I'm going to have a serious talk with the guys at iriver at THE Show Newport. I'm thinking this is one of those cases where I will write a negative review. The price doesn't bother me as much as being a device that doesn't live up to the price.

I'm thinking they priced it that way to limit the number sold as they develop the product on the backs of rich people who can afford it, and then can afford to throw it out as better versions become available. If their price was lower they'd end up with more complaints from people who really stretched their wallets to buy.

It amounts to grandstanding and getting PR on the back of a flagship product that doesn't really measure up. Pretty sad really.

That is about as concise a take on it as possible.
That particular stratagem is not limited to iRiver in the audio world but I am shocked they would use it at this stage.
I would be very interested to see how many of the early adopters paid the actual retail. I seem to see a lot of trade among them and I suspect they are buying at significant discounts. The ones who did pay full pop are going to be ego driven to justify it no matter what.

I hear the firmware update is about to be released.

Had the 100 not existed their strategy might have worked. As it stands they provided their own (albiet still painfull in price /performance ratio) exemplar, then added 20 bucks or so worth of new electronics and doubled the price.

I would still love to hear what MQS is really defined as.  I pesonally knew 2 Sony label artists who mastered albums on the road on portable Minidisc recorders, is that MQS?

I'd wonder if they are compared side-by-side with other DAP, what would it be?

I personally tried AK100 default. I was like, well, I should go and get IPC+RX III with a lil topup. It perplexed me as to how this thing sold like wildfire. Well, I guess someone would eventually call me the ones whose ears are not "gifted".

Emperor's New Clothes?

I'm going to have a serious talk with the guys at iriver at THE Show Newport. I'm thinking this is one of those cases where I will write a negative review. The price doesn't bother me as much as being a device that doesn't live up to the price.

I'm thinking they priced it that way to limit the number sold as they develop the product on the backs of rich people who can afford it, and then can afford to throw it out as better versions become available. If their price was lower they'd end up with more complaints from people who really stretched their wallets to buy.

It amounts to grandstanding and getting PR on the back of a flagship product that doesn't really measure up. Pretty sad really.

May I suggest something?: bring an old Rockboxed H1x0 or H3x0-series loaded up with reference tracks and let them play with it. It might help them to know that the old iRiver DAPs had features that just worked without fancy gimmicks.

This audio hobby has made me very picky. When I sometimes look at what is for sale I just walk out happy to have money for coffee and music...