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Almost all modern MP3 players feel sturdy, but we were particularly impressed by how robust iRiver’s E200 felt. The hefty, rigid metal case looks classy and feels well engineered. This means it’s a little heavier than the competition at 92g, but it’s still compact and light enough to carry around all day. We weren’t disappointed by the E200’s audio quality when paired with a good aftermarket pair of earphones. Music sounded clear, rich and detailed. Bass wasn’t quite as thumping as we’d like, especially compared with other iRiver players, but it still sounded pleasing. The included earphones aren’t worth bothering with, as they make music sound flat and muffled with very weak bass. Battery life was disappointing. The player lasted just over 17 hours for audio, which is a little short compared with similarly priced players. There’s an FM radio built in, but we had difficulty getting static-free reception in our central London offices. The E200’s touch-sensitive buttons feel odd, especially if they’re set to vibrate when pressed. Although these controls feel fiddly and less precise than a physical set of buttons, the haptic feedback is genuinely useful rather than just a gimmick – with vibration turned off we were more prone to choosing the wrong songs or overshooting our intended target in a long list. The interface’s white text on dark backgrounds looks clear and sharp, even in overly bright or dim lighting conditions. Videos looked great on the bright 2.8in display. The screen has plenty of contrast and videos were always displayed in the correct aspect ratio. H.264 video files aren’t supported, but WMV and DivX videos played without any problems. The battery lasted five hours and 20 minutes when playing video, which should see you through a couple of films.
We were impressed with iRiver’s E200 8GB. It feels well made and sounds great, while videos looked stunning on its 2.8in screen. Battery life is a little shorter than on other players, but you’ll still get a decent amount of playback time between charges. It’s a Best Buy.
