Digital Trends

iRiver SlimX iMP-550

October 20th, 2003 | by Dan Gaul

Setup and Testing

The SlimX 550 will not work until the included NiMH batteries are charged (unless the external battery adapter with two AA batteries is used.). The SlimX 550 allows for the batteries to be fully discharged and recharged (iRiver recommends doing a full discharge once a month.) Charging a completely drained battery will typically take about 4 hours, doing a discharge then charge will take about 5 hours. The SlimX 550 can be charged and used at the same time, which is great for using in the car.

The control has a ton of features and can be a little overwhelming at first.  However, a quick read of the manual will get the owner up to speed quickly on functionality that may seem non-intuitive. Using two hands when first exploring the features is recommended, since testers experienced hand cramps using one hand. Operating the controller becomes second nature after a short time of use and becomes much easier to use with one hand. The controller houses a headphone jack. If the use of different headphones or ear buds other then the ones provided is required, the SlimX 550 comes included with a headphone adapter cord. This was one of the few limited design drawbacks. If one happens to have good headphones with a gold plated jack, then the expected listening experience may not be up to par. Needless to say, losing the adapter cable would limit the choices to what one could use to listen through. The manual clearly states that attempting to plug in headphones that need the adapter can and will damage the jack.

Some distortion was experienced on the upper range of the volume level, especially when listening to 128 Kbps MP3 or WMA files using Sony MDR-V300 headphones. Experiences may vary depending on the quality of digital files and listening devices used.

There may be a slight pause (about two seconds) when first initiating playback of a CD containing digital media as the player reads the metadata and prepares the anti-shock. After the initial pause, switching songs is quick and responsive.

The preset EQ settings of Normal, Rock, Classic, Ubase and Metal work great and do dramatically change the sound of digital playback. There is a customizable EQ option called Extreme EQ which allows for editing for five different settings. Unfortunately, the EQ and visualizations are not available for the FM Tuner.

The included ear buds sound good, but caused some ear discomfort after about half an hour. Upgrading to some decent headphones or ear buds is highly recommended.

The folder support is phenomenal and the controls to browse through folders are extremely easy to use. It is easy to skip through folders via one of the three jog dials on the control or browse track by track.

Conclusion

The quality and features of the iRiver SlimX 550 really stand out. It's “the” CD/MP3 player to get. The form factor is perfect with the ease of control, great battery life, great sound, and numerous features that put it ahead of anything else out on the market. iRiver continues to achieve excellence in the SlimX line. With a relatively low price point of $179.99, we believe you will not find a better similarly equipped CD player than iRiver's SlimX iMP-550 today.