A quick look at the iPod shuffle and Apples "Mighty Mouse" tells us they're slipping a bit from their reputation of innovation. The T20 from iRiver does a fantastic job of backing this up.
The T20 scores points with mind-blowing sound, an ultra-compact USB stick design and a sexy display.
Scarcely bigger than a domino, weighing a mere 30 grams and unwired for sound, the flash players in iriver's new T20 series still have everything you would expect from a "full-grown" MP3 player.
Eschborn, June 20, 2005. "iriver believes some things are just meant to be together. After all, why should you have to do without a display just because you want to own an MP3 player the size of a USB stick?"
Boasting a stylish design, bursting with features and blending a modest price with minuscule dimensions, the T20 is the latest flash player from iriver, the leading provider of forward-looking portable audio and video solutions in the digital entertainment segment. Measuring just 57.5 x 27 x 14 mm, the newcomer guarantees superb music reproduction from all major audio formats. A line-in supports real-time MP3 encoding. A builtin microphone lets users make voice recordings. There is even a clock, complete with alarm function. A USB jack safely stashed away in the elegant metal casing ensures easy handling and eliminates the need for a separate data lead. The iriver T20 is has either 512 MB or 1 GB of memory.
The smallest new face in the iriver portfolio is definitely big on sound. A signal-tonoise ratio of 90 dB/A and a perfectly balanced frequency response makes listening to music a stunning experience further improved by the high-grade earphones supplied with the T20. The sound can be adjusted to personal tastes either manually or using one of 10 equaliser presets. Multi-codec playback supports a wide variety of formats: MP3, WMA, ASF and Ogg Vorbis.
An assortment of play modes, give listeners the choice of sticking to a set playlist or opting for random selection. An intuitive graphical menu makes navigation on the four-line, blue-backlit LCD display simplicity itself. A powerful rechargeable lithium-polymer battery provides up to 14 hours of uninterrupted musical enjoyment.
The T20 combines rich sound with a wide range of a features. A built-in microphone transforms this diminutive all-rounder into an ultra-compact mobile dictation system. Recording is controlled automatically at a user selectable quality level. Since the player plugs into other audio sources via a line-in, music can be taken straight out of the user's home stereo system and MP3-encoded in real time. Thanks to a built-in real-time clock, the ultra-compact T20 also provides early morning wake-up calls. The T20 seamlessly intergrates with Windows Media Player 10. Besides the usual playback and management functions, users therefore also benefit from fast access to the "Digital Media Hall", where they can rummage through various online shops in search of their favorite songs. The T20 even supports the new Windows Media 10 DRM, which makes it well equipped for the future (e.g. for the forthcoming Napster music subscription service). The finishing touches are added to this no-hassle, all-in package by the fact that the tiny MP3 player is ingeniously easy to use. The USB jack retracts into the metal casing an is then proteced by an automatically locking catch. No more annoying data leads, and no need for protective caps that are often lost.
The iriver T20 is available with two different memory sizes and in two colors. The 1 GB light gold version is the flagship of the series, with a price tag of GBP 132. The 512 MB version comes in a deep red casing and costs GBP 99. Both T20 models will be in the shops from July 2005.
At about £30 more then the iPod shuffle the T20 is throughly on the expensive side of the MP3 player market. However, with the compact design that doesn't sacrifice a screen, the wide variety of supported formats, and the high quality sound we would expect from iRiver it looks like a much better buy.
Philip Howard