Home > Consumer Reviews > irock! 730i Digital Audio Player (128 MB)

I have just recently started using my irock! 730i, and have been very pleased with it so far. I was looking for an MP3 player that was small enough to go running with and also had expansion capabilities. The irock afforded me both. The only feature that it did not have that I wanted was a built in tuner.

A little about the player:
* It's small - I didn't realize how small until I got it. It's about 3x2x1 inches.
* It has an LCD display that displays song information and can even be used to create a karaoke like display or even display pictures (in admittedly poor quality).
* It has a built-in, removable belt clip - some other versions do not.
* Accepts SmartMedia expansion cards, up to 128 MB - allowing for a total of 256 MB of music at any given point.
* Comes with software: MusicMatch and the Irock Transfer Manager.
* Has a key lock to stop accidentally turning it on when it is being transported
* It does not come with rechargeable batteries: it takes one AAA battery.

* The headphones that come with it seem good enough to do the job - nothing great but not too cheap either.

Some others notes:
You'll need to use their software to actually move the music to the player. I did run into some problems when I first tried to add music to a SmartMedia card (a card is not included with the product). I think the trick is to format the card with the irock! software, or through the menu option on the device.

On the down side, I think the menu system is a little tricky. Although it allows for you to change many settings, like the equalizers (to 1 of 5 presets) and random playback, it is difficult to figure out how to get in to, and once in, a little clunky to maneuver.

Also in random playback mode, it will cycle through both your external memory card and the internal memory - so if you want to be able to swap out cards to get fresh music, be warned that anything in internal memory will be heavy rotation. . . There is no way to specify the "source" for random play - then again, I would think this is an issue with most players.

I would probably also skip installing the MusicMatch software, it's not a full version and pops up annoying upgrade messages.

The bottom line:
There are a bunch of features that I don't think I will ever use, like memo recording and the MP3i video/karaoke stuff - but there are also plenty that I have already used like the memory expansion and random playback. This light, compact, functional unit seems to really do what it advertises. And for the price, I don't think you'll find a better player with the features it has.

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I already had one MP3 player but wanted a second one. Can't survive workout at the gym without one!
This one is perfect for the gym. It's small, about the size of a small pager. It comes with a belt clip, so you can hook it on your shorts. It also has a leather cover case, which I decided not to use because the player would fall off a little easier during my workouts.

For starter, you can't be the price on this one. Already starts off with 128mb of memory which you can double with a Smart Media card.
I have found downloading songs to be real easy. The sound also good for a little player, plus it has menu options for the type of music you like, rock, jazz etc.
The only thing I really didn't care for are the ear bud phones. But you can also buy new headphones more to your liking.
Overall, a very good buy for the price.

If you turn up the volume it will start to get distorted and a lot of the times it locks up and you have to take the batteries out when it locks up to turn it off.

My objective was to buy an MP3 player for my 15 year old son. I thought the IROCK 730i had enough features to meet his demands. The 730i included 128MB of internal memory. I purchased a 128MB SmartMedia memory card because it could also be used in my daughter's digital camera.

The unit has plenty of features including a voice recorder. The software included was easy to use but adding lyrics for the display was a time consuming process. Sound quality was very good and had alot of volume for this small unit.

The unit is constructed of plastic and so are all of the controls and the belt clip. I felt the unit was poorly fabricated. The battery cover felt like it was ready to crack. I was afraid the belt clip was ready to break since it was made of plastic and therefore I never made use of it. The clip had screw securing it to the unit probably so that it could be easily replaced. The plastic case was a piece of junk.

My biggest disappointment was in the control switches. The on/off button was the same control used for the play mode. I found myself pressing the button so hard at times in frustration since it did not perform its function.

My son ended up receiving an MP3 player made by Rio from his older brother. That unit had a strap and looked to be more rugged for his use. I was going to keep the 730i but those control buttons just didn't do the job. I ended up returning the unit.

I still gave this unit 3 stars since it did have alot of features but I would not recommend it for its durability and ease of use. If you don't need the lyrics displayed then you don't need this unit; the 530 can do the job.

I purchased this for my 11 year old for Christmas. I opened it to download some music so he could use it on Christmas morning. Five days later I had only suceeded in downloading one song, but it wouldn't actually play. Customer service directed me back to their online manuals (useless)
Today I bought a Mpio FL100 and within 30 minutes had downloaded some WMA files, transfered a cd to my computer, then to the Mpio. And, they ALL play. Well worth the extra money I spent.