iRiver iFP-190T 256 MB Digital Audio Player

Rating:
Summary: Nice starter MP3 player
Review: I got this for my daughter's 12th Bday. The sound with WMA files is great even at the lower sampling rate of 64Kbps. Looks like she can have about 10 CDs worth of music stored at that rate.

One of the first things I did when I got this was to download the UMS firmware, which makes it work like a USB Mass Storage device (looks like another disk when connected to my Windows XP PC). It makes it very easy to move files back and forth without having to use special applications like the iRiver Music Manager.

The additional features of FM radio with recording capability and Voice recorder (very high quality in my test), are nice add-ons, especially considering the under $100 price for these things.

Highly recommended and I think I'll have to get one for myself for working out, running, etc.

Rating:
Summary: Nicely made
Review: This is my first MP3 player so I have nothing to compare to, but I did not buy it for music listening anyway. I bought it as a voice recorder and a small nature sounds machine. I can record nature sounds from my expensive and large nature sounds machine and take them with me when I need a nap or to sleep at night in hotels, etc. I have recorded some through the built-in mic and others with a better mic on the computer and transferred the sounds. It is also great as a memo recorder for voice. The mic is amazingly sensitive and is able to record lectures, etc. at a distance without problems at its best setting which still allows 4 hours of material. The neat thing about the nature sounds is that they can be looped so I only need one minute of each one on loop for many hours of soothing sounds. Great for shopping lists, etc. Only downside that I have found after a couple of weeks is that the buttons are confusing and the joy stick controller is quirkey, not always doing what it is supposed to. The earphones that come with it, despite some other reviews, are quite amazing. I use an external speaker more, however, it that works great since it uses a standard mini plug. Overall nicely made, and the AA battery is a nice touch. If you are over 30, keep your reading glasses handy for the miniscule readouts.

Rating:
Summary: Adequate voice recorder
Review: Unlike most of the other reviewers, I wanted this primarily as a recorder. It does quite well if the sound source is not too close to the mic. This is difficult to judge since there's no way to tell without playing it back. I didn't have to download any drivers to upload the music. I'm using Windows XP and RealPlayer. I installed the software, connected the player, and I was immediately able to transfer files in both directions. When uploading files, I'm asked if I want to convert from .REC to .WAV. Overall, I'm very satisfied.

Rating:
Summary: Nearly perfect...
Review: I upgraded the unit with UMS drivers so I could drag and drop in Windows XP. Syncing with Windows Media Player could not be easier. I have WMP downconvert all of my MP3s to 64KBps and they sound really good (not perfect, but really good). I currently have 105 songs in 64KBps WMA and have 60MB remaining free space.

Does not come with an armband... iRiver is sold out of them at the moment.

One thing to be careful about: The unit comes pre-loaded with a few songs. If you decide that you like them, BACK THEM UP BEFORE UPGRADING THE FIRMWARE. The unit will be reformatted.

Rating:
Summary: Nice little player, but limited file space
Review: I bought the IFP-190T for a recent trip to Europe. A few comments...

Positives
+ I like that you could remove the battery, which was key for the travels on the plane and on the Eurail. I considered getting an iPod mini, but didn't want to lug a charger around Europe.
+ The battery lasts forever! I changed it maybe two times for my entire two-week trip.
+ The tiny size
+ You can adjust pretty much every little detail on the player. The backlight come on too long? You can change it.
+ It worked flawlessly the entire trip, and still works great.
+ The sound quality is excellent.

Negatives
- The 256MB size is hard to deal with. I ended up get Easy CD_DA Converter and shrunk my MP3s so more could fit.
- Getting my Dell computer to initially recognize the iRiver player took some time and research.
- I don't like the iRiver Music Manager, but you can use the 190T drag-and-drop hard-drive style trhough some updates.

Rating:
Summary: Great, but should have waited
Review: This is a great little player, but I bought it from amazon.com in January 2004 for $160 and now I can get it for $100, but hey, that's just how things work. Some people complain about the software and it's ease of use (or lack thereof) I actually taught myself in about 20 minutes and I didn't know ANYTHING about MP3 players (although I am experienced with computers). The sound out of the MP3 player, with the supplied headphones or any other decent pair, is AWESOME!!!! I haven't used the voice recorder, I have no use for it. The FM tuner is as good as it gets. By that I mean that all portable FM tuners aren't that great if you're moving around just a little, but if you're in the right spot and you have good reception there, it's good, and the recorder is a nice feature as well. The battery door is a little hard to open, but not to bad. All in all this is a good unit and I would recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Not so perfect, as of yet anyway...
Review: Ok, so I just received the player in the mail and right off the bat, I started noticing problems: first I had an incredibly hard time opening the battery door, it's as if iRiver wants to keep a secret in the compartments or something (I had to use a piece of rubber to press against the door to open it). Then the earphones...for the longest time I couldn't figure out why the right one was longer than the left one. My biggest gripe though, was with tech support: I called the number (1800-399-1799) about 5 or 6 times and everytime all you would hear was a busy signal. So I tried the internet, which answered my earphone question. However, I just registered the player today, and on the page where it offers various links to more info and FAQs on the iFP-190T, all of those links gave me a 404 Error-page cannot be found. What the F*ck?! I mean, to my understanding this is a "good" product, but if the support sucks ass, then what's the use of having it?

Rating:
Summary: Love it, love it, love it!
Review: I am thrilled with my purchase of this mp3 player. The memory size is perfect for a great selection of songs, the FM tuner is a plus, and being able to record off the FM tuner is a real bonus!
The software only took minutes to download and was completely self-explanatory. I downloaded the software and had 53 songs uploaded to my player (from my computer and various CDs) in well under an hour - and still had room to spare.
It is light weight, has a very cool design, and the features are easy to maneuver.
After purchasing several different types/brands of players - and returning them all - I am completely satisfied with this player. It is everything I wanted and needed - a definate keeper!

Rating:
Summary: Nothing Short of Excellence
Review: This unit will exceed expectations of any typical MP3 player. It has features galore and more can be added by updating the firmware from www.iriver.com (visit their support page for the iFP-100 series to find the updates). Also updates are available for the Music Manager to make this unit fully compatible with Windows Media Player. After all is updated, this excellent player just gets better.

The FM Record Capability is awesome and the recording quality is superior. The Headphones included with the unit are also beyond expection. For such small earphones, they compete and even perhaps surpass the sound quality of my expensive cup headphones.

This unit has features galore that you can control. Including how long the backlight stays on after a button is pressed, the bass and treble levels, whether or not the unit will resume playback where it left off after being shut off, and even the recording quality of the microphone when recording voice. (Which, by the way, my little Panasonic voice recorder doesn't even compare when voice recording quality is concerned.)

This unit is simply superior. I really can't say enough about it.