The Haier America Ibiza Rhapsody is a cutting-edge media player that puts its wireless capabilities to good use while still retaining a easy-to-use design and interface. If you're willing to shell out the dough for a massive feature list, give it consideration.
At 4.1 inches tall by 2.4 inches wide by 0.5 inch thick, the Ibiza isn't overly bulky--an especially impressive trait given the built-in wireless antennae (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth). Plus, it has a nice, substantial feel to it, with plenty of tactile controls to complement the square touchpad on the front.
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The Ibiza offers integrated Wi-Fi, which allows you to access Rhapsody content on the fly, as well as download podcasts and browse basic Web pages. The Wi-Fi antenna juts about 1/16th of an inch out of the back of the player, so it's pretty low profile.
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A dedicated Volume toggle and a Power key are embedded into the right spine of the player; the latter can be a bit difficult to press as it rests flush with the edge.
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The top side of the player contains the standard 3.5mm headphone jack, a Hold switch, and the Connect button, which allows you to activate the Wi-Fi with one press.
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Oddly, the bottom edge of the Ibiza houses both a standard mini USB port and a proprietary dock connector. The former handles syncing and charging, so we assume the latter is meant to accommodate future docking accessories.
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Our Ibiza came with the player, a basic silicone skin, some V-Moda-esque earbuds, a USB cable, and a power adapter.
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There's support for MP3, WMA (DRM 10 included), WAV, AAC audio, and MPEG-4, WMV, M4V, AVI, H.264, and MPEG video. (PNG and JPEG are the supported photo formats). The player also has an FM radio with RDS and integrated podcast support.
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As yet another added bonus, the Ibiza lets you access video on the go through AOL Video--for free.
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The Ibiza Rhapsody is an impressive performer in some respects, but not in others. The processor is definitely up to the task; but the rated battery life of just 10 hours for audio is not so great. Audio quality is solid.
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The Ibiza handles album art in a unique way: there's a full-screen, faded-out image behind the thumbnail on the main playback screen. It's a cool effect. If you're listening to Rhapsody Channels, you can click the center of the control pad to save the currently playing track to the player.
