Iriver Spinn (4GB)

More on this product: review; compare; shop

Print
E-mail
Share

CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
Detailed editors' rating

Average user rating:
Write your own review

Product summary

The good: The Iriver Spinn offers a unique, innovative design with a high-quality build. The touch-sensitive display is bright, responsive, and relatively large. The interface is customizable, and the player is packed with desirable features such as built-in Bluetooth, photo and video playback, voice recording, and an FM tuner. A large variety of audio codecs are supported, and there are plentiful sound enhancement options.

The bad The bad: The Iriver Spinn is expensive, and yet it lacks some of the advanced features expected in the price range, such as integrated Wi-Fi or an SD card expansion slot. It maxes out at 8GB and using it isn't immediately easy. Despite the seemingly decent video support, conversion is necessary in most cases.

The bottom line: Until Iriver lowers the price on the Spinn, it will remain a luxury portable media player best suited to an early adopter with a penchant for unique gadgets and a library of lossless music.

Price range: $189.95 - $249.99

See all products in the Iriver Spinn series

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: Jasmine France
Reviewed on: 09/30/2008

Photo gallery:
Iriver Spinn

In the ultracompetitive MP3 player marketplace, Korean DAP manufacturer Iriver can always be counted on for two things: innovative design and feature-packed devices. The Iriver Spinn is no exception with its Spinn System Toggle Wheel, touch-screen display, and laundry list of features. At $249.99 for the 4GB model and $289.99 for the 8GB, the Spinn is perhaps the priciest flash player on the market today (by comparison, the 8GB iPod Touch costs about $229), and it's not the simplest to use, but its slick, high-quality build and variety of features may appeal to those looking for a nonstandard MP3 player with plentiful audio codec support.

The Iriver Spinn, which is dominated on the face by a 3.3-inch touch screen, is one of the most solid-feeling portable media players we've laid hands on in recent times. The unit measures 3.8 inches across, 2 inches from top to bottom, and 0.4-inch thick and is constructed mainly out of brushed magnesium, which wraps around the white plastic backplate. Inserted into the right spine is the Spinn System Toggle Wheel, a cylindrical knob you twist to navigate menu options and push in to make selections and dive through menus. A variety of other tactile controls--dedicated volume, power, and back keys and a hold switch--line the top and left edges of the player, while a proprietary USB port is concealed beneath a flap on the bottom. The standard 3.5mm headphone jack also lives on the bottom, opposite the Toggle Wheel.

The Spinn can be controlled almost entirely via the tactile controls, but the touch screen provides access to a few essential extras, such as the USB syncing mode and the contextual menu (for setting playback mode or a photo as wallpaper, for example). You may also elect to use it for most standard playback controls as well as more minute functions, such as scanning to a certain place in a file or skipping quickly through a long menu list. No matter what your navigation preference, the Spinn requires two hands, and blind navigation can be a bit tricky, unless you're using the knob to skip through tracks. However, the knob's mechanical clicks combined with a vibration feature that goes off as you reach the end of a list might be compelling to those with impaired vision. In general, though, the menu's orange font isn't terribly easy to read.

See more CNET content tagged:: iRiver,; touch screen,; firmware,; MP3 player,; menu

User reviews

Write your own review Be the first one to review Iriver Spinn (4GB) and share your experience with the CNET community!

Submit your review

Iriver Spinn (4GB)

1. Rate this product:: (Mouse over the stars to rate this product and click to set your rating.)
2. One-line summary:(Summarize your review in one line. 10 characters minimum; required.): 0 of 55 characters
3. Pros:(Tell us what you like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.): 0 of 250 characters
4. Cons:(Tell us what you don't like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.): 0 of 250 characters
Bottom-line summary:(Explain to us in detail why you like or dislike the product, focusing your comments on the product's features and functionality, and your experience using the product. This field is optional.): 0 of 5000 characters; Submit