Topic: Iriver H120 - beeping and grinding ?

[Xpanding Man]

Couldn't find anything in the FAQ's or google so here goes...

recently my Iriver h120 which has been solid the last year or so has started beeping excessively at startup, during recording, playback etc.  i hear some noises from inside that are similar to when a CD is not loading properly in a boombox, like stopping and starting etc.

amazingly, it is still making good recordings...i'm just curious for how long.  does this sound like a new hard drive is needed ?  yes i tried reformatting the drive...no luck

on a related note, what's the best 24bit recorder that's cheap, reliable and has either coax or optical input ?   

[travelinbeat]

I would really be doubting the integrity of this iRiver.  Sounds like the harddrive is having emphasimic fits, and is not long for this earth.

As far as stealthable 24bit drives go, I don't think that there are very many.  You may want to search through the "Recording Gear" section some first, in order to familiarize yourself with what's available for your particular requirements, then ask more detail questions as they arise.

Keep in mind too, that there exists a DIY option to keep that iRiver of yours alive a while longer: Compact Flash Mod.  A decent enough number of people are running this, should be stable (more so that you current drive, anyways, which is undoubtedly going to die sometime, probably soon).

As a closing remark, I just made the leap from h120 to R-09HR and couldn't be happier.  Bear in mind though, the R-09HR has no optical / digi in


Edit to add recommended reading:
Best stealthable 24bit device? *
Stealthable 24/96 recorders
Recorder market overview: price/feature chart
*- this is the thread I started to ask almost all the same questions you should be asking (minus the digi-in question)

[sunjan]

Travelinbeat pretty much said it all.
You should really do the CF mod for peace of mind. The HDD will crap out sooner or later, it's just a matter of time. Save yourself the worry.

what's the best 24bit recorder that's cheap, reliable and has either coax or optical input ?

For 24bit + digi-in + stealth, there's really only Microtrack or D50 on the market today. If you go the MT way, you'd be compromising on "reliable", while D50 might not fit your budget (depending on what "cheap" is for you).
But with internal ADC's getting better, you can rely on a R09-HR and go analog-in instead...