Free Music for Clix Second Generation

The iRiver Clix second generation is Even better than its predecessor. The Clix has a new sleek design, centered around a crisp 2.2 inch color screen. iRiver shaved a lot of bulk off the box shaped first generation Clix. The device has four main buttons, known as the "D-Click" system, which surround the screen. The buttons are flush but click when depressed giving a feel of tactility.

Features

The iRiver Clix features an ultra-bright 2.2-inch AMOLED color display, integrated voice recorder, built in FM tuner, and USB 2.0 for fast data transfer. It can play audio and video and display images, and has a very customizable user interface. The Clix also has 2 transfer modes, a mass storage mode for all operating systems (Windows, Mac, and Linux), and a "Media Transfer Protocol" that currently only works with Windows so you can use Windows Media Player to transfer your music. If you want to change transfer modes however, you have to reformat your player. The player supports a plethora of flash games that you can download for free from the iRiver site and the iRiver forums. It also comes in a 4 gig Rhapsody version that lets you get Rhapsody channels. It starts with a 30-day free trial but after the first 30 days you the Rhapsody function requires a membership which is $14.99 a month.

Design

The slim case of the Clix is centered around the 2.2-inch screen, which is surrounded by a button on each side. These four buttons make up the "D-Click" system, which is easy to use and controls all the functions of the player except volume. The power and "smart key" buttons and USB 2.0 port are located on the right hand side of the player, with the volume buttons located on the top. The headphone jack is on the left side, along with the reset button. One thing you don't realize about the Clix until you hold it however is how tiny it really is. It weighs a mere 55 grams and is only 8 cm wide and less than 13 cm tall.

Audio Quality

Other MP3 player reviews agree that the audio quality on the Clix is above average. It operates between 20 Hz and 20k Hz, giving the sound a nice full range with a good pair of headphones. It also has a 5-band eq. The SRS WOW function is supposed to boost bass and give the music depth, but it will drown the music and make it sound strange, so its better not to use it.

Interface

The interface is easy to use and well laid out. The "D-Click" button configuration iRiver uses is a little weird at first, however after about 5 minutes of use it's very simple. The menus flow nicely, with a very simplistic and functional feel. The entire player is customizable, and you can turn it from landscape to portrait mode, which is nice, because portrait mode is very comfortable in your hand when you're on the move.

Performance

The Clix performs almost flawlessly, with no lag in the menu system and skip less playback. Even the video function loads smoothly and plays without video lag (assuming your video file is good). The battery life is also pretty impressive with 24 hours of audio play time and 5 hours of video. The built in audio recorder works very well, and stops dead noise by only recording when it hears resonance.

The iRiver Clix second generation rivals the other MP3 players in its class. It's easy to use, very reliable, and has a lot of features. The audio quality is A+ and with the ability to work with Windows Mac and Linux makes it very appealing to people who work across multiple platforms. With it's impressive set of features its hard to not want one.