These days I’ve been coming across more and more DAPs (Digital Audio Players) that seem to be designed either for the younger generation, and by that I don’t just mean teenagers but preteens as well. And why not, I ask? They have a right to music as much as we do, so here’s one more to add to that list (which I’ll make it a point to let you in on later, honest) – iRiver’s MPlayer, which comes with an honest-to-goodness, totally American-styled design of none other than cartoon kingdom's most famous pair of ears: Mickey Mouse's.
Form Factor
Not much I can say about the design that I haven’t already, except that it looks like the back of Mickey Mouse’s head from any angle, and personally I’m a fan from waaay back, so I like it! It has plenty of what you might call the cuteness factor, so ideally it would be gadget designed for kids – or, let’s face it, girls. It has a mini USB port on the bottom and the strap loop and 3.5mm earphone socket on the top right between the ears.
The ears themselves serve a purpose as well. The left ear can be used to adjust the volume by twisting it to the right or left. Just make sure you don’t try to twist it all the way around. It has a spring mechanism so it moves only a few millimeters in either direction. The right ear, when used in the same way will allow you to switch tracks in either direction. On the side is where you’ll find a soft power button, and for some strange reason on the other side is a LED indicator – red for charging or battery drained; and green for, well, go.
 PerformanceConsidering that the MPlayer doesn’t do anything else except play music, this is going to be one short review in terms of its performance. First off, it’s very comfy to use. I’ve always liked the design and feel of iRiver player earphones. Since it weighs just about 0.63 ounces it can easily dangle from your neck without causing you any sort of distress. Just expect to be stared at a lot. I casually passed it off as a "reliving my childhood" stunt.
Copying files is a cinch. Simply plug it in and Ctrl C / Ctrl V is the name of the game. File transfer is quick since it supports USB 2.0. You can create folders with your music sorted according to genre or choice. The MPlayer supports MP3, WMA, ASF file formats. Unfortunately, when it comes to its one and only function, the player doesn’t deliver too well. The highs are way high and shrill, and the lows are just not adequate. It was disappointing not to have thumping bass in my ears, and the treble stealing the show. It could be a bit harsh on the ears if the volume isn’t controlled properly. On the plus side the MPlayer can dish out a good 9 hours of playback time on a single charge – and that’s not bad for a player of this size.
The BottomlineIt’s an iRiver product, which tends to make one wonder why it lacks quality in sound output. Although it can be really loud it’s not easy to listen to for too long without your ears starting to ache from the treble. If only there was some way to adjust that flaw, this could have been a superb choice. A tag of Rs 3,499 for 1GB makes it overpriced, so I'll pass. A pity – it’s cute enough to make a great present.
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