iRiver SlimX iMP-350 CD/MP3 Player with Ultraslim Design

iRiver SlimX iMP-350 CD/MP3 Player with Ultraslim Design

Product Description
Amazon.com Review
With its beautiful sound quality, royal good looks, and simple operation, the iRiver SlimX portable MP3-CD player sets a new standard for future portable units to follow.

The SlimX is one of the most adaptable players we've encountered. It rolls upgradable firmware, eight-minute antishock protection, ASF (Advanced Streaming Format) and WMA (Windows Media Audio) compatibility, ID3 tag support, and the ability to play standard audio CDs, MP3-encoded discs, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs into an ultratrim (0.6 inches thick) player. And the sound is deluxe, delivering crisp highs, discernible mids, and bass thick enough to make low-end aficionados nod their heads in approval.

Since we had yet to fully investigate WMA, we felt compelled to dig into the format. At first we were hesitant: how could WMA compress music files to half their size--at, say, 64 Kbps--and still sound good? After dumping an entire, 100-song playlist onto a single CD-R, however, we were humbled. The procedure was painless, and the sound was incredible. The iRiver SlimX completely fulfilled our demands; using the gorgeous inline remote, we easily skipped ahead 10 tracks at a time, used fast-scan to hear a particular verse, and made a customized playlist on the fly.

In fact, the remote lets you operate every function (save changing a disc) without having to dig the unit out of your backpack or its carrying case (included, but frail), and it also includes a hold switch that prevents accidental playback.

After the WMA-disc success, we switched over to an MP3 compilation made by a friend. While reading the different ID3 tags (MP3 file markers that feed song, artist, and album names to your player), we first played the songs whose titles intrigued us most, like "Nannari to Naru Deshou" by the excellent Japanese female duo Puffy. That's why ID3 tags are so cool--they allow you to search by name, not track number.

Next, we took the SlimX out on a long walk to judge its portability. Unless we made silly, Pete Townshend-style windmill movements, each disc played satisfactorily. We noticed that standard audio CDs popped more than anything we burned off the Web, which was strange. We also sampled the five equalizer presets, although we noticed only subtle differences in sound at low volumes.

While listening to any Web-audio disc, the SlimX fills up its antiskip buffer with the eight minutes of music. Essentially, this means the player doesn't have to read the disc as much, which results in prolonged battery life, and ultimately the SlimX delivered on its promise of up to 23 hours playing time. To get these results for yourself, just make sure the two flat NiMH batteries are fully charged, and pop an extra pair of AAs into the external battery pod. It's that easy.

For those new to ASF, MP3, and WMA formats, you may be disappointed by the SlimX's user's manual, which is skimpy at best. Our Guide to Making MP3 Files will familiarize you with the basics and help you turn your computer into a virtual jukebox.

For those of you who are considering upgrading to the iRiver SlimX--or are looking to pick up your first player--we highly recommend this player. In fact, we miss our test player so much, we're going to buy one of our own. --Arno Kazarian

Pros:

Upgradable firmware

Compatibility with MP3, WMA, ASF, standard audio CDs, and CD-R/RWs

Supports ID3 tags for easy search of MP3 files

Nearly skip-free performance

Cons:

Relatively useless user's manual

Shallow-sounding earbud headphones

Frivolous carrying case

Product Description:
Slim 'n Sexy CD/MP3 Player This sweet CD/MP3 player from iRiver is loaded with features sure to make any music-loving geek happy. At less than an inch thick this puppy doesn't take up much space. Add to that a sweet LCD screen to display track info, rechargeable NiMH batteries, and extended anti-skip protection, and you've got a CD player that's sure to please.

iRiver SlimX iMP-350 CD/MP3 Player with Ultraslim Design

iRiver SlimX iMP-350 CD/MP3 Player with Ultraslim Design

Average customer rating:

Great.... while it works
Still Kicking it around
Excellent Buy!
Fragile player....coupled with POOR customer service
IMP350 and IMP550 Reviewed over 3 yrs.- Access. cost $$$

iRiver SlimX iMP-350 CD/MP3 Player with Ultraslim Design

Manufacturer: iRiver
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics

Portable CD Players | iRiver | Brands | Electronics Features | Electronics
Accessories:

Memorex High Performance AA Alkaline Batteries, 50 Pack
Memorex High Performance AA Alkaline Batteries, 12 Pack
Koss SportaPro Stereo Headphones
Sony MDR-V700DJ DJ Style Monitor Series Headphones
Fellowes Nylon CD Wallet (224-Disc Capacity)

Product Features:

Ultraslim design (16.7 mm thick)
Supports audio CDs, MP3- and WMA-encoded discs, ID3 tags, CD Text, and M3U playlists; integrated FM tuner
Upgradeable firmware (will support new audio technologies as they emerge)
Anti-skip protection up to 8 minutes (best protection around) Compressed Audio ASP up to 480 Sec, CD Audio ASP up to 180 sec
Includes 2 1400mAh NiMh batteries, velvet bag, 11-function LCD remote, earbuds, power source, and manual

ASIN: B000063574

Product Description

The iMP-350 SlimX is the newest MP3 CD player on the market. Technologically superior with many features and a slim 16.7mm thickness, and lightweight for easy carrying, this gorgeous player combines many features consumers have been looking for, all in one unit. The iMP-350 SlimX provides WinAmp playlist playback support. The SlimX product carries the same high quality that customers have come to expect from iRiver, and unparalleled customer service to help consumers get the most out of their product.

Amazon.com Review

With its beautiful sound quality, royal good looks, and simple operation, the iRiver SlimX portable MP3-CD player sets a new standard for future portable units to follow.

Pros:

Upgradable firmware
Compatibility with MP3, WMA, ASF, standard audio CDs, and CD-R/RWs
Supports ID3 tags for easy search of MP3 files
Nearly skip-free performance

Cons:

Relatively useless user's manual
Shallow-sounding earbud headphones
Frivolous carrying case

Customer Reviews:

Great.... while it works.......2005-06-30

Mine was great, rechargable batteries, MP3 reader, FM radio. Great for travel, and I loved it until it broke. They replaced it, since it was within one year, and I had kept all the paperwork. Then the new one worked fine for a few months, and then broke too. It would be a great product if it didn't break so often. How unfortunate.

Still Kicking it around.......2005-04-22

great product, and i am still kicking this around but not using it as much as i used to. i used this for several years and worked like a charm, upgrades are easy. best feature is that it plays all formats. bad feature is that it's limited storage :(

Excellent Buy!.......2005-01-04

This mp3 player is so versatile - it's great! It plays CDs, radio, and mp3s. It's very easy to use and is loaded with tons of awesome features. I took it with me on a cross-country plane flight recently and it was so nice to have with me. A must buy!

Fragile player....coupled with POOR customer service.......2004-10-07

After having this player now for 6 months, I have had enough time to fully evaluate the player and Iriver's customer service.

First the good news. The player is cool looking and plays most discs without a problem. I have yet to have the player skip, although I have not put it through any rough treatment to test it.

Now the bad news:
- This player is fragile. Despite the metal top casing, the player is lightweight and is not built to last. If you don't keep the player in its fleece bag, the metal will scratch (and take away from the cool look).
- The headphones, while not bad for manufacture provided ones, leave a lot to be desired. Why can't these manufacturers follow Apple's example and provide a decent earbud? If you do get this player I would recommend getting a better set of earphones. Beware though to get an efficient pair, as the player will not be able to drive an inefficient pair to higher volumes.
- The remote itself is the most fragile of the player. Within a week, even with taking great care not to do so, the remote screen was scratched. The plastic screen is not very scratch resistant at all! Which is a shame as it is what you will be looking at as there is no screen on the player itself. Like the player, the remote is also rather flimsy in its construction. It is a lightweight plastic. It would have been nice to have the remote protected with the same metal casing as they top of the player. The original remote has wires coming out of both ends. While I though this would not be an issue, it has come to be a bother when attempting to look at the remote. I guess there is a reason that they changed the design of later remotes. Finally, after only 6 months of extremely light use (may be used once a week at most), the backlight on the remote stopped working. This is a real problem as the screen is hard to see without this feature.
- Customer Service: I contacted iRiver customer via their website concerning the remote backlight. It took them over 2 weeks to get back to me. And then they had nothing to say than sorry your remote is out of the 90 day warranty, you will have to purchase a new one.

All in all, I give the player 2 stars as the player performs its function of playing audio disks, but overall I would not purchase this player again (especially at its inflated price). If you do decide to get this player, BEWARE of the fragility of this player and expect poor customer service.

IMP350 and IMP550 Reviewed over 3 yrs.- Access. cost $$$.......2004-09-22

The IRiver CD/MP3 players are awesome. The sound is
excellent, they play homemade CD's and MP3's no problem.
The IMP350 has control buttons on the unit but the IMP550 does
not have these control buttons on the unit and relies solely on
the remote. Note: Amazon does not carry the accessories,
and to buy them from IRiver they are Expensive. The
unit itself is warranted for 1 year, HOWEVER, the accessories
including the controller and earbuds are only a 90 DAY warranty.
The IMP350 was a very competent machine with silver earbuds
that fall apart. The IMP550 came with different plastic grey earbuds that seemed like a cheaper quick fix. The newer IMP550 does not work with the old controller or the old AC adapter for the IMP350 so do not try to intermix these components or a
malfunction may occur. The accessories for the IMP550 are more expensive than the IMP350.
The IMP550 has a separate and different controller and earbuds. Purchasing the accessories are a bundle from IRiver. The IMP550
purchased new comes with a car kit the IMP350 does not. After, after 10 months the IMP550 earbuds fell apart, and the controller is malfunctioning and does not light. The warranty is only 90 days on these accessories so it will cost $54. to replace the earbuds and controller. Kind of expensive. Be-aware of the accessory warranty. It is ONLY 90 days.
Overall, I was very happy with both of them but they are definitely high maintenance little machines and the rechargeable batteries are $19. when they need to be replaced. At this rate
$54 to replace accessories and $19 for batteries (=$73.00 total)
I can purchase a brand new CD player of a different brand. My point is that after the 90 day warranty and the batteries run
out you may end up buying a new CD player. EXPENSIVE.
we live in a throw away society.

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