iAudio4 battery lifetime

[theDuke]

I'm using the iAudio 4 (512 MB) now for about three months and the only thing I must complain is the battery lifetime.
The product description states that battery lifetime is up to 15 hours, but I only get a maximum of 7 hours from batteries and about 5 hours with rechargeables.
I have disabled all energy consuming options (backlight) and I use only CBR encoded MP3.
But what troubles me most is, that the iAudio is discharging the battery without even using it. A full rechargeable was empty after two weeks in the iAudio 4 without ever switching the unit on.

Is this normal or is my iAudio defect an I should exchange it?

Also the battery status display is absolutly wrong, displaying full for four hours, but dropping to empty in less then one hour (for rechargeables).
And if voltage display is around 1.10 Volt the iAudio stops playing, is this normal too?

I also proposed a energy saving mode for the firmware with less/no info (I guess the dynamic peak level and title scrolling consumes extra CPU power) to be displayed at the LCD. This would be great, because most of the time I do just listen and never look at the LCD.

What do you think?

[jadeboy]

you got my vote for a less fancy gui firmware with higher better life. I probably only get 2-3 Hours on rechargable alkaine

[eXity]

WTF? What kind of Batteries are you using? Sure, if you are using really old NiCads then you will be seeing rather bad runtimes like that, but I got a lot longer than you did out of my Sanyo 800mAh Batteries. It's also important to have a good charger ... and mine is pretty smart, because it can de-charge them to their absolut 0 limit and then charge them full again.

[theDuke]

I also use Sanyo 800mAh and some new ones with 900mAh and I have probably one of the best electronic chargers (Ansmann Energy).
After charging voltage is displayed with about 1.32 Volt at iAudio 4, but as I said it switches off at about 1.10 Volt (<5 hours).

[eXity]

Strange ... my iAUDIO4 always switches off at 1.0!

I'll do some more testing when I get it back.

[CaptMyCapt]

Originally Posted by theDuke

The product description states that battery lifetime is up to 15 hours, but I only get a maximum of 7 hours from batteries. . .
But what troubles me most is, that the iAudio is discharging the battery without even using it. A full rechargeable was empty after two weeks in the iAudio 4 without ever switching the unit on.

Is this normal or is my iAudio defect an I should exchange it?

Charger notwithstanding, Duke's questions about battery life are valid. What's up with the much less than [supposedly] normal battery life with alkline batteries. While I get a bit more with my iAudio, I don't get anywhere near 15 hours, even with all the extras disabled. I too am interested in answers (opinions?) to Duke's questions on this.

Thanks,

[NeTo]

I haven't counted the hours that the battery has lasted, but I at least I can manage a whole week with only two batts, doing a lot of recording (lectures mostly ) and using the themes from time to time. I think that they last at least 12 hours each, using a very cheapo carger.

What I can confirm though is that the meter stays too much time in high, then it goes to zero very quickly (using lastest korean firmware).

[rorreta]

I 've a 256 iAudio4 (it bought 1 month ago), and I have the same battery problem, 6 to 7 hours for battery life. I'm using a SONY Stamina (750mA) battery and SONY charger. The worse thing is when the battery is unloaded the iaudio don't puts out, he die!. When it is replaced the battery there is not files neither system, and I should update the firmware.
There is something that can do or I should replace it?

[sicpup]

I had the same problem. I tried all kinds of brands. They all lasted less than 7 hours. I set all setting to save power and still never got more than 7 hours.

I think this model has a defective circuit that drains the battery while the unit is in the off position. Important to note, during the first month the battery life was 10-12 hours however after a month I started to experience a reduction of 7 hours.

I returned my unit and waiting for the replacement. I'll let you know how the new unit performs.

[theDuke]

@sicpup: I'm really, really interested, whether the replacement improves anything!

I've also contacted my reseller (www.k55.de) for replacement and the surprising answer was:
1. They've done test on their own for iAudios battery lifetime and also only reached 7 hours.
So in their opinion Cowons statement was too optimistic. They now have changed their product description at their webshop
2. They've contacted the manufacturer and he stated, that the iAudio really claims 0.8 mA power even if switched off.
Conclusion: A replacement will improve nothing.

I sacrificed one more alkaline battery and ran a test exactly under Cowons conditions (128 kits CBR, loudness: 20, no effects, no lights) - result:
Battery lasted exactly 7 hours and 8 minutes!!!

I'm really, really angry now
Of course I've contacted iAudio's support with this problems and they first recommended me to replace the unit, but my second email with the resellers statement stayed unanswered.

Should I accept this lacks?