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