My new MP3 Player

dj_stick

As some of you may know, i used to use an iRiver H140 MP3 player, though recently the headphone jack was becoming loose, and the connection was failing, so i RMA'd the device

Received the updated H340 last night in the mail. I'll go into a mini-review here (no pics yet though, possibly by the weekend)

The player i received is the international version, which differs from the US in that it does not support WMA DRM, and has the USB host feature (US models *can* have this feature activated with some modifications)

The first major difference i noticed when i opened the package was that the player was a little bit thicker than my previous one - might not too attractive for some people, but it's no worry to me

Also the navigation is alot easier using the buttons rather than the stubby joystick of my old device, however the volume up button on the player appears to be a little non-responsive. I'll try to loosen it up with use though.

It still has the headphone/remote output, line in and out, but lacks the optical (toslink) i/o that the 140 had

The colour screen is a very interesting addition, and the ability to view photos is quite nice, however it does take a while to load a photo, so if you want to use it as a photo-viewer, i suggest getting a dedicated photo viewing-harddrive unit

aswell as the ability to view photos, the player can also take photos off a camera via it's USB host function, as well as being able to transfer any file off any compatibly device
It's far from complete compatibility, only single drive devices will work (no multi-card readers, unless you are using the first drive, which in my case is the Compact Flash slot)
Transfer is only USB 1.1 and for anything other than card -reader you'll most likely need an external powersource

A nice leather case with swivelling belt clip came with the player as well. It allows full access to the i/o on the top of the player, but blocks the USB ports on the bottom.

The docking station is quite handy also, no more plugging two cables into the player each time i want to hook it up to the PC and also to charge it, just place it in the dock. One gripe i have is that a considerable amount of force is needed to both secure it in the dock to make the connections, and also to remove it, so it's no run past and grab dock (which has it's benefits, especially in an office situation)

The bundled headphones are short-cable sennheiser MX300s, designed to be used with the bundled remote controller. The headphones are above average for freebies, but for anyone interested in decent sound will either buy new one,s or already have a pair. The remote control is also a little bit of a disappointment, after being used to the LCD remote bundled with the 140 i find the new non-LCD remote rather crippled. My solution: use the remote from my 140 (i only had to RMA the unit itself, not the accessories)

The LCD remote works with the new player almost exactly like on the old one, with a few minor differences that i got used to quite easily.

All in all i would recommend this MP3 player to someone with a tech-savvy interest, a lot of music, aswell as someone who wouldn't mind the ability to watch videos

If anyone has any specific questions, please post here and i'll do my best to answer