iAUDIO 4 256 MB Metal Silver MP3 Player w/FM & Voice Recorder

Rating:
Summary: The best player you can ever get!
Review: Although the iAudio4 is very small, it has all the features you may ever want in a flash player. Mp3 playback is highly customizable and there is also an FM tuner, a line-in input for recording, an integrated microphone for voice recording and a dynamic set of backlight (124 colors in total). The device can also be used as portable data storage device (just like a USB Stick). Other features the player has: There is a hold button, a loop function and with a future Firmware upgrade the player will also support time synced lyrics.

The iAudio comes with plenty of accessories to get you started. The player's carrying case looks very well made (it looks so cute because of its size). The included Cresyn ear buds provide good sound, although you may want to upgrade them to get the most out of the player - the included armband is very useful for active people. JetAudio has also provided two plastic covers that you can stick on to protect the players screen. A line-in cable is a nice addition, since it is useful to record from sources such as LPs or cassettes.

The sound quality is terrific, even when the available "jetEffects" aren't used. The equalizer is highly customizable and sound enhancements such as BBE Mach3Bass make you think: "How did I manage to survive without my iAudio and it's awesome sound?". The radio tuner has a good reception, and an adequate set of features (such as range selection and presets), unluckily the equalizer and effects can't be used along with the radio. You can also record your favourite radio song to mp3s directly from the player.

Voice recording is my opinion one of the best features of the player. The built-in microphone is of very good quality, making it great for lectures. There's a handy silence detection feature that is useful to save space, or to make recordings such as interviews easier to listen to. The line-in recording has a similar feature that creates a new track whenever a silence is found.

A lyric display function is in development. It can be checked out using the Korean version of the firmware (which is luckily in English), and will soon appear for the rest of the world. The process of obtain lyrics is simple: You use a provided program to look in a database of synced lyrics that you can add to a song. When you upload the file to the player and play it, lyrics will automatically appear on screen in almost perfect sync. This is great especially for non-English speakers (now I can fully understand what those Eminem songs are all about).

Firmware upgrades appear constantly, especially when bugs are found by users. Support seems efficient, although slow in answering. Repair policies are excellent; you get free repairs during the warranty period when the unit is defective. There is a one year warranty on the main body and 6 months on the included accessories.

The iAudio4 is like many of those things in life: You will never comprehend how you managed to live without it after listening to it.

Rating:
Summary: Take my word. You would get the best.
Review: I recently purchased this product from Amazon website. And boy! I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available. There are hundreds, looking similar, with almost similar features and each claiming to out-perform each other. I spent two whole days reading through all the reviews on Amazon and all mp3 player sites worth their salt. It was difficult, you bet..but I could zero in on just two mp3 players after a thorough research and careful study.

-Muro MR-100 sold by Suntecint.com

-Jet Audio's newest offering iAudio 4

After a long deliberation and argument with self, I decided on this one..While Muro provides exceptional build quality, the most exciting FM broadcasting feature and a rechargeable battery, I chose this one because of iAudio's reputation and the sheer features this incredibly tiny instrument has got.

Another reason why I prefered this one is the battery. I didn't think a rechargeable battery does any help. You could be on a long trip and could run out of charge. But this one takes AAA batteries and you could get them just anywhere.

And if you are concerned about batteries eating away into your purse, you could always buy rechargeable AAA batteries.

So my verdict: This is THE best available today. No doubt.

To all those people who are not that tech savvy, here is my list of suggestions, to the point, practical.

1. Don't buy one with a proprietory rechargeable battery. Buy one with AA or AAA batteries.

2. If you have little extra bucks, settle for 256 mb. You may never want to upgrade the memory coz 60 songs may be just enough for you, no matter where you go. On the other hand, after a year, a 128 mb player could give you sleepless nights.

3. If you really need a player that doubles up as a flash drive to store and move your files, buy one with a USB plug attached to the player. Othewise, you might never carry the USB cable with the player (who would??) and can't use it when you need it most.

4. Buy one with a line-in feature that records from other sources. This might look like a trivial feature, but think for a moment! That feature gives you the power to record sound from almost everything..everything with a headphone jack.

Good luck guys!

Rating:
Summary: Product (?) Lousy Service!!!
Review: Placed an order on July 1st and was told I was going to receive it on the 14th (latest). So far no player.

Emailed Amazon and JetAudio and both companies bounced me back and forth claiming the other had the responsibility for shipping it. The money was charged but no one seems to want to give me a confirmation that it was indeed sent. All I'm asking is the Tracking #. Is it REALLY that hard to email me that?

I was told to wait for 20 days, which will probably pass and then find out it was NEVER SHIPPED at all. Then I have to wade through all the paper work and wait ANOTHER 60 days to get a refund.

Yes, Amazon I know you're just a third party but you have responsibility to these customers too.

**** Take my advice and order it directly from JetAudio's website. The people at DigitalRiver, who handles the orders, at least know what they are talking about. ****

The only consolidation is that this will be my last experience with Amazon.