iRiver LPlayer MP3 Player

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Max Slowik
Brian
Iriver
Jul. 16, 2009

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Introduction

You could say I've been around the block and settled down. I can't say that I'm the most experienced portable music player junkie around; I've had a long, sordid love affair with Apple's portable audio line. But before that, I never wanted to commit to one format, or one brand. I started with a Walkman, like most people my age, and progressed slowly to a Discman once I could afford to keep myself in new CDs.

I jumped ship to Minidisc when the mp3 revolution hit its peak in the late nineties because I could make — and remake — all of my mixes with a handful of reusable, inexpensive, and durable discs. And I loved the geek features Minidisc players of old offered. Illuminated in-line remotes, swanky monochrome pixel-based screens that would scroll track info — you couldn't do that with most CD players. Then came the iPod.

Ever since the first Windows-compatible iPod rolled off the production line, I have been wholly committed to Apple's music players. I owned every iPod they released, from the mechanical click wheel of G1 to the high-res color screened iPod Video. I had a shuffle for exercising. When the iPhone was released, I unquestioningly braved long lines at the Apple Store to be one of the first kids on the block to pocked one. And, until now, I hadn't thought of the possibility that I may have another brand nestled in my pocket one day.

First Impressions

I initially mistook the Lplayer for its older cousin, the Clix. I had always been infatuated with the physical design of the original D*Click player, and iRiver has brought yet another product to market with this slick navigation method. It reminded me of a Nano “Phat” without the navigation bits below the screen (and indeed, the 2-inch, 320x240 pixel screen is a dead ringer for that found in the Nano). And clean lines and simple functionality are the kinds of things that get me hot.

Inside the clear (and dead simple) packaging, you'll find the tiny player and a box of accessories. You get a 6-pin to 4-pin USB cable to handle syncing and charging, a set of bare-bones earphones, a quick-start guide, and a mini-cd that holds the iRiver Plus management software and a copy of Windows Media Player 11. It's all you need to get started, nothing more.

The Lplayer, in inches, measures 2.4x1.7x0.5, which is quite small considering the 2-inch screen covers almost the entire face of the unit. You navigate by clicking the edge of the screen, which invokes whatever action is indicated by a small icon centered along each edge. Hold the right edge in any “now playing”-esque screen (audio/ video player, etc...) and you'll get to the options menu for that function.. The volume rocker, power button, and microphone are located on the bottom edge. You'll find the headphone jack and a covered USB port on the left edge. The hold switch is on the back of the player, and a small reset button resides on the top edge.

The D*Click interface is really smooth — when it wants to respond properly. Sometimes quick clicks would register just fine, but if you want a command to go through the first time, every time, you should probably push a little bit harder and a little bit longer than you'd expect. It's a minor niggle, but a niggle worth being aware of, nonetheless.

The Lplayer is available in three different colors — black, white, and the pink/white combo that I received for review. The player is made of that great soft-touch plastic that has become all the rage in the last few years. The screen sits flush with the top edge of the player. Overall, the entire unit feels decidedly solid. There's very little, if any, flex in the casing, and clicking the screen buttons doesn't cause the LCD to distort. I felt very confident throwing it in a bag or a pocket and not worrying about whether or not it was going to hold up.

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Page 1: Introduction & First Impressions
Page 2: Setup, Usability & Performance
Page 3: Conclusion

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