REVIEW: iRiver SlimX IMP-350 Portable CD / MP3 Music Player

Znews.com --
Portable CD / MP3 players allow you to listen to MP3s that you burn onto a CD, so you can compile your own CD of about 150 songs, and you're ready to go.

Just put the player in your bag or pocket, and with the ultra-slim iRiver SlimX IMP-350 you can then control and view the entire play list with one of its best features -- the excellent remote control device (included). When you turn off the player, then turn in back on, the music fades in where you left off. Though you may not have heard of the company (yet), iRiver has made some of the best portable CD / MP3 players, produced under the RioVolt and AVC Soul Player names.

The iRiver SlimX IMP-350 has excellent sound quality, and comes with a very good set up earbuds. The unit is ultra-slim (just 16.7mm), very light, and beautifully designed. Another nice feature of this player is that it's firmware upgradeable, so you upgrade at the iRiver website as new features become available (such as viewable lyrics or better shock protection). The included FM radio is a nice addition that many other CD / MP3 Players don't have, and reception is very good.

iRiver SlimX iMP-350 CD/MP3 Player with 8 minutes ASP and Upgradeable Firmware
Price: $149.99.
Pros: Excellent sound quality, very slim (16.7 mm), sleek and durable design; excellent anti-skip and scan features; plays MP3s, WAMs and AFS, upgradeable firmware, holds two nickel-metal-hydride rechargeable batteriesand two AA's (for up to 23 hrs of play); includes excellent remote; FM radio, supports Winamp style M3U playlists
Cons: No belt-clip, small display font size may be difficult to read for some, awkward display of longer names, no battery charging when plugged into A/C.

Features:

Color: Black with gray trim
Material: Plastic
Water resistant: No
Antiskip protection: Yes (up to 8 minutes)
CD-R compatible: Yes
CD-RW compatible: Yes
MP3 compatible: Yes
Supports ID3 tags (text display): Yes
Forward/reverse scan: Yes
Hold switch: Yes
Pause: Yes
Remote control: Yes (inline remote on headphone cord)
Volume control: Push-button
Antishock on: Yes
CD track and time: Yes
Low-battery indicator: Yes
Extra bass: Yes (EQ preset)
AC/DC adapter input: DC in
Headphone jack: Yes
Optical digital-audio outputs: 0
Automatic volume limiter (AVL): No
CD programming: Yes
CD release button: Yes (latch)
CD Text: Yes
Headphones included: Yes (earbud)
Headphone inline volume control: Yes
In the box: 1 RioVolt SP250 portable digital audio CD player, 2 sets of headphones, "getting started" guide, audio management software for PC (RealJukebox 2) and Mac (iTunes), 2 AA rechargeable batteries, AC adapter, and carrying case
System requirements: CD-ROM writer (to create your own CDs); 166 MHz processor or better; Windows 9x, Me, NT 4.0, or 2000, or Mac OS 8.6; 32 MB RAM; 30 MB hard drive space; Internet connection with Web browser
Locking CD lid: No
Power-save mode: No
Random/shuffle disc play: Yes
Repeat play: Yes
Resume play: Yes
Skip forward/back: Yes
Battery type: 2 AA
Batteries included: Yes (rechargeable)
Battery life (standard): 15 hours
AC/DC adapter: Yes
Car kit: No
Carrying accessory: Yes
Width: 5.2 inches
Height: 1.2 inches
Depth: 5.8 inches
Weight: 8.3 ounces
Warranty, parts: 1 year
Warranty, labor: 1 year

[More info from Amazon]
See Znews.com's review of other MP3 Players
(including HD & 64-128mb memory card MP3 players)