just bought my slimX-350!

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just bought my slimX-350!

Reply #25 – 2003-06-09 09:26:24

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I'm checking out the new SlimX 550. How are these things (350 or 400 owners replies are fine as well as not too many people probably have the 550 yet) for running? Do they skip a lot? Also - how is the weight? They look very light. If I buy one it will be for active use, as running and working out is too hard on my HD based Ipod.

ezra2323...

The iPod's hard drive is not spinning most of the time. After it puts as much music as it can fit into memory (using a 'read ahead' type technology) it stops the hard drive. This is mainly done to extend the hard drive's life and to avoid serious problems if the iPod is dropped or banged while it is reading, since the hard drive is less likely to receive damage if it is not being read from at that time. But for running and working out, not only may the iPod not be the best choice (like you said) because it uses a spinning hard drive, but isn't it way to big and cumbersome to carry with you while running?

The iRiver Slim-X, since using a large spinning CD, won't receive as much physical damage in theory as the iPod and it won't skip often if you let it put a good minute worth of the song into memory before you start running, but still, it's just as big and cumbersome to cary, if not more, then the iPod. Yeah it's a little thinner then the new iPod's (Slim-X: 0.54 inch apox. / iPod: 0.7 inch) but it's taller (Slim-X: 4.9 inch apox. / iPod: 4.1 inch) and it is much wider (Slim-X: 5.3 inch apox. / iPod: 2.4 inch)

The iRiver iFP-390T (256MB) and iFP-395T (512MB) flash memory based players are much better choices for running and working out.

1) They are microscopic compared to the iPod and Slim-X
2) They use flash memory, so there are no moving parts, like hard drives, to damage.
3) Absolutely Skip Free! Songs don't need to be loaded into memory because they already are in memory (Flash Memory), so there will never be any skipping.
4) They are instant! Compared to the CD-MP3 players and Hard Drive players (which are faster then CD-MP3 players, though), Flash media players are in all means INSTANT. Not only do they start up infinitely faster than HD or CD based players, but more importantly, they load songs instantly no matter where the song on the player! The iPod and Slim-X can only be this fast if the song you choose has already been buffered into memory, which most of the time it has not.

I'd say, go with the iFP-300 line of flash memory based players from iRiver. They are outstanding on so many different levels and, in my honest opinion, are the best flash memory based players available. Plus, for the runners out there, they come with a "sport arm band" (which the player securely attaches to) that I use all the time when I'm out running.

All the iFP-300 models, except the 512MB model, are available for purchace, and the 512MB model should be out soon, although I'm not sure of the exact date.

I'd say, get with the 512MB model when it comes out, or if you don't want to spend that much, get the 256MB version. But whichever you choose, make sure it is one of the iFP-300's and not one of the older iFP-100's.

Here's the prices:

iFP-395T (512MB) - (no official price yet, but will probably be $349.99)
iFP-390T (256MB) - $199.99
iFP-380T (128MB) - $139.99
iFP-340 (64MB) - $99.99

http://www.iriver.com/

Also of note:

- The 128MB and 64MB version do not come with the "sport arm band", though you can buy one separately for $12.99 in the iRiver store.
- There is no difference between the 512MB, 256MB and 128MB versions (except storage space and the 128MB version not including the arm band). On the other hand, the 64MB version doesn't include some of the nicer features of it's bigger brothers, plus it offers so little storage space, so I'd say, don't even bother with it.
- Whichever you get, just remember to upgrade it's firmwire after you receive it, and check back at iRiver's website every 1-3 months to see if new firmwire has been made available. Just make sure you get the firmwire that has "UMS" in the name. This version firmwire will make it so your player will act as removable USB drive in Windows. The benefit is that you don't have to use iRiver's software, which you used to HAVE to use in order to upload and download files to and from your player. Now it can all be done easily right inside Windows without the use of any other software.

just bought my slimX-350!

Reply #26 – 2003-06-09 21:47:00

I got my IMP-350 back in december when the prices dropped after the 400 was announced. I researched plenty and read a bunch of reviews. Most of the reviews were bullshit, but there were a few fairly in-depth ones with positive comments that made me add to cart. After playing with it for a month or so I thought about writing my own practical review, but haven't yet.

I bought the MP-trip from easybuy2000 about 2 weeks after they were released, so that's what I came from. The trip still works though the lid is broken, making it a pain in the ass.

The resume function on the slimx was a god-send after 2.5 years of not having it. I have a 20 minute commute so I was listening to the same 10 songs everytime I started the car, unless I cycled it into random. The slimx will remember that you had played a certain CD on random (12 CD memory).

Some people mentioned crappy battery life. I get about 5 days (1.5 hours/day) out of a charge, even on random, which causes the head to drive wildly. This is compared to less than 2 days on NiMH AAs with the MP-trip. No complaint here.

Others mentioned the weak line-out power. I don't know about that because, compared to the trip, I can clip the input of my FM transmitter. I had to pad it.

I dropped the 350 once from about shoulder height onto a gravel driveway. The only problems were that the CD had popped off the spindle and the optics were slightly skewed. Easily fixed. That was 5 months ago.

In two of the reviews that I read there were a couple of cons mentioned that rubbed me wrong. One reviewer said the cord to the remote was "too long and tangled horribly." If it were any shorter I'd say it was too short, and wires ALWAYS get tangled. WTF? The other review stated that the external AA battery pack was "awkward to use." BULLSHIT! I can continue to listen to music after my internal batteries are dead! Be thankful for this!

There is a bad side though. With increased battery life comes a cost. In this case it's the wimpy servo, which doesn't like to drive around on cold mornings (<30), and the unit reports no disk. To conserve battery, the 350 will spin down the disk when the buffer is full. This becomes a speed penalty when you want to skip a track. You have to wait for it to spin up again. Also, I do get the occasional skip and whirp, though not often and never on a continuous basis.

Sentiment: Strong buy! No better deal for $99.

mobius

just bought my slimX-350!

Reply #27 – 2003-06-09 23:58:09

Here is the link to get the iriver firmware unpacker and packer. It would be awesome to see some of you audio wizards come up with some new codec support (like ogg, mpc, flac). If somebody does try this, good luck!

dj_digital

just bought my slimX-350!

Reply #28 – 2003-06-10 03:42:37

Great replies. Thank you. I actually have, in addition to my Ipod, a Nomad IIC with 2 extra 128mb cards - which I currently use for running. It works fine. I was merely interested in the SlimX as another alternative. I know its size is larger, but I do not mind strapping it to my waist via a CD belt (its what I used to do in the pre MP3 days anyway with a Sony Discman).

Based on the responses, I may hold off on anything new for now. I have seen the new IRiver flash players and do not care for them much. Just my preference. I am sure they are great. My all time favorite for ease, style, price, and weight was the Rio 600. However, STUPID Sonicblue had to make the proprietary memory instead of using available flash media. That killed that player. Their new players are much worse. That company does just not get it. Amazing since their 1st player was so far ahead of its time. My Rio PMP300 still works great after 4 years! Too bad it only holds 64mb even with a 32mb flash card.

just bought my slimX-350!

Reply #29 – 2003-06-10 09:13:20

My 250 has never failed to impress me, nor anyone else I demonstrate it to... It fell out of my bag whilst riding the once, on to the road (cue guy wildly running after a CD and batteries, which all rolled for ages), it lived on with no problems!

A couple of points about battery life: First off, with CDDA and the jostle of a bike commute through town, its crap (although miraculously never jumps)... but with MP3, it is far far better (as you would expect) - it seems to me that if the unit is constantly being bumped about, MP3 outlasts CDDA by a factor of ~5x!

Also, all these people moaning about battery life... I wonder if these are the same people who are whining on about OGG support? That would shorten it, surely?

just bought my slimX-350!

Reply #30 – 2003-06-10 14:47:10

I only whine about ogg support...everything else is groovy on the 350. I don't think the iRivers buffer CDA (other than that allotted for skip protection) which surely explains battery life. It should only drop marginally with ogg vs mp3. Spinning the disk and the audio output are the big drains (not processing).

xen-uno

just bought my slimX-350!

Reply #31 – 2003-06-10 14:50:32

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Spinning the disk and the audio output are the big drains (not processing)

Must be true... (well, otherwise what I have mentioned would have been counteracted by the proecessing... anyway...)

Anyone here leave the blue light on all the time? How does that affect play time? I'll have to have a look into that; I really like that blue colour...

just bought my slimX-350!

Reply #32 – 2003-06-10 16:01:22

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Anyone here leave the blue light on all the time? How does that affect play time? I'll have to have a look into that; I really like that blue colour...

Since mine is used mostly when I am lying in bed, I hAve it plugged in and so I have the blue light on. When I am walking around the neighborhood or such, I find I need to turn off the light to get enough juice.

just bought my slimX-350!

Reply #33 – 2003-06-10 20:20:08

I'm getting a new 30GB iPod!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I'm so excited! these things rule!

I can finally get rid of my SlimX 400, which is great, but it just doesn't suit me anymore. It's the fact that I HAVE to hold something (the remote) that is connected to the base that I must keep in my bag. And then because there is that extra cord going to the remote, it always gets tangled with my headphones remote when in my bag.

And I'm not going using that little remote that comes with the iPod, cause that would be WORSE then using the SlimX 400. But the main iPod itself is outstanding! I tried out one the new ones the other day and was dumbfounded by how awesome it is!

I'm so excited!

just bought my slimX-350!

Reply #34 – 2003-06-10 22:15:16

Regarding battery life (part II)...

Actually what I think happens is that if you have 100kb of buffer then lets say that equals 5 seconds of audio for cda. If cda is 1440 kbs and your lossy files are around 200 kbs, then 1440/200 = 7.2 which would mean that 100 kb buffer could hold ~ 35 seconds of compressed music (idealisticly speaking, you only have to pull data off the disk 1/7 as much in a given unit of time). Throw in the processing requirement of lossy files (vs none with cda) and that will knock down battery life, probably amazingly close to that factor of 5 that Lev mentioned. So scratch what I said earlier about buffering, both formats are probably buffered the same.

xen-uno

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