Review: Iriver X20 portable media player

Iriver had been relatively quiet of late on the media player front, but CES 2007 saw the unveiling of a new line-up of players for this year that includes the versatile X20.

It’s effectively a widescreen multimedia player, sitting in-between devices such as the Sansa E-series and more advanced players like the Archos 604.

You can pick it up in capacities up to 8GB and there’s also a micro-SD card slot on the side, so you’ll find plenty of room for your media files. It’s intended to operate in landscape mode, with the bulk of the controls on the right of the screen; the display can be flipped for left-handed users.

A rotating scroll wheel lets you browse around and adjust volume, with standard directional controls and a menu shortcut doing the rest. It’s pretty straightforward to browse and adjust settings, although the wheel requires quite a light touch to avoid pressing a directional button by accident.

Although the device is bulky, the 2.2in screen is large enough to make video content genuinely enjoyable. The X20’s real strengths come in its media support and extra features. Two built-in speakers are at the rear - they’re predictably tinny but are good enough on a temporary basis if you need them.

In addition to video and audio playback you’ll find a photo viewer, FM Radio and voice recorder. You can record radio to a MP3 format or use the line-in port to connect an external microphone or record directly from another audio source.

Audio quality isn’t fantastic, but can be improved by tweaking the equalizer and using some decent headphones. There’s also not a lot in terms of fine-tuning, although the basics are all there.

The X20 is a decent all-round player though, and these minor foibles can be forgiven when you look at the low price tag. It's available now from Advanced MP3 Players.