for, after all. People lay down their opinions for what they're worth. Disagreements in opinion are normal & encouraged. But, the knee-jerk reaction that, since I disagree with you, I must be an iriver fanboy is off-base, imo.

Anway, I'm no expert & have never claimed to be one. It's all good man!

Edit: Here's a post I wrote earlier today...does this look like iriver fanboy-ism?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graz The title of this thread: "iPod Overrated?" Man, I think the answer to this question has gotta be: "No way." Before I get branded as an iPod fanboy... To date, the only hdd-based mp3 player/jukebox I've ever owned is the iriver ihp-120 that I'm still currently using. My purchase decision was based on the device having built-in line out & optical digital out. I also own other iriver devices that I remain pleased with...so I guess some amount of previous experience & brand loyalty played into my choice as well. I love my iriver. Yup, it's kinda ugly...no, it doesn't have the world's best/most intuitive interface but I throw about 500 hi-Q Ogg tunes into one folder & shuffle-all, so interface is a virtual non-factor for my usage model. ...But in my view, iPod is still the reigning king of DAPs, and IMO, deservedly so... The reasons go on & on, and have been ceaselessly debated on this and other forums... Attractive appearance, friendly interface, iTunes (love it or hate it, it's still a fine piece of software), good sound quality, solid build, a plethora of aftermarket options (both hardware and software), a certain cache' (positive or negative...you decide). If your DAP choice was driven even partially because "it's not an iPod" (and I think for some non-iPod users, that does play at least a small factor), don't think for even one second that the other players in the market wouldn't want to dominate the market in the exact way that iPod does now. I mean, ask yourself the question...if <insert your DAP brand here> was the DAP market darling the way iPod is now, would you like it as much? Peace, Graz

Peace,

Graz

 

[curtain]

What happened to enjoying the music guys?

If you're spending inordinate amounts of time on forums denouncing electronic gear you are missing the point.

Not happy with your DAP, get another one.

Don't spoil other people's enjoyment of these forums by ranting and raving about nothing in particular, they are supposed to be respectful and informative.

Clearly DAP's are weapons of mass destruction for some.

 

[benjamind]

iAudio M3 is probably the best DAP out there. I've been using mine for quite a while. I cannot fault the sound quality at all. It was also cheap, $340AUD including 3-year warranty. Amazing value too.

I've almost filled it up, about 5-6gb left on it. I'll use those for my own tracks. I compose and write music myself. I wanted pristine audio quality. The M3 delivers on it's promise. Many other DAPs I tried had one fault or another. The M3, with exception to it's less-than-stellar remote, is an awesome DAP. I often use it without the remote. I figure I don't need to use the remote unless I want to browse tracks and find my songs. With fast scrolling I can find whatever I want when I'm using the remote.

The audio quality is the main thing, and M3 delivers superb quality. My Westone UM2s are extremely sensitive and they only pick up a very, very faint hiss with the M3. When playing, even in silent parts, the hiss is hardly noticeable at all. On the iPod the hiss was noticeable, and on the iRiver the hiss was noticeable. The XClef and Olympus weren't any better. I also tried out the Sony network player and it had a little more hiss than the M3, but not much. It was nearly as good as the M3 and it also had a screen but it was a lot more expensive so I figured the M3 was a winner, and it turns out my purchase was definately a good one. I'll never regret buying an M3, even if the remote isn't the best thing since sliced bread. The remote also introduces noise when playing, so using M3 without the remote gives me even better sound. Plug straight into the headphone output on the M3 and you'll get sound that you won't get from any other DAP, except for a rare custom DAP that a friend of mine has. I think that the remote thing may be a good thing after all, since you have the option of removing the remote and therefore a potential source of noise. So, plug away with the M3 and enjoy audio nirvana.

 

[Necros]

Donald, using off-board headphone amplifier did improve over the built-in headphone amp. This was with a Twinstarr Aphead 47, and Audiolab 8000Q pre-amp.

Kirosia I respect your opinon, annoying you've had problems but my 140 has been perfect, and sounds great. I think the built-in amp is very good, far better than some new personal CD players that distort..it's not bright or forward, although if you're used to dull Nad sound then I guess it would be. I have upper end "Hi-Fi" gear (far better than your Nad, no offense) and they're similar in sonic signatures (detailed sound)

 

[donaldekelly]

Thanks SweetSpot (MISTICRIVER Administrator) for noticing and posting and working on a better FAQ.

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"But I do ask what firmware are your running on your iriver?"

If this is for me - I am running the original firmware that was on it. VER 1.02 US

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"using off-board headphone amplifier did improve over the built-in headphone amp."

Necros - thanks for the reassurance