Brief review of the Toshiba Gigabeat G20

[50sQuiff]

*** DISCLAIMER ***: Everything written in this review is based on my own highly biased opinion. If you think opinions can be anything else then you're deluded. I do not work for Apple, Sony, Toshiba, or indeed anyone for that matter. I positively welcome lame remarks about how the iPod is a way of life and not just for Christmas. My frame of reference incorporates a Sony N1, E10 and my iSpod housemate. Frankly I couldn't care about your iSoap, this is an MD forum and I'm still an MD lover. The review has been updated with comments about things such as battery life and the screen.

The Comparison pics

There are links to some press shots and some other small pics in the 'Unit' section but first, here are some shoddy little ones taken with a camera phone just to give you an idea about the size of the unit. That's a TDK blank in its slip case by the way.




I'm still weary from getting up early yesterday to catch the Post - I am a lazy student after all My Toshiba Gigabeat G20 HD mp3 player arrived from Japan courtesy of Mr Matsuda of Hyperjack. It cost me $517 and his service was absolutely second to none. It also arrived as a gift so I avoided any nasty customs-related business. Ichiro is extremely helpful and I recommend Hyperjack whole-heartedly.

I've had my eye on this special little player since I first saw it and with it not being released outside of Japan for god knows how long I decided to take the plunge and import it. It costs the same as the 20gig ipod does over here in rip-off Britain anyway. Sadly the feature-rich iRiver was too large for my needs. I don't want to walk around like I'm pleased to see everyone and I was an E10 owner after all Nor do I need recording capabilities as this is a replacement for my md player.

The unit:

Is pure sickness. It makes the ipod seem like a cheap toy bar of soap. The exact height is one MD slip case with one MD on top. It's the exact width and about 1.5cm longer than an MD in its slip. This is unbelievably small for a 20gig HD player as you can imagine, and isn't much bigger than my E10. It's about as heavy as an N1 so not bad on that front either. If you thought iPod was portability redefined, then this is portability re-refined.

Check out this pic: http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/do...5/dev39_22.jpg

The build quality is second-to-none. Everything feels solid and metallic. I wish I had a digicam to take some pics but for now see here to remind yourself just how sexy it is

It looks fantastic, very understated and retro with a very nice finish, capped off by the chrome sides. The Gigabeat is most certainly small but perfectly formed and makes the iPod look and feel tacky. This is a jaw-dropper in the E10 mould.

The dock isn't as attractive however, and can only be used for charging - you can only plug the usb cable directly into the player but this is but a niggle.

There seems to be good news on the battery front. There is a section (I can't read it, it's Japanese) in the manual clearly showing how to replace the battery and it looks almost user servicable in its layout. The diagrams show 2 scews being removed from the side of the player and the lid being lifted off with the thin, card-like battery laying on top.



The other good news is battery life. You'll get about 10 hours of real-world useage out of this unit. Changing albums by scrolling through with the back-light on, using the EQ, starting and stopping when you need to talk to someone, walking briskly with it etc, etc. This is double the real-world life of the iPod which is clearly an advance considering the size of this unit.

The display glows several shades of blue and is both clear and complements the retrogade stylings of the player well. It also handles a decent number of characters. The display is very hard to read when the backlight isn't on which may annoy some users but the default setting of '5 seconds seems' to work fine and doesn't harm battery life all that much.



The remote is a simple, small black affair and similar to the iPod's in that it makes you realise how spoilt we are with our nice remotes in the MD world. I don't use one anyway so it doesn't matter to me but I think the Toshiba remote will be adequate if you need one. It's certainly very small anyway which is certainly in keep with the player.


The software and transfers:

A few myths to dispell first! The Toshiba software does not re-encode your mp3s. It does however encrypt them into its own format (they turn up as .mp3.SAT) which makes them impossible to copy from the player itself. I just transfered 4 albums totalling 367mb in just over 70 seconds (USB2) so it's certainly quick and whatever it does in that time is clearly some sort of encrypting of headers rather than changing any encoding. A friend regularly uses her iPod on my computer and I know that it's quicker than that but hey, it's better than Net MD right? There was also a related myth, that due to re-encoding it wouldn't play VBR mp3s. I can assure you this is not the case and it handles any mp3, wma or wav.

All this instantly put many off but I'm finding it very convenient. Why? Because the Toshiba software is excellent. It's like a normal Explorer interface and you can drag and drop your music from anywhere. Very simple, especially after 18 months of OpenMG. Even though you have to use the software to transfer music, the player still appears as a high-speed removable drive in Windows and you can use it as a portable HD with ease. So if you really do need to share an album or two with your friends you can just copy them like that.

The interface:

I really loved the ingenious ipod interface but it was ultimately inappropriate for my needs. I can't afford to advertise my presence to muggers every time I need to skip a track and like to operate my player in my pocket. The G20 is perfect for this with all the simple controls on the side and within easy reach. Out of the pocket, it is easily handled with one hand using your thumb if you're right handed or a finger for a South-paw.

It supports multiple languages and Ichiro duly changed it to English prior to shipment. I got used to the controls within minutes and found them very intuitive. Navigation can be a little laggy but the simple folder browsing system works well and the rocker switch operates as you expect. You can also choose to browse by Artist, Album and sort by tags a la iPod but I prefer to stick to the simple folder structure. All the other stuff is standard fare and I won't bore you with the details. There are no PDA aspects to it, but I can't say I care for that sort of thing.

The sound:

I'm listening using my Silver-modded EX70s that I believe sound superior to the EX71 which aren't a bad 'phone in the grand scheme of things. I'm listening to hiphop and other exotic electronica and 256k mp3s.

It's not got a proper EQ - just 4 presets: Flat, bass+ and bass++ and the ambiguously titled 'Loudness' which is probably a poor translation. It's got the longest description of all in the manual - shame I can't read it

Flat, it sounds like a Sony: ie. quite disappointing and not as good as iPod. Bass+ sounds better than the ipod for my purposes (EQ on that is a no-go) but inferior to the Unique preset on the 6-band on my E10. My first observations are that the soundstage is narrower and it's a less enveloping experience.

However, the 'Loudness' setting really does produce that rich, vibrant bass and a more involving sound and really makes the Gigabeat shine. However, I can't speak for classical or rock fans in this respect. I would argue that for portable, rather than critical listening it's the EQ that is the key factor and this EQ setting is one of the finest I've heard. It really seems to enliven proceedings and sound perfectly natural and free of any distortion.

The superior fidelity of the HQ mp3s are very noticeable and I now cringe at the horrible artefacting on some LP2 albums I have. I can now listen to one of my favourite albums ever, Moment of Truth by Gang Starr, and not get a headache. Also, I must mention that disappointingly, playback is not gapless. There is the smallest delay of a fraction of a second between songs. Most won't even notice it though.

After a few weeks I can confirm that with the sort of music I've been testing it with (ranging from Miles Davis to Jazzanova) this offering from Toshiba sounds brilliant with the right EQ setting. Once I leave my quiet room though it's all academic anyway to be honest

Overall, I'm very happy indeed with my first foray into the HD player and import world. The G20 is just ill. It's tiny, well built, looks great, easy to use, holds a ton of music and sounds great too. And I wouldn't be surprised if I'm the first person in the UK to get my hands one of these things either!

[SerineKat]

Very sick review!

Thanks for sharing... I'd love to see some more photos. Enjoy!

[moltar]

Nice. I'm very jealous, and I've admired the looks of the Gigabeat since it came into fruitition. I like this generation's look and features compared to previous efforts. If I ever get a HD player it'll most likely be this.

[sector001]

if it ever makes it to the states, i'm getting one. love the idea of the user replaceable battery...

[tbdoah]

NICE!

I'm still awaiting my iHP, should be here soon.


$517 eh? Tad bit high though.

[me]

I wonder how much it costs in Yen from bic camera or so.. I think it's 50,000 or so just to throw a number out there. Why would anyone buy iSoap when you could get this? . If I decided to disappear from MD (considering it more and more) for HDD then something like this sounds perfect!

[50sQuiff]

indeed, it's a more than a bit pricey but it was funded by ebaying my E10 for only 20 quid less than I bought it for! Some people...
And in the UK the 20gig iPod is exactly the same price so it was no contest.

I think it's about 49,000 yen me, and I guess the only reason people buy the bar of soap is because Toshiba seem to be reluctant to sell this outside Japan just yet and that iSoap is what all the 'cool' kids want this Christmas

I'm reluctant to ditch the E10 in a way as it was a great sounding, special unit (that I would still encourage people to buy) but the Gigabeat tipped me over the HD player edge and economically, the time was right to sell the E10 for a good price.

I would take some pics but my housemate's taken his digicam home for Christmas whilst I'm stuck here trying to write one last essay and playing with my new toy

[PhoenixIgn]

I love my iSoap! I like/need the extra 20gigs, so I'm happy. I wouldn't exactly call the Pod a "brick", either.

Wow, that little thing is quite impressive though. Sleek. You should take more pics!

[50sQuiff]

wish I could :/

A bit of tongue-in-cheek hyperbole in my review I'm just kidding about the Soap, I very nearly bought one before taking this gamble.

People, this new EQ preset that I ignored due to its seemingly irrelevent name takes the absolute cake. I can confirm that the player sounds as ill as it looks

[blinkme_210]

Wow, the looks of the Gigabeat itself makes me want one sooo badly. After seeing the pics, I want it even more!!! Lucky guy!