Haier America ibiza Rhapsody 30 GB Media Player - Performance and Quality
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Performance and Audio/Video Quality
The overall performance results varied among the experts. CNet thought that the processor of the ibiza was very good: "we were able to download Airskins while listening to our music uninterrupted. And we got the same result while browsing Web pages and the AOL Video library. At no point did we experience any crashing." So it seems that while the interface is a little sluggish at times, multi-tasking is surprisingly good for a device like the ibiza.
The experts agree that the ibiza produces good sound quality. Here's what AnyThingButiPod had to say about the sound quality: "Sound quality on the ibiza is top notch and has plenty of power for even larger headphones. The sound spectrum is very well balanced and clear." PC Mag agrees with this statement, but didn't like the included earphones. They said, "The Ibiza also comes with some decent-sounding but flimsy earbuds."
CNet liked both the video and audio quality of the ibiza, saying "We'd give audio quality a solid 'good' rating, nothing more or less. Video quality is solid, as well. The screen offers good viewing angles from side to side and nice color saturation."
The battery life of the ibiza Rhapsody media player is rated by the manufacturer for 14 hours of audio playback and three hours for video playback. PC Mag's tests showed only 11 hours 7 minutes of audio playback with the Wi-Fi turned on. These numbers are not very good at all, but that's to be expected in a Wi-Fi enabled device. Wi-Fi seems to suck the battery life out of portable devices, so it's recommended to turn off the Wi-Fi when it's not in use.
There is one big downfall pertaining to sound quality in the ibiza. This device doesn't have a built-in equalizer for adjusting the sound. The second generation Zune also lacks this feature and I don't know why these manufacturers skimp this way; maybe it saves memory or something.
Pricing and Availability
The 30 GB ibiza Rhapsody is currently available for about $300 at Amazon. Haier is releasing 4 and 8 GB flash models very soon that will retail for about $230 and $250 respectively. These devices are not cheap by any means, and they may be overpriced when compared to the competition. For about the same price, you could pick up the 80 GB Zune or an 80 GB iPod Classic, although these devices don't have all of the same capabilities as the ibiza Rhapsody media player.
Overall, I like the 30 GB ibiza very much. There are a few loose ends with this player, such as the sometimes sluggish performance and the lack of an equalizer, but overall it's a solid media player with almost every feature imaginable. I recommend it to people who intend to subscribe to the Rhapsody to Go service, because this service really puts this player on its own pedestal when compared to the competition. As the price of this player drops, it will become a more and more attractive PMP to buy.
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