IRIVER SlimX iMP-550 Personal CD Player

I wrote an express iRiver iMP-550 review before and now I want to update it to a full review.

Well it has been about 4-5 months with the iMP-550. Things seem to get better with every firmware upgrade that iRiver puts out. Ogg Vorbis is now supported and iRiver released Firmware Upgrade V.1.60N that makes Ogg more compatible. There were a few bugs in V.1.50. Ogg files that were higher than 256 kbps wouldn't play properly. Now with V.1.60N it is easier to use Ogg files with the iMP-550.

As I have said before I am not a expert when it comes down to portable audio devices, but the iMP-550 never stops amazing me. The sound quality is much better than any cd player that I have ever used. I have many friends who have their 2-4 years old cd player and the sound quality on their players are just no comparison to the iMP-550. Also I compared my friend's Sony $50 cd player that was only about 2 months old and the player is also no comparison to the iMP-550. There maybe other players that are better sounding than the iMP-550, but I have never encountered one.

I would have to say the most noticeable thing about the sound is the clarity. Switching back and forth with other cd players I immediately notice how the iMP-550's sound is much more clear. The highs are much more noticeable as well as the bass. Throughout the range you can hear how music should be heard.

I would have to say that it is required to upgrade to better headphones. There is no way my music would sound as good as it does without my Sennheiser PX 200s. I know the Sennheiser PX 200s are not the best in sound, but they do okay for me, for now. I am thinking about upgrading to the Grado SR-80s, but I am short on the money right now.

With the Sennheiser PX 200s (You can see my review under the Sennheiser PX 200 Reviews) I can listen to music with the iMP-550 for endless hours.

I have done some experimenting with the iMP-550 and MP3 Music Files. I use to be happy with just 128 kbps and 192 kbps. I then realized that at this bitrate I was missing everything. The highs were gone and the bass was not as strong.

In my quest to find the better sound through MP3 files I did some testing. I knew that 192 kbps was not good enough for me, so I went right up to 256 kbps. I encoded my music to 256 kbps and then listened to the MP3 encoded at 256 kbps. After listening to the MP3, encoded at 256 kbps, I then switched to the original CD. I couldn't tell the difference so that was what I stuck to. I now encode all my music at 256 kbps or 320 kbps. Also the iMP-550 never had any problems playing MP3s at this bitrate.

When encoding at 256 kbps or 320 kbps I can only fit about 5-6 albums on one CD-R. I think the sound quality makes it worth it though.

After months of using the iMP-550 I still think the thing will last forever. The player still feels solid. I am still amazed at how slim and light the cd player really is. I have never seen one person with a cd player that can ever compare to my iMP-550. I am a high school student and there are many kids in my school who have portable audio devices. That alone says a lot about the iMP-550.

Even though the portable audio world is being ruled by the Hard Drive Players the iMP-550 is still a competitor. The value is still there. The iMP-550 is less than half the price of what most Hard Drive Player cost. With the extra money you could buy headphones, some high quality CD-Rs, maybe a portable amp, or whatever. Also the iMP-550 is much more rugged. One drop of a Hard Drive Player and that could be it. That would be $300 down the drain.

The remote is the only thing that controls the player, but it really is much better that way. I know people don't like the fact that the only thing that controls the iMP-550 is the remote, but it actually a good thing. First off the remote is truly incredible. This little thing has been through all kinds of things with me. It has faced -20 degree temperatures and came out working like new. Been crushed by my books and still works. This little thing just can't be broken. Also the buttons and jog dials are perfect too. They are really high quality even though they are really small. When I first had the remote I thought that it would break in a month, but it has held on. Great little device.

The good thing about having only the remote as a control device is that there will be less to have go wrong. The iMP-550 can go anywhere. In your pocket, bag, whatever and you will never need to worry about buttons being pushed for no reason. With the remote you can have it in your hand and it is like you are getting music from this little small piece of plastic.

The navigation on the remote is something that others should take as an example of perfection. I can't find one flaw in the navigation of the iMP-550. It is so simple. I can even navigate through my songs without looking at the LCD Screen. (Takes time to memorize the order of songs and file orders though). It is very much organized.

I have just took the iMP-550 on a long road trip. The player played without flaw. I was just waiting for one thing to go wrong. The player continued to produce the one thing it does best: Music. Nothing went wrong and I noticed that the iMP-550 had really great battery life with the external and internal batteries. I went 4 days without any charging.(I used 2 AA Rechargeable Lenmar 2300 mAh in the external battery holder)

Also the FM Tuner really came in handy on this road trip. Driving through every state I would set new presets. It really is simple to set the presets after doing it so many times. It really is fun listening to new radio stations in different states. Just hold down MODE/CD FM/Stereo and you can switch between great sounding MP3 music files and Radio stations. Also when switching back to the MP3 Music Files the iMP-550 starts off where ever you stopped listening to it.

The slim and light design really comes in handy when you are using the player all day. I used my iMP-550 all day long and never had a problem with the size of the player. It fits perfectly in my pant pocket or jacket pocket. I could barely feel the iMP-550 in my pockets! Just love that about the iMP-550.

On a side note the iMP-550 is really attractive. During the trip I saw people looking at how thin the player was. Also in school many people ask me "What is that?". They see it and compliment me. Makes me feel like I have invested in something that is really worth it.

I really recommend this player to anyone who loves: MP3 Music Files (Plays MP3s Flawlessly), great slim and light designs (much slimmer and lighter than average cd player), great battery life (with external battery pack), great navigation, great sound and upgradeablity.

Bought mine in November 2003 for $168.00. I think you can find it for $150 now. Just go and get it. You will not regret the purchase.

By the way there is a forum for iRiver Users/Potential Buyers. It is at MisticRiver.net. You should check it out. There is a section just for the iMPs. There's also a gallery. I have some pictures of my iMP-550 there too. My name is Lsportline43 over at MisticRiver.net. Check it out. (Private Message me if you have any questions)