Customer Reviews

iAUDIO M3-20SL-CR 20 GB MP3 Jukebox with FM Radio and Voice Recorder with Cradle (Metal Silver)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was torn between the IRiver, IPod and the IAudio. The IRiver was about to go out of production and was just a bit too big so no thanks. I read sooo many reviews and came to one simple conclusion. People who buy the IPods are sheeps - Baaaah! Loads of people slated this product who hadn't even used it and they all seemed to be IPod owners - Heeelllloooo! I admit the IPod looks cool but that's about it - For the record I think the IAudio looks better!

I purchased the IAudio M3 and haven't looked back. With a pair of decent Sony headphones the sound quility is quite amazing! You get all the equipment in the box including 2 docking units, remote control and carry case. It is plug and play on any PC with Win ME plus so no need for drivers - simply drag and drop the MP3's (or any other files). Also records and has a radio....need I go on?

Don't be duped into an IPod just cos everyone else has!

Only small downfall is no screen on main unit - a very small issue.

If you are a person that is not technically inclined and is incapable of reading a manual I might recommend the iPod. However, taking the minutely more confusing path pays off exponentially. The features offered by the m3 are far more powerful and useful than those of the iPod.

Before buying the unit you might want to get familiar with possible problems, resolutions and features over at iaudio.com.

A friend of mine uses the iRiver. The most significant difference I can find between them is the fact that the iAudio has no primary screen on the unit and looks much nicer. I am quite happy having made the change to a unit that is not a cliche status symbol (as is the iPod); the iAudio M3 is cool on its own merits not because "everybody else is doing it".

One quick reminder: update the firmware straight out of the box (if this sounds hard, don't worry; it's not)

it is really tiny and ultra slim. Amazing! Great sound quality, ton of features such as fm, recording, inline recording¡¦ you name whatever you want, , and basically, everything I need. Why people like iPod? I really don¡¯t understand. Once you use this great gadget, you¡¯ll never go back to iPod.

One thing it missed is display. But once you are familiar with the main body and know all the control, you don¡¯t need to see the display anymore. It will be attached in your hand. And you are feeling everything inside your hand. you will not even think about other MP3 players. The great BBE sound also makes your ears perfect!

I'm not going to waste space debating this vs. Ipod, etc. Instead, I'll tell you that I've been using this player for about 5 months and enjoy it very much. Pros: small size, don't need to take the whole unit out of your pocket/bag to change stuff, intuitive and easy to use controls once you get used to them, lots of extras (FM radio, voice recording, radio recording, supports Ogg Vorbis and others), frequent firmware updates (the company cares about the users of their product), good price. Cons: some people may not like the extra wire that's needed for the screen, not supported by online music stores (that last one is a biggy if you plan on buying music online- I still buy CD's and then rip them (using CDex into Ogg) and put it on this). Even though there are a few other companies that have bested this one (barely) in terms of size and battery life since it's release, I still think this player has the most to offer for its price than any other on the market. Don't be scared off by the lack of the screen on the main unit; once you use it, you really wouldn't want it any other way. Unfortunately, Amazon doesn't seem to be offering it for $259 w/o the cradle anymore (the cradle is redundant to the small adapter it comes with which is much more travel friendly, but some people like it and at $289, it's still a great deal).

Got this product after my Nomad died (NEVER BUY CREATIVE!!!) After 6 months, I'm really impressed with the product, and have total confidence with buying IAudio products in the future.

Pros
- Afordable: I agree with the sheep review; you buy Apple, you pay a lot extra for the name.
- Slim Design: No one can believe this is a 20 gig hard drive!
- Strong Structure: Forget silver plastic, this is a true metal case!!! Feels incredibly sturdy in you hand, despite slim size!
- Easy Plug and Play Features: Connects as an external hard drive to the computer. Adding music files is as easy as dragging and dropping. Folders and subfolders allows you to organize your music as you would on a normal computer. I also keep important documents (e.g. PhD dissertation) backed up in Textfile folder.
- Jet Audio: Once you get use to it, you'll never use Media Player again.

Cons
- Remote Control: Takes getting use to, and unlike hard drive component, MADE OF PLASTIC! Wire connecting to hard drive got caught on door, ripping remote from my belt, breaking clip off the back. Now a nuisance to carry around. I plug headphones directly into hard drive when going to work out, etc, but without remote attached, I have to navigate blind.
- Computer Interface: Everything connects through a docking port on the bottom (like cell phone). I would like to recharge in different places but need to bring special adapter wherever I go, which is another nuisance. Would prefer the USB cable and DC cable to connect directly to unit.
- Carrying Case: Solid loop at back means you need a belt to carry player. A clip would be more versatile (clip to shorts for working out). Bought the Apple iPod slim photo leather carrying case, which has almost identical dimensions and works great with the unit.
- Making Playlists: Only a problem at the beginning. After I got use to Jetaudio software, was finally able to create/store playlists. Still time consuming to modify, however.

Overall, I am VERY impressed with the company, but found slight design flaws with this product, specifically. If you are interested in an affordable MP3 player, consider the newer M5 or X5 units. Eliminates the biggest problem on external remote control.

it is really tiny and ultra slim. Amazing! Great sound quality, ton of features such as fm, recording, inline recording¡¦ you name whatever you want, , and basically, everything I need. Why people like iPod? I really don¡¯t understand. Once you use this great gadget, you¡¯ll never go back to iPod.

One thing it missed is display. But once you are familiar with the main body and know all the control, you don¡¯t need to see the display anymore. It will be attached in your hand. And you are feeling everything inside your hand. you will not even think about other MP3 players. The great BBE sound also makes your ears perfect!

I have Windows XP and I use the USB port for many devices (digi camera, printer, other audio device). This MP3 Player is advertised as XP compatable. It comes with a dedicated USB cable, and an explorer type program "Jetshell". I never could get XP or its own program "Jetshell" to recognize the device. I exchanged the MP3 player for a another new one thinking the one I had was defective. I had the same problem with the new one. I spent a lot of time with customer/tech support to no avail. (I noticed on their support forum other customers with the same problem, but no solution offered) I finally gave up and returned the unit. Too bad, it was a small, compact and attractive device. Wished it would have functioned.