This is often neglected in MP3 audio players, even with the most expensive ones, while the headphones supplied by iRiver are of very good quality. There is just a slight tremble in the bass, which is quite common in this type of product. On the other hand, the product has taken no notice of the legislative recommendation regarding sound level limits. Even at medium volume, the sound is very loud and only someone whose hearing was on the same level as Mr. Magoo's eyesight would want to push it to the limit. The isolation from external sound is only just about average. In a car, for instance, you might hear the engine noise louder than the music, and you certainly couldn't drive with the window open.

Accessories And Software

The iFP-890 is far from chintzy with accessories. In addition to the indispensable USB 2.0 cable, you will find an audio cable with a 3.5 mm jack plug for connecting to external audio sources. Furthermore, you get two carrying cases, one of which enables you to fix the device to your wrist or arm.

Alas, the weaknesses are pretty obvious in the software. Unlike most of its competitors, the iFP-890 is not recognized as an external storage unit when connected to a computer. You therefore have to go through a utility called iRiverManager to transfer files. In other words, you need to take the CD-ROM with you if you want to download music away from your own PC (fortunately, the CD is only three inches (eight cm) in diameter). Although the main function of this utility is file transfer, it also makes it possible to directly define the FM stations stored in memory and convert audio CDs into a compressed format. Unfortunately, only the OGG Vorbis format is supported and compression is unbelievably slow. You will actually need longer to convert an audio CD into OGG files than you will need to listen to the audio CD (nearly 50 minutes for a 43-minute CD with an Athlon XP 1800+ and 512 MB of DDR PC2100).

Conclusion

On the hardware level, the iFP-890 and iFP-790 are excellent digital audio players, offering numerous additional functions and better than average sound quality. Users also have excellent listening comfort. It is a pity that the products fall down when it comes to the software, and you cannot transfer files via Windows using drag and drop. Let's hope this defect is soon remedied.