The Archos 7 gets its name from its giant, 7-inch display. The Archos 7 also has a huge price: $450. This will put the Archos 7 out of a lot of budgets. The player itself is certainly impressive, if expensive. The screen makes it ideal for watching video, and it has an impressive array of add-ons. If you want you can buy a DVR station, TV tuner, helmet cam, or GPS among other things. The device can also run flash applications, which makes the Archos 7 arguably as extensible as the iPod Touch.
The device doesn't handle as well as an iPod Touch, however. The interface isn't as well laid out and its touch screen feels sluggish in comparison. Of course, compared to the average, non-iPod media player, the Archos defines the higher end of the curve.
Performance (read the full lab performance results at MediaPlayerInfo.com)
The Archos 7 had inconsistent performance restults. It had a very even frequency response, so they won't alter the way your playback will sound. They did have more distortion than we typically see, however. While they suffered from minimal crosstalk, the output power was remarkably low (likely due to the UK's volume limit laws). Since output power only affects volume after the headphones' impedence is factored in, this could lead to higher-impedence headphones sounding overly quiet. Also, like all media players we've looked at to date, the packaged-in headphones have had below average audio quality.
Comparisons (read the full conclusion at MediaPlayerInfo.com)
The Archos 7, like all Archos products, has an impressive potentuality. While iPods have the App Store to provide accessible software extensibility, the Archos isn't limited by its manufacturer's software selection. The Archos 7 can also be improved with an extensive list of hardware plug-ins, which is currently not the case for any Apple product. While these plug-ins offer significant functionality, like a DVR or GPS, they will typically cost you an extra $100 apiece.
If you value attractive, intuitive software, interface, or touch controls, the iPod Touch is likely a better, cheaper pick. If you want a giant screen, regardless of the portability issues it may cause, and want one of the best battery lives for music and video on the market, the Archos 7 is likely the media player for you. Overall, the Archos 7 is an attractive piece of hardware and definitely worth checking out if you've got deep pockets.
For a more in-depth review, visit the Archos 7 160GB Review at our partner MediaPlayerInfo.com
