JetAudio iAudio4 MP3 Player

Reviews: Multimedia

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Bradford Day
Kurtis
JetAudio
Jul. 13, 2004

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Software

The included software CD contains 3 bits of software. The JetShell for iAUDIO 4, the Jet-Audio music center and a user guide in .pdf format. The JetShell is a file loading/ripping/organizing application meant to simplify your iAUDIO experience. While the application is a very good MP3 ripping app, in the end I found it somewhat cumbersome to navigate through and since the flash memory player is natively recognized in newer versions of Windows, the JetShell software isn't really needed. The Jet-Audio music center was very forgettable in my opinion. While it will allow you to play MP3s, CDs and Midi files and add sound effects while recording, it was damn near impossible to navigate and the displays are so tiny I became quickly frustrated and reverted back to Winamp. The .pdf version of the user manual is an exact replica of the included paper printed manual, which again I can't say enough good things about. I was able to find answers to every one of my questions and all information is laid out with excellent pictures and straightforward instructions. Kudos to JetAudio's technical writers!

I must also take a few sentences to acknowledge JetAudio's outstanding website. From their visually pleasing and easily navigable homepage, you can find firmware updates, multiple product shots and a wealth of product specifications and feature lists as well as purchasing info. Even before I received the player from JetAudio, I was very impressed with the layout of their page. www.jetaudio.com

Conclusion

Overall I was extremely pleased with the performance, quality and battery life of the iAUDIO 4. My only real complaint with the player itself was it' occasional lack of strong bass response, which I attribute to the earbuds. The included software package is extensive and useful, but confusing at times and in the end not really necessary to utilize the multiple features of this player.

JetAudio has really put together a quality package and stuffed it full of extra goodies. I would recommend this player strongly to anyone who wishes to use it solely for exercise while it is more than outstanding for daily radio, voice recording and digital music file use. I might suggest getting at least a 256MB version or the 1GB version if you can afford it. If you're not looking to keep your entire collection of digital music on one player, this device is an excellent choice. Of course the iAUDIO 4 player is no match for the ever-present iPod when it comes to storage, but it isn't intended to be. Besides, with all the features the iAUDIO 4 packs in one Bic lighter sized package, I wouldn't want the iPod to be mentioned in the same sentence if I were the iPod marketing department. To me, the iAUDIO 4 makes iPod and other digital players look a bit pale. Keep an eye out for JetAudio, you won't be disappointed.

Pros

Stylish design
Multitude of LCD colors
Sounds as good as it looks
Feature laden
Available in 128MB, 256MB, 512MB and 1GB storage sizes
Compact and lightweight
Up to 15 hours of playback from one AAA battery
And finally, a *useful* user manual!!!

Cons

Occasional weak bass response
Software not terribly useful
Only USB 1.1 compliant

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Page 5 of 5

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Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: First Looks
Page 3: Features & Testing
Page 4: Features & Testing, Continued
Page 5: Software & Conclusion

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16 User Comments

1 - Posted by Nick on July 14, 2004 - 11:02 pm

I think Brad is officially my favorite reviewer here or anywhere. Always makes me laugh at some of the weird things he says and does.

2 - Posted by Brian on July 14, 2004 - 11:33 pm

Yeah, he has a kickin sense of humor. That's what we pay him for.

Well... eish... umm... hmmph

*slowly walks away*

3 - Posted by Kurtis on July 15, 2004 - 11:58 am

-on topic-
yes, brad has a great sense of humor. there was a time where brian and I used to write humor into our reviews, but I think we lost teh funnay :(

-off topic-
lmao brian when did you add that wayne brady thing to your sig? :lol:

4 - Posted by Brian on July 15, 2004 - 1:39 pm

I tried to add a bit of humor to my next review... we'll see...

I added the sig the other day :-P Good stuff

5 - Posted by handrail on July 15, 2004 - 2:41 pm

awww, gee, thanks guys! :wink:

glad you like me insane ramblings. of course, i have been told by a certain review editor that i sometimes use jokes too often in my reviews. but then again, sometimes i write one and it's the most surreal insane bit of brain ooze and i have to tidy it up a bit so that it will make sense to normal people. so umm, yeah.

i just hope the RIAA doesn't sue me for saying in so many words that they are a bunch of bastards...although i didn't mention them specifically until just now. they're still bastards tho.

6 - Posted by EmoMakesMeCry on July 15, 2004 - 4:28 pm

*looks in shame at his Rio One mp3 player*

me thinks it's time to invest in a new mp3 player...

7 - Posted by Kurtis on July 15, 2004 - 7:50 pm

by the way... we just got the jetaudio M3 today to review. It is a HDD-based 20GB MP3 player. We'll have a review up on it in a few weeks :)

8 - Posted by Guest on July 24, 2004 - 2:45 pm

Thank you for a review which is actually useful and seems to be impartial! I waded through many woeful reviews written by semi-literate individuals before finding this one. Now I'm more confident that this is the mp3 player I would like to own!

9 - Posted by Guest on September 15, 2004 - 8:10 am

I want to buy a MP3 player and was wondering what you would recommend? The Iaudio CW 300 512mb, the Iaudio 4 1 Gb of a Iaudio M3? I am not able te make up my mind between these players. So maybe you can help me a bit?

10 - Posted by Guest on September 16, 2004 - 8:29 am

Thanks for the advice. For me personally 512 Mb of 1 Gb is more then enough. Still thinking about buying an Iaudio CW 300 512mb, the Iaudio 4 512Mb or 1Gb. Maybe you can help me with some advice on this too?

11 - Posted by Guest on September 17, 2004 - 8:44 am

Thanks very much. I decided too buy the iAudio 4. The main reasons were the good user reviews of the soundquality and the use of AAA batteries, which makes the device very usefull on vacation.

12 - Posted by Guest on September 22, 2004 - 5:05 pm

Does the carrying case have a belt clip? In other words, can you wear the unit on your waist rather than on your arm? This is a critical issue to many runners. Thanks (My CW 300 had a very nice black leather case with a belt clip. This was a different case than the one supplied for use with the armband).

13 - Posted by Guest on December 15, 2004 - 3:41 am

Very appreciate your review. Currently plan to buy iAudio MP3,but still can not distinguish "U2" and "G3"(cannot find big difference between them),hope give me some advice.Thx!

14 - Posted by Guest on December 16, 2004 - 4:47 am

Thankyou for your the detailed data.I'll keep an eye on your review! :)

15 - Posted by Guest on January 4, 2005 - 2:43 am

Great review. I just purchased a MY3ia 512MB mp3 player, then read the reviews for the iAudio 4. I promptly returned the former player and ordered the iAudio online because it's features and quality blew mine away. I cant wait for it to arrive.

16 - Posted by Guest on August 14, 2005 - 12:49 pm

Hi, thanks for the review, very helpful. One question I can't seem to find the answer to...I'm looking for something that can record at least 2 hours of voice recording at high quality. Would this do it? Or would you recommend another product.

thanks again.

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