Customer Reviews

iriver iFP 799T 1 GB Flash MP3 Player

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(45)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

In all honesty I was prepared to NOT like the iRiver 799T. We already have an iPod in the family, so I expected to be biased by that experience. But this little player really grew on me. If you are looking for a very small MP3 player that does not use a hard drive, you should consider the iRiver 700 series. It comes packaged with a lanyard, armband, Sennheiser earbuds, and even a case: a very nice range of accessories.

Please note that this review is based on firmware v1.25, which I downloaded and installed; it arrived with v1.21. I expect some of the problems to improve over time as firmware is updated, but I never advise people to buy a gadget based on future improvements. Buy it for what it does now, not for what might be added later!

First off: sound quality. It's good! It seems to be as rich and pleasing as my iPod, though of course the quality of your files is a huge factor. The bad news is the included Sennheiser earbuds do NOT do justice to the audio quality. Please, if quality is important to you, plan for some quality budget earbuds, such as the Sony EX-51 or EX-71. (Side note: From my reading, it seemed that these players USED to have a "white noise" hiss problem, but it has apparently been licked in current production.)

Next, features. It has a lot! FM radio; recording from mic, radio or line in; a simple but effective graphic equalizer; many shuffle play modes... even a clock and fun visualizations. I think the EQ presets are pretty worthless, but you can do a custom EQ, so you can get where you want to go. The only major feature this player is missing is on-the-go playlists. Instead, you have to choose to play by directory, or build a playlist with the music manager on your computer.

Third, interface: It's good too. There's a joystick for volume/navigation, a few buttons for basics like play/pause, and a hold button. For most commands, you click the button; for others you hold a button in. It's a good interface which I was able to become comfortable with without cracking the manual.

Fourth, the screen. It's tiny but razor sharp and it displays a lot of useful information. The backlight is nice and bright. I was very pleased.

Fifth, battery life: Up to 40 hours, they say, though 35 seems to be more typical. And that is off 1 AA battery! Note that you must set the backlighting to turn off as fast as possible to maximize the battery life. The backlight looks great, but it really chews up the battery.

All is not perfect though-there are some flaws that buyers should be aware of, though none of them are deal-breakers for me personally. For one, out of the box this device does not work as a USB mass storage (UMS) device. iRiver has an experimental firmware upgrade to enable UMS. Uploading music is slower in UMS mode, but you don't need to use the iRiver music manager, so take your pick. Personally, I am leaving my player in non-UMS mode as the iRiver upload software isn't too bad. If I want a USB thumb drive, I'll just get one of those too.

Either way, I don't think this player lets you copy music files from the player to the computer: it's a one way trip, their attempt to appease the record companies, I guess.

Another wart: some users complain about poor quality on line-in recordings, and with current UMS firmware they are seemingly limited to 96kbps.

Ogg audio files must meet certain minimum and maximum bitrate limitations to play properly. You are probably OK with 128kbps Ogg files, but you may experience problems with very low or very high bit rates. (And Ogg is a VBR codec, so it can be hard to guarantee that the rate is always in the range you want.) I'd choose MP3 over Ogg with this player.

I have noticed that if you don't use the player for a few weeks, the battery runs down. It doesn't kill the memory, but it's still inconvenient.

Lastly, some people have problems with VBR MP3 files. I have played a wide range of MP3s on mine and I haven't had a problem yet though, so I don't think this is a common issue.

I did not test WMA files as I don't use them.

In conclusion, this is a very nice little player that deserves a look if you are concerned with size, the ability to make recordings, battery life, or an included FM radio. Recommended for those who like to travel light!

I wrote extensively about the 790 version of this iRiver model, so see that review for a comprehensive look at these beauties.
Because I liked the latest iRiver model so much, I returned the 790 and got the 799 1-gigabyte version instead.

I paid $190, tax included, for 256 MB at Best Buy. I figured, why not double the price at Amazon ($360) for four times as much space for my music.

It is a minor fortune, to be sure, but I want to be able to keep 20-30 albums on my player at any one time so I don't have to change my music very often. I find that a small inconvenience, especially since there is no simple drag-and-drop function.
I also figure that fewer music transfers will limit potential wear and tear on the USB connector and thus extend the life of the piece of plastic that covers the USB port.

My suspicion is that the cover would be the first thing to go, an event that would surely shorten the practical life of the player. Can't have that happen with such an expensive piece of equipment.
A few other things. The primary difference between the 799 and 790 is build quality. The 799 is somewhat sleeker and the casing seems a bit sturdier. The buttons are smaller and stick out less, especially the joystick.

The joystick is maybe not quite as easy to use, but it has better tactile feel and seems less likely to wear down from constant use. It's a very good improvement.

The USB port now has a sliding plastic door - much different than the rubberish flap on the 790.

The 799 is a better color, too. LA Raiders black and gray. I wasn't crazy about the red color of the 790.

One seemingly small flaw. The inline jack and headphone jack are on the same end of the player - unlike with the 790 -- so it's not as easy to plug in the headphones in the dark.

Otherwise, I repeat. This is a fabulous player, the best sounding portable on the market. Most of my CDs ripped as WMA files encoded at 64 kbps sound terrific. (Classical music might require VBR recording).

I use the free Real Audio (best music lookup success of the dozen programs I tried) and paid MusicMatch. Yet only Microsoft's Windows Media had VBR for WMA files, but the media player kept crashing on me.

Just make sure you have great headphones to match if you are going to use 64 kbps files.

This is my second Iriver Mp3 player. I previously owned a iFP-190tc for over two years that still works after massive abuse.

Once again Iriver shows is almost mystical engineering skills.

Like the 190tc, the weight of the player with battery is incredible. Easily under 50 grams and fits into your hand.

The battery seems to last longer on the 799 then my 190tc. Using rechargeables again is a major plus. One rechargeable can go for a couple days. If you use the player on a regular basis, spending $30 for 4 batteries and a good charger will save you money in the bucket loads. Like the 190tc, the 799 recognizes rechargeable batteries. Unlike Ipod players, you won't worry about running out of power as the player takes a standard AA. No need to worry about that last bar of power. Just pop out the battery, slip a new one in and you're good for hours.

Sound quality depends on your files. A 320 kbps mp3 file will sound much better then a 64 kbps but will take up significantly more space. The player with non-UMS software plays OGGs, which are a another format of music. OGGS sound largely like mp3s yet take up less space. Quality of files and ear buds (which are decent) decide how good the quality of your music is. The 799 apparently has a much stronger radio receiver, which in some ways is bad as it picks up scratchy stations you can barely make out. On the plus side the good stations come in exceptionally well.

Installation takes minutes. Put the CD in, install and then install drivers. I was transferring files in under 10 minutes.

The 799 shows a big improvement over the previous 500, 300 and 100 models. The battery case is now a snap in design with no hinges to break and much harder to get loose. The USB 2.0 (another improvement) now has a cover that locks in. Also, the 799 has a dedicated line-in for recording from non-PC audio sources. Another MASSIVE improvement is the company breaking ties with Sonic, the provider of their earlier software which was notoriously bad. Moodlogic, or at least a improved version still exists and has many features such as changing file names, setting radio stations and tweaking controls from your computer instead of doing it manually on the player. However, like the 300 and 100 series there is a UMS firmware. UMS stands for USB Mass Storage, allows your player to act like a massive floppy. Simply plug it in and you have a flash drive, another plus for the 799. I personally use the UMS as it is simplistic and leaves room for fewer problems. The UMS does have issues as it slightly slows the transfer rate of files and limits audio recording to 96 kbps instead of the normal 128. The iriver website states that the 700 series does not have UMS, but a detailed search reveals firmware v1.28 which is specifically for 700 UMS which can be downloaded in seconds. Biggest disconnect in a company I have seen in a long time.

Controls take only a day to learn and can be operated without looking. Anyone who has used a 100, 300, 500 or 1000 model can pick up the controls in minutes as many of the same operations are done with the same keys.

The player comes with a neck strap, which can be looped through belts on pants or belts to secure the player to your body.

The 799 comes with a case which protects it from most elements as well as common wear and tear. The arm band is also standard and pretty comfortable. The only real accessory letdown is the ear buds. They are decent, but the Ipod earbuds are superior.

Unlike the 100 version the 799 is Mac, Win98 and Win2000 friendly!

This player is another solid product from iRiver.

Iriver really created something extraordinary with its 700/800 series players. I've tried a bunch ofem and i ended up getting the 799. Everything you could possibly need/want is there, except for one thing: no UMS. In order to transfer files you must use Iriver music manager software - it comes on CD or you can download it from their website at www.iriveramerica.com and install it to see what its like before you buy this thing. I've actually been using it for recording class lectures, and it does this wonderfully. The voice detection is amazing -from the back of the classroom hall it picks up the professor talking. It's got a thing called "AGC" audio gain control or something like that so make sure you turn that on when recording from the external mike to pick up sounds from far away. I can transfer the voice files from the player onto the ocmputer for storage (they are mp3 files). However you can't transfer non-recorded mp3's from the player. Only files that you recorded from radio/line-in/voice. Not that i care to do this - the main thing for me is to be able to take my lecture recordings and put them on the computer/burn onto cd etc. Excellent features for lecture recording.

Anothre thing that I find amazingly useful is you can schedule it to record from radio - just like a VCR. You tell it what day(s) and what time to start recording, and for how long to record and it will do it. I have mine set to record a weekly radio program and i dont even have to worry about it - it takes care of it every week and i can listen to it later when i have time. Also like it has been mentioned this thing does not break. It has no moving parts like the Ipod, so you can shake it all you want and its all good. Great for exercise, travel, you name it. It's built to last. It even uses a common AA battery, so you dont have to worry about any internal re-chargable battery wearing down -plus you can just take a couple of extra AA's with you when you travel and forget about having to find electicity abroad - these AA batteries are so cheap and common, and each one is good for 30+ hours!!

My previous player was a Rio Karma. The hard drive skipped while I was just walking, and I got tired of carrying a paperclip with my one my workouts just to reset the inevitable hang from jostling the player.

I resisted getting a flash-based player because they're not exapandable (why don't they just use cheap CF cards?) and don't offer anywhere near the storage that HD players did.

The IFP-799T was the first player I found with enough storage to appeal to me. I downsampled my songs from 192kbps MP3 files to 48kpbs WMA files and managed to fit more than 500 tunes into the IFP-799T. That's about a third as many songs as I have on my Karma, but it's certainly enough variety to enjoy my workouts. The quality isn't intolerably bad but is noticably worse because of the heavy compression.

After spending a day converting and loading my songs, I took the player for a workout. That's when it really shined: it never skips, of course, even when running with it. It's just bigger than a lipstick, and unlike the Karma it arrives with a useful case, a nie pouch, and a wrist band. (The documentation calls that an arm band--I don't think I've ever met anyone who's upper arms are small enough to use it!)

The player has a few flaws. I'm still not pleased with the limited memory capaity, but I'll just have to wait for that to change over the coming years.

The display is a bit of a problem for a couple of reasons. It just tries to display too much information; do I really need to know the bit rate and sampling rate of the song I'm playing now? That information belongs on different screen so it can be accessed those few times it is actually needed.

Because of the UI noise, useful information (like the song title and band name) is scrolled through over a period of seconds. It's rather annoying to stare at something uninteresting while waiting for the information I want to scroll by.

The LCD panel is a few millimeters behind the plastic faceplate, and that causes some shadowing problems. The clarity and visiblity of the display would be vastly improved if it was flush with the plastic face.

It's easy to learn the user interface and within a few minutes I was correctly controlling the player while it was still in my poket. The Karma interface isn't complicated, but it's appreciably harder to use.

The player is great overall, and I can overlook these flaws for the most part. It's hard to accept the price with these problems, though.

Since Feb '05, this is still running strong. Before that, I owned the 128MB iRiver 380T, which took a lot of abuse before I lost it to get this.

Anyhow, I've tried the iPod (for a week) and the SanDisk (for 2 days). For lowest cost, the SanDisk wins hands-down but that's about it. Sandisk's sound quality is mediocre at best and construction is pretty bad. With a AAA battery, battery life is medium. It's also a generic-looking rectangle.

The iPod has great design but other than the Nano, the hulk is too much to carry. Try carrying one when you're always on the go or working out. With size, short internal battery (8 hrs adv is just 3-4 hours and no backup for long plane/car rides!), and lack of FM option, I had to go elsewhere. Besides, people think the sound is great but in reality, it's because the iPod starts out with pretty decent headphones and also, have preset equalizer settings. People who don't know better think it's great but in reality, music lovers can tell the iRiver's sound quality is slightly better, with customizable equalizer settings and good bass boosters.

Here's the skinny on the iRiver:

The Pros
1) Slim and kewl design (the 1GB should be made available in kewl blue or red and not dull gray!) of solid construction
2) Long and replaceable battery life (my rechargeable NiMH AAs constistently give me 20-30 hrs vs. advertised 40 but still)
3) FM tuner - this is good. I had something called the iJam (32 MB) way back and had numerous Sony Walkmans before this. Trust me, this is as good as it gets from such a small package. If the radio sucks, it's likely because you wouldn't get a good signal otherwise.
4) Great sound quality (high 80-90 dB, low signal-noise)
5) Equalizer function with bass settings
6) Record function (from voice and FM) - very convenient for class (if you need one), live shows (not great with high-bass concerts), and just for recording songs from on-air for purchase/download later!
7) USB 2.0
8) Can be converted to USB drive (using firmware upgrade)
9) Recalls last song/setting. Some cheap players don't have this.
10) Great menu system with many options (language, view mode, clock, backlight, etc.)
11) Great starter headphones (Seinhauser)
12) Whereas the earlier models had problems with the battery compartment cover, this improved model is pretty good. Only thing is you need to remove it to replace the battery since it's not hinged.

The Cons
1) With ultracompact out at 2GB and the Nano out at 4GB, 1GB seems small.
2) Price should drop a bit but for the quality, this is worth. Try debating the price of an iPod!
3) No playlist, which the iPod has.
4) Color choice could be more flexible - the 800 model series with same functionality is much better in looks but was sold only via Best Buy.
5) No accessories or iTunes - for those that need to collect the rest of the toys, they can go with iPod, which is great for milking the next cent.

This is the second iriver MP3 player I've owned and I love them both. The reason I bought a new model was because the old ones did not come with an armband and I wanted more memory. Of all the MP3 players I've looked at I like the look and feel of iriver the most. It is easy to use and the software is also user friendly. The only complaint I have is about finding a good price which I did NOT find at Amazon. The companies own website has this model for sale for $250, over $100 less than sold here. Most other websites sell it for even less. Do yourself a favor and shop around so you don't get ripped off.

I needed a player to listen to audiobooks. My old one was on its last legs so I spent plenty of time looking for the "perfect" player for me. This wasn't it, but I bought it anyway as the features nearly meet all my requirements. (The thing missing for me is replaceable/expandable memory).

What I like:

*Small and light
Most of the weight of the device is the AA battery. Now THAT's light!

* Power to spare
Long battery life is a plus, but the fact that I can swap out an AA battery at any time has me cheering.

* Clever control joystick
The little joystick control is easy to use and can be found quickly. Even my big hands have no trouble navigating.

* Good sound
I'm no audiophile, but the thing sound great to me. Mind you, I don't bother with the supplied earbuds (I use the sound blocking Shure E2c).

* FM
When I run out of music, I can always tune in. FM ROCKS!

* Recording (and line-in)
SOMEone what thinking when they included this feature. Not only useful for recording notes, but I can finally record my favorite FM news programs (e.g. CBC's "As it's happening") and play them back later.

* Features and more features
It's a plus, but it's almost a minus. This thing has so many features you'll be staying up at night just reading the manual and learning them. Fortunately, you can figure out the important ones just by messing around.


What I don't like:

* Peculiar triangular shape.
All the photos of this model make it look thin, it's not. In fact, it's as deep as it is tall (to accomodate the battery). Had they put the battery compartment in line with the rest of the player, it would fit in a pocket with much greater comfort. I can't help but think it was done to make the product look much smaller than it really is.

* On/Off button.
I frequently pause/stop my player. Finding the button is not easy without looking (particularly when it is in the vinyl case).

* Software required
You can't plug this into any machine and update your MP3's, you need to run the software. This is a MAJOR pain for anyone who travels and wants to use someone's computer to update your player. I undestand that an upgrade may take care of this, but why, oh WHY, isn't this a standard feature?

* Bastardized Serial Bus
Sure, they SAY it's USB, but you can't use a standard USB cable to connect the player. If you travel, you'll be hauling along the supplied BSB cable they supply. Grrrrr

* No clip
The player comes with an arm band holder. Sheesh! I'm not so dorky as to strap this thing on my arm. Hey, how 'bout a clip so I can attach it to my clothes?

I, too, did extensive research before making the leap to purchase a device. I had three in mind, iPod Mini 4GB, Samsung YEPP [new compact model] 1GB, and Creative Zen Micro. The cost of the device was also an issue. All the devices were similar in price.

Determining factor was the type of drive and battery life I wanted. The iPod's are flawed by battery but compromised by amazingly simple menu system. The Samsung YEPP physically looks great with a nice color screen and small form factor. I tried out the Samsung at Best Buy and to my discontent, I did not like the menu system and it took me 20min to figure out how to "stop" it from playing, and the flaw of having an internal battery that lasts only 10 hrs. The Creative Zen Micro looked promising but the need to recharge the battery tuned me off - coupled by the manufacturer's forum of discouraged users about the firmware.

Finally, I made my choice for the iRiver after reading reviews and understanding what type of player suited me. It is the least aesthetically pleasing device in comparison to the other three. But, it has what I need, small form factor, replacable AA batteries, and flash memory so there are no moving parts.

Pros:
1) 35-40 hrs of playback is amazing.
2) AA's are brainless. Buy a pack and it lasts a good while.
3) Tons of options - perhaps too many
4) FM Radio, it works well in my metro area.
5) Line-in is a nice feature
6) A good set of goodies such as a neckstrap included
7) Headphones are decent
8) Small form factor
9) LOUD!!


Cons:
1) Joystick and controls were difficult to learn at first
2) The shuffle modes are confusing
3) Plastic carry case was impossible to put on and sheds glittery stuff
4) Cannot make adequate playlists
5) Menu system has a learning curve of a few days


Overall, I do like the player. It is not an as user friendly as the iPod but compared to my brother's iPod, this is much better considering the battery life and features like Voice Recorder and FM radio already built in.

If I could, I would have given it 4.5 stars as it isn't PERFECT. Been using it for about a week now, my comments...

Pros :

1. Case will keep it scratch free and clean.

2. High quality audio. I do not hear the hiss people talk about and it has no problems getting loud with no distortion. Also has user adjustable equalizer. I find reducing the 1K band by 3db sounds better for me.

3. The knob is easy to use. Don't listen to people saying it's no good because it is "buried in a pit".

4. Tons of features - FM, voice record, inline recording, multi-format support. There are many things you can tweak in the menus.

5. USB 2.0 is a must when transferring a lot of data.

6. 1 gig is currently as big as it gets for flash players. Shake it ALL you want, it won't skip and you don't have to worry about a failed drive like in the iPod.

7. Replaceable AA that should last about 40 hours. No need to worry about an expensive lithium.

Cons :

1. UMS is now available with firmware 1.28. There are three caveats to the 1.28 release though : Your maximum record bitrate is 96Kpbs. With 1.25, it is 320Kbps. You cannot directly edit you radio station lists and names (this can be done on the player though). Finally, the order of the folders and files cannot be changed by the user. Most people won't have issue with this, but I thought I'd list them out. I currently am using 1.25 with the iriver software as it is rare that I need to connect to it and I prefer my list to be in order. BTW, it works with WMP for transfer if you don't want to user their software.

2. It will not allow upload of MP3 files (you can't transfer the files off the player after you put them on). This does not mean you can't store things on the device, simply change the extension name.

3. Comes with Sennheiser ear buds. They are unequal length - some people like it, some don't. The longer line is designed to go behind the head - I actually like that. Their quality is better then average, but are not terribly comfortable in my ear. From the minor research I've done, the Beyerdynamic DT 231 seems to be an excellent set for the price. Try http://www.headphone.com.

4. Requires custom USB cable, doesn't just plug right in. Can't really complain though.

My opinion on some gripes people have :

1. The buttons are easy to hit accidently - I have not had issue. I use the case all the time and have not hit any buttons by accident yet.

2. Slow display - It will scroll pretty slowly by default, but this can be sped up in the menu.

3. Inline jack next to microphone jack - Let's face it, this is not an issue. Simply remember that the MC jack is on the left when the joystick is pointing up. Even if you get it wrong, it won't blow it up.

4. USB door is weak - I'm not certain if it will weaken over time, but it clicks shut and holds with no issue thus far.

5. The band - I haven't used it and I don't think I will. I'd probably hold it or place it in my pocket if you are running or exercising.

-Alex