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NP: From Brown to Green, Twerk

Talked to one of the Rio engineers and got a few corrections and additions to the technical data.

- The CPU is the 5003, not the 5002. The 5003 has a better cache architecture and some other improvements (and an ethernet MAC onboard).

- USB onboard the 5003 is not used, as this is USB1, 12MBit. There's a Cypress controller doing the USB2 480Mbit.

- The RAM usage is actually more buffer than workspace/code/fonts/etc. We don't use the Hitachi's APM features, we just turn it off - the APM stuff isn't low power enough. I'm not aware of any HDD jukebox which relies on the HDD sleep modes, as they're not (yet) zero power on any HDD. The RAM is low power Micron mobile SDRAM.

- The onboard database isn't much like the empeg-car's one, nor like the Rio Central database that came after it. It's a DB specially optimised for the Karma's needs.

- Power output is max of 55mW/channel (into 16 ohms), not 55W. That'd be kinda painful ;)

- The parametric EQ feature is more from the car player (which actually had a separate DSP that did it, but it convinced us of the merits of fully parametric EQ)

He also mentioned an interesting thing about Ogg decoding on the Karma:

Karma (along with other embedded OGG players like the Neuros) use an integerised version of OGG which requires no floating point operations - much the same way as the MP3 and WMA codecs are also integerised versions of code that, in its first form, required floating point support (software or hardware) to work.

When I say "integerised" (nice new verb, eh?) I mean someone has gone through the code and worked out how to implement each part in fixed point without significant loss of accuracy - ie, the output is generally +/- 1 LSB when compared to a reference implementation.

On a side-note, if you're looking to get scratches out of the faceplate (including those annoying buff-marks that come on it out of the box), I've tried Novus polish, and it works like a charm.

Rio hasn't published any detailed specs for the Karma beyond the usual product-sheet stuff, so I've gathered what backend information I could find about its inner workings. A big thanks to Dave Marsh and everyone over at Riovolution for digging this stuff up.

The CPU is from a company called PortalPlayer. It's a neat jack-of-all trades chip specifically designed for portable media devices, series PP5002. It's got two 90Mhz ARM7 RISC processors running symmetrically in 32-bit. One controls the decoding and signal output, while the other handles the interface (buttons, LCD) and hard-drive. It also provides the UltraDMA66 bus and ethernet/USB functions.

The actual buffer memory is only 16MB. It's been stated that most of that is taken up by fonts and firmware, so the Karma must be making good use of the Hitachi's APM capabilities to buffer so well and still preserve battery life.

The onboard OS is ECOS, which is a *nix-ish (POSIX-compliant) system for embedded devices. Given the CPU, I had originally figured on RTOS, but it looks like Rio's gone for the open-source choice instead.

The onboard filesystem is a proprietary journalling FS, and Rio's been tight-lipped about its specs, but they are planning a migration to FAT32 for the sake of USB Mass-Storage Capability (MSC). Usually, this would spell disaster, as it does with the iRiver, but Rio's engineers have sworn that they're going to get it absolutely right. Given their track record so far, I trust them, but I'd be very curious how they manage it without adding fragmentation or reducing battery life.

As far as the onboard database goes, nobody knows. Rumor has it that it's a grandchild of the software from the venerable Empeg, a Linux-based dashboard mp3-player which was purchased by SonicBlue back in 2000. This seems feasible, as well as being sound technical sense.

Actual boot-time for the Karma is <4.5 seconds. The database rebuilds and mantains itself while the player is in use, similar to the Creative Nomads, so the process is transparent to the user and does not add to the booting time.

The equalizer is fully customizable, but the Karma comes with five presets. Default center frequencies (from top to bottom) are:

12kHz
4kHz
1kHz
250Hz
80Hz

with a width of 2 octaves on all bands.

The actual presets are:

Rock: 4, -2, 0, 6, 0
Pop: 2, 0, 6, 0, -2
Jazz: 2, 0, 1, 0, -3
Classical: -3, 0, 3, 0, -3
Trance: 4, 5, 0, 0, 6

If you know anything that should be included here, let me know.

As far as navigation, this thing is in a class of its own. All files transferred to the Karma need to have tidy ID3 tags, because that's how everything's organized. The onboard database allows for browsing and selection by Artist, Genre, Year, and Album, and there's a neat feature called 'Rio DJ', which allows the user to specify certain paramaters, such as most-frequently played tracks or oldest tracks, then creates a dynamic playlist from them. Playlists can be created and edited on the fly, and files can be deleted directly from the player. It's a credit to the efficiency of the programming that all this can be done while a song is playing, and the player won't hitch for a second.

In fact, everything from the software perspective is seamless. Once you get used to using the joystick and scrollwheel, they become second nature. The controls are solid, and they respond more quickly than any player I've ever used.

Playback options include repeat and full shuffle capabilities, as well as a crossfade, which can be set for up to 3 seconds. For an interesting experience, set Rio Dj to queue all tracks not played in the last day, then set it to shuffle with a 2-second crossfade. Depending on how eclectic your collection is, it certainly makes for some interesting juxtapositions.

While I'm flattering Rio's engineering department, I want to bring up something that you rarely see in reviews for this device. The Karma has real gapless playback.

No. Really. You can pick up your jaw now. If you don't know what I'm babbling about, check here for an explanation.

The Ogg Vorbis format supports gapless playback, but the Karma is the first player to implement it. I decided to try it on a Sasha's Northern Exposure, and sure enough, there's absolutely no gap, pause or click across track changes. I'm in love.

But wait! Don't order now, because Rio's throwing in gapless mp3 playback as well. Yes, I know that gapless mp3 is impossible, but as of the 1.41 firmware, the Karma has implemented a filter that detects silent buffer-frames and cuts them from the signal. Combine this with some really efficient hard-drive buffering, and sure enough, it works.

I tested this on a copy of the Black Dog's Spanners, which was not encoded using any --nogap options in Lame, and the output was still seamless. By that, I mean, even though all the songs run together and the track-marks are laid arbitrarily, I had to look at the display to tell when tracks had changed.

I'm not sure which surprises me the most: the fact that the Karma does gapless, the fact that they don't use it as an advertising point, or the fact that it came about as a response to customer requests. I certainly hope other companies are listening, because this is unparalleled.

There's a great user forum called Riovolution, where several of Rio's engineers post regularly. These guys aren't phone jockeys, they're the actual engineers, they're extremely open and responsive, and they have the ear of the company. The gapless playback upgrade is just one example of this, but I really doubt I need a better one. Compare this with the complete silence that iRiver has given their customers regarding the ihp firmware, and it's night and day.

At the moment, a new firmware is in the works, and is expected out within the next few days. At some point, the engineers have also intimated that they are working on Linux USB connectivity as well as MSC capability. Given the track record I've seen so far, it looks like these things will really happen, and in the near future. Something else I'd like to stress: I'm not holding my breath for the next firmware, because whatever's included, it'll be nice, but at the moment, there are no bugs or deficiencies that I've seen that need to be addressed. While other vendors are pushing out patches and bug-fixes, Rio's working on refinements.

When I was first shopping for an mp3 player, none of these things seemed significant, nor did they seem like issues that would influence my decision, but after using the iRiver and the Karma, I can see that alot of seemingly inconsequential things really matter.

One last thing: though I've not had any issues yet, I still suggest buying the Karma through a retail store and getting the extended warranty, even though every fiber of my being detests those things. There have been some hard-drive failures reported, and it's just easier to take a dead unit back to the store for replacement than deal with RMAs and shipping.

The menu and database systems are excellent, and as I'd later learn, they're a product of engineers who really seem to be proud of their work. It shows. Unlike the iRiver, the Karma doesn't show up as an MSC device. It has to be accessed through an intermediary software layer, much like Creative players. I used to deplore this approach, but after seeing the alternative, I've got to say that this is better. However, where Creative drops the ball with horrendous (read: MusicMatch) software, and Windows-only compatibility, the folks at Rio have thought this one through a little better.

The Karma ships with a Windows-only software suite called Rio Music Manager (RMM). I booted into Windows to give it a spin, and it's actually a pretty good setup. However, one of my conditions for buying a player is that I not have to do that, and that's where RMMLite comes in.

In a rare example of corporate lucidity, Rio allowed a third-party developer to develop a lightweight Java version of their software, and it runs under Linux and BSD, as well as those computers Apple makes. It's an interesting compromise, really, and alot of companies could learn from it. Basically, Rio keeps their firmware and original software suite proprietary, but they allow enough open source collaboration to make sure their players are usable in other operating systems. My hat's off, guys.

As far as interfacing with a PC, there are two options: USB2 or ethernet. Yes, ethernet. Although the Karma itself only has a socket for a USB connection, the included dock allows for ethernet connectivity as well. If you have DHCP set up (if you have Cable or DSL internet access, you have DHCP), the Karma will pick up an IP address through which it can be accessed.

This is essential for LInux/BSD/Mac systems since USB connection isn't yet supported. The process is as simple as plugging the Karma into the dock and typing 'java -jar rmmlite.jar' to open RMMLite. It's not the prettiest interface in the world, but it's got a light footprint and it gets the job done. Transfer rates over ethernet will depend on alot of factors, and apparently, some routers can cause problems, but for me the connection was automatic. My transfer speed was slower than USB2 but certainly much faster than USB1.

The dock also provides RCA line-out jacks, and unlike the iRiver, they put out a true line-level signal regardless of the volume on the player. Oddly enough, though, equalizer settings will be heard through the line-out. The dock also acts as a charging unit and sports a feature that is completely useless but utterly cool anyway: a pulsing blue light in the receiver. The light can be adjusted to stay on constantly, to pulse while charging, or to pulse in time to music being played. Utterly inessential, but it's a neat touch nonetheless.

The Karma uses a Lithium-Ion battery, and after a couple of calibration charges, I've been getting between 9-10 hour's use on it. Official specs give 15 hours, but I'm using -q6 ogg files, skipping around and tweaking the eq the whole time, so that's one heck of a good number. Full charge from a complete discharge takes less than two hours.

Sound quality is...well, it's the same as the iRiver and the NJB3, which is to say, beyond reproach. The volume and dynamics are clear and undistorted at even the highest volumes, though at 55W/channel, I couldn't get the volume above 50% before it became too loud to bear. The headphone amp is more than sufficient to drive even Etymotic phones. The biggest surprise was how clean the signal is. With the NJB3 and the iRiver, I got used to a slight amount of hiss from the headphone amp, but the Karma's headphone amp is dead silent. The only time I hear any sort of interference is a barely-audible hiss when the backlight's on, and I can only hear that at a high volume on my Shure E2s.

The Karma doesn't come with EAX or SRS or any of those silly sound-gimmicks. Instead, it's programmed with a simple bass/treble EQ or 5-band parametric. The parametric is simply amazing. I had forgotten that Rio are owned by the same folks as Denon and Marantz, and this is where the pedigree shows. Each of the five bands can be adjusted for center frequency and range, allowing for the kind of customization you usually only get on high-end home equipment. There are also a couple of decent presets, though to be honest, the Karma (unlike the iRiver) puts out a flat, balanced sound without any tweaking, and that's what I've stuck with (for test phones, I use AKG K-240 monitors, Sony MDR-V700s and Shure E2s).

Tomorrow: Software and Navigation

When my old NJB3 died, I realized just what a gap I had in my life without one of these little gizmos. If you've read anything on this site, you know what a geek I am for music. I ran a record store for several years, and I've been in and around the industry for about 15 years. I've been exposed to so much over that time, that I've got the Alexandrian Library of Pop music in my head, and almost as much in my closet.

When I was a kid, the Walkman was the greatest invention since movable type. The idea of being able to carry around music and shut out the outside world for it was something immensely gratifying and liberating. There's been much said lately about the "iPod effect," but really, it's just a successor to a mentality fostered by the old handheld tape deck. It's nice that the iPod's popularity makes me look like a little less of a dork walking down the street with a pair of headphones over my ears, but hey, I've been doing that for years.

For me, the NJB3 was satori. I no longer had to cart around a stack of tapes (or later, MiniDiscs). It was all in one place at my fingertips, and it sounded great. I had some gripes about it, but at the end of the day, it was the best-sounding portable device of its time.

When it died on me, I realized how dependent I had become on it. I did alot of research before setting on a replacement, and it came down to two choices: the iRiver ihp-120 or the Rio Karma. I turned at first to the iRiver because it supported optical recording, but as it turns out, the iRiver isn't suited (or even meant, as it would seem) for anything above the level of voice-dictation, which pretty much negates that as a selling point. The other plus was generic USB Mass-Storage support ("MSC"), but the price for that appears to be reliance on the FAT32 filesystem, and all the defects and troubles that entails. The iRiver's got heaps of promise, but it all just fell flat in the long run, so I returned it and turned to the dark-horse contender, the Karma.

The Karma aims to be an mp3 (and ogg, and flac) player, and nothing more. That said, it's an exceptional player that just seems to get everything right. It doesn't record (but none of the ones that do get it right), it doesn't have an FM tuner (which I never used, anyway), and it doesn't have a remote. What it does boast is possibly one of the best overall interfaces I've ever seen in a portable player from every standpoint.

You can find pictures of the Karma pretty much anywhere on the web, so I'll spare the bandwidth and provide exactly one. As you can tell, this thing is small. That's a Sharp MiniDisc recorder on the right, which is pretty small itself.

The ergonomics may look strange, but I was amazed how comfortably this thing fit in my hand. The rubberized panel on the right (where your fingers wrap around) is a good touch. Volume is controlled by two buttons on the left, and navigation and playback are controlled jointly by the joystick and a velocity-sensitive scrollwheel on the upper right. The Karma's a bit chubbier than most, but it feels more rounded as a result. Although it's made entirely of plastic (unlike the iRiver's solid aluminum heft), build quality feels solid, and in over a month, I've had no problems.

Tomorrow: Connection and Sound Quality

Well, Internet Explorer went live within the last few days. Apparently, the biggest new feature is pop-up blocking (like Mozilla had two years ago). From what I've gathered, CSS is still broken to some extent, though.

Sigh.

These standards came out in what, 1998? Yep.

In any case, Dean Edwards has come out with something of a patch to help things. It's more of a kluge than a fix of any sort, but it's quite impressive, especially considering that they guy doesn't even work for Microsoft. His site's been down since notice was posted on Slashdot this morning, but I managed to look at the source, and it consists of a nifty stylesheet which relies on DHTML calls to break up commands into IE-parsable versions. The fixes mostly apply to namespaces and the multiple class-name bug, but alas, positioning is still just as wonky, so it won't help this site.

I won't be making any changes to accomodate IE7 any more than I did for previous versions. I simply refuse to rewrite code and resort to inelegant workarounds because Microsoft can't turn out compliant code. There are plenty of free and superior alternatives, all of which render my code just fine, so if you're having trouble with this page, consider it yet another reason to switch.

I have consolidated all of the ihp-120 information on static pages, as I'm no longer using it. Please refer here for updated links. If you're considering buying one, please read the addendums as well as the review. It's not that the ihp is without its merits, it's just that it's got some faults, that to me, are too glaring to pass up.

It's been almost three months without a firmware update, with no new one in sight. The only update since January has been a Korean firmware update (1.40 K), which doesn't add anything useful, though some users claim a slight improvement in sound quality.

iRiver has responded to email from a forum user stating that the recording features were only ever intended for voice and casual recording uses, and that they are unlikely to improve. Add this to the fact that iRiver is now introducing subsequent models, it seems unlikely that ihp-120 and 140 owners will see any real improvement in functionality.