Customer Reviews

iriver iFP-795T 512 MB MP3 Player

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I just purchased and received an iRiver iFP-795 a few days ago, after spending a bit of time comparing it to other products. Other potential competitors (in terms of similar storage capacity and physical size) include the Creative Nomad MuVo TX FM and the Cowon iAudio 4 (Note: Cowon has recently announced a newer player, the iAudio U2, but it hasn't been released yet). Overall, I am very satisfied with the iRiver. I had some initial doubts before my purchase, but I've grown to really like the thing. Here are the details...

The Good:
<ul>
<li>Battery. The claimed 40-hour battery life far exceeds the 15-20 hours of the other players. The player uses standard AA-sized batteries You can them in pretty much any store, so running out of juice while you're traveling should never be a problem. You can also use rechargeable AAs, so just go and get yourself a nice set of NiMH rechargeables if you don't feel like constantly replacing the batteries (I'd recommend the Rayovac I-C3 15-minute charger/battery set). Using AA versus AAA might make the unit a little bigger than its competitors, but it's still small enough to fit comfortably in a pocket and the increased battery life is worth it.

Also, using AA batteries means that you never have to worry about an internal battery dying as the player ages.
<li>It's feature-packed. The Hi-Speed USB 2 transfers, FM radio, line-in record and voice recorder are all great. They aren't found in all competing products.
<li>It's very customizable. There is an extensive config system that lets you change almost every little detail of the player, from how long you want the backlight to stay on to how you want the song titles to scroll.
<li>Sound is clear and can be turned up in volume quite a bit.
<li>Direct MP3 encoding is a nice plus. It lets you record directly into a MP3 file (at one of several available quality settings). The iAudio has this same feature, but I'm not sure whether the Nomad MuVo does.
</ul>

Unfortunately, there are also a few bad things about the player. To me, these are more annoyances than major problems, but judge for yourself:
<ul>
<li>The interface is hard to learn. It's very confusing at first and you'd never guess how to access the functions unless you either read the manual or randomly try each and every button/screen combo.

I wish they just used a control-stick based menu instead of having each button on the player perform a different task depending on how long you hold it down for and what screen you're currently on. It's hard to memorize all the combos.

Once you've had the player for a few days and start learning how everything works, it isn't as big a deal anymore... but I still wish they put more thought into the initial design. However, I haven't been able to try the MuVo or iAudio's menus, so I can't say whether they're any better.
<li>No UMS (USB Mass Storage) support yet. This means you can't just plug in the player and use it as a disk drive. You must use iRiver's proprietary software to transfer your files and music. The included software is good, but just not as good or as convenient as regular Explorer. In other words, to transfer files to or from any computer, you have to go through the tedious process of installing the iRiver software first.

Most other players support UMS, and I'm very disappointed that the iRiver doesn't. However, I knew about this before I purchased the unit and was willing to make the sacrifice for its other features.

iRiver is supposed to release a firmware update in early September that will enable UMS functionality for this unit. However, iRiver has a history of being late with their releases, so it may be wise to wait before you buy if you really care about this functionality.
<li>As far as I can tell, the player has no playlist support except a single on-unit list that you can only edit on the player itself.
<li>There's no way to sort your files on the player. The files appear in whatever order they were in when you transferred them using the iRiver software. I think alphabetical order would make more sense.
<li>The included armband is too small unless you're a girl or a guy with thin arms. You can buy a "better" one from iRiver, but I don't know how good it is.
<li>There are also a few really stupid design choices/possible oversights:
Only the filename (or Title/Author, if you enabled ID3 tag parsing), not the foldername, scrolls across the screen while a song is playing. This makes it hard to tell what album you're currently listening to if its foldername is too long.

There's also the fact that you can set a start time for a timed FM recording but you cannot set an end time. The player will keep recording until it runs out of space or batteries. This makes the function all but useless. The September firmware update is supposed to fix this issue, but we'll have to wait and see if it does.

Also, you cannot upload MP3s from the player to a computer using the iRiver software. This is supposedly an anti-piracy measure, but it's very annoying. There is a workaround, though, which is renaming your files to *.REC before uploading. The UMS firmware, if ever released, would also make this a non-issue.
</ul>

It may seem like there are more bad points than good, but most of those are really just minor issues. Ultimately, I still really like my iRiver.

I was willing to pay extra for extra features w/ this player and those extras are worthwhile. What the descriptions and iriver site doesn't tell you that this player has a clock and timer.

Joystick does not look like the picture on Amazon or iRiver's US site. It looks like the iRiver North European site: irivernordic.com You can also get a USB Mass Storage (UMS) firmware from that site but I haven't tried it yet.

Alarm function just plays the last played MP3. The timed radio recordings work great but I don't know how to stop it, yet. Look at the manual from iriver's website and see the features for your self as I'm limited to 1,000 words on this review. Sound quality is great and volume even greater. Can go up to 40 but plays loud enough at 20 setting. EQ settings and 3D settings sound really nice, even on the included headphones. The headphones don't have too much bass so I used different ones. Can also adjust battery display setting for alkaline or rechargeable. I hated how previous players displayed inaccurate battery life because they base it on alkaline batteries.

Line-in and radio recordings sound great because I am able to record up to 320bps compared to others like the Samsung that can only go up to 128bps. Recordings are in *.rec format that the included windows utility can convert. The windows utility shouldn't be taken lightly. You can enter,label,& save all your radio station presets from it to save time. The radio reception is alright but what do you expect from such a small device? PLL? I use my home stereo which gets great reception from a Cable TV adapter and use the line-in recording.

The supplied armband is very well made and looks nice. People w/ humangus muscles or just fat arms can't get it around their arms though.

The only cons I see are:
If hold is not in place it is easy to accidently delete radio station presets and other settings. Once you set it don't forget to lock it as there are many options to change.

Can't copy songs from player to computer w/ the included software since there is no official US UMS support. Their version of DRM?

I've been shopping around for a flash-based mp3 player for awhile now, and have weighed my options between quite a few players. I ended up finding the iRiver iFP-795T for a good price, so I went for it...and couldn't be happier! It's everything I could need in a player.

Pros:
- best sound I've heard from an mp3 player - clear and rich, with high output
- long battery life (I got 30+ hrs. off a single 1800mAh rechargeable AA)
- easy to use, efficient interface
- large, clear screen
- quality radio tuner
- LOTS of user-preference settings
- fast transfers via USB 2.0
- line-in recording up to 320kbps
- streamlined, useful software

Cons
- slightly bulkier than the competition (such as the Creative Muvo N200, or iAudio U2)
- even after flashing with the latest firmware, Windows doesn't recognize it as a removable drive (something that may be fixed in the future)


The other 512MB flash player I was leaning towards was the Creative Muvo N200. Seeing as my roommate already had one, I got to directly compare it to the iRiver. Here's what I found:

Sound
- the sound on the iRiver 795T was far superior to the Creative N200; the Creative sounded muffled and dull compared to the iRiver, which sounded clear and rich, with a good separation of frequencies
- the iRiver also has a much more advanced EQ system, and more customizable sound options

Size
- the N200 is smaller in size, and seems almost weightless
- the iRiver is larger and heavier (mainly due to using a AA battery), but still isn't really that large

Interface
- the N200 uses a clickable scroll wheel, which I found kind of a pain to use; has a small screen which displays minimal info
- I found the iRiver's joystick controller a lot more useful for navigating (and it has a quality feel, unlike the N200's wheel); the screen is twice the size as the Creative's

Accessories
- the Creative's belt clip and arm band were perfect...good quality and very functional; the ear bud headphones are mediocre
- the iRiver's arm band is cheap and useless; neck strap is nice; mediocre ear buds though as well

So after much deliberation, I'm glad I ended up with the iRiver over the Creative. For my personal preferences, sound quality and interface functionality matter more than accessories and size. Nice work, iRiver.

Okay! Got this player at circuit city a few weeks ago and I couldn't have been more excited. I had to go straight to school after I bought but that was okay because the thing comes with a battery and a few songs that aren't terrible. So I get home it takes a few minutes to install the software. Then I just go to "my music" on my computer where I have all my uploaded CD's. Plug in the USB cord and then it's just a matter of drag and drop. I currently have 13 full CD's on here and I love it. Good sound, light weight, the included case isn't made out of kevlar or anything but it will prevent your player from getting scraped up(other reviews complain that the case is a piece of junk), I can wear the head phone wires underneath my clothes and just take out the ear buds at the start of class, LCD is backlit blue(nice looking) and the text is NOT hard to read(complaints that make no sense). Another idiotic complaint that I would like to lay to rest is the" it's too easy to hit the record button on the player" what a bunch of whiners...that's what the button lock is for! I've never researched something so extensively before purchasing this player. It is THE BEST you can get for the money! A few facts about hard drive v.s. flash players. The Iriver being flash, it is lighter than the iPod(hard drive), it takes less power to operate as there are no moving parts, it can take rigorous abuse and jostling(excercise). Additionally, iPods and other popular hard drive players are infamous for crashing, i.e. freezing up, or just plain losing all of your songs. Another thing about the iPod v.s. this iRiver player is the battery life. You get 40hrs per AA battery out of the iRiver. The iPod will give you 12 on a full charge. And, eventually the iPod battery will stop accepting a charge and you have to send it in to apple for a replacement battery(READ THE REVIEWS)!

I highly recommend this player. I've been listening to it for a week at work on my computer speakers on the same included, AAx1 battery! 8 hrs for 5 days straight.

No problems with file transerring. The included software is almost identical to Windows Explorer.

And you are able to get firmware updates for your player as they are introduced on the iRiver website meaning that this player will never become obselete.

The only thing that I could possibly find to whine about is that the foam covers on the earbuds keep coming off and I've almost lost them twice. But the Sennheiser! earbuds that come with it aren't altogether, uncomfortable without them.

BUY THIS AND ENJOY IT, you won't be sorry!!!!!


SECOND REVIEW:

Hey! I'm back a little over a week later to let you know how things are going with my Iriver. Since my last review, I've made some very usefull improvements to my player by downloading the UMS firmware upgrades. I can know put new songs on my MP3 Player with my work computer using windows explorer and window media player. I can also use the player as a flash drive(transferring files in and out, from one pc to another). I am so incredibly satisfied with this thing! I don't even listen to my car stereo anymore. I leave the house with the earbuds in my ears and they don't come out until I get to the office. At which point I just plug the PC speaker plug into the headphone jack on my Iriver(never even missing a beat in the song). If you love music as much as I do then you know the feeling of not wanting to get out of the car in the middle of one of your favorite songs. Now you don't have to...bring it with you! Another firmware upgrade that I downloaded to my player was a radio recording endtime for the auto timer. Now, if you want to record a radio morning show(Stern) from start to finish, you just setup the timer and it will end recording when the program is over.

For those of you who are having trouble downloading the firmware upgrades:

You plug your mp3 player into your PC using the included USB cord, then goto www.iriver.com where you will have to look through a list of updates to find the most recent installments for your specific player, then save the zip file to your desktop. Once you've done that you'll need to extract the files(right click the zipped icon and select extract files), then open your iriver software. There you will find a button that says,"install firmware updates", next you just drag and drop the extracted firmware file into the browser file name bar. Your player should then say something about installing updates on the LCD. It takes about 5 minutes.

I would also like the mention the sound guality. On my last review I had only allowed myself a few days to develop an opinion of the player. Now, I can honestly say that the sound quality as well as everything else about this Iriver player is superb. I just put a new album on my player yesterday that I'd been listening to on my car stereo for months and the difference was unbelievable. I was hearing tiny intracacies and details that I'd never known to be present in the music. The sounds are so crystal clear and rich that you'll find a whole new song in a song that you've listened to for years. This player is amazing!

In closing, I would like to add that I HAVEN'T ACCENDENTALLY STARTED THE RECORDER A SINGLE TIME! You just have to lock the buttons before you put it in your pocket. Also, the included case (said to be poorly made) is still in excellent shape and the player hasn't recieved a single scratch thanks to using it.

BUY THIS PLAYER QUICK! The, newer, 800 series players are about 10% bigger than this one and there haven't been any changes made to the features...but how do you improve something that is practically flawless?

Hope this review helps!

I bought this iRiver about 5 months ago and I am extremely pleased with it. AWESOME!! I came back to amazon after buying it and have discovered that many of the complaints are untrue, so I am going to make a list of Myths and Truths:

MYTHS AND TRUTHS OF THE IRIVER iFP-795 512mb FLASH MP3 PLAYER

1) Not enough capacity
I am in high school, and I love music. Nirvana/Blink 182/Billy Talent/Sum 41/Our Lady Peace/Kaiser Chiefs/Kasabian/Linkin/NIN/ Park/Soundgarden etc.
Those are just a few examples of the artist I listen to. There are many more. I agree that 125 songs or so may not be enough ppl, (I could use more songs) but it really depends on what kind of a person you are.
Bottom Line, 512mb is pretty good, but if you love music, and have a few extra bucks to spend, 1Gb might be a good idea

2)Foam covers on the ear buds come off easily.
This is a minor issue, but it is true. I have almost lost one of them two or three times. Use different earphones, or be very careful with these. The most popular option is to not use the covers at all, after a while you get used to it.

3) Software causes other programs to stop working/Doesn't work
When I first installed the program, the computer could never detect that my iRiver was connected, I couldn't get it to resond. I then reinstalled it and it worked fine. No other problems to date. All of my other progamrs still work.

4)Earphones suck/poor sound quality
Apart form the earphone covers coming off, the earphones are fine, nothing wrong with them.

5)The case is bad and extremely cheap
Not the best case in the world. Still, it will protect the player from scratches, and still lets you use all of the buttons. Not bad, but could be better.

6)Tried to record live music, but the sound came out distorted.
The mic is customizable. You can set how good the quality of what you are recording shold be, and if you want stereo or mono. It also picks up minute background noises when you are recording something. If you want to record something and you want a good recording, make sure it's in an otherwise quiet environment (no one talking or crying in the background, etc.)

7)Small Screen can be hard to read
GET SOME GLASSES! There is a four line LCD display (which is extremely large for flash players), shows everything you need, doesn't look cluttered, and extremely easy to read with the backlight on.

8)Arm band is too small, hard to use
I haven't used the armband much. tried it a couple times, and it fit pretty well, but I'm only 15 so its probably true that it is too small. It is kind of hard to adjust though.

9)Battery Life is much less than 40 hours
Use rechargable batteries. My rechargable battries (2300mah, recently bought) last much longer than the alkalines I was using. The alkaline batteries would last me about 15-20 hours, while the rechargable ones last me well over 30 hours.
THINGS THAT USE UP THE BATTERIES QUICKLY:
1. Recording things (voice, line-in, radio)
2. Backlight
3. Loud Volume (20+)

10)Interface is hard to learn, need to check the manual a lot, the controls are difficult.
Now this is complete BS. It is quite easy to operate the player once you get the hang of it, you con operate the whole thing from inside your pocket. For the basic operation you would have to be a moron to have to check the manual, but if you want to use all of the other features, it would be a good idea to consult the manual. It seems to me that the joystick is taking endless flak from dissatisfied people, but it is not true. The joystick is genius and makes navigating through the player very easy.

11)No playlist support, except a single list on the player that can only be edited on the player itself
OK, fine this is true, but I either use shuffle or use the list on the player itself, it is easy and I don't find it to be a problem.

12) Only the filename scrolls across the screen while the song is playing, not the foldername, so if the folder name is too long, you won't know what it is.
This is also true, (it only displays 13 characters) but there is an easy way around this. ABBREVIATE. For example instead of "Red Hot Chili Peppers" use "RHCPeppers", or "RHCP". Instead of "American Idiot" AIdiot" or "AmerIdiot" or "AI".

13)It is easy to delete things, like songs or radio stations if you accidentaly hit the "delete" button.
This isn't entirely true. I have hit the delete button by accident by myself sometimes, but another screen comes up and asks you if you really want to delete the file. Just hit NO (default) and there is no harm done.

I would love to go on, but there is a limit on how long these reviews can be. In conclusion, it is a great player and many of the people's arguments seem unfounded to me, so do not let that dissuade you.

I have heard many FLASH MP3 players. iRiver' 512MB 795 has the most neutral, clean and open sound of any player FLASH or Hard Drive player I have listened carefully with Sennheiser HD600s or Sony ear buds (read below).

The programming is a breeze. Interface is via USB.
The software is the best I have utilized.

I also have a ZEN Micro, which is way too muddy sounding (veiled) no matter what EQ I set it on.

The single AA battery is great. I have gone a full month of listening at 2 hours each night and 1/2 hour in my car before needing to change a battery. I have also used the MAHA re-chargeable (2300ma) AA and those are great!

1. IF you want the best sounding and most robust player, the 795 will do the trick...as long as you don't cheap out on head phones or ear buds. Sony's new $40 ear buds come with 3 different size ear canal inserts. The audio engineers at SONY have managed to design an ultra-compact set of headphones with impressive sound quality. Fans of clear treble and robust bass will be equally satisfied by the EX70LP. Also, soft silicon "earplugs" are definitely the right step towards to a more involving musical experience. When used together with very light weight drivers, the soft silicon enables an EX70LP to be comfortably used for hours on end. The only complaint is the rather odd carrying case that comes together with the headphones.

2. WMA is excellent. Follow the recording bit data rates in the iRiver manual for the best sound and best total album capacity.

3. I got mine on sale at Circuit City for apx $100. I've seen them here for $129-139.

4. I agree that the supplied ear phones are not comfy. Get the Sony.

5. You can slam this player around, bump it, drop it (onto a carpeted floor) knock it into walls and it will be fine.

6. The armband is tight on my biceps. I wear it off my neck with its lariat.


Buy one and enjoy the music,

TC

I am a huge music lover. I am totally in love with my new MP3 player from IRiver. It is totally compatible with at least two pay for download services (MSN Music and Musicnow). Just download a song from one of these services. It falls into your Windows Media Player library. Then you just "sync" it to your player from there. It takes all of maybe 1 or 2 minutes. The other great thing for me is the in-line recording feature. You can hook it up to any recording source (cd player, casette walkman, computer speaker) and record. You can choose what speed you want to record (64,94,112,128 Kbps and so on). Than you can upload those files to your PC, the software the player comes with will prompt you to convert those .REC files you just uploaded to .MP3 files. At that point you can transfer the music to your player or burn to a CD. SO just subscribe to Napster or any other download service that allows you to play full length tracks and record to your hearts desire. This thing is saving me lots of money, and my music collection has doubled. Once I am tired of a song I just delete from my computer. I am also now able to convert some casette tapes I have to MP3 files. SWEET! I an seriously considering buying a new Iriver with more memory.

The sound quality is the best I've ever heard from any piece of audio equipment. That's saying alot since the unit weighs less than the AA battery that powers it. With half a gig of space, this thing stores about 16 hours of CD quality music or 32 hours of radio quality music, in something roughly the size of a lighter. Being flash memory based, it won't skip like a CD player or Ipod. It needs better earphones though and the armstrap, although of high quality, only fits women (I can't even get it over my forearm, let alone my bicep *flex* One thing not mentioned anywhere is the microphone is extremely good. The unit will record about 33 hours of high quality sound, making it perfect for students who like to record lectures (the unit has a mode specifically designed for this). Again, this is amazing, considering the size and cost of the unit.

an awesome Mp3 player, im my opinion the best on the market

last year i had a 128MB player and i upgraded to 512 this year.

i recommend converting mp3's to wma's to save space and gettin a set or rechargable batteries is ur a music fanatic like i am.

arm band is sound useful at first but its way to small for my arm... (im a high school wrestler but so i have some muscle but the arm band's size is ridiculous.

anyway, get this mp3 player. if u really wanna have it made sign up for napster when u get it. $10 a month for unlimited, legal downloads. music BLISS

I was looking at this player vs. an HP iPod... it was a tough call. I liked the high capacity of the iPods, but on the other hand -- I really can't listen to more than 6 or 8 solid hours of music anyway! Also, I was concerned about the proprietary batteries and hard disk on the iPod.

I listen to MP3's while camping, so long battery life and easy to replace batteries were very high priorities. Easy loading capability (via USB Mass storage) and at least 4+ hours of music. I actually bought the 256K model first, and then gave that to my daughter who wanted an MP3 player and I upgraded to the 512K model. No regrets - I'm really pleased with this machine!

Pro's:
* Small size - I use the "necklace" attachment and wear it around my neck. It's easy to forget you are wearing it, and it's great while exercising or working around the house.
* Excellent sound, and the headphones are very good
* Built in FM radio
* Uses a single AA battery that lasts a LONG time. I can go camping for a whole weekend and MAYBE have to take 1 spare battery. :)
* Connects to the USB port and acts as just another disk, allowing drag and drop. This required a one time firmware upgrade from iRiver, downloaded via the web, but this was really easy and took only a few minutes.
* Backlit screen when button pressed - easy to see in the dark.
* Ability to record FM radio or voice with no additional accessories.
* Good price - less than $200 in late 2004.
* Sturdy and stylish

Con's:
* Ease of use - VERY confusing multiuse buttons. Once you have them memorized, it's OK, but count on referencing the manual MANY times
* Small screen can be hard to read, ESPECIALLY at the default settings.
* The arm band that comes with is not very intuitive to use or connect.
* The small foam earphone covers come off easily and I haven't found replacements.

If I needed lots of storage space and rarely used the player away from a power outlet, I would probably lean towards the iPod. But if you want a small sized, great sounding player that can play ~8 hours of music that runs on a standard battery, then this is a great one to get! Consider the 1G version as the prices come down...