Cowon's all-metal J3 PMP gets official
By Donald Melanson 
posted March 29th 2010 3:09PM
posted March 29th 2010 3:09PM
We'd already gotten a early look at Cowon's new all-metal J3 PMP earlier this month courtesy of the red dot design awards, but the company has just now gotten fully official with it, and detailed its complete specs. As expected, this one packs a 3.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen, along with 4GB, 8GB or 16GB of storage, a microSD card slot for further expansion, a built-in DMB TV tuner and FM radio, Bluetooth support, a built-in speaker and, of course, that brushed metal case -- not to mention a few familiar UI elements. Unfortunately, there's still no indication of a price, nor is there any word of a release over here.
Update: At least one website has listed prices of between 189,000 and 359,000 South Korean won, or roughly $166 to $316.
[Thanks, David K]
Update: At least one website has listed prices of between 189,000 and 359,000 South Korean won, or roughly $166 to $316.
[Thanks, David K]
I like this. HTB seal of approval.
@HardToBelieve Metal. *thunder*
@HardToBelieve
Can I peel off the seal and stick it on my virtually identical enV touch?
@Luke
No. Blasphemy.
No GPS. Lame.
I really want Cowon to make a phone but is that too much?
@Techie
I was just thinking, Cowon and Palm really need to get together on a phone. Cowon can handle the hardware, and Palm can bring WebOS.
@Information Central
Excuse me, but when did you get the impression that PMPs need GPS? They're PMPs not smart phones.
@HardToBelieve Just what the world needs, another PMP.
@Trevize This sounds like an amazing idea.
@HardToBelieve
Iron FUCKING Maiden!!! I'm seeing them this summer with Dream Theater!!
Oh yeah. That cowon is pretty nice too.
@Information Central
The one thing that was important about this device was what version of flash it's running - the platform on which all community UI developments are developed, like the S9 (which ran the age old Flash v6). But they don't say!!!
@werty1432k
If it upsets a fanboy, why not.
@Trevize
That would be amazing. My actual dream is for sony to make the hardware (including DAC), Cowon to add the battery, BBE+ effects, and for the OS to be Android. I would even be willing to pay Sony prices for it.
@Trevize cowon+webos= win
People still buy PMPs now a days?
@Hazdaz
No. We get them for free.
@Hazdaz
Do they still sell Ipods? Cowon have always had the rep of quality. Also, their pmp's are the best sounding players you can buy.
@Hazdaz
its like we're the kings of the world at engadget and we forget that sometimes the common person has some 6 year old flip phone and no place in their life for mobile web browsing. fools.
@SVTruong
The iPod Touch actually has some quality software going for it. It goes beyond a touch screen PMP unlike this Cowon.
@Emanuel Ortego
Not in the area of actual musical quality.
@HardToBelieve
Haha, audiophiles. Well, if that's important to you...
@Emanuel Ortego
Ipods need a quality line out. Once they have a line out dock and a amp they will blow a TON of other players out of the water.
@bolezhinkov
I don't know where you happen to live or what kind of fellow humans you need or like to deal with in your average day, but if what you say would be true it would mean that I have'nt met a single "average person " in the last few years.
@Emanuel Ortego
....did you just question the importance of audio quality in a portable mp3 player? This is why music is mastered so poorly today, along with why it is difficult to actually buy quality mp3s online.
@NewReformation
The iPod with a line out does not work unless you have a proper LOD (meaning it overcomes the internal DAC, many of which do not) along with a good "portable" amp, which are a bit bigger than the iPod. With something that is going to cost you $350 extra, reviews on head-fi.org say the iPod only sounds a bit better than the Cowon S9 with BBE+ effects on. I am not against the iPod, but its strength is not sound quality, and adding and LOD with a portable amp removes the portability of the player in general.
@SVTruong Sound Quality doesn't matter, because you won't be listening to two PMPs at the same time, so you won't therefor know the difference. Only if you are a professional worker, or need the clear sound to make a difference. I mean, unless you're a musician, the quality of the music doesnt matter, what you want is the ease of use, long battery life, and simplicity.
@rlawlals
I can clearly hear the difference between listening to my Cowon S9 and some BBE+ thrown in and an iPod. And I can't really stand the sound of the latter. Yes, this is of course AFTER I listened to the S9's sound, so one could say "if you hadn't bought it you would've been satisfied with the iPod's". But I enjoy listening to music much, much more now - in fact the time I spend doing so has pretty much doubled. It doesn't take an audiophile or musician to appreciate nice sound.
Of course the majority won't care, both the people who do and Cowon should know that very well. But products are always aimed at certain markets and just because one market is (a lot) smaller it doesn't mean it should be disregarded. If you don't care then this is not the device for you, get an iPod Touch (which is an awesome device indeed), and leave-Cowon-alone! D':
Battery life on the S9 is fantastic, by the way.
Neato! :)
Nice One - still looking for something to replace my iPod Touch.
And HELL YEAH! Iron Maiden in a promo shot!
@b0rndead
So, why would anyone buy this rather than an iPOD Touch? And, if you're going that route, why not just buy a damn iPHONE?
I don't understand the need for this device.
@NoOneSpecific
Don't make this an Apple vs Cowon debate. That's called trolling.
@b0rndead Up the Irons!!
@NoOneSpecific
The iPhone ends up being a $2,000 investment over a 2 year contract.
@HardToBelieve
I'm not Trolling, TYVM. I asked a valid question. Why would someone purchase a product that is less than what is available elsewhere? Consider Market Saturation and Penetration. If you were going to buy a product of this nature, why not go with the one with all the apps, peripherals, etc. available to an iPOD Touch / iPHONE?
BTW, I own neither and am looking at something and I keep asking myself this same question. I am *not* some Apple fan boy. I actually hate the 'it's white so you pay more for it" sub-culture that is Apple. I just have to keep asking myself why am I trying to re-invent the wheel, or why am I rooting for the underdog when the war is basically over?
So, I put that question out there. It's not trolling, but thanks!
@Emanuel Ortego So the Touch is ~$400, period.
@NoOneSpecific
I'm going to get an Android Phone and I hate that iPhone/iPod OS.
I only have it becaus at the time i bought it there simply wasn't any other with touch, WLAN, Bluetooth, ...
With a new Phone I don't need that WLAN anymore. And the AVRCP support of Apple sucks - I'd actually like to use the skipbutton on my headphones, but Apple somehow doesn'T want me too though it says "for use with iPod Touch" on the package ...
@NoOneSpecific
Maybe because this device offers more storage, along with much better audio quality. And a better screen. Apps aren't everything.
@b0rndead
Sounds familiar. Right now I have a BB8900 and a Nokia E75. Both have 16Gig Class 6 MicroSD cards for media. I just cannot stand playing games on either. The WiFi connect on both is a great bonus for FRING calls and such. I just keep looking to replace one device and use it just for media/games/apps.
I don't see enough games/apps in Android right now, hence the 'underdog' comment. Symbian and BB likewise.
Still, reluctant to buy Apple but not seeing a viable contender.
@HardToBelieve
That's ok guy. You just keep telling yourself that. And Santa is real too!
@HardToBelieve
I will agree about the screen (the ipod touch screen is fairly technically antiquated), but the audio out of the ipod touch when using a flat EQ should be roughly comparable. Now if you are a EQ power tweaker, then the COWON is definitely the one for you.
@NoOneSpecific
You're saying the LCD screen in the iPod is better than the AMOLED in the J3? Are you high?
@Prevacator
Pretty sure I was replying to the remark that "Apps aren't everything" but if I were high would I really know? =P
@NoOneSpecific
You Have a valid point asking yourself why buy a pmp instead of iPod touch.
I, for example have an iPhone and some cowon devices, when I want to listen to my music I always use the cowon (much better audio quality, battery life and more features-line in, line out, video in, video out, FM recorder, drag&drop, huge list of supported codecs, USB OTG for connectind a USB mass storage or USB key or another pmp, tv recording schedule etc. ) and no apps can give me that. So like I said, your point is valid; for someone who've never used a well featured pmp or mp3 player like the cowon pmp, they ll not know what they r missing. And an iPod touch ll be more than enough but when you are aware of those features the iPod franchise lacks, you just can't settle for less. I use the iPhone for the apps (YouTube, google maps, engadget, etc. ). For my music and videos I use cowon devices, I'm patiently waiting for this new J3 pmp and I hope it gets full Bluetooth functionnality so I can pair it with anything I want (mainly my next phone, the HTC Evo 4g so I can see the caller ID) unlike the iPod touch. It'll be nice if they could add some PIM applications in the device.
I wish they would start putting Android on PMPs like this one.
@Emanuel Ortego
you do realize you can evolve now? twice?
@skyblaze
Elaborate. Wouldn't you appreciate a selection of apps on a Cowon device?
@skyblaze
lol beast ^
@Emanuel Ortego
lol, I'm talking about your avatar... porygon... the pokemon... he evolves... first into porygon 2 then into porygon z. I was just wondering why you had the preevolved "obsolete" version as your avatar.
I wholeheartedly agree with your comment, though... android on these things would be boss.
@skyblaze
Oh, lol. Sorry about that. :P
Long story short, I have a level 100 Porygon that I haven't evolved yet.
@Emanuel Ortego
jeez you need to take care of that. I have a porygon z on my soul silver team. his special attack stat is obscene. throw in nasty plot (its a move) and he's practically god.
(sorry for the nerd rant... I've been in pokemon mode since the remakes came out :D)