IRIVER iFP-790 (256 MB) MP3 Player

The device:
iRiver 790T Digital Audio Player w/flashable BIOs
Capacity:
256 MB, non expandable flash memory
Power Source:
1 AA battery
Encoding Compatibility:
WMA, MP3, ASP, Ogg Vorbis
Features:
Real time audio encoding, FM Tuner with recording and 20 presets, Voice recorder with built in mic.
Software:
iRiver Music Manager
Systen Requirements:
PC: Pentium 133mhz or faster; Windows 98SE,ME,2000,XP
MAC: OS 9.2.2 or later, OS 10.2 or later, CarbonLib 1.6 or later.
What's in the box:
iRiver 790T player, earbuds with foam covers, USB cable, Audio-in patch cord, neckstrap, carrying case, armband, hardware manual, software manual, Music Manager Software CD
Current List Price: $149.00
What I paid: $179.00 six months ago when that was list.

Why I bought it:
I originally purchased the iRiver 790T to take the place of a bulky portable CD player used during my morning commute. I was tired of lugging around the player and associated discs and thought that a Digital Audio Player would be a reasonable replacement. My commute is just under an hour so what I was looking for was a device that could hold at least 5-6 CD's worth of music files, thus offering some variety.
As I began my six month period of research into these devices it became apparent to me that the published features of iRiver, who i'd never heard of up til then, were so far superior to all other players as to totally eclipse them. The more I looked the more it seemed that iRiver was sort of the Honda of these devices. Low key, rock solid, well built, well engineered, feature laden, and reliable.
It occured to me after iRiver came to my notice that their real time encoding from any audio source opened up a whole new use for the device that i'd never considered in my original reasons for wanting a DAP.

Experience with the Product:
I own thousands of vinyl LP's, many of which have not yet, and probably never will be, released on CD. Encoding them into digital files seemed a daunting task as my turntable and stereo are on another floor and halfway across the house from the computer. Using the real time encoding on the iRiver I can convert these vinyl albums into digital files on the device by simply plugging in the patch cord to any audio device, including a headphone jack, and using the internal software controls to encode the music. Presto! Kenny Rankin's 1969 gem "Mindusters" is finally portable to me again for the first time since I stopped using cassettes! The only drawback to this process is that, obviously, like a cassette recording, the album, tape, etc. has to be played back in real time as it is recorded to the iRiver. But that's to be expected as they are, after all, analog sources.
I like the fact that there is an FM tuner for those times when i'm bored with my recorded music and I also like that the device encodes in WMA. There is a lot of controversy over MP3 versus WMA versus Ogg versus whatever.
This is largely subjective; so what follows is my subjective suggestion, based on my experience with the device, and is not definitive in any way. I've had occasion to use all of the formats mentioned above and they're all good, in my opinion. But, WMA has the ability to encode at 64kbps and render a file equal in quality to at least a 128 kbps MP3 file. Same quality, half the space. That means twice the amount of music files. I've averaged around 120 "songs" for my 256mb DAP when encoding at 64kbps WMA. The quality is great for the type of pop, folk, etc. that I listen to. Lovers of classical or jazz may want to experiment with that rate, and if unsatisfied, try a higher bit rate. For my use and taste, 64kbps is perfect.
In any case, a PC user can utilise the rip function of Windows Media Player to rip music files to MP3 or WMA at their various bitrates and depending on their preference.
The files are then dragged and dropped onto the device using the ultra easy and intuitive iRiver Music Manager Software interface. They load onto the device almost as fast as they are dragged and dropped when using a USB 2 port. As I don't own a MAC, I have no opinion on the ease of use with one.
The controls on the device are logical, well thought out and surprisingly robust. There are three multi function buttons on top of the device, a lock button on it's bottom and a combination joystick/button on the face of the device that control all functions by, variously, using a quick press or a hold. Most playback functions such as volume, skip track, skip file, FM tuning and equalization are controlled by the joystick/button(once you've decided between FM and music files). There is a decent 5 band graphic equalizer and something called 3d sound that i've experimented with and don't much like. You might.
The FM tuner has 20 presets and utilizes the supplied earbuds cord as their antennae. The tuner has functioned quite well for me overall but gets into a bit of trouble at some frequencies in areas with high multipath interference, such as a city with tall buildings which cause signal echo. On the other hand, i've owned expensive home stereo component tuners that couldn't handle multipath any better.
The readout panel is black text and graphics on a light blue, rear illuminated screen. It is customisable and has various functions that can be displayed or not, including a clock, volume bars, EQ readout, etc. Like all small devices of this type, those of us who need reading glasses will need them to properly interpret the screen whose displays include the lists of files (think songs) on the device.
The supplied paper manuals, two of them, one for software and one for the hardware, are well wrtten, clear and lavishly diagrammed. I've found that everytime i've thought the manual was unclear it was because i'd read over it fast and jumped to what I thought was a logical conclusion. So if you make a mistake go back, check the manual again, slowly, and try again.
As for the advertised up to 40 hours on a single Double "A" battery. I'm averaging around 35 hours, using rechargeable alkalines, depending on how much continuous use the device gets. Still very decent and economical.
The supplied earbuds, contrary to some reviews i've seen on them, seem accurate and neutral within their 20-20,000khz range. I'd suggest that some owners may be misadjusting the EQ, real easy to do, and blaming the earbuds.

Conclusion and Recomendation:

Pros: Lightweight; very compact; packed with useful and usable features; well constructed and solid to the touch; uses a single double "A" efficiently; has real time "on the fly" encoding; intuitive software; multi format compatable; excellent sound and sufficient volume; attractive design and good ergonomics; excellent hardware and software documentation; super friendly software interface.

Cons: Supplied carrying case and armband are so flimsy and cheap it's hard to believe that iRiver would want them in the same package with their excellent product; Readout panel is, as noted, tough to read for those who need glasses without them.

I highly recommend this product if a 256 player suits your capacity needs. iRiver also makes a 128mb player; a 512mb player; and a 1 gig player if you want larger or smaller capacity (all of the 700 series iRiver DAPs are functionally the same and identical in size, features and control layout). If you want the device to use while excersizing or running or just want to carry it in an armband; spend the extra $20 at iRiver.com and buy the deluxe neoprene armband and case.
I own this player, but recently purchased the 799T
1 gigabyte player, too. After using this one for six months, I found I liked it so much I was using it more often than just my commute and wanted the extra capacity.
So consider what you want to use it for and buy capacity accordingly.
For myself, as long as I need or want this type of device, iRiver is what i'll buy. This is truly the gold standard of DAP's. And, no, I have no relationship with iRiver other than as a consumer.