iRiver iHP-120 Review

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iRiver iHP-120
4.6 stars
Average rating for this product is: 4.6 out of 5

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Skuds's Review of iRiver iHP-120 MP3 Player

7th Sep 2004

Overall Rating

5 stars
  • Value for money
    5 stars
  • Sound Quality
    4.5 stars
  • Features
    5 stars
  • Time MP3 Player Owned
    6 - 12 Months
  • Battery Life
    5 stars
  • Memory
    20Gb
Good Points

Battery life
Range of codecs
Sound
Accessories (LCD Remote control, microphone, case, hi-fi leads)
Optical line in/out
FM radio
Recording/encoding ability
Price


Bad Points

Time to 'boot up'


General Comments

I have been using the iRiver iHP-120 for about 9 months now, and have not regretted it at all. It is often said that the controls are complicated, but I found them easy to get used to, and have had no problems at all. Really my only regret was that I couldn't afford to wait for the iHP-140 to be released with its larger hard drive, although I have about 7000 tracks from over 500 CDs recorded and have not filled 20Gb yet.

Apart from the usual listening on the move I have also used the (supplied) leads to connect to my hi-fi and record some old vinyl records and cassettes directly onto the -120, and played the iRiver through a pair of old PC speakers when away from home. There is an option to connect the player to a hi-fi using optical connections, and that's about the only thing I have not tried yet.

The remote control deserves special mention. It has an LCD display and can perform all the funtions of the main unit. It means that when travelling the main unit never has to leave my pocket and can stay safe in its leather case in an inside pocket. Some people feel that design is not the prettiest in the world. Well design is subjective, but since the iRiver is always tucked away i'ts a moot point.

Last year (2003) the general opinion of the HP-120 was that it was a high-quality machine because of its optical connections, recording ability and inclusion of WMA, OGG and WAV formats alongside the ubiquitous MP3, but that quality came at a premium and the list price was a good £100 above its rivals. During this year, the price has dropped and now is about the same as the lower-specced rivals. Considering the included accessories are the sort of thing you would have to pay extra for with other players, there seems to be no reason not to see this as the player of choice for discerning listeners.

I have not recommended this player to my friends - I don't need to: I just let them have a go of mine.

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