iRiver T30 MP3 Player
The iRiver T30 MP3 Player – A Full Review
In typical iRiver fashion, the iRiver T30 MP3 player is a small, yet robust MP3 player that only weighs an ounce, but offers you myriad features.
Available in 2 varieties—512 MB and 1GB—I recommend choosing the 1GB model nomatter how much music you have in your library (I really like flexibility, because I believe it always saves you money in the long run). The 1GB iRiver T30 MP3 player should hold about 34 hours of music, which is about 300 to 500 songs, depending on the bitrate at which your songs are recorded.
Battery life is always important in an MP3 player, and the battery life in the T30 is either good or bad, depending on how you look at it. It requires a AAA battery, which means you have the option of buying a pack of batteries, or you can buy one rechargeable AAA battery. If you don’t mind buying a pack of batteries, then this can be an excellent arrangement since the battery life is a good 24 hours of continuous-play music. On the other hand, if you’re like me, you don’t want to worry about having to find a retailer that sells AAA batteries and buying them, or buying a recharging kit for a single AAA battery. So, while the battery life is excellent, I’m not a fan of buying batteries for my MP3 player.
Weighing in at only 1 ounce, the iRiver T30 MP3 player is extremely portable. It’s easy to fit it in any of your pockets or clip it to your clothing, and it doesn’t feel bulky if you choose to wear it while going for a run.
One nice feature that you generally don’t see in such small MP3 players is the PlaysForSure certification, which ensures that it will be compatible with subscriptio music services such as Rhapsody.
Other features of the iRiver T30 MP3 Player include its ability to record voice memos. Can you believe that this tiny MP3 player supports this feature, which even the iPod can’t claim? I always find new uses for the voice memo recorder, because it works fine for recording much more than just your voice; you can record class lectures, movie audio, and myriad other things.
Of course, what you really want to know is about the sound quality, right? After all, that’s WHY you buy an MP3 player. Well, I’ve saved the best for last. The iRiver T30 has crystal-clear sound quality that really lets you enjoy your music the way it should be. An added bonus is the fact that it flawlessly plays any MP3, OGG, or WMA music file, which saves you from the hassle of needing to convert file types which can cause degradation in sound quality.
The iRiver T30 MP3 player comes with earphones, but I recommend buying a nice pair in order to fully enjoy your music (I always recommend this). The package also comes with a USB 2.0 high-speed cable for connecting the T30 to your PC, an installation CD, an instruction manual, and one AAA battery to get you started.
For the price, the iRiver T30 MP3 Player is a great buy. Other than the drawback of its battery situation (which some may consider a good thing), it does exactly what you’d expect it to do, and it does so in style. If you decide to purchase this MP3 player, I’m sure you’ll be quite satisfied with it.