:iAudio X5 VII (By Totoro)

I admit it, I succumbed to the iAudio X5 last week. I purchased this product in its full version with remote control and PC station because the price difference with the "basic" version was not very big, especially when you take the advantages into account.

So, let's start with the serious things, the player...











From right to left: Power button (On/Off) and Hold, record button, Play/Pause button, the microphone, Reset.




Connection for the PC station and the "cradle".



Charge indicator.



Headphones socket and USB Host.







The iAudio on its PC station.

With 103.7x60.8x19mm dimensions and a weight of 148gr, the iAudio does not generate comments like "Is that your iAudio in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"... nothing like that, you forget you have it in your pocket and you do not have to be a professional bodybuilder to keep it in your hand for a while. It even happened on a few occasions that I thought I'd lost it somewhere... but then I realized that the music in my ears had to come from somewhere .
The machine itself is made out of "noble" materials and it feels very solid and well-built.
The whole package is not too flashy and difficult to use as the number of buttons is kept to a minimum.









As you can see on the pictures, the joystick is well designed, of a good quality and easy to use. The only small problem I encountered was that the joystick was pressed and the remote was blocked as a consequence when the player was inserted into my back pocket and I sat down. this problem can be easily avoided by using the Hold-button and the carrying pouch.









Brightness: 50%



Brightness: 0% (after 15s of non-activity in audio-mode)

The screen is quite bright and of a good quality, and you can even watch movies in the subway in a comfortable way. The only side-effect will be the inquiring looks from fellow commuters as to why you're looking closely the screen of your MP3 player.
I also liked the option to shut down the screen completely when a video is played back, because the sound will not stop as a condequence of that action. It allows you to change subways without having to pause the movie.
In music-mode, the screen will automatically shut down.













The remote control is quite light and rather small, but it's not very easy to use... and even after using it for a while, I still get confused by it sometimes. Especially the navigation between the different folders is rather difficult and I often need to take the device out of my pocket to perform the action that I want to achieve.
Sound-wise there is no problem, not for MP3 nor for OGG files, and not even for videos or other audio types, the sound is always very clear and crispy. I did not notice any bad contacts either.




The infamous AkihabaraNews scale: the iAudio X5 compared to a CF card





Dimensions: 103.7x60.8x19mm




To convert your AVI, MPEG, DivX and even VOB (DVD Video) files, a program called jetAudio is supplied in the package. I found it very easy to use, especially in "CD ripping" mode where Cd and audio tracks are automatically (and without any errros) found on the web. Concerning the "video ripping" mode, I found it very easy too, but it crashed quite often when converting VOB files.






This is an optional item that I would recommend in order to protect your new toy.





This pouch seems to protect all essential parts of the device well and the pouch is made in a good way, so this really is a must.







The iAudio player, the remote control with LCD, the headphones, the installation CD, the mini-station (subpack), the station (cradle), the USB 2.0 cable, the audio Line In cable, the AC adapter (110V), the USB 2.0 Host cable, two screen protectors.
The remote control and the PC docking station are only sold in a BLF box (X5-20-BLF).



USB Host cable




PC Station (cradle): from left to right
AC 5.0V, USB2.0, Line IN, Line OUT



Min-station (subpack): from left to right
AC 5.0V, USB2.0, Line IN, Line OUT



Headphones



Audio Line in/out cable



The iAudio on its PC station

The box is very complete and everything is of a good quality. No further remarks, except that one cable for two connections in and out is a bit weak I think. Especially the lack of a pouch in all boxes is ridiculous, everybody should have one.




MP3, WMA, OGG, ASF, WAV, MPEG4, FLAC, JPEG player
HDD: 20GB
USB2.0 (maxi 480Mbps)
Battery life: 14h
AC: DC 5.0V 2A
USB Host
Direct Encoding
Voice recorder
FM radio international
Screen: 160x128 dot, LCD
Dimensions: 103.7x60.8x19mm
Weight: 148gr




I do not regret this purchase, despite the slightly too high price. After using it extensively for 2 weeks (3 hours of daily commuting in Tokyo), I think I should be ok for a few years without looking too out-of-date... hopefully

Thanks to GeekStuff4U.com for provising us with this test-unit.