Hello:
I bought my 605 160gb from Circuit City with a 10% off coupon, so got it for a total delivered of $363. I have had a Gmini 402 for two years that I love, but wanted something with a bigger screen and more space for movies and tunes.
1) VERY good screen!
2) The volume level of the 605 is less than the already "a little too low" Gmini 402. My CX300 Sennheiser's played loud enough on the 402, but are too low on on the 605 at max volume. My V-Moda Vibes are louder, but both are 16 ohms, so this seems odd and both play the same level on the 402.
3) The sound quality (to me) is not as good as the 402 (the 402 was rated very high by most professional reviews).
4) The proprietary USB that also functions as power can be trouble if you have external USB hard drives, since the 605 takes power from the computer. It kills my external HD's and I then have to reboot the drives when connected. I have a docking station coming, but the design seems lacking.
5) Wifi is much weaker ranged compared to my Axim 30, PSP and T-Mobile Dash.
I am still debating if I will keep the unit. The screen is amazing and I like the touch interface, but the sound volume/quality and USB design are big negatives for me. I guess the better sound quality and USB / power design of the Gmini 402 has spoiled me in the past two years. I also find it odd that movies that played on the Gmini 402 now require plug-ins on the 605. I wish they did a bundle for plug-ins, since most will need all three of the current plug-ins.
I will experiment more with the sound issues when I go home tonight. If I decide to keep it, I will then get all three plug-ins. The surfing does have me concerned due to the weak Wifi range, but the sound is the main thing bugging me.
I did update the firmware hoping it would fix the sound issues, but nothing changed in that regard.
New 605, 160gb owner: My initial impression
Low volume is definitely an issue - and it was a problem with the 604 also - I have both. Last friday, however, I bought a set of Shure SE310 headphones and everything changed. I now have the sound turned up to a max of about 2/3rds of the range - and the headphones make a real difference to the actual sound quality too. They weren't cheap but they've made a world of difference to the audio of the machine.
Jamie.
Jamie.
The SE310's have great reviews, but I just bought the Vibes, so spending $200 more to correct a design problem seems harsh, but I appreciate the info about the 310's!
I have the mini dock coming and if the sound is louder on the dock, that implies the headphone jack on the 605 has too much resistance. If the gain can be corrected to the headphone jack by firmware, it will then have noise issues since it would be compensating for the resistance with more volatage. How was this issue missed in their design and QC process?
I have the mini dock coming and if the sound is louder on the dock, that implies the headphone jack on the 605 has too much resistance. If the gain can be corrected to the headphone jack by firmware, it will then have noise issues since it would be compensating for the resistance with more volatage. How was this issue missed in their design and QC process?
I don't understand the low volume issue. I'm using Seinheiser P100 headphones and get lot's of volume. I can't see gong past 3/4 volume without affecting my ears. Playing music super loud with headphones is not good for your ears. Why would anyone want to have the volume any louder than the Archos currently allows? I don't see how the volume can be considered a defect on the Archos 605.