Consumer Reviews

Love the 705! Only problem is I thought I was trading up from my current 605. Unfortunately that was not the case!

First: What IDIOT came up with the idea that it was a good thing to go from the 16 million color capability in the 4.3″ 605 to 260,000 colors on the 7″ screen 705 (DAH!!)

Second: AUDIO VOLUME, I should say WHAT AUDIO. With all setting to max for sound the replay volume is almost un-hearable, the internal speakers are useless! Using my new Bose headphones I can just hear the sound, barley usable.

I finally came up with a solution, I bought an amplifier (I think any amp 25+ watt or better will work) and run the source audio through that to the 705.

Third: AUDIO CONFIGURATION FUNCTIONS. Bass Boost from min. to max settings when I’m listening, in a dead silent room (again with new $300.00 Bose CQ-2 headphones, or my Bose Triports), not one iota of difference. Same goes for the five preconfigured sound settings feature, in the custom mode using the 5 band equalizer settings all to min. or max sound exactly the same, listening as you are sliding one after another there is absolutely no change in the sound PERIOD…

I know it sounds bizarre to still say I love it but I do, but very much in “SPITE” of the ridicules downgrades from my, near, perfect 605 (I say near because the volume capabilities of the 605 are not great either, but usable)

Honestly, if “Wonderful” Amazon. com had not had their, usual, extraordinarily low price on this 705 it would be gone by now.
Fourth: Same old compliant everyone has about Archos, that being, when you buy a Wi-Fi capable – video player – music player etc., having, then, to go and buy “PLUGINS” to use these features, well I’ll say “stinks”, here, but you y’all know what I really mean (well it almost rhymes, and two of the letters ARE the same, right?)

By the way if anyone is thinking, maybe he just got a bad one, that is not the case. I bought and returned one because of the above stated problems, and the new replacement I received back had exactly the same problems, so it is not my 705 but the product itself

FIFTH: The last B…H I have is that the program guide feature they advertise has not been available for months and no one at Archos has a clue as to when (or maybe IF) it will ever be available again! All they have told me, for months, is to keep checking the NEWS marque on their web site and they will let everyone know on that if it starts working again. NO offer to send email to let me know when one of the features I paid for will be available.

I had an Archos 604 30GB wifi for about a year, and then decided to move over to the 705 160 GB wifi for more memory and for the larger screen size. I was very pleased with the 604, and I am even more pleased with the 705. It comes with a wall charger, which the 604 did not; it could only be charged via a USB hook-up, which took forever. They both have their own case included, but the one for the 604 was made from leather and was very high quality. The one for the 705 is fabric and has a cheap feel to it, but does the job.

Yes, you will have to purchase plug-ins for full functionality, and yes, you will need the docking station to make full use of television recording. The Archos site does offer a free plug-in to download to enable the unit to work with the Dish network, specifically the 622 and the 722 models of DVRs from Dish. I have the 622 model and it works with it flawlessly. You simply plug in the 705 via the USB computer cable (supplied) to the front of the DVR and the gateway menu for transferring recorded shows magically appears. Everything on your Dish DVR is listed and you select the ones you want to transfer, highlight the start transfer, and you are on your way.

Two hours of recordings takes about 15 to 20 minutes to transfer, and you can watch other live programs or your other Dish recorded programs as this is taking place. How neat is that?

However, as a side note, I’m switching over to DirectTV in a few days (wife’s insistence, long story) so I will be using the docking station for recording television from that point forward. I mainly got the unit to watch DVD movies when I travel anyway, so no big deal. I expect the docking station to arrive in a few days, and I also had one with my 604, so I don’t foresee any major issues in going that route for any shows I want to record onto the 705.

This may be obvious to most, but I will mention that you cannot transfer anything recorded in high definition as the 705 will not accept it. You get a message to this effect on your television screen if you try to do this. As you can imagine, such a file would also take up a LOT of memory, so it’s probably just as well. I believe this feature will eventually be available on the recently released 5 and 7 series (the internet media tablets), which offer as much as 360 GB of space, which you’ll need every bit of if you load HD programs.

I should also mention that every program I have transferred from the Dish DVR is not so great regarding picture quality. The quality is fair, but not great. On the other hand, the picture quality of the DVDs I have transferred (once converted to .avi format via my PC) is, in my opinion, outstanding. The .avi files I transfer over also have subtitle capability, which I consider to be a great feature. A lot of software is out there to convert DVDs to this format, and after you practice with it a while it is really a fairly simple process.

Several reviewers have given the 705 a low rating because of low sound output. I believe recent firmware updates from Archos has corrected this, because I have not had the same experience. However, audio boosters are available to plug your headphones through if this is an issue for you, but admittedly this would be yet something else to lug around.

Lastly, to carry this thing and all of the odds and ends (charging cable, USB cables, headphones, etc) I have an REI Boarding Bag that works great. I use the Sennheiser PXC 250 Active Noise Canceling Headphones for trips via plane and they also work great, and have the added the benefit of being highly portable.

I am very pleased with the 705 and highly recommend it; I hope this review helps.

This is my third Archos video player, after the superb AV320, even better 404, and now the supreme 705. I have the 80gb unit, which is sufficient for me. I also have DishNetwork and found the fast direct transfer form my DVR to work very well. One drawback is that it does not support the transfer of HD content. I hope that this will be resolved soon.

I am a road/air warrior. My 705 allows me to effortlessly pass the boring hours in the air watching or listening to what I want, and not the garbage that is provided by the airlines. In addition, the latest AV upgrades in Marriotts, and others, allows me to connect to full size video and audio. I rent $1 movies from Redbox at my grocery store, record them in one day and return them.

I have used the Opera web browser with ease. So what if it is another $30. Go buy the new iTouch 32 gb, get limited recording function, Apple AAC music files, no DVR capability and pay $499! My 705 was $369 from Amazon (free shipping), $55 for a refurb DVR station from Archos and a $30 web browser for a whopping 80 GB storage and a 7.5 inch screen! (Don’t get me wrong I love Apple – I have an iMac and a Macbook).

My slight disappointment is the battery life. Close to two hours, with no facility to recharge in flight, unlike the 404 that could be powered from my laptop. In addition, the screen resolution seems to be inferior to my 404. I wonder if I have either a defective unit, or it is a function of its size and touchscreen. I will be contacting Archos later, but fear they will want me to send it back to them and lose all of my current content. Touchscreen is a little hard, but it does work. It’s overkill for audio, but I have a mini MP3 for those purposes.

Superbly built, with a nice carrying case, I would highly recommend this unit.

This is a great device. This can play almost any type of media file including AVI, MP3 WMA and many others if you pay archos for them. I however haven’t bought extra decoders and plug-ins from them yet, because it can get really expensive. It does not come with any software for your computer, you must use your own software that you have, or bought, or download, or something.

The main problem I think with this is the sound. Yes the sound reproduction is good but the volume is WAY TOO LOW even with the volume turned up all the way. No, I’m not deaf and yes, I know you have to turn the volume up all the way on the headphones themself that come with it. When I talk headphones I mean earphones or earbuds. This will not work with large headphones. Still even when I use other headphones the volume is just too low. Now, it can actually be loud though depending on what you listen to like good quality recordings of (rock, pop, rap and other stuff I don’t like) and if you’re not in a loud place, but for what I like to listen to such as classical recordings you’ll miss a lot because you can’t hear it. Forget about using this device in the city, a car or in other loud places. I haven’t purchased isolating headphones yet but it may help a lot with this. Still if I compare the volume to other MP3 players such as the Toshiba Gigabeat and the creative Zen the volume is less than a third of what theirs are. Even the new models of the 705 have this problem (and all of archos players for that matter). Archos claims they did this to protect your hearing and to comply with international law. Maybe they did, but it’s still a shame.

The second problem although in no way as big as the first is the battery life. Even reviewers here claim 20 hours of audio. Well, they simply haven’t tried out the product and timed it because you will really get no more than eight hours of audio with the wifi turned off the screen to 20 seconds and hardly any messing around with it. Doesn’t matter the bitrate or the format of the audio, it’s all the same. No, there isn’t anything wrong with my battery or unit, it’s just the way it is. I do have a large 2X extended life battery 704 battery (supposed to work with 705 and it’s not made by Archos) coming from an amazon merchant and I hope this remedies the poor battery life I’m getting. I have heard though that this battery is large, sticks out and is hard to fit. I haven’t tried it much for video but I was able to watch an hour and a half video on it and it took off half of the bars from the battery indicator. So, if the indicator is right, and it seems to be, you should be able to get two and a half hours of video(gotta say less than three). Funny how audio playback doesn’t last many more times then that. in Comparison to other products that I use for audio my Sony CD MP3 player that runs on ONE AA lasts 13 hours and the Gigabeat lasts six and the Zen four. All these have great volume levels too.

The thrid problem with this is you have to keep buying more. Now I haven’t bought a whole lot yet, only a car adapter, a 2x battery and a fanny pack so I can take it hiking but just getting this means you’re going to spend at least a 150 more just to get it to work right. The web browser is an extra 30 bucks and you must buy that if you plan to use the interweb on this thing. Not to mention the extra decoders that you must buy to play certain formats such as AAC(don’t know if it’s supported actually), MPEG2 and 4 and such.

I did buy this mostly for music and to take hiking. There is a problem though, this thing is big and heavy. Basically think about something the weight of a brick and thinned out into almost a one inch thick tablet. Another problem is this has really no places to hold on to it, it’s just a slab. The solution?, a large fanny pack. Just put the screen lock on to keep from it doing stuff when that thing bounces around in there. There is yet another problem with that thought that can drain it’s already mediocre battery life even more. Any touching of the screen will turn it on, even when it’s locked, it just won’t do anything. So you got to make sure you put it in a good spot and try not to bounce around too much or touch the fanny pack.

Still, it works better and has more features(even if you have to buy them) than any other media player I have ever owned. Just be aware of these things if you decide on the 705 or any Archos products.

Update: well I returned this product to Amazon and I’m hoping for at least most of my money back. Why would I return a product I thought was good? Well after more use the more I realize this thing is not worth it. The sound volume is just too intolerable, it really is that low. It also sounds pretty bad, just a lot of hissing and wind blowing sounds with all headphones(earbuds and earphones). The battery life for music is terrible and it’s a big and heavy battery yet it still has a short life. Then there’s the plug-ins, I had problems trying to purchase them and Archos is no help. Plus it is almost as big and heavy as my computer yet it costs more and does less.

The following review was written by my 13 yr old son, B. The Archos 705 is a great product. I was about to get the 704 when I saw that this was cheaper. A lot of people say it’s pretty neat when they see me with it. However, before buying it you may want to consider these:

-Price: So far, I’ve spent a total of $500 on it. I bought the actual Archos 705 (80gb) for $370, the Gen 5 DVR Station-which you can currently buy for $0.01 on ebay ($12 shipping)- for $80, (also, the 705 will work on the Gen. 4 DVR Station too) the $30 Web Browser Plug-in, and the $20 Cinema Plug-in. I will probably buy more accessories including the $30 704 battery that works on the 705 too, the last $20 Plug-in, and maybe some of the $10 games.

-You should buy an accessory: If you don’t buy any of the accessories, then you will only be able to listen to some of your music (I tried syncing the Archos with iTunes and only some files would play without a certain plug-in), be able to put photos on to it, and I think you will be able to put videos on it. (You don’t order the Plug-ins, you download them straight onto your computer.)

-Scheduled Recordings: You can easily program the Archos 705 to automatically record shows onto your Archos. It works really well because you can leave the house and it will record your stuff. You don’t have to worry about leaving it on all day, it’s not bad for it and the Archos and it doesn’t get hot. You can schedule recordings once, daily or weekly. Also, you can title the video (using the keyboard on it or the one on the built-in remote) so then it will automatically title it for you if it’s daily or weekly. The recorder can easily record videos on Demand. Unfortunately, the TV has to be on while recording and it won’t automatically change channels for you. However, while recording, you can turn the volume on the TV all the way down. Remember that it does record the TV guide (if you use it) which may block part of your view. And, you must have a cable to record and a special cable for recording stuff from your iPod (you can’t sync videos on it form iTunes.) Regardless of some things, it’s basically a portable Tivo.

-The Touch screen: The touch screen is a little bit difficult to use. You have to use the tip of your nail. It’s not as easy as the iTouch’s even though the Archos comes with a 2 styli. The screen itself is 6″ by 3.75″.

-The Resolution: It doesn’t have a really sharp image on the videos that you record on to it with the optional DVR Station. However, it is pretty good (definitely not as bad as the videos on youtube.)

-The Web: The Archos 705 will pick up a WiFi signal from about the same distance that a Mac can. You can easily type in your Web Code address and it will remember it for you. You can also open more then one tab at the same time on it and easily change back and forth through each. It comes with a remote that can act like a mouse (it even shows a little arrow.) Youtube works really well, but I don’t know if/how to save videos to your Archos. The Web is a little slow, but it works really well. Google Docs can act as Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, and even excel on the Archos. Note: unfortunately, it’s not built for online games.

-The DVR Station: When you buy the $80 DVR Station, it comes with the same remote that Archos 705 comes with. This remote is $15 on the Archos website so, since you have 2, it’s kind of a waist of money. The DVR Station also comes with an AC adapter-again, the same one that comes with the Archos 705- too. This adapter could cost up to $30. You can plug the adapter into the Archos or the DVR Station and it will power both so you don’t need the second one. If these extra accessories didn’t come with the DVR Station (Gen 5), then the cost could possibly be as low as $35.

-It’s better than most: I think that the Archos 705 is better than the iTouch, mainly because you can record stuff on to it, where on the iTouch you have to buy everything on iTunes. Like the iTouch, the Archos 705 has stores on it that you can rent (videos only) and buy videos, and songs. The iTouch may be smaller and may have a slightly better touch screen, but I think the Archos 705 is better overall a mainly because of how you can record videos onto it. In fact, the Archos 605 “beat” the iTouch in a comparison article (on the Archos website.)

-Other: You should take the time to read the 80 page built-in owners manual. You have to register your Archos online at the Archos website in order to put any of the Plug-ins onto it. There is a headphone jack on the side. The Archos 705 is easy to use and has a lot of handy things on it (such as the 8 Widgets.) It automatically shuts off after 1-9 mins (under settings) except for when recording, and can be put on standby for quick start-up, or it can completely shut off. You can easily change the background picture on it too. The speakers aren’t the best, but the work pretty well. It also comes with a small carrying case similar to the iPod. Unfortunately, the files are a little bit hard to manage but you can rename and delete them on the Archos. It also has a hold button.

I rated the Archos 705 4 stars mostly because of its price. However, I think that it’s definitely worth getting. Lots of people who see it say they want one. It’s much better than my Gen. 5 iPod. Although I have had to take out its battery sometimes because it froze, it’s still very good. The Archos 705 is almost like a small computer with its WiFi (with google docs), videos, music, photos, and even better than a computer in a way because you can record stuff onto it. I would definitely recommend this.