Player Blog Category Archives: iRiver :: H300

iRiver H320 Review

Omar Shahine has written up his thoughts on the iRiver H320 and how it compares to the iPod.

Omar is a Microsoft employee and his review reflects a more Microsoft-centric mindset. For example, he pays special attention to Microsoft's PlaysForSure and MTP. Not to say that this is a bad thing, but it is worth pointing out.

Unfortunately for the H320, Omar didn't like it:

Lame- fails in some areas. Do not hand over your money for this device.

Seriously, I did not enjoy debugging and trying to fit this device into my lifestyle. I figure the 2 or so hours I spent hacking TDT to support WMA DRM'ed files was well worth it as I learned something new, but if you are looking for a device to replace your iPod or you are on the market for a new device I would wait till iRiver works out the issues above (or some one else ships a comparable device).

Previously we reported that most Microsoft employees own iPods and here is Omar's review adding anecdotal evidence to the idea. [Via Digital Media Thoughts]

iRiver H320 Review

Dev Hardware has posted their review of the iRiver H320. While the 20GB color LCD device isn't the newest audio player on the street, it is currently one of the few Plays For Sure-compatible ways to listen to Napster on the Go tunes. Dev Hardware liked it a lot:

This is a great player, but it has a few problems. iRiver packed many features into the H320. The H320 can do more than just play music. It has built in radio, voice recorder, and text. While all these features work great, the overall software is lacking. Scrolling through an entire library of music becomes a tedious task. Getting to know how to access everything requires that the user thoroughly read the manual, and even then you will need to play around with it. My only other complaint is the current firmware. This lacks many of the great features offered in other countries, which would place the H320 in a category of its own. Overall I really liked this player; the positives overwhelm the few negatives of this player.

iRiver H300 Remote Available

We just noticed that the iRiver H300 remote is now available from iRiver's web store. While the older iRiver H100s included a spiffy LCD remote, the current iRiver H300s have no remote at all. Furthermore, this remote doesn't even have the LCD. But it's only $19.99, so adding one won't break the bank.

There is, however, an LCD remote for the H300s (photos here) available in Korea. As of yet, though, it is not available in the US.

iRiver H320 Review

PC Magazine has published their review of the iRiver H320:

The color screen and photo support are more convenience features than reasons for buying the H320. But its sonic abilities and advanced audiophile features are. If you don't mind a larger player, the H320 is a fine choice.

We'd like to call out once again that the US version of the iRiver H320 and H340 do not have USB On to Go (USB OTG) support. European and Asian versions, on the other hand, do have USB OTG, meaning owners can move photos directly from a digital camera to the H320. Needless to say, not having this feature in the domestic version is a big let down.

However, the iPod Photo doesn't have USB OTG either and the iRivers (around $285 and $380) cost about the same as a comparable regular iPods (around $275 and $370), compared with the 40GB iPod Photo at $499.

iRiver H320 Review

Gutter Vomit has written a review of iRiver's H320 which, up until today, was one of the only choices for an audio player with a color LCD. Still, even with Apple in the game now the 20GB H320 goes for about $100 less than the iPod Photo and is still a viable option.

Overall, I'm very happy with the H320; I know I sound like I'm not, but I am. Honest. The one thing it needed to do -- i.e., encourage my latent autism by letting me shut out the external world for 12 hours each day -- it does very well, and ultimately, that's what matters.

Although I admittedly have little experience with other players, I'd say that this device addresses all of my music needs pretty handily, and manages to throw in enough extras to warrant its higher price tag: US-based vendors have been pegging it somewhere between US$300 and US$350, although obviously, YMMV, here more than anywhere else. Other interesting non-iPod choices include Creative's Zen Touch (the one with the touchpad instead of a click-wheel) and the tiny Rio Karma, although neither have color screens.

USB On The Go Pulled from US iRiver H300s?

According to officially "verified" information, Mistic River, the iRiver community forum, has stated that the US version of iRiver's new H300 audio players will not have USB On the Go (USB OTG), a feature available on the European and Asian versions of the same device. If true, we can only call this development inexplicable. Along with a higher price tag and a color LCD screen, USB OTG was one the main differentiators of the H300s over iRiver's older, less expensive H100s and competitors from Apple, Rio, Creative and others.

It has been speculated that there may be US patent issues that have driven iRiver to this step, but no evidence has been offered thus far.

Piles of Pics of the iRiver H320

A handful of iRiver H300s are starting to escape into the wild (in Asia at least) and the photos are starting to hit the web. DAP Review found a couple of reviews with tons on photos. First is a Chinese review at imp3.net (machine translation). Second is a Korean iRiver forum user review (machine translation).

Also, we found someone brave enough to tear the cover off and peek at what's under the hood. EasyDigi (machine translation) hacked up their H320 and got photos of the circuit boards and highlighted the chips that power the device.

Another Early Review of the iRiver H320

The Akihabara gang has a new photo-filled review of the upcoming iRiver H320 color MP3 player. Most of the review is in French, but some (towards the end) is in English. A machine translation into English of the whole review is here. Also, here are more bits on the review at Gizmodo.

As Gizmodo notes, the USB Host capability is a Really Big Deal. Consequently, I really hope that this functionality makes it into the less-expensive (ie non-color LCD) players and doesn't only appear in the high-end, battery-eating color devices.

Bunch O' Pics of the iRiver H320

AV Watch of Japan of has a bunch of pictures of the new iRiver H320. A Babelfish translation into English is here. From the screenshots, it appears that the user interface is a lot like the its predecessors (except that it's in color now).

Also, note that the LCD on the remote is gone. For me personally, this is a big deal. I've gotten very used to being able to operate my iRiver player completely from the remote while keeping the body snug in its case. I do hope that iRiver at least offers a LCD remote option.