iPod vs. iRiver IHP-120

[Capedad]

Sorry to belabor the point but after deciding on the new M:355 for the wife, I gotta make a decision on a player for the college kid. She's got usb 2.0 on her Inspiron 8000 but I could use some feedback on which is better: the iPod or iRiver.

Sorry to make this so difficult....

delta

 

[stultus]

Not difficult. iriver

 

[astroview]

Yes but guess which one is cooler?

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/30/magazine/30IPOD.html

 

[stultus]

iriver again?

 

[FishTankX]

They both serve their purposes. This topic has been beaten to death over and over and over and over in the head-fi forums and the general consensus is that it really depends on what you're looking for in a machine. The iPod delivers clean sound, good form and great software with iTunes. The iHP-120 on the other hand, has tons and tons of features, has a half way decent EQ, and an LCD remote along with nearly 2X the battery life. But I don't trust that joystick and the features the iHP-120 has may never get used by an amateur user. That, and the iPod has a stronger output. From what i've heard, sound quality with the EQ isn't the cleanest in the world, either.