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Cowon iAUDIO 9+ 2-inch PMP launching July 12th in Japan for $118 and up
Remember the days before portable media players sported touchscreens? You'll soon be able to relive that golden era with Cowon's iAUDIO 9+, a diminutive PMP that's launching July 12th in Japan. The device features a 2-inch QVGA (320 x 240-pixel) display mounted above a capacitive touchpad and comes in three capacities (and two colors) -- 8GB (white) for 11,800 Yen ($118), 16GB (black) for 13,800 Yen ($138) and 32GB (black) for 16,800 Yen ($168). It boasts a 30mW headphone amp, video connectivity (with an optional cable) and even a microphone and FM radio (to record voice and broadcasts). The unit measures 95 x 43 x 8.9mm (3.74 x 1.69 x 0.35 inches), and weighs just 40g (1.41oz). Battery life is rated at 29 hours for audio playback and seven hours for video content. Rounding things up are 48 (!) EQ presets and support for a plethora of formats (including such rarities as FLAC and OGG) along with USB mass storage.
Cowon shipping iAudio 10 PMP tomorrow: $160 and up
Remember that stunner of a PMP that Cowon teased us with back in September? Better brush up, 'cause she's shipping out in the US of A starting tomorrow. The iAudio 10 is -- for all intents and purposes -- a refreshed and re-imagined S9, boasting a curved 400 x 240 (3-inch) display, microphone input, TV output, FM radio and a document viewer. Unlike the D3 before it, the company looks to be eschewing Android on this one for its own homegrown operating system, and in typical Cowon fashion, it'll support practically every file format under the sun. The I10-16WH (16GB) will ship in white for $159.99, while the ebony I10-32BL (32GB) edition will go for $199.99. We're told that the Buy It Now link will be live tomorrow, and we'll update this post just as soon as it arrives in our hands. %Gallery-138129%
Cowon's iAudio 10 does "Color Therapy," won't charge you per hour
After a bit of teasing, Cowon's finally ready to show the world the iAudio 10. The skinny new portable media player offers up a three-inch 240 x 400 display, mic-in, TV out, an FM radio, support for a number of different file types, a document viewer and capacities running 4GB to 32GB. That's all well and good, but what's really got the company excited is the Color Therapy UI, which lets you switch between a number of background and text colors. At the very least, it's sure to be a lot cheaper than paying for a shrink.
Cowon X7 PMP review
We figured Cowon's X7 wouldn't bother passing through the FCC's loose fingertips if it weren't planning on making a stateside debut at some point, and sure enough, the aforesaid media player is gearing up to ship here just two months after its South Korean reveal. Over the years, Cowon has managed to maintain a fairly decent cover in the US of A, but audio purists recognize the brand for its commitment to sound quality over all else. The X7 is a capacious (160GB) player with a fairly large display (4.3-inches) and a world-beating battery good for ten hours of video and up to 103 hours of audio. Yeah, a full long weekend's worth. As with anything in life, Cowon's made some sacrifices here as well; you won't find a WiFi module, but you will spot support for Bluetooth headsets. How's it all shake out? Join us after the break for our full review. %Gallery-108509%
Cowon iAudio 9 ships soon for €180, gets pictured a few times over
We had reason to believe that iAudio 9 would be making itself official sooner rather than later, and while Cowon has still yet to say anything publicly, we'd say this gallery of hands-on shots is more than enough to consider it a done deal. Across the pond, the iAudio 9 has been outed as having a 2-inch LCD display, integrated FM tuner, a microphone, TV output, broad format support (MP3, WAV, OGG, WAV, FLAC, APE, AVI, WMX and XviD, to name a few), 16GB of internal memory and bundled earbuds that you'll probably be happy to discard. We're told that it'll go on sale (at least somewhere in Europe) for around €180 ($265) here in a few weeks, and you can dive into the read link if you're hankering for some images.
Cowon teases iAudio 9 portable media player, waits for a reaction
It seems that the above pictured splash page has since been removed from Cowon's website, but given the outfit's long, long history of teasing products before they're actually introduced, we'll give 'em the benefit of the doubt here. Reportedly, the decidedly ho hum looking media player will ship with a 2-inch LCD, built-in FM tuner, a microphone, TV output, internal speaker and support for plenty of formats. As of now, storage capacities and pricing remains a mystery, but we're certain Cowon will be clearing that up in short order. Ahem.[Via AnythingButiPod]
Cowon teases keychain-esque iAudio E2 DAP
Typically, it's iriver who does the teasing, but you won't catch us griping about Cowon pulling a similar trick with its elusive new iAudio E2. The image above is all we have to go on for the moment, which shows a digital audio player that's capable of doubling as both a USB storage device (maybe) and a keyring (definitely). Make of those funky icons what you will, but as we learned with Lost, you're probably just wasting your time reading betwixt the lines.[Via DAP Review]
Rockbox 3.0 firmware breathes the life back into your MP3 player
Well it took three years, but Rockbox 3.0 has finally made it on the scene, with a major overhaul in the sound decoding department and support for several new players. This open source firmware replacement is chock full of tasty new features, including codec support for over 15 formats like FLAC and Ogg, 5-band parametric EQ, MPEG video, multilingual interface, Doom and a pile of other games, not to mention freedom from iTunes. Oh yeah, and it can talk to you via a spoken interface -- which comes in handy for not driving off bridges and what not. iPod, iriver, Sansa, iAudio, Gigabeat and Archos models are all supported, though Archos didn't get many of the major 3.0 improvements like expanded codecs. [Via Ostatic; thanks Eric L]
Cowon's iAudio U5 heads to America
Don't feel bad if the iAudio U5 hasn't creeped into your mind since it "debuted" at IFA last September -- it's not like Cowon's doled out any sort of marketing blitz to keep us intrigued. Nevertheless, this somewhat stylish little DAP is apparently making its way to the US of A for those who like to avoid the me-too crowd. Specs wise, you'll find a 1.8-inch 160 x 128 resolution LCD, up to a full day of battery life, 4GB / 8GB of internal memory, MP3 / WMA / WAV playback, a built-in FM radio and voice recorder, user adjustable five-band EQ and USB connectivity. Good enough for you? Cough up $149.99 / $109.99 to snag one in 8GB or 4GB, respectively.
Cowon's 30GB iAudio X5 gets right with God
That purported iAudio X5 picture above comes courtesy of the Chinese language site Reesun. Authentic? Sure, why not. The only real difference we see is a thinning of the overall device along with a uniform flattening of the front panel which allows the joystick to move front-and-center just the way the good lord intended it. You know, like the way the earth is a perfect circle at the center of the known universe, eh Copernicus? But 30GB... you'll be tempting her wrath with that pitiful tithe Cowon. [Thanks, Javi0084]
Cowon unveils iAudio U5 DAP at IFA
Those impressed with the looks of the iAudio 7 are likely to warm up just fine to the newest digital audio player from Cowon. Reportedly unveiled at IFA, the presumably flash-based U5 looks to be aimed at lower-end customers, and touts an ultrathin enclosure, 1.8-inch 160 x 129 resolution LCD, FM tuner / recorder, voice recorder, USB 2.0 connectivity, MP3 / WMA support, up to 20-hours of battery life, and built-in equalizer presets as well. Apparently, the U5 will land in 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB flavors, but pricing and availability details have yet to be divulged.[Via PlayerBites, image courtesy of CNET]
First shots of the Cowon iAudio X7?
We'd heard that Cowon was planning to ship a 40- and 80GB iAudio X7 in September, but these supposed product shots that just surfaced at DAPreview are the first tangible evidence we've seen of the device. Based on what we know they look pretty legit, but our expertise on Photoshop fakery can only take us so far.
Cowon D2 to get capacious upgrades, iAudio X7 / X5 on the horizon?
After patiently wait for what felt like ages to finally have the Cowon D2 on American soil, here's a tidbit sure to make you early adopters a bit disgruntled. According to a blurb at GenerationMP3, Cowon is planning to release an 8GB and 16GB rendition of its diminutive media player, and additionally, it will reportedly sport a built-in SDHC slot for cramming even more media onboard. In other news, the iAudio X7 is slated to land sometime in September, and will be available in both 40GB and 80GB flavors, but the release of the iAudio X5 is a bit shaky considering that production on the device has "been stopped" for the time being. Per usual, we aren't exactly sold on the legitimacy of these reports, but you won't catch us complaining if a roomier D2 finds its way stateside anytime soon.[Via PlayerBites, thanks Gavin]
Cowon's longevous iAudio 7 now shipping
If you're scouting a music player that can keep the jams rolling into the third day of an up-all-night long weekend, you've got a few options outside of the iAudio 7, but we doubt you'll find one this sexy. Cowon's latest flash-based device -- rated for 60 hours of playback sans a recharge -- is finally ready to delight, as the company has just announced that the silver accented 4GB unit and red accented 8GB flavor are both shipping to US customers as we speak. Of course, we're sure the audiophiles are well aware of the potent integrated amplifier, built-in five-band equalizer, and lossless file support, but those just catching up can get their orders in now for $169.99 or $219.99 depending on capacity.[Via PlayerBites]
Cowon's iAudio 7 packs 8GB of FLAC on flash
What's better than the beloved iAudio 6? Why, the iAudio 7 of course... it's 1 better. Meet Cowon's latest DAP with that "simply brilliant" 1.3-inch LCD. Only now, we're looking at 8GB of flash memory instead of that dawdling 0.85-inch disk drive of its predecessor. The iAudio 7 is one of just a few to support FLAC and OGG audio in addition to the usual suspects and XviD video. Hell, it even squeezes up to 60 hours from a Lithium Polymer battery which can be charged via USB. Priced at just ???169,000 (about $182) for the 4GB on up to ???229,000 (about $246) for the full 8GB, what's not to love? %Gallery-3952%[Via AVING]
Cowon iAudio D2 gets delicately dissected
It's a borderline travesty that Cowon's iAudio D2 isn't readily available in North America, as this cute little PMP sports the company's highly-touted sound quality and a display that got rave reviews, but just in case your love affair with foreign DAPs doesn't run deep enough to import one of your own, AnythingButiPod is giving you a taste of ownership anyway. Just like the myriad of devices that have come before, the iAudio D2 is getting dissected for nothing more than pure viewing pleasure, but unlike some attempts we've seen, this one looks to be well-planned and executed with precision. Sure, you might say that you'd never rip open your hard-to-acquire media player once you finally captured it, but that's why someone else has already done the dirty work for you. You know what to do, the read link awaits.
Cowon's iAudio D2 touchscreen PMP reviewed
CNET Asia just tossed up an "excellent" 8.4/10 rating along with their Editor's Choice award to Cowon's new 4GB iAudio D2 multimedia player. As you'd expect, it gets high praise for including a "crispy and sharp" touchscreen on a digital media player making the "gorgeous" new interface even more intuitive to use. While it works just fine with your grimy finger, they also include a quirky triangular stylus (resembling a guitar pick) which is tethered to the device on an elastic cord. A bit annoying, but beneficial when slotted into the back of the D2 allowing it to stand on a tabletop. There's a long list of positives: the usual audio format support in addition to OGG Vorbis, FLAC, APE; the ability to expand from the on-board 4GB to 8GB via the SD/MMC card slot; the battery which lasted an "astonishing" 46 hours and 23 minutes; and a quick 5.33MB per second drag-and-drop transfer speed. Other than some slight lag when viewing pictures and the occassional "scratchy" radio reception... there's just not much to harsh on. Oh, 'cept the fact that you still can't get one off the shelf in North America or Europe. [Via Impress, thanks woopieboy]
Feature-packed Cowon D2 to hit Korean market
Hot on the heels of the substandard (in Cowon terms, that is) iAudio D1, the company best known for feature-packed portable media players is back to its old self again with the fully loaded D2. Foregoing the sleek, skinny look for a more Archos-esque appearance, Cowon's latest PMP rocks a 2.5-inch 320 x 240 resolution touchscreen, built-in DMB, support for WMV, MPEG4, MP3, OGG, WMA, and FLAC, "30fps movie playback," video output, FM radio, "voice / line-in recording" function, and a snazzy "transparent overlay" GUI. While initial reports suggest a 2GB internal capacity, the unit will sport an SD slot for your expansion needs, and those fortunate enough to reside in South Korea can pick up this properly-spec'd player in November for an undisclosed price.[Via DAPReview]
Cowon bumps its iAudio lineup to 4GB
Sure, the big boys like SanDisk and Apple are already onto 8GB capacities in their flash players, but that doesn't mean we can't celebrate the small victory of Cowon finally making it over the 2GB hump and busting out 4GB updates for its iAudio F2, iAudio U3 and iAudio T2 players. Not bad at all for the size of some of these things. All three refreshes should be headed our way this November, no word on price just yet.[Thanks, Old Surinam]
Cowon's iAudio F2: another tiny 2GB player
Cowon may not be the biggest portable audio maker out there, but they make some decent little players. The iAudio F2 features a tiny, 128x160 pixel 1.3-inch display, up to 2 GB flash, line-in recording, 22 hours of audio playback off battery, and the typical list of Cowon supported codecs: MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG Vorbis and even FLAC for lovers of lossless. At 39-grams / 34.4 x 72.9 x 16.7-mm, this 2 gigger is small, just not that small and likely includes an integrated FM radio and voice recorder judging by the interface icons. Available starting 22 September for 179,000 won or $187.[Via CNET Asia, Thanks Garcia and Chris]
