Customer Reviews:
 Not for beginners April 5, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is my 4th flash mp3 player. The first three were from Creative: two MuVo TX-Fms and a 1gb Zen Nano Plus. I listen to lots of podcasts. For music, I rip CDs and transfer the files the low tech way, without special software. Because I travel a lot and hate lugging a charger, the ability to use AAA batteries is a must.
I was looking for a small flash player with more capacity. The 4gb Iriver T-60 seemed to fit the bill. After a week of daily use, these are my impressions:
The good:
- Sounds great and plenty of volume into my Phillips SHE5920 in-ear buds. Noticeably more volume than any of my Creatives. Painfully loud if you like. Lots of equalizer profiles to choose from.
- Battery life seems satisfactory. Lithiums and NMH rechargeable AAAs seem to last at least as long as they did on my Creatives.
- The ribbed case isn't a fingerprint magnet. I like it better than smooth cases.
The bad, from minor to major:
- The default display contrast isn't contrasty enough. When running through directories or files, you can't see where the cursor line is at. This is easy to fix. Set the contrast to maximum, "-10". "Settings > Display > LCD Contrast". You'd think Iriver would choose a default contrast setting that will allow you to see where the cursor line is at.
- Poor documentation. The T-60 comes with an utterly useless quick start guide and a CD containing the full user guide. The user guide stinks and lacks sufficient detail. For example, you have a choice of nine playback modes, represented on the display by nine icons. The user guide doesn't explain them, so I wasted half an hour figuring them out by trial and error.
- No "single file" playback mode that I can find. The Creatives let you play a single song or podcast once, then stop and go into the automatic idle shutdown mode. This is useful when you're drifting off to sleep. You know that the player will shutdown after your song or podcast is over, rather than running through other files for hours and trashing your batteries. Iriver has provided a workaround in the form of a sleep timer shutdown, but you have to manually turn it on and set the delay every time you re-boot the player.
- Can't be powered from your computer's USB port! You have to turn it on and waste battery power when transferring files or playing the T-60 through your computer! Are you kidding me? How hard can this be? I'd love to hear Iriver's explanation for this. Naturally, no such explanation can be found in the documentation.
- The joystick. It's sloppy and imprecise. Until you get a feel for it and acquire the necessary muscle memory to move it just right, it has a mind of its own, will take you to places you don't want to go to, and generally drive you batty. I seriously doubt that I'll ever be able to use it blindfolded, my benchmark for a good user interface.
SUMMARY: I can live with all of the T-60's shortcomings, but I wouldn't recommend it to someone who is looking for their first ever mp3 player, unless they were fairly tech savvy.
 What the hell? April 3, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I ordered this via Amazon thru a seller called 'Jet Audio'. It shipped fine. When I got it, I put a new battery in, installed the iRiver software and plugged it into my computer via the USB cord. The software immediately asked me if I wanted to update the firmware. I clicked 'yes'. It updated, then asked me a again. Then I downloaded about 100 music tracks onto it. When I was done, I closed out the iRiver software, turned off the computer and then unplugged the player. I got one error msg that said 'updating firmware, please wait'. Then nothing. Nada. Tried six different new batteries and still nothing. I've asked the vendor to send me a shipping label so I can return it and get a replacement. Really disappointed.
Fair Player, Good Interface, Some Design Drabacks March 29, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
My previous (favorite) MP3 player, an iRiver T10 gave up the ghost after an average use of about four hours per day for almost three years. after some research I purchased an iRiver T-60. I Before I go into the pluses minuses and issues (features that could be a plus or minus depending on your preferences), I need to set the stage a bit:
I use my MP3 player almost exclusively to listen to podcasts and audio books. This makes my picky about some features that you might not care about. Also, I am comparing it primarily to the iRiver T-10 (three years old and Australian), Ultra Hydra, and Creative MuVo, all of which I've used extensively. I prefer to access my MP3 player without looking at it at all, and the controls should allow that.
Pluses:
-Capacity -- 4 GB. Its ample room, and why I chose this model. (see issues below)
-Controls. Same controls as T-10 and previous models. The controls here are substantially the same as the T-10 model. The controls are not intuitive, and take some getting used to. However, there's a lot of functionality there, and once I learned them, they became second nature. There are a couple of features that are - IMO - Must haves for an MP3 player: Resume and skip (both discussed below).
-Resume. If you are listening to one hour or longer podcasts, a Resume function is a must. I won't use an MP3 player for podcasts if it doesn't have both resume and "resume" (see below). Resume works just like you'd expect with the occasional an inconsequential problem that occasionally resumes fails on a hard power off (low battery and repeated turn on, or removing the battery while in operation).
-Study Mode. "Study Mode" is essentially the ability to skip ahead in the midst of an MP3. You can program how far within the selection to skip ahead in the selection. This is separate from scan, which essentially plays the selection faster. You can program the device to skip ahead from 3 seconds to 3 minutes. I find this feature absolutely invaluable, especially for listening to stuff recorded directly off of the radio, where there are 28 minutes of "other stuff" in a one hour program (that includes NPR). This essentially doubles the speed at which you can listen to such recordings, turning a one hour show into a 35 minute task. Listening to commercial radio this way makes me frustrated listening to either commercial or satellite (talk) radio
-Better lock. "Hold" function is necessary when you are active so that the device doesn't accidentally get turned off /on or otherwise changed during active times. Hold is changed slightly from the T-10 I have. The button is secure, easier to find and seems unlikely to wear out or slip as the previous one was on its way to doing. Overall, done right here.
-Display is clearer, better laid out. I found the display in the T-10 completely satisfactory, and the improvements don't add much to the usability of the system, but they are nice. You will still have a very hard time reading the display in bright sunlight however.
-Fast USB connection when connected to computer. I was initially surprised to find that while other players are USB2 compatible, they are not as fast as they clearly could be (both Ultra and MuVo have this problem). The iRiver is very speedy.
-Sound quality. I expect sound reproduction to be exactly the same on my mp3 player as it is on the computer. Rest assured that it is.
-Sleep timer. I use this occasionally, and appreciate having it when I use it.
-Audio recording. I use the Audio recording regularly to make recordings of my kids and - when legal -- customer service calls I make to avoid the problem of "they didn't put that in your record, so it doesn't count. In both cases it does a completely satisfactory job, though you shouldn't expect high fidelity. It date stamps the file with Month/Date (not time, or year). I wish it did the additional stamping, but if you record two or more files on the same day, it does number them sequentially, which is good, except I can not easily over the long term.
-USB Cover. This is another minor improvement. Its still attached to the device, attaches securely and comes free far enough away that you can easily attach the USB connector. An inconsequential nit is that they could have put the thumbnail leverage point on both sides, so that it is easily opened by left or right hand.
-FM Radio. The FM radio is satisfactory, and works very well if you are in a major metropolitan area or otherwise getting strong signals. However, if you are not getting a very strong signal, you will find that you will first have to adjust your headphones (which is the antenna), then give up well before you loose the signal from a standard radio. Its not why I bought it, and its ok for a secondary feature.
-Speedup. The device has the ability to playback your MP3s at faster or slower than real time. It takes some getting used to, but if you are using the player for "work" (e.g. listening to lectures, or looking for something in an audio), then this speedup is very nice, and reduces your time. However, after getting used to it, I generally find I prefer to revel in the spoken word, and its sometimes distracting to be going too fast, especially on dramatic readings, or dramatizations, so I don't use it anymore (it was a feature I started to look for in an MP3 player until I realized the T-10 already had it however).
Minuses:
-Turn on Time. Turn-on time dependent on how much memory is used. When with 3.7 Gb loaded, it takes 19 seconds to turn on while it scans the files. That's a LONNNNNNNNG time. This is a big enough weakness that it makes me think very seriously about returning it, and the major reason I rated it low. I didn't realize this was the case with the T-10 until I received the T-60. w/ one GB used, it takes 4-5 seconds, which is workable. The time is directly proportional to the number of files/space used, so you are motivated to not fill it up if you don't have to.
-Deleting files. The length of time for the device to delete a file is also dependent on how many files/how much capacity is used on the device. It takes approximately 9 seconds to delete a file from the device directly (after it scans the files), as opposed as deleting it from your computer when the device is acting as a Mass Storage Device (MSD). As a practical matter, I no longer critical to delete files as I use them, because there's plenty of room, though it remains convenient to do so sometimes. However. Nine seconds is way too long to delete a file.
-Over sensitive "center-control". Other reviews have mentioned the "oversensitive" control. I absolutely concur, and find this a substantial practical drawback as well. I have found that it possible to use the joint of my thumb pressed on the device so that I can press EXACTLY straight down to get at the functionality I want, but I can't yet do it well enough to do it without looking, because its too error prone and the device is "upside down" (see below).
-Recording.. Good, but I wish it kept track of the Year.
-Extra Software. There wasn't any. You now ONLY access the device via USB MSD. This is a solid improvement, IMO.
-"improper" ordering of files. When putting files on the device, windows does not put them on in alphabetical order. Rather it copies them in the following order: last file selected, (sometimes last two files), then first, second, third... selected files. The iRiver (all models I've used)
-Color.
-Lanyard strap/connector. There was no lanyard strap included in the package. I don't mind too much that there's no lanyard, since I have customized my own to suit my needs. However, here's not even the 2" piece of string to slip through the tiny hole to connect it to your own lanyard. This is a more annoying problem than it might seem, because the hole is too small for the standard thin braided string you'd typically use for such things. I recommend using a bit of fishing line, because its thin/strong enough for the task, but they should have made the hole bigger.
-Not powered by USB when connected to computer. When connected to the computer, the device should be powered by the power supplied through the USB. I've gotten over this, but they should have taken the load off the battery.
-Compatibility. Some MP3 files that play on my PC won't play on the device (just like the T10). This has something to do with the way that its encoded (probably not quite properly). There are three or four podcasts that I don't listen to only because they don't play on my device. This is a problem for the device, but not too big a deal.
Issues:
These are features that can be either pluses or minuses, depending on your particular preferences.
-AAA vs AA battery (vs size) You might prefer small size. I prefer the AA battery, added weight and 3x battery time. (Note: you will get approximately the stated battery life - IF you are using lithium ion batteries. I use NiMH batteries, which are a fine compromise between cost and capacity for the frequent user).
-Battery compartment. I find the battery compartment cover to be satisfactory, though I wish is was as slick as that of the T-10. replacing the battery is slightly awkward (compared to the T-10), because the battery cover is a separate piece of plastic that threatens to get lost. The compartment not water-resistant (not sealed with a rubber grommet) , and I can't replace the battery in the dark without looking, because it's a separate piece that threatens to get lost, but it appears to be sturdy enough.
-Volume control. This is a pretty small thing, and a bit hard to explain, but the volume output on the T-10 and T-60 is higher than other systems I've used. I have found that I can listen to the them with the volume setting of 01 of 40, when lying quietly, and I wish I could turn it down more. Others devices can set the volume to 10 to get the same volume. This means that if your earphones/speakers are not as powerful, you can jack up the output volume a lot. If however, you have efficient speakers/earphones, you can't go down with the same resolution at low levels as cheaper systems. On the plus side, if you really need the volume high, it goes higher than comparable systems.
-Browser Mode. I've ow ned these devices for more than three years now, and I still have no idea what the value of Browser mode is for. All the functionality of "Browser Mode" seems to be exactly duplicated in "Music" mode. The mode does get in the way a little bit when switching among other modes (Music, FM, Recording)
-Lanyard attachment and headphones attachment points are at the wrong end for the controls. If the lanyard is hanging around your neck, the controls are at the bottom, which is harder to use, since wrapping your hand around it puts your thumbs at the top.
-A note on Storage space. I love having 4 GB. For me its enough so that I can reload my player once a week with audio books/pod casts, while simultaneously having a rich selection of music to listen to when I'm not actively listening (like writing this review). I can be happy with 2 GB, and live with one GB, but four feels luxurious. Your mileage will of course vary.
-USB Connector. The device connects to USB via the "trapezoidal" USB connector. I used to wish that the device plugged directly into the USB port, but I now just have these cables (which I've gotten with numerous other devices) and plug it in without problem
-Head phones. I don't use their head phones. I buy my own.
Overall, there are several design flaws in the T-60, which make me REALLY wish I could by a 4 GB T-10. Its clear that as of this writing, the market agrees with this assessment, since a 1 GB T-10 is the same price as this 4 GB T-60. I believe this is explained by people valuing the feature set of the T-10 more highly than that of the T-60.
I still recommend this product, because other competitors also have similar or fewer shortcomings, and because most of the interface components (e.g. resume, study mode) make it very efficient to use, though it has some significant shortcomings (battery, loose control, scan time), and I'm disappointed because of my long experience with the T-10, and wanted this to be even better.
 So Many Pros, But a Few Cons Color This Rating February 28, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is a tough item to rate. It's my third iRiver, and by far the smallest. It's amazing what they've packed into the T604, but that's also one of the problems.
Give it a five on audio quality and the equalizer. Give it a three on the controls. And give it a two on hype. Screen color, hah. It's less than an inch long screen. It's good enough to see the name of the song, but I wouldn't want to watch "Lawrence of Arabia" -- not that you could or would actually want to.
Pros: Great audio
Holds 1,012 of my music: it all depends on the length of the selection.
Battery Life: Once you get it loaded (or once you get loaded), the AAA battery lasts about 15 hours!
FM: A decent receiver.
Recorder: I suppose if you really has a thought and needed to record it because you didn't have paper or pen, this would be very handy, but keep the notes short.
Cost: You can't beat it.
Can be directly loaded from your Music file folder. Just drag and drop.
Cons: The controls are unwieldy at best. Same problem with the larger iRiver cousins that I've reported on, but even more so. This is so small that it's somewhat difficult switching from Music, to Record, to Settings, etc. It's also tougher to get to the equalizer.
I suppose that I could list the earbuds as a con as well, but I have yet to get an MP3 player - including my iPod - where the standard earbuds were any good.
The last con is the "instruction" manual on paper or disc. They're both terrible.
I do recommend this, but before you get frustrated, do read the instructions. And, yes, you have to load the mini-disc to get to the good parts like the equalizer and settings. It's a good thing that it is identical to the other iRivers I have.
P.S. Three days later: One of the primary reviews and mfg specs said that it had a clip. It does not. Another said that there was a lanyard. It doesn't. The only way to "carry" it is to just dump it in your pocket or, lacking a pocket, I found a small carrying case from a camera lens with a squeeze paper clip worked nicely. But mostly, I just put it in my pocket when I use the longer Sony earbuds.
By the way, the more I listen, the more pleased I am with the range. Songs that are blurred on my iPod and even my oldest iRiver are automatically equalized on this one. I still rate it at 4 stars and can't wait to try it with my noise canceling earbuds when I travel.
Still, the quality and number of songs is well worth the money. Give it a chance. It's only slightly larger than the battery so you have to expect a little inconvenience in set up.
Great features, finicky navigation February 18, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I bought this player for my husband at Christmas to replace his old 1GB iRiver iFP-799 (which he really liked but the capacity had become too small). The features, sound quality, size, and capacity are great, but it is frustrating to use, especially for anyone with large hands. As others have pointed out, navigating with the "joystick" is decidedly tricky. In particular, selecting which item you want out of a list has to be done with a straight press-down motion, and it is really difficult to get it precisely straight - even for me, and I have very small hands. More than half the time you get a slight angle on it and it does something entirely different; so the tolerances here definitely need improvement. In addition, the highlighting to show you which item you are about to select is virtually impossible to see face-on, making it easy to select the wrong one. I also agree with the comments about the delicate USB cover and how it seems to need a nearly-full-strength battery to do file transfer. The older model did all of this *much* better, and got better battery life to boot (albeit with a AA instead of AAA).
So, while overall it's a very good player in most respects, using it is just too frustrating to earn 4 stars from us.
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