iRiver iHP-120

iRiver drops yet another HDD MP3 player on the market--the follow-up to the acclaimed iHP-100. This time the machine goes by the name of iHP-120 and has a 20GB HDD, and supports the new upcoming music file format Ogg Vorbis. iHP-120 is one of the first MP3 players that supports the new upcoming, and very popular, music file format Ogg Vorbis. Another new feature on the iHP-120 is the ability to plug-in an external mic, using the players mic-in.

You now have the ability to encode MP3 files directly in the player itself, or if you like, you can record to a high quality WAV file. Use the iHP-120's optical line-in, and get those crisp and ultra-clear recordings, either by hooking up your player to your portable CD player or your home sound system. The iHP-120 will give you 100 per cent quality each time, and of course you can set the bit-rate on your recordings just as you want it to be.

Absolutely packed with superb and powerful features, that with no doubt, will satisfy even the most fastidious hi-fi enthusiast. It's nothing less then a phenomenon that this small and extremely portable HDD MP3 player can present such a powerful list of features.

Perfect is an understatement...

I got the iRiver iHP-120 in July 04, after reading many reviews I decided not to be a lemming and buy what everyone else decided to get (iPod), but instead to rely on all the good reviews I had read and get this one. I have not been disappointed!

The sound is perfect, crank a song up loud and it doesn't distort. The accessories are great - FM radio, recording, a very very handy remote control, good protective case, microphone & all the leads. The firmware is upgradeable..so iRiver are still tweaking (not that this really needs it).

The 20gb storage capacity is fine for me, it's easily handled all my tunes' and is very handy to use as an extra hard drive to transport any large PC files I have.

All in all I am very very happy with my -120, I haven't read a bad review yet and I now understand why..I'd recommend this beauty to everyone! :-)

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.

There is a world other than iPod, and iRiver may steal the king's crown. My iHP-120 is the same size, cost me less, and lasts longer. I'm not restricted to iTunes downloads - I can rip CDs I already own, or download for a fee the tracks I want from several websites.

I found the controls took a little geting used to - the buttons are multi-functional scroll 'n click types.

This one should last me for a few years. My previous one, an Archos Jukebox, still works fine but it was a moment of compulsion that made me buy this. I'm sure you won't be disappointed if you give in too!

I have owned an iRiver iHP -120 for a few weeks now and I find it to be much better than my previous MP3 player, which was an iPod.

It offers good sound quality with lots of effects and an equaliser. There is a record function to record meetings etc. The 20GB space is far more than most will require, but the beauty of plug and play is that windows detects it has a portable hard drive so you can use it to transfer files as well as listen to music.