Review: iriver S10

When the diminutive iriver S10 digital audio player (DAP) made its debut on tech sites in September, many were disappointed (though not surprised) that it would be available only in South Korea. Most believed the DAP would eventually make it to the U.S., where iriver already enjoys a respectable amount of success, but no one knew when.

Thank goodness for Warehouse123.com! Read on to find out (in longwinded fashion, of course) why patience isn't really a virtue.

System specifications

Capacities: 1GB, 2GB
Supported audio: MP3, WMA, Ogg Vorbis, ASF
Extras: Photo viewer, FM radio, FM/voice recorder, clock/alarm, timer, removable disk
Dimensions: 1.65" x 1.18" x 0.43"
Weight: 0.61 ounces

Packaging

This is the first DAP I've owned that's commanded my attention while it was still in the box. Look at this thing.

Inside the main box are two more boxes.

Accessories box
This one fits perfectly into the main box, so it has the same angled corner.

Player box
Nothing much going on with this one except that it features a pullout drawer instead of a flip-top lid.

A lovely unboxing experience indeed.

Included accessories

Maybe the unique packaging inflated my expectations, but I'm disappointed by what all of those boxes were hiding.

First up, substandard earphones attached to a lanyard. The lanyard itself is thick and ugly, and there's no way to use it with another set of earphones. Verdict? A disposable item.

Next we have a mini CD-ROM containing iriver plus 3 music management software and a user's guide in English, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian (the player itself supports 40 languages).

The final accessory (and one you don't want to lose) is the mini USB adapter, which is required for charging the device and loading it up with content via good ole' UMS drag-and-drop or the included software. I normally complain about DAPs that charge exclusively via USB, but the S10 does it so quickly (about 1.5 hours) that I don't miss having an AC adapter.

I don't know about other places, but Warehouse123.com (where I bought the S10) throws in an odd bonus kit that includes some iriver ads, an FM transmitter with auto charger, iriver leather card holder, Nikon (yes, Nikon) soft carrying case,  and screen protector. Depending on when you're reading this, they may or may not still be doing this.

There's not much to say about this bonus kit other than the fact that it's free. The iriver ads are for last year's U10 (which has been all but replaced by the clix), the FM transmitter has only four stations and isn't packaged/boxed, the two cases are nice though at least four times bigger than the S10, and the screen protector isn't the right size. Oh well. Free is free.

What I would have loved for iriver to include are a case, screen-cleaning cloth, armband, and dock. I suppose these are unrealistic requests, but the heart wants what it wants.

Design

The design team at iriver is obviously part of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" camp because the S10 looks just like a mini clix. Good thing the clix is great-looking gear.

Nearly the entire face of the S10 is composed of the screen, so it has a very clean look that will most certainly appeal to minimalists.

The build quality is excellent. Even though it's made largely (if not entirely) out of plastic, nothing feels cheap or poorly made. And you can't tell from the pictures, but the white plastic actually has a tiny bit of glitter/shimmer that can only be seen at certain angles. It gives the player a hint of iridescence that's really quite nice. In short, the S10 is an all-around attractive gadget that stands out from other (indistinguishable) players in its class.

Size

The S10 is currently the smallest DAP with a screen on the market. The player is so small, in fact, that iriver Russia is turning it into a watch next year.

Two of its closest competitors (in terms of size) in the "DAP with screen" category are the Creative Zen V and mobiBLU Cube DAH-1500i.

You can see below that even though the Cube is shorter and more narrow than the S10, it's nearly twice as thick. One of the pitfalls of having cubed dimensions, I suppose.

Controls

Like the U10 and clix, the S10 uses iriver's D-Click interface, which is essentially a touch-input system that replaces a traditional directional pad. The actual edges of the screen act as the player's main controls, so the glossy plastic surface is great for aspiring detectives who need to brush up on fingerprint patterns. Arch, loop, and whorl identification aside, the D-Click system is responsive and more comfortable to use than a standard navigation pad, which on a player of this size would be very, very small.

At the top of the S10 are the off-centered headphone jack and part of the lanyard loop. (That's the disposable screen protector supplied by iriver on the face of the player, not the one in Warehouse123's bonus kit.)

On the bottom is the built-in microphone.

The power button and reset pinhole are on the right side of the device.

And on the left are the dedicated volume buttons. Pressing them together locks the S10 and prevents inadvertent use of the player. Pressing both again unlocks the controls. This is a nicety, to be sure, but a visual indicator of some kind is sorely missing. As is, there's no way to tell whether the player won't turn on because the controls are locked or because the battery is dead.

On the back of the device are the bottom half of the lanyard loop (center) and a notch designed for the clip surrounding the lanyard-earphone plug to snap onto.

Display

I normally don't like OLEDs, but this one is pretty nice. Even though it's only 1.25 inches* (128 x 96, 65K colors), it surprisingly doesn't induce any squinting. Regardless of your brightness setting (low, medium, or high), text looks much finer and crisper than on the Creative Zen V, which sports a larger OLED with higher resolution, and images/icons are bright and colorful. I suppose the black background enhances and makes everything pop. *Official specs list the OLED at 1.15 inches, but my ruler disagrees.

The S10 includes three screen saver options: clock, visualization, and a slideshow of the photos on the player. The visualization is incredibly eye-catching; everyone who sees it can't help but say "Wow!"

I can't find any documentation on this, but it seems that the screen savers are displayed only after 6 seconds of music playback. If there's a way to change this, I can't find it.

The screen can be flipped 180 degrees, which is a nice though useless option. Ninety-degree increments would've been better, as portrait and landscape modes are better than upside down and right-side up.

Graphical user interface

The GUI on the S10 isn't as intuitive as the one found on Creative and Apple players, but it's still very straightforward and simple. Certain areas aren't quite as polished as they could be (e.g., the music library looks rather DOS-like), but the main menu is nice and lag time between screens is minimal.

Since usability outweighs aesthetics, I still give the GUI high marks. This is largely because of iriver's D-Click system, which has a slight learning curve but is still easy to learn and use. The S10 user's guide provides a basic tutorial that will have even first-timers up and running in no time. In brief:

• Directional arrows, icons, and other text appear on the display to let you know what function can be performed.
• Press one of the screen's edges to perform the displayed function. For example, when viewing your music library, press the top/bottom edge to scroll through the list and the right edge to play a song.
• Additional functions can be accessed by pressing and holding the left/right edge. For example, to select from 12 EQs, 9 play modes, and 4 scan speeds, press and hold the right edge during music playback.

My only grumble about the system is the way it handles longer file names, menus, and options. Rather than scroll the text horizontally like other players, the S10 splits the text and displays each portion separately. For example, "Display Orientation" appears on screen first as "Display Orie" and then as "ntation." This is a microscopic gripe, I know, but "Select Alar" and "m Type" is hardly an elegant solution.

Since I've already gone overboard with photos of the S10, here's a short video I took of the player in action for some variation. The OLED doesn't have the same refresh rate as my DVD Handycam, so the screen flicker in the video is exaggerated.

Audio

I'm incredibly pleased and impressed with the sound quality and customization options offered on the S10.

Transferring music
The easiest way to transfer media to the S10 is to drag and drop it via a USB 2.0 connection. A root directory already exists on the player, so all you need to do is drag content (loose or in folders) to its respective folder. Additional folders can be added but of course they won't be viewable on the device.

According to the user's guide, you can store up to 900 tracks in up to 500 different folders that go up to 8 folders deep. I prefer ID3-based organization but file trees are manageable on a device that maxes out at 2GB (I have the 1GB model).

Another way to load up the S10 is by using the supplied software.

I don't know why anyone would prefer iriver plus 3 over drag-and-drop, but it's a decent music management program. The interface is clean and user-friendly.

The player doesn't organize media according to ID3 tags, as noted above, but it does allow you to select between three predefined folder-creation rules.

Unlike the actual player, iriver plus 3 supports album art. The skin is nice and reminds me of the LG Chocolate phone.

The software can also be used for ripping CDs in either WMA (up to 320kbps) or Ogg Vorbis (up to Q10) format. It's unusual that there isn't an MP3 option.

Getting content onto the player, as you can see, is very easy. Getting it off the player is even easier, as files can be deleted directly from the S10. This is a great feature that should really be as standard as volume controls on every DAP. Most DAPs are already equipped with this function, but there are still some that aren't.

Playing music
At the heart of the S10 is music playback. The GUI isn't suited for navigating through large music collections (and the player maxes out at 2GB anyway), but the device still provides an exceptional audio experience. Scrolling speed is decent and it loops around itself forever (i.e., when you reach the bottom of the list, it automatically continues back at the top).

Instead of album art, the interface displays a musical note that dances and spins. It's cute the first time you see it, but it gets old fast.

That's probably why the screen saver kicks in after 6 seconds.

Playlists can be created in iriver 3 plus and automatically transferred to the player. A single on-the-go playlist, or Quick List (as iriver calls it), is also supported by the S10: just select a song, press and hold the right edge of the screen, and highlight "Add to Quick List."

Listening to music
My non-audiophile ears are blown away by the rich, full sound that comes through my Sennheiser CX300S IEMs when plugged into the S10. I'm nearly always happy with any DAP's sound quality, but I have honestly never been this impressed. Sound quality is definitely an area where the player soars. And I'm only listening to 192kbps MP3s.

In addition to more than 10 EQs, there are customizable SRS 3D sound effects and a fade-in option.

With features like these, I wouldn't be surprised if even true audiophiles praised the S10 for its crystal-clear highs, warm mids, and deep lows.

Extras

I'm amazed by the amount of extras that have been stuffed into the S10. Even full-sized DAPs with 60GB hard drives don't have all of these features.

Photo viewer
Even though the device is equipped with a small screen, photos (BMP only) actually look rather nice on it. They can be viewed individually or in a customizable slideshow, with or without music. Thumbnails aren't supported, so you should probably name your pictures before moving them to the player.

FM radio
Reception is crisp and clear here in Honolulu. Stations can be scanned manually or automatically and saved as one of 20 available presets. Negative comments I've read about the FM auto scan didn't apply to my experience with the feature at all; it picked up all the major stations with no problem.

Pressing and holding the right edge while listening to the radio brings up a context menu with the following options: record, FM recording quality, save preset, stereo/mono, auto preset, and tuner region.

FM/Voice recorder
The S10 is equipped with a microphone for voice recording and can also record directly from the FM radio. Recording quality can be adjusted (voice: 32kbps, 64kbps, 128kbps; FM radio: 64kbps, 128kbps, 256kbps), but I've found the middle settings to produce more than adequate results. Recorded files are in MP3 format and can be found under "Recordings" in the main music section of the system.

FM recordings can be scheduled in advance, which is a feature I've never seen on a DAP before. The S10 allows you to select the start time, duration, station, and even the frequency (once, daily, Mon-Fri, etc.) of the recording. Pretty amazing.

Clock/Alarm
I mentioned earlier that iriver Russia has plans to turn the S10 into a watch and it's easy to see why. The player has an alarm function as well as three different clock designs: minimalist, aqua, and day/night.

A handful of clock designs aren't major accomplishments, I know, but it's beyond typical DAP customization/personalization offerings.

Timer
A lot of product descriptions mention a timer as one of the S10's extra features. Am I the only one who expected some sort of stopwatch variation? A timer, according to iriver, is just an umbrella term for being able to set the amount of time before the "auto power off," "auto hold," "backlight," and "sleep" functions are enabled. FYI: If you want the backlight to always stay on, you need to select "off." This impacts battery life, of course, but why have screen savers if you can't see them?

Removable disk
The player is a plug-and-play UMS device, so it shows up as a removable storage device under "My Computer" when connected to a PC.

All that's missing from the S10 is video support, and I don't think anyone but a Smurf would want to watch a movie on a 1.25-inch OLED.

Battery life

How many hours you're able to squeeze out of the non-removable battery depends on (among other things) screen brightness levels, backlight settings, and audio codec/bitrate, but iriver estimates battery life at about 8 hours, which I've found to be pretty accurate. It's a pathetic number by today's standards, but there's got to be some give and take (size + screen = sacrifice). You can't expect a tiny gadget that's sporting a screen practically the size of itself to provide nonstop entertainment. And I don't know about other people, but 8 hours is more than enough for me. My threshold for constant music playback is lower than that, and a flash DAP is more of a gym/commute companion than a 60GB Zen Vision:M or iPod replacement anyway.

Conclusion

The iriver S10 is the best low-capacity flash DAP I've ever had. At the time of this writing (November 2006), what other players have that it doesn't is U.S. availability. It can currently be imported to the States from places like Warehouse123.com ($118 for 1GB, $142 for 2GB) and Advanced MP3 Players ($137 for 1GB, $177 for 2GB), but international shipping rates, which can be as high as $30, make the already high price point less than appealing. [UPDATE: Now available at Amazon]

Personally, I think the player is well worth the extra cost. The S10 is a delectable little DAP that does so much so well. It's remarkable in sound quality, size, customization, and extra features; it's easy and comfortable to use; and my god it's lovely to look at. Longer battery life and increased storage capacity would be welcomed improvements, sure, but both are becoming such standard complaints that I don't consider them to be deal breakers.

And that's why patience isn't really a virtue.

Comments

[Utew]

Excellent review, Jenn..

The size and features alone are making me drool on my keyboard. Nice interface but I would agree, the non-scrolling names annoys me just watching the vid. This should be fixed as even though it is a minor thing, it's an annoying minor thing.

Also, too bad about the earphones not being of better design/quality as they really are more of an integrated component for this little jewel.

All-in-all, I think a standard sized Clix would be a better option, but the size and features of the S10 are nothing short of amazing.

Tremendous quality pics and vid, Jenn.. top kudos! You really should be getting more attention here at Pocketables.net. Just a suggestion, but it wouldn't hurt to have a forum. Thx for the great review!

[Utew]

Looks like your review got some love from Gizmodo... http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/portable-media/iriver-s10-reviewed-again-verdict-zune-schmune-217257.php

[Chris Davies]

Unfortunately Gizmodo seem to think you're a boy, Jenn. A boy with nice nails, perhaps!

Great review :)

[Zerokool]

Found the review via dapreview.net, but just wanted to say that I loved reading it. Very informative and clearly written. I'd love to get one of these, but I should most definitely be saving my shekels for loved ones prezzies since Xmas is coming up.

[Jenn]

Aw, thanks for the sweet words, guys.

@ Utew: My husband is on board with you about the forum. If the frequency of comments is any indication of how popular a forum would be, however, I think my hesitation in creating one is pretty firmly grounded in reality. Remember that chatbox I used to have? No one else does either!

I have my eye on the 4GB black clix now. But the pink K5 is first (whenever it comes out). The pink ZVP isn't as nice as I was hoping it would be. I don't know why I'm surprised, as the press shots weren't too flattering. I'll have some pictures up in a week or two.

@ Chris: Haha, I know! I always knew this site and my nails weren't pink enough!

@ Zerokool: Every loved one would appreciate an S10 under the tree :)

Thanks again.

[Utew]

Jenn, Just a quick follow-up to the Forum question...

IMO, interactions via comments are not really two way, in most cases.. just opinions at the time they are created and allow for limited follow-up.

A forum allows for better interaction and builds a community. Nothing you don't already know.. and it is more work for you, of course. =) ...Cheers

[n]

Great review!
Does the voice recorder record in mp3?

[Jenn]

Voice and FM radio recordings are in MP3 format up to 128kbps and 256kbps, respectively.

Many thanks for the question. I updated the review to include the info.

[ryan]

great review jenn. though, about the headphones, i know they sell different colored lanyards to personalize your s10. so it seems that the lanyard should be detachable from the headphone. anyways, i should be recieving my s10 in two days and i can't wait.

[Jenn]

You're right, Ryan. The lanyard does detach (it twists off; I had been trying to pull it apart) but it can't be used with another set of earphones. Thanks!

Enjoy your new player :)

[christina milian mp3]

Thank for usegul information!!!It really helped!!!

[ryan]

jenn,
i just got my s10 in the mail and its great. sound quality so much better than my old 30gb ipod. but i accidently formated it and erased the 4 sample pics it came with. could you email these to me? it would be super nice of you.

to others, mysticriver is now selling it so if you live in the states, you can buy for 50 dollars cheaper than warehouse123.

[Danni El-Kher]

Great review! I truly loved it, and one thing's for sure; I'm picking this up tomorrow at my local iRiver pusher! ;o)

Thank alot for taking your time writing this beautiful review!

[Jenn]

Sure thing, Ryan. Check your email :)

wow, this is a great review. very detailed... and great pictures... i cannot find another site with more pictures than what you got...

but have one question for you, is there a charger out there for S10, so it can be charged without plugging into a computer???

[Jenn]

Hmm. I don't think an official iriver charger exists and finding a compatible one is complicated by the fact that it would need to plug into the S10's 3.5mm headphone jack (there's no DC input jack on the player).

I can't find any info about the S10's voltage or amperage, but I know that a USB port is 5V DC. A generic 5V charger may work, but you'd be taking a risk with the amperage. I'm guessing it's 2A (like the clix) but I'm not sure.

USB AC adapters may also be worth a look; iriver makes one for the clix that might work. It's only $12.95 at misticriver: http://store.misticriver.net

[sky]

thank you very much Jenn

[Gin]

I loved this review. I just bought the s10 yesterday and am just loving it. This review made the transition from a ipod person to a DAP person much easier..hehe...

Jenn, I accidently erased the sample pics on the s10 and wanted to know if I could find replacements for them online? Cheers...

[Jenn]

I just emailed the pics to you, Gin.

Thanks for all your comments and feedback, everyone.

[Scott Janousek]

Jenn. Nice review.

I picked my S10 over in Singapore a couple weeks ago, nice to see it can be had here, now as well.

[Ballard]

Hi,

Great review. On the verge of ordering one for my girlfriend (she has an old IFP380T with 128MB) but you might be able to help me with a couple of questions before I click the checkout button.

Will it work with any lanyard (like the IFP one)? I think from your review and the pics that there's a little loop at the top which will accept a lanyard (can it's own lanyard be reused this way?) but I'm not sure. She likes to wear her Iriver around her neck so that's one of the main reasons to get an S10 rather than a Clix. She also has her own headphones so I'm sure the supplied ones will stay in the box.

Have you used it with a Mac by any chance? I think it should work but I'd like to be 100% sure before I get it. I'd hate for her to try it on Christmas Day and be disappointed.

Thanks again for the review and for any help you can give.

All the best.

[Jenn]

Ballard: Yes, there is a lanyard loop at the top of the S10 that will accept just about any wrist strap or lanyard. The one that comes with the S10 can't be threaded through the loop.

I have the player plugged into and charging from my iBook right now. I don't think the iriver software is Mac-compatible, but you can definitely just drag and drop whatever you want.

Sounds like your girlfriend will have a great Christmas this year :)

[Ballard]

Thanks, Jenn! That's all I needed. Off to buy now. She's probably guessed that she's getting a replacement for the IFP380 but I think she'll be pleasantly surprised by how nice the S10 is. Thanks again!

[Smash]

Madam Pocketables, can you tell me the differences in recording capilities of the S10 internal mic and the Creative Zen V Plus? Can the Plus use an external microphone? I guess I'm interested in the bit size and the general quality of the audio.

And thanks for this great review of the S10.

Nice fingers.

Smash

[Jenn]

On the Zen V Plus, voice recording is in WAV format (IMA ADPCM 16kHz mono) and line-in recording is in MP3 format (128kbps or 160kbps). You can connect an external mic into the Plus, but I don't know anything about recording with one.

The S10 doesn't have line-in recording capabilities, just voice (up to 128kbps) and FM (up to 256kbps).

[Alice]

Jenn, great review! Thanks! Will you review the new iRiver S7. The stylish and exchangeable skins seem very interesting. It's available right now.
http://www.warehouse123.com/ProductInfo.php?pid=IRIS7-BRN

[Jenn]

Thanks for your kind words, Alice. I actually wrote a blurb about the S7 on ABi the other day. I don't really like the look of the player (the skins I've seen so far don't appeal to me either), so I don't have any plans at the moment to buy one. If I do, though, you can be sure that you'll find out about it here!

In other news, the S10 is now available in an all black model. It's pretty nice.

Thanks again :)

[Safwan]

Hello Jenn
One of the best review I ever read!
Guess now its time for a review on iRiver S7. I am impressed by the creativity of iRiver unlike Apple.

Happy Holidays!

[Jamie]

I would like to ask a question about how fast the S10 loads images. Have you tried anything other than the preloaded iriver images? If so, how quickly does your average image (bit loose I know) load? Thanks. :)

[Derek]

I purchased an I-River S10 while here in Korea. I have had it for about a week. Here are my observations:

The sound is excellent. The headphones are nothing special (I bought some Sony EX-51's, which don't clip hold, but sound great for around $30). You have a lot of control over the bass, field width, there is an EQ, etc. You have a fair amount of functionality here. I also demo'ed the I-River S7, which is about the same size, but doesn't have a screen. Sound seemed identical (through stock headphones), although the S7 has an external button to change between some preset audio settings (less functionality, but great sound). I sometimes wish there were a preset button on my S10, as clicking and hunting through menus on the S10 can get annoying.

There is a problem with the clock. It keeps time UNTIL you start going into settings menus and adjusting things. Then, for some reason, the clock falls a few minutes behind. The problem compounds itself over time, and a few days later, you'll find your clock is off by 10 or 20 minutes. This is probably a firmware issue they haven't figured out yet. The clock is fine if you make no settings adjustments to the unit, but you'll find yourself changing settings all of the time.

The S10 (and S7) both play loud and clear at various volume levels (until maybe above the 85 to 90% level, where some distortion is present). No problems here, and there is plenty of good sound.

My biggest beef with the S10 is that it took me 15 minutes to figure out how to set the screen so that I could watch the "dancing lights" without the screen going black. And I still fiddle with it for 3 to 5 minutes every time I attempt to change this. The menus are very confusing in this regard, and there are different settings in different locations controlling what happens to the screen saver and the LCD backlight. They are two different entities in two different places. Sometimes, you are required to push and hold the right side of the screen to save a setting, but you're not necessarily prompted to do so. The same can be said for finding some menu items, which you wouldn't know were there otherwise.

And yeah, the reviews about the software are correct. Use it to update the firmware from time-to-time, but otherwise forget about it. It's easier to simply drag and drop the files via Windows.

[LittleSmasher]

Now you've had this unit for a while are you still pleased with it? In the longer term is the battery life/low capacity a bit more of an issue for you?

Am on the verge of purchasing one. Sigh

[Jenn]

@ LittleSmasher: I actually haven't used it much since the review, so I can't really comment on battery life. Whenever I do use it, though, I'm always happy that I have it. I've never regretted buying it, and I still stand by everything I wrote in the review.

I don't mind low-capacity players at all, as I have a few 30GB DAPs lying around that I carry when I want more of a selection. 1GB isn't much, that's for sure, but it's more than adequate for my favorite albums.

[Theresa]

Hi Jenn, thank you very much for your wonderful review. It´s helped me a lot with choosing my new mp3 player, because I couldn´t find any better review in my native leanguage, which you probably don´t know, because I´m from The Czech Repulic:-) Thanks

[Cristian]

Great review, Jenn! The S10 is a great player indeed.

I have a question nobody here in Switzerland can answer. Does anybody know if there exists a white version of the 2GB iRiver S10? In Switzerland I can only find the white version for 1GB (looks as above, white + black), but for 2GB there is only a fully-black version. I would like the white one - it looks great.

Thanks!

Cristian.

[Justin]

Looking for an armband to wear the little guy in the gym. has anyone ever found one?
Best review out there! thanks

[Jenn]

@ Cristian: As far as I know, the 2GB player comes in all black AND the standard black/white. I don't know if they ship to Switzerland, but Warehouse123 and Advanced MP3 Players both appear to have the white version in stock.

@ Justin: Accessories are definitely hard to come by right now. The player is becoming more widely available in the U.S., though, so perhaps an armband isn't too far off.

[Bill]

Just ordered one today and looking forward to getting it in next 3 days. Have iPod Shuffle at moment but want FM radio. S10 looks great and not much bigger. Will make further comment when I have used it. Live in New Zealand.

[Lisa]

I have only ever used itunes to purchase and upload music on my nano. Is this just as user friendly? I am old and afraid of trying something new.

[Jenn]

Personally, I think it's more user friendly because it's just drag and drop.

No software required. Just plug the S10 into the USB port of your computer and drag your music over to it (the player shows up as a removable disk under "My Computer"). The "transferring music" section above includes a screenshot of how it'll look.

Keep in mind that none of the songs you've purchased from iTunes will be playable on the S10. Not legally anyway.

[Joey]

For the orientation option, I think it is useful when you are wearing a lanyard. When you want to operate the player, you don't need to turn the player 180 degrees physically yourself.

[Heffa]

Thanks sooo much for the great review. Answered just about all of my questions on the S10.
One other query though. When u flip the orientation upside down, does the orentation of the D-click buttons switch as well?

[Patrick]

Hello,
Just wanted to say thanks for your very well-written review. I got my S10 today, and I can't wait to try it!

[Peter Earl-Martin]

Great review Jenn, nice nails(great to see a review wriiten by a woman for a change)very informative and well detailed. I currently have a 1GB albeit cheap MP3 player and was looking to upgrade to a 2GB player anyway and lo and behold came across your excellent review. Having read it I am now going to purchase the S10 based on your findings. I have never and will never be an IPOD convert, too much hype and too may people have it. I prefer to stand out from the crowd and the S10 and its superb features in such a compact item will enable me to do that. Thanks once again, and finally do you have a website URL!

[Jenn]

Thanks again for your comments, everyone.

@ Heffa: Yes, the controls adjust when using the player upside down. And as Joey (above you) mentioned, the orientation option IS handy when wearing the lanyard.

@ Peter: I'm not sure what you mean about my website URL, which is www.pocketables.net. Are you looking for places that sell the S10? It can currently be ordered through Amazon, Warehouse123.com, YesAsia.com, theiriverstore.com, advancedmp3players.co.uk, and eBay.

[ranma172]

I've just got my S10. I have to say I'm really disappointed with its sound quality. I think it's really poor. I always disable any sound enhancement (bass, eq, etc.) in my portable players because I use good quality earbuds (Shure E500). The S10, however, sounds horrible with sound enhancements disabled. I'm not really sure how to completely disable them because the sound options are not clear (field width to 1? trubass to 1?? focus to medium??? freq boost to 60hz??!!). I've used many other players: iRiver T20, Creative Muvo2, Creative Zen Micro, Creative Zen V, iAudio U3 and a Samsung (can't remember its model). All of them sound pretty good except for the Samsumg, which I didn't like so much. Anyway, even the Samsung is far better than this S10.

If anyone knows how to make this player sound good please tell me.

In the meanwhile I'll have to return to my iAudio U3. The best player I've used so far.

Regards

[ranma172]

Hi again,

I've managed to make the S10 sound acceptable, yet not as good as the other players I've mentioned. I've set sound this way: field width to 1, trubass to 1, focus to low and... what the heck is freq boost for??? (I can't hear any difference with that)

[soko]

Hello!

Really great review Jenn! Helps me a lot to find the right player for me. But one important question left for me:
Do you tried the shuffle mode? I'm using shuffle mode excessive and i hate players which play 30 of 500 songs again and again in shuffle mode.
So covers shuffle all songs stored?

thanx
Soko

[Jenn]

@ ranma172: I'm glad you've gotten the player to an acceptable sound quality. This is actually the first time I've ever heard of someone being so disappointed by it. My ears are incredibly below audiophile caliber: preset EQs are absolutely fine with me. I listen mostly to acoustic and piano-driven music, nothing bass heavy, which may be a factor when evaluating SQ.

@ Soko: I haven't noticed this, but it could be because of the storage capacity. 1GB of music isn't much for the player to have to deal with, and I actually only keep about 400MB on it.

[ranma172]

@Jenn: My ears are not audiophile either. I suppose an audiophile wouldn't even consider these miniplayers, but I'm not that demanding.

After finding a good EQ for me now I think that the S10 doesn't sound as bad as I thought at the first moment. However, I still think that it lacks bass. In my opinion, bass is where players fail first. It seems that middles and trebles are easy to reproduce, but bass is what puts them to a test.

In S10 you can set bass boost to 3 (more or less) to hear the same bass other players (Zen V, T20, U3) produce without any enhancement. But any artificial enhancement always produces an unnatural and somewhat unpleasant sound (at least for me).

If the S10 sounded better I could say it's the best player I've ever seen. It has only other drawback: the display is hard to read when there's sunlight.

excellent review... with all the info/pics i was looking for. thank you!

[Sharon]

How is the screen outside in sunlight?

[ranma172]

The display is quite hard to read outside in sunlight. It surprised me when I took it out of my pocket and had to cover this player with my other hand to barely see the display. And it wasn't a very sunny day.

[Ulrik]

Really great review! I got my S10 as a birthday present in mid december and so far I'm very pleased with it. I came across this review because I had some trouble starting my S10 earlier today (so I tried google for some information). I didn't find a solution on the net but the problem was solved through the "iriver plus 3" software that came with it.

By the way, could you recommend any good headphones with a lanyard? Not too pricey.

[Dave]

Hi Jenn

Loved the review. I've had an S10 2GB for just a week and I'm still impressed! You forgot one small item, the iRiver Plus 3 software is used to name the radio stations.

On a minus side, I can't get the 'Plus 3 software to transfer tracks to the S10... Don't know why, drag and drop seem fine.

Best wishes

Dave

[ranma172]

I've discovered something important. If you want to disable any sound enhancement (SRS, TruBass, EQ, ...) on S10 you have to go to menu: Settings > Advanced > Reset all settings.

If you reset settings and then go to, for example, TruBass, you will see that it's set to 7 by default. But it's disabled actually. To enable it change it to 6 and click ok: you will notice that the bass is a lot more boomy (now it's enabled!).

Please check this out and tell me what you think. Now I think I've managed to make this player sound nearly as well as my old T20 (one of the best players I've ever had).

Regards

[ranma172]

Ok, I've discovered that normal eq can be set through the "hidden" menu (pressing right for a while) when playing music.

I admit it, I didn't RTFM, at least not entirely.

[Sharon]

Thanks for the info about how well it does in sunlight. I'm not really worried, since all I really need to do is use the D-click system to change music etc.

I ordered a 2GB white S10 yesterday from Warehouse123 and tracking already shows it arriving tomorrow! :) I can't wait to start using it. I also ordered a lanyard with quick release cell phone connector, to use with the S10, and then connect to speaker for trike riding... yes..trike riding. search google.com for Sun Tadpole and you'll see what I will be riding very soon.

[Patrick]

Still very satisfied one month after my purchase.

The only thing missing (in my opinion) is a good case. I hope there's one available soon!

[ranma172]

Now I'm satisfied with it too.

Just two drawbacks: lock system is hard to use (why removing the classic lock switch!?) and display is REALLY hard to read in sunlight.

However, this is one of the best mp3 players I've had, together with iRiver T20 and iAudio U3.

[Jenn]

Great to hear, ranma!

[ranma172]

Ah, and another drawback: songs and folders are not sorted alphabetically (well, they are the first time you copy them).

Battery time could be longer too... And battery indicator is a little crazy sometimes...

But don't get me wrong. I love this player! :)

[RickRandom]

Absolutely excellent review, thanks. It convinced me to buy one. I'd been tempted by the UK TV program "The Gadget Show", and your review convinced me.

Bought mine from advancedmp3players.co.uk, nobody else seemed to have it available in the UK.

All in all I'm very happy with it, but then I've never owned a music player before, other than a non-Sony "walkman", which I've never really got on with.

Good features:

Easy to use, even for a forty-something year old.
Nice screen.
Good sound quality (for what little I know) - I can hear a lot more detail than on the old CD "walkman".
More than enough space for my preferred music (2GB).

Not so good features:

Instruction manual is too brief.
I haven't done very well tuning the FM radio yet, maybe operator error, so I need to persevere.

[GMan]

Thank you so much for the fantastic review. I didn't really need it but the S10 is so cool I couldn't resist.

I love the player. The sound quality is fantastic! The screen is amazingly clear and the navigation is intuitive once you get the hang of it.

My only disappointment is that I cannot get the scheduled FM recording to work. The manual is of little help as it's incredibly basic.

Is there a trick to getting the FM recording to work? I've tried turning off the unit, leaving it on w/ nothing playing, or just playing an mp3 when the recording is supposed to kick off.

The alarm works, and so does FM recording. It's an incredible player w/o this feature, but I'd still like to see if I can get it to work.

My firmware is at version 1.03.

G

[GMan]

OK, a follow up to my earlier post...I figured out the FM recording.

The FM recording and the Alarm are basically the same feature. You can select one or the other.

To select FM Recording:
- goto Clock and click > (clock is now displayed)
- hold down > to get to clock settings
- select Alarm Type >
- FM Recording > to put a check mark in the box

Once FM Recording is the Alarm Type, then when you go back to clock and click right on Alarm you will see a little FM radio icon (if Alarm is the Alarm Type the icon will be a little clock).

In the FM Recording mode the recording is triggered by the Clock -> Set FM Recording settings. In Alarm mode the alarm is triggered by the Clock -> Set Alarm Time settings (the alarm is just a little beep).

Unfortunately the manual does little to explain all this, however I finally got it!

What a cool player!

G

[recursor]

Hi guys,

I am looking at both the S10 and the U20 and Have a couple of questions. Does the S10 support bookmarking? Also will it save your spot in an audio file and resume where you left off when you power it back up and hit play? I like to listen to a lot of the audio books over at http://www.gutenberg.org so bookmark support (or some sort of resume feature) for me is a must.

[Harry]

Great review!
Does the voice recording have AGC?
I think it's auto gain control, where if someone is talking too loud or soft it normalizes the volume to a moderate level. My older IFP-795 has it and is an awesome feature.

[Mark]

I have lost the charger, where can i get a new usb one?

[Majid Bostane]

I have purchased the S10 some time now and brought it back with me to spain where I live, It is not in the Spanish market. The MP3 Iriver s10 is great and it sounds very well. The only thing that bothers me is that one has to charge the battery via USB , which means that I have to switch on the computer whenever I need to recharge it. Isn´t there any gadget or any separate charger that goes on electicity? Then I have another problem, I need 1,5 hours to charge it but then I can use it only during 45 minites andthen the battery is dead. Is this normal or I amdoing something wrong. I would like you to tell me also what other accesories are there for this MP3 and if I can by them here in spain or if I can buy it somewhere and have it sent to me here in Spain.

Majid

[Jenn]

@ Harry: I haven't found anything about AGC in the official documentation, and based on my tests I don't think the feature is there.

@ Mark: Warehouse123 sells a replacement for $12.50 here.

@ Majid: Any generic USB-to-AC adapter should work with the S10. Has your battery life always been just 45 minutes or did it just start happening? If you're charging it fully each time, then the problem is with the battery. Depending on when/where you bought the player, you may be able to return it and get a replacement one for free.

[JR]

just recently got my s10.

the only problem i have with it is not being able to create multiple playlists on the go! you can only create 1 playlist with the S10. if you want to manage more, you'll have to do it on a PC.

[Clemens]

I LOVE THAT PLAYER!!
Bought mine on ebay, I hope it gets here in one part and works

don't wanna wait........
WAAAH

[Cheryl]

Hey! this is a pretty cool review. I was thinking about getting one, and now i saw this, and i really want one :) I'm looking for a place to find a cheap one, as i am not the most wealthy person. I think i'll try Ebay :)

[Dave]

If you go on holiday, how do you charge the S10 without a computer????

[Jenn]

Most USB-to-AC power adapters should do the trick. They're usually inexpensive (here's one for $8) and are widely available online. I have a generic one that I have no idea how I got (I think it came bundled with some kind of third-party cable) and haven't had any problems with it.

[ranma172]

@GMan

I understand you! I also found it hard to find some options like turning EQ off. (Just in case you don't know it, just hold RIGHT when playing a song and go to EQ menú).

[Clemens]

Ok now here´s my problem...
I have recieved an iriver s10 but I cant find out how to change the theme. I mean i like the theme but I just wanna know...

thx

[alan]

Great review. But LOL, the reviewer missed the most basic problem with the MP3 player: the placing of the earphone socket at the edge. This means the device tilts to the side when worn around the neck. Looks crap and naff. Why iriver did not put that on the centre is beyond comprehension.

[Zdeno]

rly nice prewiew :) Im just thinking of buying one but its not available on stack at this time :/

[Ben]

I have mixed feelings about the S10. I find the menus really awkward and non-intuitive to use. It takes too long to work out how do do things and this is because the way to do things is convoluted. I expect more from user interfaces these days. For eg, it took me a good 30mins to work out how to use the scheduled FM recording (a cool feature btw). I don't like the two button hold switch either - I need to use two hands to activate it and this looks rediculous given the size of the player. Also, I can't find much in the way of forums on the s10. Iriver has a long way to go with the user manual and website. Rockbox doesn't have a firmware mod for the player either. Functionally, the s10 is really good (esp. for its size) it's just let down but the UI imo.

[dragoshu]

hey! Jenn, i formatted my s10 and i lost the default 4 pictures and the default track named iriver. if u still have them can you PLEASE send them to me via mail ? it would mean a lot to me ... my mail is dragosh_u@yahoo.com if other s10 owner can help :)

[polpan]

hi i got this player....and my "biggest" problem about it is i lost the usb adapter...... now it is really hard to find one..... "3.5mm to usb adapter"

my question is....does anybody knows here how would be the wiring for the jack and the usb connector...cause i'm planning to create/build one....i have already the 3.5mm jack and the usb connector...i can't find anywhere on how to connect eahc other...

thank you very much for everybody help...

[Jenn]

@ polpan: If you are unable to build one, you can buy a replacement for $12.50 at Warehouse123.

[polpan]

@jenn: thnak you for the link you gave... due to financial issues ha ha ha...i will still try to search and build one.... if i got enough money i will try buying online....
thanks...

btw: anybody here in honkong? (warehouse123 is in hongkong) he he he...

thanks...

[Inkbob]

Hi, i was just wondering that when you're listening to music on the s10, can you also browse through the music tracks? (kind of like how the ipod works) or do you have to stop the music first?
Thanxz =)

[andrea]

i love it, but it didn't come here yet. when can i akspect it to arrive in serbija?

[Ben]

You can browse music folders etc whilst music is playing. You can't however, delete other music files whilst music is playing. Might not even be able to add to the quicklist if I remember correctly.

[Pablo]

Simply the best review of any gadget I have ever encountered! Anything lacking is covered by comments. Time to upgrade my iRiver T20. Well done mate!

[Belinda]

@ polpan: A guy (with the user id "ithought_inc") on eBay is selling those 3.5mm-to-USB adapters for $0.99 plus $3.99 shipping. He's on the "west coast" and has at least 10 of those adapters. Good luck.

[DyD]

I just got my iriver s10 :) Im so exited, its cool player :P but...I have a problem, why my system dont find it as usb portable device?
so I cant get there any of my music :(

I have windows xp proffesional service pack 2

[Marek]

hi i'm mark student form poland. I bought iriver s10 three weeks ago i like this toy it's nice , but now i have a problem i lost my usb adaptor . Can you help where i can buy that?? because i have no idea

Thanks

[DuD]

u should try to seek at google for iRiver S7 / S10 USB to 4-Pin Plug or something like this or here http://warehouse123.com/ProductInfo.php?pid=IRIS7S10PLUG-WHT

btw my problem is solved, I think, only my usb ports doesnt support that usb 2.0 :( but on my brother computer it works

[DuD]

I have one more question, I upgraded my firmware to version 1,05 and I have there new function, " study " . Whats that good for?

[Madelene]

Hi Jenn
Like everyone else is saying, great review!!
I have, like some others on this page managed to format my S10, having had it for only a few days! Any chance you could email me the sample pics? Thanks so much if you can

[Semi]

Is it a pain to get it into voice recording mode? I'm looking at this as an alternative to an olympus digital recorder.

[Linh]

I heard there's an S10 Bracelet/Watch something coming out. It looks really nice, wonder when it'll be out ^^

By the way, thanks for the review of this S10. I really want to get one :)

[Harold]

Can anyone advise whether the S10 cam bookmark MP3 audiobooks? If so, can it keep your place with more than 1 book at a time? Also, does the S10 have variable speed control on playback of MP3 audiobooks and podcasts?

[Keith]

Great review with excellent presentation Jenn.

I have a iriver N10 which I've had for a couple of years now and is a great and reliable DAP but could be improved with more than the 512mb storage capacity. I'm interested, as a result of your review, in the S10 but, as I have partially impaired hearing in one of my ears, need to be able to adjust the L<->R sound balance. That feature works like a dream on the N10 and I'm hoping you can confirm whether that's a feature of the S10, too?

[SAM]

Hey Jenn :D
loved the review!
just making sure that this beautiful piece of technology is compatable with all earphones (standard input size)? Because you have called the supplied ones "substandard" and "disposable"!
cheers ;o)
Sam

[Jenn]

Thanks, SAM. Yes, the S10 has a standard 3.5mm headphone jack.

[Albert]

I bought my gf the S10 yesterday for her birthday. However, when she took it home and connected the usb to the comp, nothing happened. No usb device was found. and after like 2 hrs of leaving the usb in the port. The S10 still can't be turn on. Is something wrong? She has a usb 2.0. Thanks

[deedee]

Hi Jenn, thanks for the review! My sister and I went to Hongkong and she got her very own s10. Unfortunately, she accidentallly erased the sample pictures. Would you mind sending me the files through email?

thanks

[Jenny]

I received an S 10 for my birthday - to use at the gym. My husband had an I River 3, and it NEVER needs charging! It has been really wonderful - and the USB is connected!
I really like the ease of use of the S10 - BUT am really unhappy with the battery life.
I charge it up, then use it for a 1/2 hour at the gym. The next time I go to use it - maybe a week or maybe two later - it is DEAD. Needless to say that is not very impressive. Does it use extra 'power' whilst off? I note one comment above re dying after 45 minutes so am going home to test it out - charge it up and let it run!
Will see what happens - otherwise I am going to take it back!

[Colin]

Jenn, You wrote above that being able to flip the screen orientation was "a nice though useless option". It is actually quite helpful if you wear the S10 around your neck on a lanyard, as I usually do. As you know, the lanyard clip is on the top of the S10; therefore, when the iRiver is hanging around your neck and you go to look at the screen, it is upside down. Being able to configure it to display in correct orientation is nice. Of course, the actions of the buttons also change correspondingly. In any case, I enjoyed your review because I learned a few things about the S10 which I didn't know. Cheers...

[Chris Taylor]

An excellent MP3 player. Incredibly small, yet still offers recording, and FM Radio. Also has a very nice color display.
I love it.
Just wish the battery lasted a bit longer.
Found a nice case for it too: Link

[Palo]

I've bought the player for my girlfriend and it's so cool, that I think about buying one for myself too.

[Caleb]

Cool little thing. I bought mine from a girl for only $70 - fresh out of the box just because she already had an ipod. Her loss!

I pretty much figured out all the controls in less than 20 minutes (thanks in part to this website). That said, I tried adding some mp3s that I downloaded from myspace onto it. 1 out of 3 showed up in the library and was able to be transferred to the s10. I need to try the drag n drop methond next. I THOUGHT the earphone jack was bigger than standard, but it's not. It just looks that way compared to the teeny device! Girls will love this because it's so cute. Guys will...for the same reason I guess. It really is slick though.

[Jamie]

hi jenn, wow what a great review! i just have one problem with my s10. i managed to somehow change the setup so when i turn on my s10, instead of coming up with the green iriver design, a red screen comes up with the words 'scan music file'. Could you please tell me what i have done and how to get it back to the original state?
this is such a great help, thanks so much!

[Dave]

I was given an S10 as a gift in July, 2007. Used it for two days and it went dead. Tried for two months to get a return authorization from IRiver. After returning the unit it was another two and a half months before a replacement was obtained. It lasted only one half hour. It won't take a charge and displays a statement to "install new batteries". Since no information could be found in any of the literature supplied with either unit, I tried contacting customer support for help with changing the batteries. For two weeks I have been waiting, but have received no information. Does anyone out there have any idea on how to take the S10 apart to change the batteries? The words "Chinese Junk" are not limited to wooden sailing vessels in China. The S10 certainly deserves to be called JUNK!

[rishad]

it very nice to carry and also hearing songs thanks to irivor

[Paddy Man]

read your reviews on clix 2 and s10. Decided to buy the s10. It was a good decision, its a great mini player. Just wondered if you could tell me if there is a way to convert jpegs to picture files that can be viewed on the s10.

[jules]

would like to echo the comments on the great review from the land Downunder (Australia)

question ? would the Logitech FreePulse BlueTooth Wireless Headphones with adaptor work on the S10 ?

[Jack]

Really nice review. I bought the player because of you excellent review. Compliments from Europe!

[linh]

I'm planning to buy this tiny mp3 player. I love the design and it's especially nice when I can wear it around my neck :] But I heard the lanyard earphone that comes with the mp3 player is not good. Can someone suggest me a good, reasonable price landyard earphone? How bad is the standard earphone that comes with this tiny thing?

Thanks for the great review. :)

they sell aa battery charger at the iriver store for 12.95. www.store.misticriver.net

[scud]

Great review, thanks - helped my make up my mind.

Has anyone figured out how to stop the s10 being turned on when off (i.e. the clock being displayed by pressing the screen). I think that my s10 often runs down because it is being activated in transit like this.

Also, anyone had any luck with the lyric display. I can't get this to work at all...

[carmal]

very good review best one ive every seen for any product

[Aless]

Hey, good review! i'm thinking of getting one of these, but can you tell me, what kind of file types does it hold?
Have you had any problem putting music onto it?

Thanks,

@ Aless: As stated in the "System specifications" section of the review, the S10 supports the following audio formats: MP3, WMA, O