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Poll

Choose the best one please... ;-)

NEX IIe
[ 2 ] (15.4%)
iRiver iFP
[ 11 ] (84.6%)

Total Members Voted: 18

Topic: NEX IIe VS iRiver iFP (Read 4311 times) previous topic - next topic
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NEX IIe VS iRiver iFP

I'm going to buy a portable MP3 Player.
I'm taking in consideration only players with flash memory (no CD, minicd, dataplay or HD) because i'm interested in small players and if possible, no moving parts.
After some visits on popular mp3-players web sites, I've done some conclusion and I'm taking in consideration two mp3 players:
NEX IIe

and
iRiver iFP
.

Both of them seems to be very good, but I prefer iRiver iFP for the dimesions, functionality and beacuse it's newer. The big problem (for me) is that it uses ony internal flash memory. The NEX II instead, uses compact flash memory: I can buy 512CF card or 1Gb IBM Microdrive and use it also in my digital camera! ;-)

I've done this scheme that stores the main features compared for each player: I need your help to complete it and to let me decide which one is better and reliable for me.
If it's needed, please add in the list other players to compare, but only, if it has the same features mentioned above.

NEX IIe:
-----------
Dimensions : 90x60x20.
Weight : 65g.
        - It includes the battery?
LCD : 112x64 matrix with back light.
File Type : Plays bitrates up to 320kbps and VBR.
MP3 TAG : ID3 V1 Tag.
          - Is ID3 V2 compatible?
Memory : Infinite memory & storage expansion configuration with Type I & II Compact Flash memory cards, IBM's MicroDriveTM (currently up to 1 gigabyte).
Connection : USB.
            - What USB version?
Battery : 2xAA.
Firmware : Infinite expansion capability via NEX II™'s ability to accept different modular plug-ins.
          - How much it will be able to support in the future other audio formats like MPC, OGG, FLAC...?
Audio quality : what about the quality? Someone has tested it?
Notes : "Smart Power" NEX IIe™'s improved circuit design allows for drawing power from USB. This not only allows you to save battery life during song transfers but it can also power itself via AC power adapter.


iRiver iFP:
-----------
Dimensions : 31x28.5x82.
Weight : Approx. 32g (Excl. battery).
LCD : ? with back light.
File Type : Plays bitrates up to 320kbps and VBR.
MP3 TAG : ID3 V1 Tag, ID3 V2 2.0, ID3 V2 3.0, ID3 V2 4.0.
Memory : Internal memory : the size depends on the model.
        - Only internal flash memory is available (512Mb Max. for the iFP-195TC model).
Connection : USB 1.1.
Battery : 1xAA.
Firmware : ?
          - How much it will be able to support in the future other audio formats like MPC, OGG, FLAC...?
Audio quality : what about the quality? Someone has tested it?
Notes : Integrated FM Tuner; Voice Recorder (MP3 encoder); Line-in Recorder (MP3 encoder) (Only in iFP-300 Series, The Craft! [New Product]).

NEX IIe VS iRiver iFP

Reply #1 –
iRiver definately. Way smaller, great quality company, and 512 MB in a player the size of 128MB ones usually.

NEX IIe VS iRiver iFP

Reply #2 –
Grrrrrr. I just bought the iFP-195 (512mb).  Sure now they announce the new model 6 days later.  Anyways, still the best damn player i ever bought.  Very smooth, very reliable, awesome sound quality, small unit & decent battery life.  Personally have to say iRiver all the way, i love what they are doin.  Besides, they "seem" more interested in supporting newer formats than other companies do.  I can't personally speak of the NEX IIe, but my little iRiver rocks, especially for workouts, no moving parts, unlike the ibm microdrive, right?  plus i've heard they suck battery life like mad. Good Luck.

NEX IIe VS iRiver iFP

Reply #3 –
Go with the iRiver, you won't regret it. I can only speak for my iFP 190 (256mb) but it is small, light and the sound quality is excellent. The upgradable firmware is also a plus, just wish they would hurry up with Ogg Vorbis support.

Cheers

NEX IIe VS iRiver iFP

Reply #4 –
Here are the main differences I'd like to point out between these two units...

[span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%']iRiver iFP-300[/span]

POSITIVES
  • physically smaller and lighter in size
  • long battery life with a single AA battery
  • FM radio tuner
  • voice recording function
  • many configuration options
  • frequent firmware updates
NEGATIVES
  • 90 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SnR)
  • fixed storage capacity
  • requires the use of custom file transfer software
  • player-to-PC (MP3) upload restrictions
  • expensive retail cost
[span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%']NEX IIe[/span]

POSITIVES
  • 95 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SnR)
  • expandable storage capacity through CompactFlash (up to 4 GB) and MicroDrive (up to 1.5 GB)
  • no custom file transfer software needed; recognized as an external drive
  • no file transfer restrictions
  • inexpensive retail cost
NEGATIVES
  • physically larger and heavier in size
  • decent battery life but unit requires two AA batteries
  • no FM radio tuner or voice recording function
  • limited configuration options
  • screwy timing information for VBR MP3s
  • infrequent firmware updates
In terms of pure sound quality, I have to give the edge to the NEX IIe because of the higher signal-to-noise ratio. If you want the whole package (style, display and functionality), the iRiver iFP-300 easily wins out. Also keep in mind that both players use a USB 1.1 connection, but because the NEX IIe supports CompactFlash, you can transfer files much faster if you use a USB 2.0 card reader / writer and a high-speed CF card.

You can't really go wrong with either of these two players. As you can see, they both have various pros and cons. If cost is a concern, the NEX IIe is still a great player for the price you pay. If you can afford the higher price tag, the iRiver iFP-300 has plenty to offer...

NEX IIe VS iRiver iFP

Reply #5 –
Having owned a Nex II, I would advise getting the iRiver player instead. The Nex II might be a good choice for somebody if they were on a limited budget or already owned cache of CF cards. The reasons why I didn't take the player seriously were a.) buggy firmware that Frontier Labs seems to never fix b.) Hissy sound....although the S/N ratio "looks" nice, I have never heard a small amp put out so much hiss in my life (though the newer boards supposedly have fixed this, which I cannot confirm), c.) Doesn't support VBR files properly (i.e., wrong time, impaired FF/RW) d.) annoying amplifier "pop" between tracks, e.) flimsy construction that is not fitting for a 100 dollar item. That being said, it still might be an ok choice for those on a low budget, but I would look elsewhere first.

NEX IIe VS iRiver iFP

Reply #6 –
See    Other players may be cheap and have nice specs, but nothin' beats iRiver. They are one of the few companies that doesn't have one big annoying glitch/lie in their product/its specs.    B)

NEX IIe VS iRiver iFP

Reply #7 –
Quote
Having owned a Nex II, I would advise getting the iRiver player instead.  <list of performance problems>

The nex IIe uses a different processor than the nex II  (32 bit instead of 16), so performance may be better.
I've never used one, but it is on my list to keep track of since they (like iriver) are at least working
on Ogg-Vorbis support. (and like iriver give no indication of availability date).
For FM tuner and voice/FM record, Nex just introduced the Nex IA:

http://www.frontierlabs.com/NEXIA.html

I think it took over the IIe's price point, and the IIe is down to $90US.

+ for Nex: the player acts as a USB drive, so drag'n drop on any computer that supports those.

- for iriver: you have to use their management program to load the player, so Windows only, and tough
nuts for linux etc or any WIndows PC which you use but don't have permission to install programs.

On batteries, Nex claims 15 hours for flash, 7 hours on microdrive for 2xAA (alkalines? who knows?)

If you buy the Nex direct from Frontier, the return policy is "no returns" so you might want to find
a store that does allow returns if you haven't found one to try out first.

On sound, some folks say the iriver doesn't play enough volume.  It only has 1.5 volts power supply,
so audio volts is limited.  Most phones should be ok, but sensitivity will be a consideration, and hooking
to a stereo (car or home) will require cranking up the volume on that appliance.  I have an MP series (cd/mp3) from iriver and the sound is great other than the line-out being weak.