FID Irock 520 (64 MB) MP3 Player

Pros: Small size, uses conventional batteries, decent sound, tough!
Cons: No artist/title tags, no FM radio, no voice or in-line recording, plays MP3s only

With all of the recent hype surrounding the iPod, I found myself asking if I should consider replacing my reliable workhorse iRock 520. Would it be worth the $250 or so investment? Although I don’t consider it a direct competitor to the iPod, just ...

Pros: Easy to Operate, Expandable, Inexpensive, Beautiful
Cons: None really, but would be nice if WMA capable.

As of December 2002, this MP3 player is now available for $79.00. You can find them at any COMP USA, Radio Shack or online. There is also a 128MB version available for $129! The rest of my original review stands as written, last July.

I've...

Pros: Very small and portable, nice price, simple controls.
Cons: User-unfriendly software is required for file transfer.

I got my Irock! 520 about 3.5 months ago and I've been pretty happy with it. I don't use it a lot, but I have put several hours on it. I have an MP3 CD player and I actually prefer this unit despite its smaller capacity, because it is much more ...

Pros: small, durable, convenient, cheap
Cons: buggy software

Being a poor college student in a college town, I needed a job and jobs are hard to come by. I ended up mopping hallways at 5am every morning. I desperately needed something to help me forget what I was doing (mopping requires very little thinking)....

Pros: reliable MP3 player
Cons: poor (but avoidable) included software; hard drive and flash players much better choices.

NOTE THE 2006 UPDATE AT END OF REVIEW - Let's face it - in the long run the MP3 players of choice will be small jukebox-types holding thousands of songs. Not because any of us REALLY need to carry around that many songs, but because the prices will ...

Pros: Good value, small, expandable
Cons: difficult software

Yeah.. Yeah I know, the name is a little cheesy, but after you get past that, it's actually a really great deal.

I actually had my heart set on a Rio, but CompUSA had a $99 player with 64 megabytes. I was iffy because I'd never heard of irock,...

Pros: Looking for small and light...this is it
Cons: Software is mediocre to say the least...

Actually bought the 530 available at Radio Shack with 128mb of onboard memory. Incredibly small unit (one ounce !) this thing is little and packs a big punch. USB enabled, I put approximately 50MP3's in the unit. That is more than enough for me, I use it...

Pros: cheap basic and small mp3 player
Cons: HUGE SMARTMEDIA (SMC) PROBLEMS

I like this camera it is great because unlike the other reviewers I had no problems with the software. I tried the included ircok software and it worked okay but thenI switched to the music match basic which is free. I have not had problems with it...

Pros: Great price. Sounds excellent. Easy to use. Expandable up to a total of 128 MB.
Cons: No case included.

Bought this for a Christmas gift for a teen who didn't even know what an MP3 player was! Software was very fast and easy to install. Transferring the music to the Irock 520 is very quick. Sound quality is excellent. Requires 1 AAA battery which lasts...

Pros: Play certain MP3’s loud, extremely Portable,expandable memory compatible with MusicMatch, price
Cons: Software slow and unstable, use MusicMatch! Finicky with “certain” MP3’s, music transfer painfully slow.

I’ve owned 3 different MP3 players based on the flash memory type and I would have to say this is near the bottom of the 3. First off, I couldn’t believe that I could buy an expandable MP3 player for 99 bucks. For that price it was well worth it, but...

Pros: Small, light, good sound
Cons: Supporting software

I purchased an iRock 520 with 64Meg in August 02. I use it for running and it makes quite a difference. Techno music and running are a great combination imho. I use a 128Meg SmartMedia card with it; unfortunately the format is not compatable...

Pros: Price, Sound, Size, Smart Media Card slot
Cons: No case, color, strap color

I have been searching around for about a week looking for an MP3 player that I can use in the gym or outside running. I had no idea what they cost before a week ago. I scoured the internet looking for information only to find most stores are STILL out...

Pros: Small, light, easy to read and understand to use.
Cons: Colors aren't exactly "cool". Ear plugs hurt after a while.

This is my second MP3 player and satisfy's me. Easy to use operates great, and downloads great! Downloads fast and easy. Only problem is that it doesn't support "wma's" so you have to download music off of the internet to get it on the MP3 player, and...

Pros: Lightweight, cool look, cheap.
Cons: Software, no belt buckle, strap.

What can I say about this MP3 player. Well since I'm young I don't have too much money but I've desp ...

Pros: Small lightweight 64M low price
Cons: Flaky, skip most mp3 with non 128

Great looks, small. But it doesn't play non 128 such as 192 kbps MP3 or others. Quality is so so, the software is so-so. I wouldn't recommend this even though it says Intel I-rock.

The software works on XP which is good but not easy to use....

Pros: battery life, expandability, price, size, ease of use
Cons: doesn't play all MP3s, software isn't the best

I got this for $40 on eBay and have been very happy with it. There are some quirks, but for what I spent, I can't complain. Battery life is good, it only uses 1 AAA and last for hours and hours.

In terms of operation, it's about as simple as it gets. It plays MP3s. What else do you want. It does not display ID3 tags.

It is expandable. I got three 128MB cards for about $25 each giving me a 448MB MP3 player for $115. Not bad.

I have noticed that the software is not completely up to speed. Certain types of MP3s it cannot play. Haven't taken the time to figure out which, but it might be a certain type of VBR. When it does play VBR, it displays the time incorrectly. Not a big deal, but there it is.

Unlike the MP3 CD player I have, it does not remember if you shut it off in the middle of a song. You have to start over. That's probably the worst part about this player. Especially for audio books.

Not sure how the player stacks up against other cheap players, but it's great for the price.

I received the 520 as prize and have only been able to download music into once. The documentation must have been written by a Martian on a viscous substance. I wouldn't recommend the device until the s/w is easier to understand and the controls are redesigned.

I thought the sound was incredible! However, I went into this thinking I'd have hours of music on the harddrive when in reality maybe 70 minutes fit. Worth the money but I need to buy a mem card. BYE

I love this player. It is lightweight, and even though it doesn't have a belt clip, the hold button allows my to put in my pocket or water belt without worry of hitting the buttons. The software was a pain to use, but downloaded some updates from irock website and this helps! Earbuds don't stay in your ears very good, so you'll have to buy different headphones. I paid $50 for this, so i don't have any complaints!

I received the 520 as prize and have only been able to download music into once. The documentation must have been written by a Martian on a viscous substance. I wouldn't recommend the device until the s/w is easier to understand and the controls are redesigned.

This is a very durable player with great sound quality and inexpensive to boot. I've dropped it on the floor many times in the gym and it keeps working fine. BUT, the software is horrible and loading music onto it is very confusing and many times fails.

I've had this product for about a month and a half and really like this player. It's very easy to use and sounds great! One of the features I really like is the hold feature. Once you start the player you can slide a switch on top of the player that locks all the buttons. This way you won't accidently hit a button and have the music stop ect. All the buttons cease to function until you release the hold fuction switch. I find this very handy when working out or when riding my motorcycle. All and all this is a good player for the money.

I bought an Irock 520 over two weeks ago. I don't know if it even works because my Windows XP does not recognize the player. I have called the company at least once a day for more then 2 weeks and I have yet to talked to a PERSON! I think that I will return this player and try to find something that actually has a service department if I need it. (We own a Compaq MP3, and love it however Radio Shack has not restocked them since Christmas)

I shopped around for a decent MP3 player and the irock was the best value. ($99.95 for 64 meg) I have been very pleased with its performance. It's very easy to use, small and lightweight. I like the built in equalizer. The sound is great!! I purchased the irock FM transmitter and now play it through my car radio. It's awesome!!

I am very happy with this. This is a great learning mp3. Gets you ready for the big boys. I would recommend buying this as your first mp3 player. The sound is great, software is good, very happy overall.

This is a very durable player with great sound quality and inexpensive to boot. I've dropped it on the floor many times in the gym and it keeps working fine. BUT, the software is horrible and loading music onto it is very confusing and many times fails.

I purchased my irock! (520) as an after-christmas present to myself last year. I travel non-stop for work and have put this thing through steady abuse. The irock! has never let me down despite what seems like 100's of hours of abuse. Aside from a few surface scratches the unit remains in great shape. The sound this thing puts out impressed me from the beginning. I'm buying 2 this year as presents.... It's true..... The little guy rocks.

I purchased the Irock as a gift for my daughter but she preferred my Samsung Yepp. I didn't mind trading because I expected that if I kept the Irock, I'd have all the features of the Yepp (128 mb) plus expandable memory. I was disappointed and wished I had kept my Yepp. The software included with the Irock was the same Audio Manager included with the Yepp except the Irock's was an older version. Conflict...When trying to load, I was prompted to delete my previous version of the software in order to load the Irock's version. Also, the equipment felt very delicate. I have returned the player and will purchase another Yepp.

I've had this product for about a month and a half and really like this player. It's very easy to use and sounds great! One of the features I really like is the hold feature. Once you start the player you can slide a switch on top of the player that locks all the buttons. This way you won't accidently hit a button and have the music stop ect. All the buttons cease to function until you release the hold fuction switch. I find this very handy when working out or when riding my motorcycle. All and all this is a good player for the money.

I love this player. It is lightweight, and even though it doesn't have a belt clip, the hold button allows my to put in my pocket or water belt without worry of hitting the buttons. The software was a pain to use, but downloaded some updates from irock website and this helps! Earbuds don't stay in your ears very good, so you'll have to buy different headphones. I paid $50 for this, so i don't have any complaints!

From what I have experienced, this player is a very durable little piece of equipment.I have taken it everywhere with me for the past 3 months and it shows minimal wear. It runs off 1 AAA battery for about 6-7 hours and i'm not sure if thats bad for an Mp3 player but it sure beats a CD player's battery life for half the batteries. If I had to be totally critical about its performance i'd say it needs an Id3 reader to display the song names, and not repeat songs when in random play mode. Other than that I'd completely recomend it to anyone working with the $100 price range. It's been one of the best buys I have made in a while. As stated in the Cons section there is a known bug with Windows Me detecting the software but it was easily remedied by visiting the products web site and downloading thier update to the provided software. All in all a very fair priced, reliable player compared to the other 64meg players out there.

Since the minute I opened the box this player has been nothing but problems. After opening the box the first button i touched fell off. As far as using this sytem for a long time, you can forget about this. The battery might last for 5 hours. I don't know how many of you want to use your systems for wieght training, but if you do don't even think about touching it with a weight or it will break. As far as the head phones go, you might as well tack on another $20 for head phones because the one they give you are terrible. I am completely and urderly disgusted with this product. I will leave at this, forget Mp3 players and buy yourself a minidisc player.

I purchased my irock! (520) as an after-christmas present to myself last year. I travel non-stop for work and have put this thing through steady abuse. The irock! has never let me down despite what seems like 100's of hours of abuse. Aside from a few surface scratches the unit remains in great shape. The sound this thing puts out impressed me from the beginning. I'm buying 2 this year as presents.... It's true..... The little guy rocks.

I bought an Irock 520 over two weeks ago. I don't know if it even works because my Windows XP does not recognize the player. I have called the company at least once a day for more then 2 weeks and I have yet to talked to a PERSON! I think that I will return this player and try to find something that actually has a service department if I need it. (We own a Compaq MP3, and love it however Radio Shack has not restocked them since Christmas)

I am very happy with this. This is a great learning mp3. Gets you ready for the big boys. I would recommend buying this as your first mp3 player. The sound is great, software is good, very happy overall.

Since the minute I opened the box this player has been nothing but problems. After opening the box the first button i touched fell off. As far as using this sytem for a long time, you can forget about this. The battery might last for 5 hours. I don't know how many of you want to use your systems for wieght training, but if you do don't even think about touching it with a weight or it will break. As far as the head phones go, you might as well tack on another $20 for head phones because the one they give you are terrible. I am completely and urderly disgusted with this product. I will leave at this, forget Mp3 players and buy yourself a minidisc player.

I purchased the Irock as a gift for my daughter but she preferred my Samsung Yepp. I didn't mind trading because I expected that if I kept the Irock, I'd have all the features of the Yepp (128 mb) plus expandable memory. I was disappointed and wished I had kept my Yepp. The software included with the Irock was the same Audio Manager included with the Yepp except the Irock's was an older version. Conflict...When trying to load, I was prompted to delete my previous version of the software in order to load the Irock's version. Also, the equipment felt very delicate. I have returned the player and will purchase another Yepp.

This is a very durable player with great sound quality and inexpensive to boot. I've dropped it on the floor many times in the gym and it keeps working fine. BUT, the software is horrible and loading music onto it is very confusing and many times fails.

Since the minute I opened the box this player has been nothing but problems. After opening the box the first button i touched fell off. As far as using this sytem for a long time, you can forget about this. The battery might last for 5 hours. I don't know how many of you want to use your systems for wieght training, but if you do don't even think about touching it with a weight or it will break. As far as the head phones go, you might as well tack on another $20 for head phones because the one they give you are terrible. I am completely and urderly disgusted with this product. I will leave at this, forget Mp3 players and buy yourself a minidisc player.

From what I have experienced, this player is a very durable little piece of equipment.I have taken it everywhere with me for the past 3 months and it shows minimal wear. It runs off 1 AAA battery for about 6-7 hours and i'm not sure if thats bad for an Mp3 player but it sure beats a CD player's battery life for half the batteries. If I had to be totally critical about its performance i'd say it needs an Id3 reader to display the song names, and not repeat songs when in random play mode. Other than that I'd completely recomend it to anyone working with the $100 price range. It's been one of the best buys I have made in a while. As stated in the Cons section there is a known bug with Windows Me detecting the software but it was easily remedied by visiting the products web site and downloading thier update to the provided software. All in all a very fair priced, reliable player compared to the other 64meg players out there.

I've had this product for about a month and a half and really like this player. It's very easy to use and sounds great! One of the features I really like is the hold feature. Once you start the player you can slide a switch on top of the player that locks all the buttons. This way you won't accidently hit a button and have the music stop ect. All the buttons cease to function until you release the hold fuction switch. I find this very handy when working out or when riding my motorcycle. All and all this is a good player for the money.

I purchased the Irock as a gift for my daughter but she preferred my Samsung Yepp. I didn't mind trading because I expected that if I kept the Irock, I'd have all the features of the Yepp (128 mb) plus expandable memory. I was disappointed and wished I had kept my Yepp. The software included with the Irock was the same Audio Manager included with the Yepp except the Irock's was an older version. Conflict...When trying to load, I was prompted to delete my previous version of the software in order to load the Irock's version. Also, the equipment felt very delicate. I have returned the player and will purchase another Yepp.

I thought the sound was incredible! However, I went into this thinking I'd have hours of music on the harddrive when in reality maybe 70 minutes fit. Worth the money but I need to buy a mem card. BYE

I received the 520 as prize and have only been able to download music into once. The documentation must have been written by a Martian on a viscous substance. I wouldn't recommend the device until the s/w is easier to understand and the controls are redesigned.

From what I have experienced, this player is a very durable little piece of equipment.I have taken it everywhere with me for the past 3 months and it shows minimal wear. It runs off 1 AAA battery for about 6-7 hours and i'm not sure if thats bad for an Mp3 player but it sure beats a CD player's battery life for half the batteries. If I had to be totally critical about its performance i'd say it needs an Id3 reader to display the song names, and not repeat songs when in random play mode. Other than that I'd completely recomend it to anyone working with the $100 price range. It's been one of the best buys I have made in a while. As stated in the Cons section there is a known bug with Windows Me detecting the software but it was easily remedied by visiting the products web site and downloading thier update to the provided software. All in all a very fair priced, reliable player compared to the other 64meg players out there.

I shopped around for a decent MP3 player and the irock was the best value. ($99.95 for 64 meg) I have been very pleased with its performance. It's very easy to use, small and lightweight. I like the built in equalizer. The sound is great!! I purchased the irock FM transmitter and now play it through my car radio. It's awesome!!

I love this player. It is lightweight, and even though it doesn't have a belt clip, the hold button allows my to put in my pocket or water belt without worry of hitting the buttons. The software was a pain to use, but downloaded some updates from irock website and this helps! Earbuds don't stay in your ears very good, so you'll have to buy different headphones. I paid $50 for this, so i don't have any complaints!

I purchased my irock! (520) as an after-christmas present to myself last year. I travel non-stop for work and have put this thing through steady abuse. The irock! has never let me down despite what seems like 100's of hours of abuse. Aside from a few surface scratches the unit remains in great shape. The sound this thing puts out impressed me from the beginning. I'm buying 2 this year as presents.... It's true..... The little guy rocks.

I thought the sound was incredible! However, I went into this thinking I'd have hours of music on the harddrive when in reality maybe 70 minutes fit. Worth the money but I need to buy a mem card. BYE

I shopped around for a decent MP3 player and the irock was the best value. ($99.95 for 64 meg) I have been very pleased with its performance. It's very easy to use, small and lightweight. I like the built in equalizer. The sound is great!! I purchased the irock FM transmitter and now play it through my car radio. It's awesome!!

I am very happy with this. This is a great learning mp3. Gets you ready for the big boys. I would recommend buying this as your first mp3 player. The sound is great, software is good, very happy overall.

I bought an Irock 520 over two weeks ago. I don't know if it even works because my Windows XP does not recognize the player. I have called the company at least once a day for more then 2 weeks and I have yet to talked to a PERSON! I think that I will return this player and try to find something that actually has a service department if I need it. (We own a Compaq MP3, and love it however Radio Shack has not restocked them since Christmas)