iRiver Spinn user reviews (8GB)

3.5 stars

"Good unit - some little quirks" on August 22, 2010 by dfdmouse

Pros: Good build with easy navigation - sound quality rates "very good", either using half decent head phones or through your stereo system. You are able to modify the screens/controls to your needs (using Adobe flash software - discussed later).

Cons: Support in NA sucks! You have to go to the Korean web sites to get half decent support (English is definitely not the first language used!). Software to create themes (and other items) needs to utilize Adobe's flash RAD (pricey!).

Summary: Good player, no DSM crap! Bought the unit for $95 USD (I don't think they will be selling any large numbers in NA for long).

3.5 stars

"VERY COOL, but......" on January 14, 2009 by edwardsmark

Pros: it really does everything it promises and then some. the movie player actually works quite well!

your computer will recognize it as another USB device without installing any software. the unit "prompts" you to become a usb device when attached.

Cons: 1 - no replacement proprietary USB cable available!!

2 - the Spinn is not yet on the support page (not yet anyways)

3 - the control may be a bit too sensitive for clumsy fingers.

4 - TINY cd is very difficult to load on vertically mounted cd units

Summary: if you can live with the USB cable issue, and dont mind the steep price, this is a great unit.

if you ever happen to loose the USB cable, or just want a spare, you have a problem!

i suspect if enough people complain about the USB, they might at least sell some sort of USB attachment that is actually "universal". (the 'u' stands for "universal", right?)

some websites list the USB as a micro-b interface. i dont know if this is true or not.


also, the video convert tool really seems to work quite well, surprisingly. i was concerned about this.

Updated on Jan 16, 2009

the USB interface is *NOT* a mini-b or a micro-b like several websites have described.

4.0 stars

"Unique slick player with a high quality build." on January 10, 2009 by ThrowingShade

Pros: Place it in your hands & you feel that it is of a higher build quality. Spin the wheel & press to select. Effective & easy. Excellent sound quality with the right headphones. A bright touch screen, FM recording & bluetooth connectivity rou

Cons: A measley 4-8GB & no SD slot? No wireless either? It takes more than a unique player/interface to stand out in todays ultracompetittive market. Movies are a pain too. Don't even bother. Lastly, the back should've been of metal too, not plastic.

Summary: Despite its major shortcomings, this player is too different to be dismissed as a novelty. Not even Apple can touch this type of build quality. It is on par with the best from say, Archos. Pick one up and play with it for awhile and you'll see what I mean. The spin feature alone is worth it. You use the wheel to dig into the menu, just spin and press. When used in conjunction with the touch screen, navigation is effortless and seamless. I recommend using a good pair of headphones, such as Etymotic ER4's. There are many sound options to choose from. FM sounds great on it as well. I paired it very quickly with my good bluetooth headphones. You can even record notes and memos with it. Pictures look amazing on the screen, I have no problem showing off photos on it. Dragging and dropping files to it is a breeze as well. If they would have added an SD slot and wireless connectivity it would have been a serious contender against the iTouch. Next time guys, RIGHT?!?!?