[austonia]

AGR, if had been around here for more than a few months, you would know more about the players I've had in the past. I bought a gen.3 iPod 30gb last year, and it got spanked the same as the iHP is now. Yeah. I'm not targeting your favorite toy in particular, they all go through the same beating.

 

[AGR]

Quote:

Originally posted by austonia AGR, if had been around here for more than a few months, you would know more about the players I've had in the past. I bought a gen.3 iPod 30gb last year, and it got spanked the same as the iHP is now. Yeah. I'm not targeting your favorite toy in particular, they all go through the same beating.

Hey! I know. We're cool. I know you review the players, and it's important to state your case. And yeah! At 49 (too close to fifty!!!), I'm like a kid, still really digging my new 'toy' like it's Christmas morning.

This has been an interesting thread, for sure. With; lots of good points made. Some pie throwing, too. But really; I would like to think it's all in good fun.

 

[slunk007]

Well the truth is that all of the different HD Players have their weak and strong points. There's no point in rehashing those points in regards to Apple's, iRiver's, Rio's, or Creative's players. I think Austonia was simply trying to point out new things (read: annoyances) that others may not have noticed about the iHP. What's wrong with that? He is HELPING the community by posting his thoughts. That's what message boards are all about right?

Anyway, there's no need for a flame war... play nice folks...

 

[Tuberoller]

Quote:

Originally posted by AGR Fanboy? No. Just a happy customer; that's all. As I was saying; to each his own. And; also, as I was saying; I have no issues whatsoever with the iHP-120. The Apples are cool, over-hyped, and, I think, over-priced. Again; to each his own. But you know? And; I said this before, I may eventually buy a Mini. It's a neat machine. Why? I really have no idea now. Because; what would I want with a 4gb $250 player, when I already have a 20gb player? But; you collect these things, so it would make more sense for someone like you. Now; whether you read my posts or not; I could care less. Fanboy. I love that. And; you must be the [size=small]Poster Child for the APPLE iPOD. [/size]

Not beating up on you Greg,or You either Austin, but you guys have to stop the personal attacks. I'm reading this thread with great interest as I thinking about a new HD player. Please don't force myself or another mod to close it. This is the very last warning: Thanks guys and I know you both understand.

Tuberoller

 

[AGR]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tuberoller Not beating up on you Greg,or You either Austin, but you guys have to stop the personal attacks. I'm reading this thread with great interest as I thinking about a new HD player. Please don't force myself or another mod to close it. This is the very last warning: Thanks guys and I know you both understand. Tuberoller

I concur! I think we are here to have fun, and yes; learn. No hard feelings, whatsoever.

 

[e-r0ck]

Quote:

Originally posted by austonia sort of. Even if you name them as you have "##-Name" it only allows for 11 other characters to be seen. Better, but still too narrow a view for me. If they would removing the useless "File" icon would allow for another 3 characters. I have my Dell DJ with me now, it displays 24 characters on one line, so I can see all or most of any song title. It doesn't display the track number in front of the title because it orders them by ID3 tag.

i tihnk thats the biggest thing here. the iHP, judging by your review, is definately NOT for someone who relies heavily on id3 tags.

my mp3s are properly tagged and work well in winamp, QCD and any other mp3 player i've used on my computer. for some odd reason, i downloaded iTunes and they dont display correctly. half do, half dont. no idea why as they ALL have v1 and v2 tags. not that big of a deal though as i favor folder structure. I feel it gives me more control over my mp3s and i've spent a lot of time organizing them to work the way i want.

you said that you have all your mp3s name with artist album track and song. that would be ridiculous on the iHP but, if tagged correctly, would work on the iPod.

a lot of people say that the iPod's system is worth going through and tagging all of your files the way iTunes wants you to. well i say its worth going through and naming your files the way it would work in a directory structure.

i still think winamp is better software than itunes so when i add song to my computer's mp3 players, i see the filename, not the id3 tag, so im happy with that.

my point is that either way you need to spend time to get it working right. with the iPod you need to tag correctly, with the iHP you need to organize efficiently otherwise, either one will be a pain.

 

[AndyH]

Quote:

Originally posted by AGR Even if I would have purchased the iPod 20gb model, it would have costs me soooo much more to get a case, the remote, and USB cable (to the tune of about $100+ more). Sorry; Not impressed with the iPod. And yeah! I listened to it. That's a pretty weak remote for $39.95. And no case? That's a lot of crap. They should throw one in. Apple loves and hates the consumer.

The 20 & 40GB iPods comes with the following accessories:
Earbud headphones, dock, remote, carrying case, AC adapter, FireWire cable and 4-pin-to-6-pin FireWire adapter

I think you must be referring to the 15GB iPod when you say it doesn't come with a case or remote.

So if you purchased the 20GB iPod, all you'd need is the $19 USB cable from Apple and you're good-to-go.

 

[e-r0ck]

Quote:

Originally posted by AndyH The 20 & 40GB iPods comes with the following accessories: Earbud headphones, dock, remote, carrying case, AC adapter, FireWire cable and 4-pin-to-6-pin FireWire adapter I think you must be referring to the 15GB iPod when you say it doesn't come with a case or remote. So if you purchased the 20GB iPod, all you'd need is the $19 USB cable from Apple and you're good-to-go.

is the carrying case the same as it was when it always has been... just a sleeve that doesn't allow operation when the player is inside of it?

when i had my 2nd gen thats the only one they offered.

 

[Sweet Spot]

I have to go on record here, and say that I mostly concur with Austonia's findings. (shock shock horror horror)

His assessment seems pretty right on to me, and this is coming from a guy who loves his IHP for what it does, but can accept it for what it does on a mediocre level. A few people hit the nail on the head with the "each DAP has its strengths and weaknesses" statement. There's no way that any DAP on the market will please %100 or the people %100 of the time.

I chose the IHP knowing some of its faults and made the sacrifice. However, I may be hanging on to some false hope, which states that since a lot of the things that I find fault with, can be fixed via a firmware upadate. Truth is, these "fixes" may never happen. Here's what I agree with:

1) Sorry, having to wait for the text to scroll at a super slow speed even when set to 4x just to read what file I"m looking at is SUPER LAME. This means I have to set the back light to a high enough time frame in order that the light doesn't go out, which if it does, forces you to tap the nub again, thereby making you have to start from the very beginning..so you'll never be able to read the whole thing ! And as we all know, the back light is one of the biggest contributers to battery waste.. Not good.

2) The useless file icon...we can all agree on that. Moreover, it wouldn't take very much for the programmers to make some basic changes to the GUI, like changing the fonts and optimizing the real estate. Without those file icons, I can see at least 7 or 8 more fonts fitting in.

3) The redundancy of button taps when in particular views/modes. I totally agree. Not a very creative structuring of commands.

4) Ah, the infamous 'nubbin'. Some don't mind it, some do. Personally, I was never a fan of it. I got used to it, but some people will find that offensive. You can't really use the tip of your thumb with it, you have to use the center of your finger instead because the surface is so smooth and the action is so tight. A poor choice considering the IHP 120 is Irivers second go at this. Even more disappointing is that the 140 is the third go. So many little quirks and bugs should have and could have been addressed since the release of the IHP 100 but hardly any real progress was made outside of Lyric Database support which IMO is the biggest joke of all.

Now on the other side of the fence, there are a couple things I don't agree with. First off..Austin, (no sarcasm by the way) you may need to see an ear doctor. Dude, I find it hard to believe that the volume of the IHP using canal phones isn't loud enough for you, or as you put it, "barely loud enough at 40 in a quiet room", when my Sony V6's are plenty loud at 15 in a quiet room. There are times when I forget to lower the volume from 40, after having unplugged it from my stereo, and when I put it on, my ears get blown the hell out ! When I go to sleep sometimes I listen to it with the volume on about 5 and it's still loud enough to keep me up, so I'm not sure about your findings there. Try the Etys from the line out too....Just as a side thing, not to say it will increase the volume to your liking.

And then there's the connectivity problem you seem to be having all over the place. Very strange. I'm beginning to wonder if the IHP 140's initial firmware is buggy. I've brought my IHP to many places such as the office or friends houses, and I've never experienced this phenomenon. I've always plugged and played as I'm guessing the greater percentage of IHP owners have. It's a known fact by the way for some of you who don't know this, that if you're running Win 98 or below or around, (perhaps ME?) drivers are required.

I continue to love my IHP mostly because the sound quality to me is fantastic. The only other player that can beat it IMO is the NJB3. I've tried all the others except for the Karma, which I'm still wanting to try out, but IMO, the IHP's sound quality is the most versatile and rounded.

I am however getting fed up with Iriver support. It's very unlikely that I'll buy another Iriver product unless they get their acts together and decide to address issues that are relevant to the here and now, and what the customers keep having to beg for, but with no response from them at all. I suppose that the IHP 120 will last me long enough until some company gets it to 'nearly perfect' status. Shame though, Iriver could be the ones if only they listened to the people who put food on their tables.

 

[AndyH]

Quote:

Originally posted by e-r0ck is the carrying case the same as it was when it always has been... just a sleeve that doesn't allow operation when the player is inside of it? when i had my 2nd gen thats the only one they offered.

Yes, the Apple case isn't really all that functional (unless you use the remote), but it is a case and it is included with the 20GB & 40GB iPods...I just wanted to set AGR straight on that issue.

With that said, I purchased a Contour Showcase for my 20GB iPod...much, much nicer compared to the Apple case.

 

[DLP]

Quote:

Originally posted by Sweet Spot Dude, I find it hard to believe that the volume of the IHP using canal phones isn't loud enough for you, or as you put it, "barely loud enough at 40 in a quiet room", when my Sony V6's are plenty loud at 15 in a quiet room.

Please note he was using the Etymotic ER-4S, not the ER-4P. The ER-4P is the one meant to be used with portable devices as it has a lower resistance. The ER-4S is meant to be driven with a real amplifier and is best in a home setup and has trouble being driven by almost any portables, or so I've read. Now, why he made the choice to test with those headphones, I couldn't tell you. Maybe it was all he had on hand.

Now, most of you people need to keep one thing in perspective. Austonia has more MP3 players now than most of us will have in 10 years. He has had experiences with all the major brands, and knows what generally works and what generally doesn't, and how it generally should work and how it doesn't no matter who you buy. In an initial impressions (notice this thread is not a formal review and should not be taken as his final word on this product) will mostly be what stands out against the competition, or just what stands out like a sore thumb. If you think he's unfairly slamming the iHP, you honestly need to wait for the formal review to see what he really thinks and how he says it.

 

[AGR]

Quote:

Originally posted by AndyH Yes, the Apple case isn't really all that functional (unless you use the remote), but it is a case and it is included with the 20GB & 40GB iPods...I just wanted to set AGR straight on that issue.

Yep,,,,,,,,,,, I is straight.

The 20gb does include the goodies. It was the discontinued 15gb that didn't. $399.95 for either the 20gb iPod or iHP-120, retail. I paid $342.00 for my iHP-120 shipped w/ a 30.00 rebate.

So; depending on where you buy, you might get the 20gb iPod for about the same price.

On a side note; As the 15gb model iPod was going away (and being replaced by the 20gb, I was one of many that contemplated a purchase for $250 on eBay from a number of sellers.

 

[Sweet Spot]

Ah...the "S's" Fair nuff'. But he does have more than one set of headphones...and I'm sure he wouldn't make the mistake of judging the output power based on using phones that are known to be hard to drive. Especially when he has other cans at his disposal. I hardly believe that he would make such a comment until he waited for other cans to be available. Doesn't make much sense to me. But then...most things don't.

 

[sanvara]

I bought the iHP-140 to see how it stacks up against my Ipod and as I said in an earlier post the Ipod is going bye-bye on Ebay. I just think that the features of the iHP-140 clearly outweigh the deficencies compared to to other players. Small size, multi-codec, optical in and out, recording capability, FM radio, battery life, ability to encode to MP3 built into the player, price (I paid $370) etc. It's definately my player of choice when looking at all the features and strengths/weaknesses vs the other players out there.

A couple random observations:

I think one thing that has been overlooked is the remote on the iHP-140. It's fantastic. Yes, I know some people don't use remotes but I do and this baby does it all. The Ipod remote is useless in comparison. The iHP-140 remote lets you move through all your files and folders with ease. I absolutely love it.

The iHP-140 case is not great but it's definately not bad and is certainly acceptable. It actually allows access to the player. You can actually see the screen and use the buttons. Wow, what a concept!

Compared to the stock Ipod case which requires you to remove the player from the case to do anything it's a godsend. Apple is known for their product design abilities. Who signed off approval on the horrible carrying case, the castrated remote and the awful battery life?? As I said earlier, I think the scroll wheel on the ipod is awesome, but the iHP-140 just has too many other positives and features going for it for me to keep the ipod over the iHP-140.

 

[austonia]

sweet spot, the other phones I've tested with (Grado MS-1, Koss KSC-35, Sennheiser MX500's), are easily powered by the iHP, no problem. I'm sure you are aware. The only one it is slightly deficient with is the Etymotic ER4S, which is the hard test for any portable. The iPod drivers them louder, but it's not by a landslide. I mentioned it because I would have liked the iHP to provide about 10% more power the ER4S, giving me the loudness I prefer and a just a slight bit of headroom for softer recordings. Yes, I have a small amount of hearing damage, but it's not noticeable in a room with a computer (and CPU fan). It may be the average joe will find it drives the ER4S properly. I can only speak for myself