IRIVER SlimX iMP-550 Personal CD Player

In my recent search for a CD player with MP3 capability, all reviews tended to lean toward the iRiver IMP550 (SlimX). Unfortunately, I could not find it in stock anywhere to "touch and feel" before buying it, so I had no choice but to buy online and take my chances. I'll first say - SlimX is no joke, this is one slim CD player. It is about the thickness of a AAA battery, maybe a little less even. It has a quality feel to it and comes loaded with a car kit and DC adaptor, an AC adaptor, an external battery pack, two internal "stick" batteries, and a wired remote. It is also firmware upgradable, so as formats change or features become available, you can get these from iRiver and upgrade your player in minutes. The audio quality is great - but you can't "blast" yourself as with most portable players today. Even at the loudest setting, your ears are pretty safe. The IMP550 has more features than I have seen in any CD player. It supports WMA, CD, WAV, and MP3 formats. It also supports ID tags and will even display lyrics if coded onto your MP3 CD with optional sofware. Even more advanced, you can set up your CD folders by genre and code them for a specific equalizer setting and the IMP550 will automatically set the EQ based on each folder genre. I have yet been able to get the player to skip and I have tried hard. With 320 second skip avoidance, no worries in the skip department! However, the player has two drawbacks. One is wires - the wired remote is the only way to control it. Headphones then plug into the remote. If you use the AC or DC adaptor, that is another wire. The second drawback is that the remote is small and rather complicated. I love tech-toys and can usually figure them out in minutes with or without the instruction manual. I had to read this manual, and am still getting used to the various menus. There are so many features that it makes maneuvering the player quite "messy." Many other reviewers say the same here and I agree with them. Bottom line - the IMP550 is worth every penny of the fairly high price, but if you are looking for simplicity, the "wiring harness" and complex remote might be disappointing for you.