Tag Archives: Cowon

Audio, Media Players

Cowon Announces D20 MP3 Player With 90 Hour Battery Life

cowon-d20-audio-player

Alright, let’s start this off with a little confession: I own a Cowon mp3 player and I think it is simply the best. Far better than anything else I have ever had before (and I do have quite a lot of audio gear, you know). Better amp, better structure, better music handling features. Thing is, that most people I talk to today don’t even use mp3 players anymore – over time mobile phones have slowly taken their place. But for audiophiles, the mp3 player is a must have. Ultimately, that is why the South Korean corp is starting to market the D20, a 2.5-inch (320 x 240) digital audio device with either 8GB, 16GB or 32GB of internal storage at your choice, an integrated SD card slot, FM radio, voice recorder, TV output, and resistive touchscreen on top. But what is so special about it, you may ask? Put it simple, the battery part is very well planned, with 13 hours of video playback, and up to 90 hours(!) of music at your fingertips. 90 hours, sheesh. As for pricing? The Cowon D20 will sell for ¥11,800 ($125) and ¥16,800 ($178), respectively. 

[via Akihabara News]

 

Audio, Media Players

Cowon’s X9 Media Player Now Available Online, Delivers up to 110 hours of Music Playback

Korean audio giant Cowon has just released a new media player, the X9, that will be offered to the public right away, for about $229.99 at most. The 4.3-inch  (480X272) touchscreen PMP which comes either in Black or White colors, supports most popular audio formats such as MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, APE, WAV, XviD, WMV and ASF. In addition it includes a built-in speaker, an FM tuner, a G-sensor, a voice recorder, and a TV-out for easy viewing on your LCD display. The player is equipped with a massive battery that can play up to 110(!) hours of music playback and is said to arrive in either 8GB, 16GB or 32GB of internal flash storage at your choice, alongside a MicroSD slot. So if PMP devices are still your thing, you can checkout Amazon, they’re selling it online through their website, before it gets to the retail stores.

[Cowon]

 

 

Media Players

Cowon’s iAudio 10 Makes Official Debut

Mp3 players are no longer considered as the “cool kids on the block,” though many of us are still quite happily using them. But the reality is that most people don’t, atleast not any more. Still, there are plenty of them out there, and one of the latest machines on ground is Cowon’s iAudio 10, which was recently announced in South Korea, and said to include a 3-inch 240 x 400 display, along with an FM radio, a mic, an integrated TV output and 4GB to 32GB at your choice. Oh! And there’s this cool Color Therapy UI that will make your background look a lot more interesting, but it might take some time before it hits some of the European shelves or lands close enough to U.S national seashores.

Update: Cowon just started shipping the iAudio 10 across the States, with pricing starting at $159.99 for the I10-16WH (the 16GB version) which comes in White, and $199.99 for the ebony I10-32BL model (that’s 32GB of internal storage).

 

[Cowon]

tablets

Cowon Takes the Wraps Off Its New 2.6-inch C2 PMP

We haven’t heard too much from Cowon in the past few months, but the South Korean corp. still has a lot to offer. And when you say Cowon, you mainly talk about media players (that seems to want to stick around despite the rise of portable tablets). On that note, the company has recently announced the release of yet another PMP device, known as the Cowon C2. Designed to capture the spirit of its predecessor, the cowon D2, the 2.6-inch C2 player is said to arrive with either 4, 8, or 16GB of internal storage at your choice, alongside a USB 2.0 hub, microSD slot, a composite video output, up to 55 hours of audio playback from a single battery charge, and wide range of formats support. There is still no word about price but the release date would early in the May. Stay tuned.

[via Korea Newswire]

Audio, Media Players, Operating Systems

Cowon D3 Plenue Is The New Android PMP On The Block

Say hi to the new Cowon D3 Plenue: At first sight, it looks like a basic mobile phone, same size, same shape, same overall appearance. But beneath the 3.7-inch, 800 x 480 AMOLED face lies an Android 2.1 PMP with 32GB of storage, SD card expansion, a built-in accelerometer and a T-DMB tuner. And if it wasn’t already cool enough, it also comes with an HDMI output, WiFi connectivity and Bluetooth 3.0 support. Sadly, we’re still not sure whether it is going to include an Android Market access at this stage – though we’re surely going to see some sort of applications on board – but one thing’s for sure, you can definitely expect to hear more about it in the coming months, weeks or perhaps in early January, at the 2011 CES show. Stay tuned.

Update: Amazon has just now listed a pre-order page for Cowon’s latest and greatest Android D3 Plenue player, priced at $370 and set on an undetermined release date. Is it just us that think this is way too much for a player, at this point?

[Cowon]

Media Players, Music

Cowon To Release a 4.8-inch 3D PMP Device In South Korea

Do you think that wearing 3D Glasses to watch TV is silly? Well, how about ditching the discomfort of wearing over-sized plastic 3D shades but watching the third dimension over a 4.8-inch media player, eh? No, we’re not kidding. Want more proof? make sure to check out Cowon’s latest 3D PMP revelation – the world’s first official device ever to support non-glasses 3D visualizer in portable players. 3D on-the-go, can you believe it? Of course you gonna get an HDMI output with it, and up to 64GB to store your high-def videos, but most importantly (at least for some of you), it has WiFi within, and its battery can deliver up to 10 hours of continuous video playback. Sweet!  Interested? You may want to start saving the pennies for this high-end number; we’re adamant it won’t be cheap. In fact, it’s gonna cost you (when it gets out in south Korea on December 10th) KRW499,000 (around $430) for the 32GB flavor or KRW589,000 (around $510) for the 64GB version.

[Cowon]

Media Players

Cowon’s 4.3-inch X7 PMP is Now Out in Korea (Update: Also in Europe)

While some folks strangely cling to the belief that PMPs have gone obsolete, others hold on to the idea there is still a lot of untapped potential with this specific department. Well, mainly strong names like Cowon, that has recently launched a brand new player of its own. And it’s been pre-named for your convenience as Cowon X7, so if you’re planning on getting one, mind you it’d cost 339,000 KRW in local currency or about $304 in US silver coins. The 4.3-inch player which was designed explicitly to consume audio and video content will pack 160GB of storage and is allegedly capable of playing up to 10 hours of video playback or 103(!) hours when switched to audio mode. Besides that it will also include a Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, and is said to deliver a very wide range of codecs support. Availability wise, the South Korean users will probably be able to get one immediately, but Western fanboys will likely have to wait just a little bit more.

Update: While still unavailable Stateside, the new 4.3-inch Cowon X7 player has apparently begun to show up in some European countries. With a built-in bluetooth connectivity on board but NO WiFi at all (shame), the 480 x 272 screen resolution PMP will run you in France for €299 (120GB) or €329 (160GB). Wanna see more? Check out Le Journal du Geek hands-on cover before you buy your own.

[via Akihabara News]

Media Players, Music, Video

Cowon’s New V5W PMP Gets a WiFi Connectivity Upgrade

Korean audio giant Cowon has just relaunched its good ‘ol V5 media player, this time in the form of a V5W PMP. And while most specs remain the same – a 4.8-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, running Windows CE 6.0 with one HDMI output, one USB 2.0 slot and 16/32/64GB storage capacities at your choice –  that little “W” letter tabbed to the name, apparently represents the new WiFi connection capabilities the company has added to its frame. Regretfully, both price and availability are yet to be determined at this stage, but just to give you a sense of direction, you guys should be ready to spend somewhere around 250 bucks if you want the V5W so bad.

[Cowon]

Audio, Media Players, Video

Cowon J3 PMP Breaks Cover Officially

Given the fact it has a long stretched body design and a brushed metal cover, one may think that Cowon has jumped on the mobile bandwagon and released a new nifty smartphone to the already crowded pond – but it hasn’t – as you can learn from the company’s official announcement that recently released. So what exactly is that craft you ask? A new PMP device (yes, they still create this things nowadays) which carries the name J3, and packs a 3.3-inch 480 x 272 AMOLED touchscreen, along a built-in accelerometer, integrated Bluetooth, a TV output, and 4, 8, or 16GB of storage capacities at your choice. At this point, both price and availability are yet to be determined, although some tech junkies would swear in god that this bad boy player will presumably go out live in no time period.

Update1: Prices in South Korea are likely to range between 189,000 and 359,000 Won or somewhere around $165 to $315 in US currency. Still no tangible indication for a western debut schedule. stay tuned.

Update2: Apparently, US consumers can now order themselves a Cowon J3 PMP device for $199.99 (8GB) or $239.99 (16GB). It comes with a 3.3-inch capacitive touchscreen panel, you know. Not to mention the integrated accelerometer, microSD expansion, Bluetooth, TV output and other goodies to make you want it, except one – there’s no WiFi, and for $199 an iPod Touch will do the work just fine.

Update3: Now, also available in a 32GB version, which will run you in Japan for ¥29,800 (about $325), either in black or white flavors.

Update4: We’ve added a quick preview video after the break, courtesy of Generationmp3.

[via Movie Player]

Continue reading Cowon J3 PMP Breaks Cover Officially →

Computers, Internet, Video

Cowon Atom-powered W2 MID Pops Up With Windows 7 Inside

We haven’t heard much from Cowon lately. In fact, we’ve heard nothing from them since last December. But that as a fact doesn’t mean the Korean corp wasn’t active at all – look, they just rolled out a MID (sigh) – and it’s a 4.8-inch with 1024 x 600 touchscreen LCD, running a Windows 7 platform, powered by a 1.3GHz Intel Atom processor. It’s a bit bulky, and a thick bezel surrounds the frame. The chassis is made of silver brushed metal, housing four buttons, two on each side. There are stereo speakers bundled within, along Ethernet port and single TV output – but that’s about what the company was willing to share at this point. Stay tuned for more.

Update1: Turns out Cowon’s W2 MID will eventually make official debut on January 25th with that 4.8-inc WSVGA screen, along a 1.3GHz Intel Atom Z520, 1GB RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth, 2 x USB ports Battery at 10/7 hours (audio/video) and either 60GB or 80GB capacities at your choice. Retail price is at 599,000 to 739,000KRW, respectively (about $530 to $660).

Update2: Apparently, AVING guys have managed to catch some quality time with the new Atom-powered Cowon W2 MID, in one of those  trading shows in Asia. And although it feels thick and bulky at first impression, you have to admit the front looks awesome, both portrait and landscape modes. In addition, it seems to have an optional USB QWERTY keyboard  that can be attached into the left side of the chassis. No word about US release or prices, but ’till then, two more image are placed after the break.

cowon-w2-mid_2

[via DAP Review]

Continue reading Cowon Atom-powered W2 MID Pops Up With Windows 7 Inside →

Audio, Media Players, Video

Cowon iAudio 9 MP3 Player Makes Its First Apperance Online

1 Comment

Hope you’re not confusing with Cowon’s S9, which is more of a PMP rather than an mp3 player. Anyway, we’re glad to see the Koreans keeping up with the good media-players launching pace, while this time it’s the iAudio 9, which apparently packs a 2-inch LCD screen, along with a built-in microphone, an FM tuner, TV output, an integrated speaker and lots of media codecs to play, including AVI, WMV, XViD, ASF and many more. Regretfully, we’re still missing storage capacities and pricing details, but as you know we’re all over it to bring’em on.

Update1: While Western debut may  look vague at the moment, Asian release is much clearer, as Cowon’s iAudio 9 is expected to see light, in Japan, on mid-November, priced at 14,800 yen (around $160) for the 8GB model, and 17,800 yen (around $195) for the 16GB model.Stay tuned.

Update2: The guys at Le Journal Du Geek were lucky enough to put their hands on a Cowon 9 mp3 player, few weeks before its European start, which suppose to give you, for merely €180 ($265), a 16GB of internal storage, a 2-inch screen display, integrated mic, built-in FM radio, wide range of codecs support and a pocketable sized black/silver body design. Hit the break for one more footage, or click this spot for the entire collection.

Update3: Looks like Cowon’s iAudio 9 is finally up on sale in the US, with prices starting at $129 for the 8GB version and climbing up to $169 for the 16GB one.

cowon-iaudio-9-mp3-player

[gmp3]

Continue reading Cowon iAudio 9 MP3 Player Makes Its First Apperance Online →

Audio, Media Players, Video

Atree J100 Touchscreen PMP Goes Live In Korea

With strong and powerful audio brands like Cowon, iRiver or Samsung, it’s probably hard for unknown Asian companies to get their 15 minutes of fame in such an overcrowded market of dominant media players. But brands and popularity aside, sometimes you pay a lot more for much less and today, when recession keeps knocking our windows (or bank accounts), maybe it’s time for other names to make their debut. And, one of the companies that recently decided to go out with a new player is Atree, that has rolled out the J100 machine, which boasts a 3-inch touchscreen, together with a microSD expansion, DMB digital TV tuner, 4GB of internal flash storage and even an e-dictionary support. Formats wise, the J100 is compatible with MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC and APE lossless audio files while video playback will presumably run any AVI, DivX, Xvid and WMV footage. Hence, if you happen to visit the southern part of the country and find it attractive having an “anything but iPod” DAP in your pocket, you should start counting 198,000 KRW (about $158), the price it costs.

[Atree]

Media Players

Cowon’s S9 PMP Gets a Chrome Black Limited Edition In Japan

Now that Cowon’s S9 PMP is already out to the market with its stylish curvy design and sharp 3.3-inch OLED display, the Koreans have decided to release a limited version for those who want to distinguish themselves from others. The few lucky ones will get a 16GB model, adorned with Chrome-Black hues, which give the player a prestigious look from bottom to top.  Other than that, it’s the same S9, sporting the same specs, including FM tuner, T-DMB TV, A2DP Bluetooth 2.0 connection, TV output, G-Sensor accelerometer, strong battery, delivering  up to 55hrs of audio playback or 11hrs of video, and wide range of codecs support. Regretfully, no other details to share at this point, but as far as we know, whenever you catch a “Limited Edition” release, you always pay more.

[via Akihabaranews]

Audio, Media Players, Video

Cowon D2+ Officially Goes Live (Update: Now In The US)

Cowon fanboys have been waiting to hear this one for quiet a while, as the Asian company gets official with the D2+ PMP, which is the newer version of the legendary D2 player. Although the latest version is set to be released in Korea only, we might expect global announcements in the future. Meanwhile, you should know the D2+ packs a 2.5-inch 320 × 240 touchscreen, along with an FM tuner, a microphone, SD / SDHC / MMC slot expansion, built-in DMB TV, USB 2.0 connectivity, a TV output and 4/8/16GB storage capacities to be compatible with MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV, FLAC, APE, MPEG4 or WMV files. Still no pricing details but the battery keeps providing great longevity, offering 10 hours of video and 52 hours of audio playback. Hit the link below to decide either choosing the Black, White, Blue, Pink or Gray flavors, at your choice.

Update1: The Cowon D2+ is now available to order in the US, priced exactly as the D2 model, which means, $139.99 for the 8GB version and $179.99 for the 16GB.

Update2: D2 owners might be interested knowing that the D2+ firmware can be forced onto the D2players, thanks to the TCCTool, which was created by Rockbox and originally designed to to load firmware on bricked Telechip based devices. To learn more about tweaking your old devices into the new interface log in here. Mind you, there is a risk involved so think twice, before acting.

[Cowon]

Audio, Media Players, Video

Cowon L3 PMP-PND Device Officially Announced

We keep saying that media players future should hold GPS navigation systems, and apparantely Cowon thinks the same, as the Korean company officially announces the L3 PMP/PND release, without any pricing or availability details. Nevertheless, we do know the new L3 features 480MHz dual-core processor, a 7-inch 800 x 480 WVGA touchscreen, an FM tuner, 4GB of storage, 128MB of SDRAM and SD card slot. Naturally, this PMP-Navigation device includes a GPS system with Eco Drive module that indicates your fuel consumption on the go. Regretfully there’s no wifi inside, but you can still enjoy wide codecs support like MP3, WMA, ASF, WAV, OGG, AVI, ASF, and WMV files – all packed in 318g of solid sleek design.

[via akihabaranews]

Audio, Media Players, News, Video

Cowon's S9 Curvy PMP To Make a Debut In Korea First (Update: Then In The US)

Remember Cowon’s S9 PMP that was first introduced at IFA 2008 in Berlin? Turns out it will make a debut in Korea on December 16th in 4GB / 8GB / 16GB versions, for 219,000 won ($150), 259,000 won ($178), or 309,000 won ($213), respectively. Truth to tell, we were skeptical about this one, specially after discernible delays in the European launch and due to the lack of information concerning a US release. However, Cowon has proved it can live up to its promis and according to yesterday’s official announcement, the Korean company will deliver the goods, despite some “problems in production”. In other words, we are expected to see the S9 player landing on western shelves, somewhere around the beginning of 2009.

In any case, this stylish curvy 3.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen player boasts some impressive specs, including a strong Dual Core processor, an FM tuner, T-DMB tuner, A2DP Bluetooth 2.0 connection, a TV output and even a G-Sensor accelerometer (probably for future games). Furthermore, it supports MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, WAV audio formats and MPEG-4 SP, WMV9 SP, H.264 BP video formats, while the battery provides up to 55hrs of audio playback or 11hrs of video playback.

Additionally, first GUI screen shots imply for a wide range of usability, and  plenty of touchscreen features that Cowon plans to bring into the S9, as some of them resemble the iPod touch and some carry their own identity. Stay tuned for more to come.

Update1: checkout the new video and full specs after the break.

Update2: UK release is scheduled to December 15th. Price wise, the Cowon S9 will be priced at £169 ($252) for the 8GB and £199 ($297) for the 16GB.

Update3: forget the delays, Cowon has officially announced that the S9 US release will go live on December 19th, priced at $199.99 (8GB) / $239.99 (16GB). You will be able to find it at Amazon.com, eBay.com, Newegg.com, B&H, and ZipZoomFly.com.

Update4: Cowon has already issued the first S9 firmware update, fixing some bugs and UI corrections.

Update5: You can get over 250 flash games for your S9, in 3 packs, compressed in RAR. Just open the files and copy to the flash library –  Game Pack 1 ; Game Pack 2 ; Game Pack 3

Update6: April 16, Cowon releases a 32GB version in South Korea, to be available for ?379,000 ($287). Still no word about a US release for this one.

Update7: May 3rd – Cowon’s 32GB S9 PMP finally arrives Stateside and can be found at Amazon.com for $299.99, either in Black or Titanium flavors.

Update8: As if any of you had any doubts about the possibility that someone out there will eventually open up this sleeky device and start playing with the inner parts, think twice, as the guys at Anything But iPod recently introduced in their Cowon forum some neat images of the S9 cracked open and dissected into small parts, offering a rich look of the touchscreen PMP from the inside. Hit the link for more pictures of the disassembled unit.

[via AnythingButiPod]

Continue reading Cowon's S9 Curvy PMP To Make a Debut In Korea First (Update: Then In The US) →

Applications, Audio, Media Players

Cowon's O2 Media Player Gets a New Beta Firmware & SDK Package

Cowon is surprising with a new SDK (software development kit) release for its O2 PMP. The Korean company has decided to follow the trend and allow developers to build their own 3rd party applications, thanks to the emulator, which enables the testing feature without having an O2 device around. In addition, Cowon has also released a new beta firmware version 1.14 that improves video usability, upgrades image transition and continuous playback, along with wallpaper-support and some other neat stuff.

Both SDK package and the new beta firmware are available in here.

[via GenerationMP3]

Audio, Media Players, Video

Cowon O2 PMP Gets a First UI Video Impression

The new Cowon O2 will make its way to the market in early November. Meanwhile, we get a chance to look at some of the early images that popup from different directions. First impression unveils an elegant look with a nice 4.3-inch 480 x 272 touchscreen, sans buttons, and a traditional Cowon slot that contains an SD port, a TV output and a mini USB connection. Format wise, the O2 supports almost every available codec on earth, including MP3, WMA, FLAC, OGG, AAC, ASF, WAV, APE, WavPack, True Audio Lossless, MusePack, Monkey’s Audio, AVI, WMV, MPEG-4 SP, MKV, OGM, MPEG-2, DAT and MTV. As for storage, the flash-based PMP offers 8GB/16GB or 32GB capacities to choose from. Hit the jump to catch the video, presenting the UI.

Update: It is now available on JetMall, Amazon, NewEgg and others, priced at $219.99 (8GB), $249.99 (16GB) or $299.99 (32GB).

[via Crave]

Continue reading Cowon O2 PMP Gets a First UI Video Impression →

Audio, IFA, Media Players, News, Video

Cowon Unveils The New O2 Touchscreen PMP

Korean company Cowon has just introduced some of its latest products, to be officially released next week, during IFA 2008 at Berlin. Together with the sexy curved S9, we find the O2, a 4.3-inch touchscreen (480 x 272) PMP, coming up with a T-DMB tuner, a microphone, a loud built-in speaker, an SD slot, a TV output and storage capacities, range from 8GB up to 32GB. The O2 supports wide variety of formats, including MP3, WMA, AC3, AAC, FLAC, OGG, Apple Lossless, WAV, G.726, PCM, True Audio, Monkey Audio, MusePack, DivX, XviD, WMV, H.264, M-JPEG, MPEG-4 SP / ASP, and MPEG1. The battery can play 18 hours of audio and up to 8 hours of video, which is very impressive in terms of media players. Still no word on price or availability, but you will be able to get one of those in black, white or pink flavors.

Update1: The O2 is set to be released around October.

Update2: Cowon has announced O2 European pricing as follows:

  • O2 iAudio 8GB White – €289.99 ($400)
  • O2 iAudio 8GB Pink – €289.99 ($400)
  • O2 iAudio 16GB White – €309.99 ($428)
  • O2 iAudio 16GB Black – €309.99 ($428)
  • O2 iAudio 32GB White – €365.99 ($505)

[Cowon]

Continue reading Cowon Unveils The New O2 Touchscreen PMP →

Audio, Events, IFA, Media Players, Music

Cowon To Introduce The S9 Stylish Curved PMP

2 Comments

Cowon announces some new products to be officially released next week, during IFA 2008 show at Berlin. One of the most interesting devices within the new lineup is the S9, a nice curved PMP with a 3.3-inch 16M colors capacitive AMOLED  touchscreen (480 x 272) and a strong 500MHz DualCore processor. It packs a T-DMB television tuner for Korean market, an FM tuner, a bluetooth connectivity, TV output and even a G-Sensor accelerometer. Still, no info about storage capacities or codecs support, but you can trust Cowon to be generous as usual. Battery life, on the other hand, was confirmed and will deliver up to 40 hours of continuous music. Stay tuned for more to come later this week.

Update: The S9 will be available next month with 8GB or 16GB storage capacities, while a 32GB version will hit later on. As mentioned, it will support many codecs, including MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, WAV audio formats and MPEG-4 SP, WMV9 SP, H.264 BP video formats.

[Cowon]

Audio, Media Players, News, Video

Cowon P5 PMP Officially Introduced

Cowon has officially announced the release of the new P5 PMP, coming up at the end of July and suppose to replace the Q5W version. The new P5 features an impressive brushed metal body in 3 different flavors, including red, black and platinum. Like the previous version, it runs Windows CE 5.0 and offers 40GB, 60GB or 80GB capacities, at your choice. In addition it has an FM tuner, a microphone, a built-in speaker, strong Alchemy AU1250 700Mhz processor, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi connection to surf the internet, TV output (Composite, S-Video, Component), a T-DMB tuner USB2.0 host and a 5-inch touchscreen, 16M colors (800×480). The player supports wide range of formats, like MP3, WMA, ASF, OGG, WAV, FLAC, APE, MPC, WV, AVI, ASF, WMV, MPG, DivX, XviD, MPEG4, WMV9, JPG, BMP, PNG, RAW, TXT, CXD, SMI, and SRT. Battery improves, comparing to previous model, as it can play 14 hours of music or 9 hours of video, where dimensions stand at 138.8 x 88.5 x 20 mm 380g. The new P5 is planned to make a debut in Korea on July 29th for an estimated price of $435. More pictures after the break.

[via Cowon]

Continue reading Cowon P5 PMP Officially Introduced →

Media Players

Cowon A3 PMP Gets an 80GB Model

Cowon A3 gets a storage boost, as a Dutch retailer, MP3spelers, claims there’s a new A3 version with 80GB capacity. This is not an official statement but it seems very reliable and pricey. It has the same design and capabilities as the previous 30GB / 60GB models, but provides more space to store your movies, songs or pictures. We’re not too sure when this one is heading stateside but if you can’t hold yourself, it will cost you €448 (about $697).

Update: Now it’s official, as Cowon has announced the release of the new upgraded 80GB Q5W and A3 PMPs. The good news are that they are going to be cheaper than the European price tag, yet there’s plenty of room for reduction. The A3 80GB is set to be released in May 26th for $440, as the Q5w is set to be released in late June for $600.

Cowon A3

[via dapreview]

Media Players

Cowon N3 Gets a Woody Frame

Remember the Cowon N3 PND (personal navigation device) ? turns out Cowon has decided to give it a wooden touch, as the company has revealed a new N3 version, designed with a wood frame and available in Korea only. No further details but to recall, this impressive device comes with a 7? touchscreen, an AMD Alchemy AU1250 @ 600Mhz processor, an integrated GPS chip SiRF Star III navigation system and many more. In addition, it houses a great media player, compatible with wide variety of known media formats, and runs a Windows CE 5.0 OS.

Update: It will be available next week for around $437.

cowon-N3-wood

[via akihabaranews]

Games, Media Players

Super Mario and Donkey Kong Arrive To Cowon Q5W

Portable gaming is one of the hot trends, as companies are constantly looking for ideas to combine game devices with media players. Meanwhile, you can enjoy some SNES emulator games on the Cowon Q5W mega PMP, by installing the emulation app. and gaming with a PS1 joypad controller, plugged into the USB connection. The following video demonstrates Super Mario Kart and Donkey Kong Country running smoothly on the Cowon’s 5-inch display, providing fun and playable hours on the go.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/wcwDBgBEgII" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

[via engadget]

Audio, Media Players, Video

Archos 705 Vs. Cowon Q5W – The Duel

archos705-vs-cowonQ5W

Audio, Video, WiFi, internet surfing, today’s mega gadgets are not just a simple player, they are all-in-one devices, cramming advanced multimedia features into a relatively small box. Cnet has decided to make a comparison duel between top 2 mega PMP players, the Archos 705 and the Cowon Q5W, in order to determine which device is the one true king of the non-pocketable media players. Cnet has gathered three gadgets experts to judge both devices according to 5 categories: Navigation, Sexiness, Compatibility, Sound and Science, Wallet Factor. The results are as plain as the nose on one’s face, Archos 705 is the undoubtable winner, collecting 56 points against 50 of the Q5W. Check the full details here.

[via Cnet]

Audio, Media Players, Video

CeBIT 2008: Maxian Introduces The New E900W PMP With a WiFi connection And a Touchscreen

Maxian unveils the E900W PMP at the CeBIT show in Hannover. This new advanced device sports a wide 4.3-inch WVGA touchscreen (800 x 480), 30GB storage size, SD/MMC card slot, 9 EQ and a USB 2.0 connection with ActiveSync support. It is compatible with video codecs as MPEG-1, MPEG-2, Divx3 11/4x/5x/6x, Xvid, MPEG-4, ASP, WMV 7/8/9 H.264, audio formats like MP3, WMA, OGG, PCM AAC, Dolby Digital AC3 5.1 surround and even DTS, thanks to the SPDIF output. Image formats include JPEG BMP, GIF, TIF PNG, TXT, PDF and PPT. In addition, it runs windows CE 5.0 and houses a WiFi connection to surf the net. Mind you, the E900W is equipped with a Texas Instrument Davinci chip which supports HD format and can be found in Cowon A3 and Archos 605 PMPs. Although there is no word on price or availability I’m very impressed with the E900W and hope it will hit western shores.

maxian-e900w

[via aving]

Media Players

Cowon N3 PND Goes Live In Korea

Cowon has finally released the N3 personal navigation device in Korea. The new premium nav-system was first announced 2 months ago, promising 7-inch PMP, integrated with GPS system and TPEG(Transport Protocol Expert Group) service. The N3 is packed with loads of features and supports almost any format you’d think about, it has a slick design and great capabilities. Unfortunately, the unit houses only 32MB of internal memory, so here goes your plan to store your entire movie collection. The N3 is available in Korea for $552.

cowon_n3

[via aving]

Full specifications after the break.

Continue reading Cowon N3 PND Goes Live In Korea →

Applications, Media Players

Cowon D2 New Skins

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Cowon D2 seems to be one of the leading players in the market. The small and brilliant media unit is equipped with great sound quality, awesome video abilities, rich features and functionality. The latest firmware, enables the D2 users to install new flash GUI skins. The variety of skins is wide, but as you can guess, the one that attracts most attention is the iPod Touch skin. Don’t get wrong, the D2 doesn’t support the cover flow feature of the iPod Touch.

D2 skins

D2_skins

 

[via iaudiophile]

Media Players

Media Players Audio Rank 2007

Generationmp3 have decided to rank 12 media players according to their audio caliber. As you all know, the quality of  the sound and the audio level are subjective matters, so you can agree or disagree with their determination. Personally, i give them the credit and agree with their ranking. After variety of tests and debates, here is the grading table:

audio quality level

[via gmp3]

Media Players

Cowon A3 & Q5W Go Live In The US Next Week

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After long expectations and tons of speculations, the new line of PMP players, from Cowon, is going live in the US next week. The players are well equipped and Cowon squeezed into the A3 and Q5W almost every known audio and video formats, to increase the competition with the high rated Archos 605 players.

Cowon A3
This player is a successor of the legendary A2 player from Cowon. The new A3 looks pretty much the same as the old one but the 4″ screen supports a much better resolution – 800 x 480, with 16 million colors. Here are some more details:

  • Display: 4″ TFT LCD 16:9, 16M colors, 800 x 480.
  • Storage size: 30GB ($349), 60GB ($399).
  • Audio: MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, M4A, MKA, TTA, APE, WAV, MPC, WV, AC3.
  • Video: AVI, DivX, Xvid, SF, WMV, MPG, MP4, MPEG-4, M-JPEG, DAT, MKV, VOB, OGM, MTV.
  • Outputs: Component, Composite, S-video, microphone, ext. speakers, USB Host 2.0, TV out and more.
  • Pictures: JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, TXT.

Cowon A3

Cowon Q5W

This multimedia machine makes a huge interest and will compete head to head with the new Archos 605 players. Here are some more details:

  • Display: 5″ TFT LCD 16:9, 16.7M colors, 800 x 480.
  • Storage size: 40GB ($549), 60GB ($599).
  • OS: Windows CE 5.0 Professional.
  • Processor: AMD Alchemy AU1200 @ 500Mhz.
  • Audio: MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, M4A, MKA, TTA, APE, WAV, MPC, WV, AC3.
  • Video: AVI, DivX, Xvid, SF, WMV, MPG, MP4, MPEG-4, M-JPEG, DAT, MKV, VOB, OGM, MTV.
  • Outputs: Component, Composite, S-video, microphone, ext. stereo speakers, USB Host 2.0, TV out and many more. The Q5W also supports Bluetooth, WiFi for internet surfing, GPS (in a special designated Q5 NAVI device).
  • Pictures: JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, TXT.
  • Battery life: 13h – audio, 7h – video.

Cowon Q5W

[via engadget]