Usage

The iRiver iFP-395T is a solid portable MP3 player. It takes some time to get used to the triangular shape of the iFP-395T. Quite frankly, the first time we laid eyes on the player - we wondered "What the heck?" However we got used to the overall shape and design and over time actually found it appealing.

First off - this is a flash based music player which translates to - no skips or jumps during audio playback. Another plus from having a flash based storage device - no moving parts to damage and faster memory access times. The iFP-395T has a 512MB storage capacity - large enough for a casual music listener going to the gym or someone traveling on a long intercontinental trip. The flash drive is also very energy efficient helping to make the iRiver device one of the best performers in the battery life department. I was able to use the iFP-395T for approximately a month using it on average of one hour a day at the gym for five days a week. This was all on one single AA battery. As a comparison, I normally have to recharge the iPod mini after five days in the gym.

The controls on the iFP-395T are well laid out with the major buttons lining one edge of the player. The thumb joystick makes navigating the menu a breeze. The joystick can also act as a button allowing the user to execute menu items by simply pressing down on it. The only major complaint with the joystick is its diminutive size - it's quite easy to accidentally push the joystick in a different direction from the one intended.

Let's talk a bit about the monochrome LCD screen. The screen text is easy to read for most users although those with poor vision may find it difficult to read. As mentioned earlier, there is a beautiful blue backlight to the monochrome screen. Pressing any button will illuminate the display with a cool blue glow. This makes the display easily viewable under dark conditions.

The iRiver iFP-395T has a very refined user interface that is actually quite easy to use when coupled with the thumb joystick. You navigate through the menu by pressing in a particular direction on the joystick and then you select a menu item by pressing down on the joystick. Although the user interface is easy to navigate and use, the menu system offers a great deal of power and configurability. You can adjust all sorts of settings as well as sound output via a graphical equalizer. The main menu is selected by pressing down on the joystick button. From the main menu, you can select the following options:

• General - allows you to modify settings on the player
• Display - allows you to modify display settings on the player
• Timer - allows you to modify the sleep and power off options
• Control - allows you to modify recording modes and various controls
• Mode - allows you to set the repeat, shuffle, intro modes
• XtrmEQ - allows you to modify the onboard equalizer

Let's not forget that this player can record audio from a variety of sources! There aren't many small digital audio players that can accomplish that feat. The iFP-395T can record audio from the built-in microphone, from the line-in jack, or directly from a FM radio stream. To quickly switch between the various modes on this device, all you need to do is hold down the Mode button and then select the appropriate mode using the joystick.

Yes you heard me correct, this player includes an integrated FM tuner which is great if you're sick of the music that you uploaded to your player. Wouldn't it be great if Apple would integrate such functionality into the iPod? I think so.

There are a couple of other goodies that we can't forget to mention. iRiver comes with an armband for the iFP-395T. This armband is quite durable and comfortable to wear around your arm. The player fits snugly into a sleeve that is then hooked onto the arm strap. The sleeve can also be attached to your belt if you feel more comfortable with the device around your hip than around your arms.

Lastly, let's not forget another goodie - the included ear buds that come with the iFP-395T. These Sennheiser earphones are top notch in terms of build quality and sound reproduction.

With all these features, we nearly forgot to mention one important thing - the sound quality from the player is great. The reproduced sound is clear and crisp coming from the high quality earphones supplied with the iFP-395T. When recording live audio, you're better off recording from a line-in but the microphone isn't bad either.

The iRiver iFP-395T plays back MP3, WMA, and ASF files but keep one thing in mind before purchasing this device - it does not support protected WMA music files. Any music that you buy from online sources that have DRM protection will not be playable on this device. This is an important note for anyone with a large collection of online purchased media. If you don't have protected content - don't worry about it at all.

After using the iRiver iFP-395T for a number of months, we here at WD feel that it's very close to being the perfect compact digital audio player. If not for a small joystick handle which can cause navigational difficulties at times, the iFP-395T would simply rock. Audio playback quality is top notch; there is plenty of storage capacity for a large collection of music; battery life is great on a single AA battery; the player is sturdy yet light enough for jogging purposes; and finally - the player uses a flash drive which means - no skips or jumps in playback.

But we'll end with one major gripe - it's EXPENSIVE!!

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