New ipod or iRiver iHP-120

[Leoml88]

I was really planning on getting the iRiver, but then the new ipod came out and now I'm not as sure.

Here are the most important things I'm looking for:

Ease of Use
Good playlist features
No drivers required storage device
Small and portable
Good battery life
Good, and loud sound quality

Here are some bonuses that would definitely be nice, but aren't deal makers or brakers:

FM Radio
Voice Recording
LCD remote


I'm sort of leaning towards the ipod, since most of the main things I'm looking for are on the iPod, but I'd like to hear other people's opinions of each player.

I know there are some new upgrades coming for the iriver, but I don't want to take the chance, since the firmware isn't even out yet.

 

[phinos]

Ease of Use-----> Ipod
Good playlist features-----> Ipod
No drivers required storage device-----> IHP
Small and portable-----> Ipod
Good battery life-----> IHP
Good, and loud sound quality -----> Ipod
FM Radio-----> IHP
Voice Recording-----> IHP
LCD remote-----> IHP
Looks-----> Ipod
Price-----> IHP

 

[Sweet Spot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by phinos Ease of Use-----> Ipod Good playlist features-----> Ipod No drivers required storage device-----> IHP Small and portable-----> Ipod Good battery life-----> IHP Good, and loud sound quality -----> Ipod FM Radio-----> IHP Voice Recording-----> IHP LCD remote-----> IHP Looks-----> Ipod Price-----> IHP

IMO, there's only ONE attribute listed above which holds true, and that's the playlist features. However, come mid August, the IHP series firmware is getting a serious overhaul, and this will no longer be the case..hence the iPod will have only it's pretty looks to depend upon in a challenge. A girl at where I work has a G3 pod and she's ALWAYS asking to listen to my IHP...she preferrs the sound from it..and guess who else does too ? My V6's sound whimpy on her pod...but not from my IHP. Also, the bass distorts when you turn it up on the pod...but not on my IHP, it's clear as a bell. So here's my interpretation:

Ease of use: If you're not mentally challenged, the IHP is extremely easy to use
Good playlist features-----> Soon to be both iPod AND IHP
No drivers required storage device-----> IHP (well, iPod doesn't need drivers either, HOWEVER, you DO need either iTunes or some other third party software in order to transfer music to the iPod and then play it immediately...it is crippled somewhat. The IHP is not at all. )
Small and portable-----> Ipod AND IHP (what..you're saying the iPod is more portable and smaller in comparison ? Stop it now ! There are specs around for you to check lol ! )
Good battery life-----> IHP
Good, and loud sound quality -----> Both have good sound quality, but I give the edge to IHP on two counts..One, no distortion with lotsa bass,and two, the digital line out...which can only be accomplished on the iPod with an dock)
FM Radio-----> IHP
Voice Recording-----> IHP
LCD remote-----> IHP
Looks-----> VERY SUBJECTIVE But I'm gonna say, and I'm not just saying this because I own an IHP...I think the new Sony DAP is the sexiest thing out there now...but I'm sick of those ugly iPods ! Seriously...I don't know what it is, but that dull, lifeless, sterile look of it, reminds me of the walls of a mental institution (not that I'd know what they really look like

) I mean christ, at first, they were nice to look at, but come on..get some colour there ! Not everybody likes white ! (Ask Lauryn Hill)

Let's add a few things now: (new firmware for IHP coming in August)

Gapless --->IHP
OTF Delete ---> IHP(does iPod have this ? I forget)
AAC support --->iPod
Ogg support ---> IHP
Adjustable playback speed supported --->IHP
+7 Ogre attack--->IHP
The ability to use Magic Missile --->IHP
Last but not least, the ability to harness the power of the dark side of the force -----> IHP (you don't know, the power of the dark side !)

 

[bangraman]

You can always expect an objective opinion from the moderator of the iRiver forums who's never owned an iPod

Ease of Use -> an H-crushing advantage for the iPod.
Good playlist features -> Another H-crushing iPod advantage, even with the forthcoming firmware updates for the H and even with the separately sold j.River Media Center.
No drivers required storage device -> iPod does not require drives to be a disc drive. You do need iTunes to load music onto it.
Small and portable -> the H120 is larger than the 40Gb 3G[/u iPod. (The 4G are smaller than the G3)
Good battery life -> a very slight advantage possible for the H, but not as large as it had.


Good, and loud sound quality -> quality of the G3 was higher than the H, but the EQ did suck. Loud, definitely. The G4 has a reported less issues with the EQ than the G3 had with the same or better quality, which would place it higher than the H for quality by some margin. Look at Lindrone's posts re: G3 vs G4 for more details. The H allows for a large degree of sound manipulation, most of them useless (SRS WOW). The EQ on the H works well but the sound quality leaves something to be desired alongside the iPod.


FM Radio -> H has it, iPod does not.
Voice Recording -> iTalk accessory for iPod gives voice-quality recording, H has built-in mic and a wide variety of recording options.
LCD remote -> H has it, iPod has a something of an afterthought remote which allows you to navigate within playlists, play/pause and adjust volume.

 

[Krishna]

Wait for the Karma 2 (Chroma). Thats just my 2 cents.

 

[AuroraProject]

Ease of Use= ipod
Good playlist features= ipod
No drivers required storage device= iriver
Small and portable= ipod (my 40gig ipod is smaller than my 20gig iriver)
Good battery life= iriver
Good, and loud sound quality= ipod or iriver (to me the ipod sounds better, but they both sound great)
FM Radio= iriver
Voice Recording= iriver
LCD remote= iriver

 

[GokieKS]

I own an iHP-120. I'm waiting until the updated firmware is released, or Christmas of this year (whichever comes first) - if the new firmware isn't what it's made out to be, or if it's not out by then, I'm getting rid of it and getting a 4G iPod (60GB if it's out, 40GB otherwise).

Why?

As it stands right now, the iRiver is the more capable device, but judged solely as a digital music player, the iPod is definitely superior - much better interface, and great playing modes (and Smart Playlists rock). The FM tuner and recording capabilities of the iRiver is nice, but unfortunately, I don't use either. So the only true advantages it offers for me is the remote and battery life, and the latter comes with a caveat: the iRiver, while playing 320kbps MP3s (which accounts for the vast majority of my music collection), will get me about 11 to 12 hours of battery life - more than enough for one full day of normal use when I'm on campus, but not quite enough for two.

This has turned out to be quite annoying. To properly care for the battery, I don't want to recharge it when it still has 1/3 or more of the battery life remaining, but if I don't, then it won't last me through the next day - I've ended up carrying my PCDP with one CD of my tried-and-true favorite songs in my backpack for when my iHP's battery runs out.

In comparison, the ~8 hour battery life of the iPod is just about enough to last me one day, and though I'd have to recharge it every night, it would actually be easier.

I do with the iPod had a better remote though. I don't expect them to be as good as, say, Sony's, but a LCD display would really be nice...

~KS

 

[Supsup]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweet Spot Not everybody likes white ! (Ask Lauryn Hill)

LMAO.

This made me keekle.





let's see what I can contribute:

Almost everything is subjective. The "Ease of Use" category extends into a lot of areas. I find the iRiver's Joystick is very easy to use once you get used to the "joystick does everything" concept. Although, the iPods interface has always been acclaimed for being simple and easy to use.

But you can't use your device until you have music on it.
In this area, the Ease of Use award goes to the iRiver, for it's driverless music transfer. I don't have the time to install software and learn how to use it (or go through the trouble of it erasing all the data on my player do to the SUPER HELPFUL autosync feature)

As for looks, also subjective.
Some like the iPod's clean, sleek lines. Other's like the iRiver's more styled curves and more "techie" look.


As for sound quality, I've listened to both and I can't tell a large difference at all. The Karma wins this category, though it's not on the list. Neither player really colorizes the music at all.

For playlist features, it's the iPod right now. But it will be up in the air in a few weeks when the iRiver's firmware comes out. But we'll have to see how well that works before claiming a winner.

Battery life, iRiver.


Small and portable, they both are. If you bring out a ruler, the iPod is thinner, but your pocket will not tell the difference. On a side note, most iPod users have theirs in a case because it is so simple to scratch. The iRiver is not as prone to scratching, so a case is not necessary (unless you want impact protection)

 

[Mark Larson]

A li-ion or li-poly battery should never be let to run dry. No rechargeable battery should be let to run dry, since that shortens battery life. Read up on rechargeable battery technology. I used to make the same mistake, but its totally wrong to let it run through the whole battery before recharging it.

That said, it strikes me as extremely silly that you're willing to switch players over such a small, niggling detail. Use the battery how you want - replacing it 2-3 years down the road will cost $50 at worst.

 

[Supsup]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Larson A li-ion or li-poly battery should never be let to run dry. No rechargeable battery should be let to run dry, since that shortens battery life. Read up on rechargeable battery technology. I used to make the same mistake, but its totally wrong to let it run through the whole battery before recharging it. That said, it strikes me as extremely silly that you're willing to switch players over such a small, niggling detail. Use the battery how you want - replacing it 2-3 years down the road will cost $50 at worst.

On a side note, it's best to recharge a li-poly battery when it's at 40%

 

[y0da]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweet Spot <snip> Gapless --->IHP OTF Delete ---> IHP(does iPod have this ? I forget) AAC support --->iPod Ogg support ---> IHP Adjustable playback speed supported --->IHP +7 Ogre attack--->IHP The ability to use Magic Missile --->IHP Last but not least, the ability to harness the power of the dark side of the force -----> IHP (you don't know, the power of the dark side !)

How many times per day is that magic missle?....is that a menu option or is it gonna be in the firmware?..

 

[GokieKS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Larson A li-ion or li-poly battery should never be let to run dry. No rechargeable battery should be let to run dry, since that shortens battery life. Read up on rechargeable battery technology. I used to make the same mistake, but its totally wrong to let it run through the whole battery before recharging it. That said, it strikes me as extremely silly that you're willing to switch players over such a small, niggling detail. Use the battery how you want - replacing it 2-3 years down the road will cost $50 at worst.

I never said I let it run dry... I usually try to recharge it at around 20%. And yes, I HAVE looked into the rechargable battery technology - I'd like to think a professor at a major US university, whose focus in research is power consumption on electronics, has some pretty good idea on the characteristics of the power sources used.

And I never said I want the iPod solely because of the battery life - I mentioned the superior UI and play modes, did I not?

~KS

 

[Jester]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweet Spot <snip>However, come mid August, the IHP series firmware is getting a serious overhaul, and this will no longer be the case.

I can only hope this is the case. My IHP has received little use because of the long awaited firmware upgrade. The last I heard the upgrade was supposed to be out in July and the date has now slipped again.

Did you hear/read this on the iRiver site?

 

[Luke]

For what it's worth, the Aug 17 issue of PC Magazine ranks the iRiver H140 as their Editor's Choice -- above the iPod 40 gig, above the Zen 60 gig, and above the Rio Karma. The H120 is identical, except for the smaller HD.

 

[wolfen68]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luke For what it's worth, the Aug 17 issue of PC Magazine ranks the iRiver H140 as their Editor's Choice -- above the iPod 40 gig, above the Zen 60 gig, and above the Rio Karma. The H120 is identical, except for the smaller HD.

Not disputing this....I have no real current DAP model preferences...but PC Magazine is not the greatest source of advice here (as it seems you recognize

).

To be honest, I haven't found a periodical yet that renders good reviews in this area. Maximum PC comes the closest because their editors actually know what EAC/Lame is (LOL)...but I still trust the "average" of reviews here more than anywhere else.