Electronics & Computers Deals here!Cowon D2 (4GB, red)
Manufacturer: Cowon Systems, Inc. Part number: D2-4096RD
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- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- If you can get on board with the Cowon D2's PDA-like touch screen interface, the reward is great-sounding audio, a smorgasbord of features, and a fantastic battery life.
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CNET editors' review
Cowon D2 (4GB, red)
price range: $132.33 - $144.95
- Reviewed by: Jasmine France
- Edited by: Bonnie Cha
- Reviewed on: 02/27/2007
The good: The Cowon D2 MP3 player offers a sleek and compact design dominated by a lovely, touch-sensitive screen. The device is packed with almost every feature in the book, including video playback, voice recording, and an FM tuner. The D2 comes with a handy stylus/kickstand, and the sound quality is great.
The bad: The Cowon D2 is pricier than similarly featured MP3 players, and it's a bit heavy. The touch interface won't appeal to all users, specifically active ones.
The bottom line: If you can get on board with the Cowon D2's PDA-like touch screen interface, the reward is great-sounding audio, a smorgasbord of features, and a fantastic battery life.
Cowon may be a bit of an underdog in the U.S. market in terms of sales, but this Korean company sure does know how to make a quality MP3 player. The latest device to arrive on U.S. shores--or at least, in the CNET offices--is the Cowon D2, a solid and compact player dominated by a 2.5-inch screen. I was able to get my hands on a nearly identical preview model of the D2 at CES 2007 but just recently received the final U.S. version with that ever-important DRM support. Other than that welcome addition, the latest unit isn't much different from the one we previewed in January; it still has a nice, high-quality feel to it and offers a beautiful touch screen as well as loads of features, naturally. That said, you can expect to pay a bit of a premium for this high-end MP3 player. At $189.99 for the 2GB version and $219.99 for the 4GB model, the D2 costs more than the Creative Zen V Plus, which offers similar features but twice the memory for comparable prices.
Photos of the Cowon D2 really don't do the player justice--it has such a nice feel to it, so we definitely recommend some hands-on time with the player before you pass final judgment. The sleek body is wrapped in a brushed-metal border, where you can find some tactile controls: a power/hold slider, volume buttons, and a menu key. On the left edge, hidden beneath a flap, are two USB ports: one standard mini for syncing with the computer and one proprietary for use with the included wallwart power adapter. The bottom of the device features an SD card expansion slot for adding more memory. At 3x2.2x0.6 inches, the player is pleasantly compact overall, though it feels a bit weighty at 2.1 ounces.
The D2 is dominated by a 2.5-inch color screen, which makes it look quite similar to the iRiver Clix. Unlike the Clix, however, the D2's display is touch-sensitive, which means the majority of navigation is accomplished by poking at the screen PDA-style. Your finger will do the trick, or you can use the included stylus--which also acts as a nifty kickstand, by the way. The D2's touch screen is responsive, but we prefer tactile controls for MP3 players since a touch interface makes blind navigation impossible. All in all, the D2's user interface is pretty straightforward, with an icon-driven main menu that reminds me of Archos' PVPs, but deeper navigation will take some acclimation. Still, anyone with a bit of tech experience should catch on swiftly.
Getting started with the Cowon D2 is a simple task on Windows XP. (The player also works with previous Windows versions back to 98, as well as Mac and Linux operating systems.) You can simply connect the player to your computer using the included USB cable and begin transferring content, either via drag-and-drop in Windows Explorer or by using Windows Media Player (WMP). Cowon also includes a software CD that includes JetShell for transferring files and JetAudio for media playback and conversion. We prefer WMP to JetShell for syncing, but JetAudio is a worthwhile install--and necessary if you want to convert video for playback on the D2. Transcoding takes time, but it proved easy to do in testing, and the resulting files played back flawlessly on the D2. However, we had to use drag-and-drop to transfer it over--WMP gave an error message.
As with all Cowon players, the D2 is teeming with features. It offers support for multiple audio codecs, including MP3, Ogg, WAV, FLAC, and WMA--including subscription tracks. We tested the player with Urge and the D2 had no problem playing back the tracks and recognizing prebuilt playlists. (You can also create a dynamic playlist on the device itself.) Music playback options include shuffle and repeat modes, six EQ presets as well as a user-defined mode, and BBE sound effects (Mach3Bass, 3D Surround, and Stereo Enhance). You can also view photos and videos on the device. It supports WMV and AVI natively, and the aforementioned JetShell can help you with other formats, such as DiVX. There's also voice and line-in recording, as well as an FM tuner with autoscan and a seemingly limitless number of preset slots.
And how about that ever-pressing performance issue? As I've come to expect from Cowon players, the D2 sounds great when paired with a decent pair of headphones, such as the Shure E4c. You'll definitely want to replace the set that comes with the player--they sound pretty awful. The multitude of sound-adjustment options should help you find the perfect balance for your tastes. Overall, tunes sounded rich, warm, and detailed with a thumping low-end to satisfy bass-freaks. The stellar sound quality remained consistent across all genres of music. Photos looked crisp and detailed on the bright, color screen, and it's kind of cool to see the chunky, pixilated effect just before an image comes fully into focus. Video playback also proved more than acceptable--we wouldn't mind watching a 30-minute clip on the D2, though we still think the screen is too small for feature-length movie watching. The rated battery life of 52 hours for audio and 10 hours for video is also nothing to scoff at; indeed, it's very impressive, and the D2 pretty well proved itself in CNET Labs testing. We got about 50 hours for music and 10 hours for video--simply awesome.
User reviews
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Something critical the review fails to mention!
by jhpolsky on July 23, 2007
Pros: Beautiful screen, compact, solid build, great format support, sounds simply amazing
Cons: A little thick and on the heavy side for its size
Summary: Though the touch screen interface is unlike other mp3 players, it is so easy to use because of its flexibility. And what can be more simple than a touch screen? ...
Summary: Though the touch screen interface is unlike other mp3 players, it is so easy to use because of its flexibility. And what can be more simple than a touch screen? It is especially easy to use if you've ever used a PDA for 5 minutes.
But there is something crucial about this player that the review failed to mention: BLIND CONTROL IS A BREEZE AND IT IS PERFECT FOR ACTIVE MEMBERS! There is an option in the menus that allows the player, when in hold mode, to convert the menu, volume+ and volume- buttons to pause and skip forward and backward buttons. This is the perfect compromise since they are tactile and on top of the player so they are easy to find in a pocket or case. This is a feature that is small, yet clever, and it is things like this that set Cowon apart.
Also, the review makes no mention of the fact that the D2 supports flash games and apps of which there are hundreds of user made ones available that are really neat and fun.9 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Best flash MP3 player yet.
by Jay Clawson on July 18, 2007
Pros: Expandable memory adds great versatility, Radio, voice recorder, touch screen is very intuitive, FLAC codec
Cons: Slightly larger than some, but large color screen compensates
Summary: I own several iPods, but switched to Cowon players for several reasons: 1) no need to use iTunes, these players work with just about any interface, 2) the FLAC lossless ...
Summary: I own several iPods, but switched to Cowon players for several reasons: 1) no need to use iTunes, these players work with just about any interface, 2) the FLAC lossless Codec has more versatility than Apple lossless, and even sounds better, 3)I love the large touch screen, 4)Cowon periodically provides driver updates that add versatility. The built-in radio and voice recorder are nice features to have without paying extra.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Where has this player been it's AMAZING!! A++
by jvas2 on July 17, 2007
Pros: Almost everything.
Cons: Transcoding video down to 320x240
Summary: This little player is a god send. 4gb capacity plus sd/sdhc expansion slot so you can add another 16gb sdhc card (when it comes out) if you wanted to ...
Summary: This little player is a god send. 4gb capacity plus sd/sdhc expansion slot so you can add another 16gb sdhc card (when it comes out) if you wanted to making it a total 20gb! It's small, light and very portable. The TFT resolution screen with 24bit and 16 million colors is absolutely fantastic!! Touch screen you get used to pretty fast. The Sound quality is superb with many EQ settings. The transcoding of some video files does not take long if you have a core dual cpu, just set the jetaudio app to high cpu usage and the job gets done fast AND it works as a Mass Storage Device (UMS) for drag and drop of files making soooooo easy. Highly recommend!!
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Best sounding media player out there
by tofucanyon on January 29, 2008
Pros: nearly everything
Cons: firmware a little unstable, screen hard to read in sunlight
Summary: Simply the best player I've ever heard. You really need good earphones to hear the improved sound quality. This player is able to produce an excellent sound stage making ...
Summary: Simply the best player I've ever heard. You really need good earphones to hear the improved sound quality. This player is able to produce an excellent sound stage making each instrument/beat/vocals separate from each other. I've heard sounds in my music I've never heard before - simply amazing! It makes movies awesome to watch too - the screen is great to watch too very crips and clear. The brightness can be improved though to make it easier to see in sunlight; not nearly as bright as iphone but close enough. This player is so good I'm so happy with it.
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Simply the best ultra-portable multimedia player @ present
by ajm48786 on November 5, 2007
Pros: Pretty much everything
Cons: Too many fools buy the inferior products,meaning good products like this one lack accessories
Summary: This is it! I almost got the IRiver clix2; and I am so glad I did not (ipod was not even in my mind). It only weighs in at 4 ...
Summary: This is it! I almost got the IRiver clix2; and I am so glad I did not (ipod was not even in my mind). It only weighs in at 4 gigs (and 8 now),but you will never run out of memory due to the SDHC slot. All these fellas that have praised it speak the truth. The only thing I dislike about it is they had to stamp "Cowon" on the front, compromising the design a bit.
Cowon, this no-named company is a great company! They keep on patching the driver for this player. They just added a scientific and regular calculator. Point is, they are great about supporting their product and refining it.
It really would take a long time to praise this thing. The sound quality blows away the competition,the 2.5 inch 24 bit screen overshadows most rivals' displays,can be used as a Mass Storage device, supports virtually every file format, is completely customizable (wallpaper,color of font,etc),handy microphone built in that works very well,capability to record FM radio (or any line in), a great highly customizable EQ system,oh and the battery life lives up to the hype. 52 hrs for music and 10 for video, this is unrivaled. The alarm feature is also great, I can set it to wake me up to whatever song I choose (or one may use a radio station), you can also set it to automatically record a radio station at a certain time. The video quality is awesome, you really can't tell on this review video,in person it looks just right. It also hooks up to my xbox 360 with no problem. The 74 watt output is too powerful for the pretty decent sound system in my car to handle beyond 70% of it's maximum output. You really can damage your ears with this device; and though many players can do that, this one will tempt you to, because the sound remains dang crystal clear!
Fits very well in my pocket, I barely notice it. I do engage it as I walk, it's really not difficult, unless there is direct sunlight. You still can use the dedicated buttons to scroll through your memory. The feature that was added where one may slide their finger in order to scroll through is a nice touch (like the iphone), you can also set how fast the scroll will go. The fact it allows you to set up a separate list of favorite songs makes it easier to navigate when on the move. It would be cool (and I suppose possible) for Cowon to add some sort of voice control via the internal mic, which would completely take away any argument against the touchscreen interface.
The stylus is cool yet lame as a stand. I use my finger to move about through the interface.It takes a little getting used to;but,once you're used to it you can navigate it almost as well as an ipod(i do concede it is not as easy). This is not a big deal to me.
The Cnet review was ridiculous. Some chick talking about how she thinks it is too heavy, and how the touch screen isn't hip enough.The touch screen is not for everyone, fair enough;but,the weight is just fine! She also did not highlight just how important the expandable memory is! It is a WONDERFUL FEATURE!Even if this thing had 100 gigs, it would be nice to have a slot to pop in right after using the camera or whatever.
The problems with this are not really problems so much as minor nuisances, for example, you can't change the size of the display letters, nor make them bold, that is a bit of a nuisance;but,it is something that can be updated,you're not necessarily stuck with something like that. Every player has nuisances, this player has the least I have seen. If you care more about appearance than quality,then go buy a cool iphone, they say it is revolutionary (cough cough cough);if you want the biggest bang for your buck ($190 @ Amazon.com,very cheap for what you get), get the Cowon D2, this is the future of this market. -
D2 makes i Pod not cool any more
by zzw3 on August 12, 2007
Pros: good sound qaulity,sharp and rich color picture.....
Cons: slight lag during picture viewing.
Summary: I bought I Audio U2 2 years ago, still like it.5 month ago, our twins were born, so I started to find a device that can show off my ...
Summary: I bought I Audio U2 2 years ago, still like it.5 month ago, our twins were born, so I started to find a device that can show off my babys pictures and video, from cell phone to digital camara, don't like the picture quality on them.finally found Cowon D2, not disappointed.very good picture quality,video is nice too.I have Canon Powershot SD 750, when comparing it's 3'screen with d2's 2.5'one,pictures show on the d2'is a lot sharper and richer color than they show on SD 750.I'm very happy with that, because that's the main reason I bought this one, the rest of all like good sound quality,touch screen,voice recorder,FM,are bonus to me, not even mentioned the long battery life makes this player such a sweet buy.if you are a ipod user and don't want be depressed, then don't even try this one.
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The Cowon D2 is almost perfect
by Barbinator on August 11, 2007
Pros: Great sound. Beautiful screen. Touch screen is easy to navigate, and a bit of a novelty. Incredible battery life. Bold RED color.
Cons: Can't change the battery myself. Don't like the ear buds.
Summary: I like the Cowon D2 very much. I bought this unit as a birthday gift to me, about 2 weeks ago. I was dragging and dropping songs a couple of ...
Summary: I like the Cowon D2 very much. I bought this unit as a birthday gift to me, about 2 weeks ago. I was dragging and dropping songs a couple of hours after receiving the unit. I charged it with included wall charger. My computer recognized the D2 immediately. I transferred 750 songs, and photos of my incredibly cute nieces and nephews. The screen is very bright. The photos look great. What I like best is the wonderful sound I hear. The bass is deep, but not distorted or muddy. You can customize the sounds with the equalizer. I don't like the ear buds. They fall out of my ears. I ordered a set of V Moda red ones. I hope they will fit, and I hope they sound good. They were highly rated on CNET. The battery life is outstanding. I've had to recharge the battery only twice since I got it 2 weeks ago. So far, I've been very pleased with the Cowon D2.
Updated
I forgot to mention that I was able to transfer songs from Yahoo! Music Jukebox. I was a little surprised because it's not on Yahoo list of compatible devices. The album cover tranferred over also.Updated
I forgot to mention that I was able to transfer songs from Yahoo! Music Jukebox. I was surprised, bacause the D2 wasn't on the list of Yahoo's list of compatible devices. Even the album covers tranferred over. I was very pleased with this. -
Great media player
by firestorm23 on July 17, 2007
Pros: colourful touch screen, does everything
Cons: no id3 playlists
1 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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...........wha...?
by Triptonium on November 29, 2007
Pros: ..........um......
Cons: ...........meh.
Summary: I don't have one.
I want one.
Jasmine F. is hot; made it hard to pay attention to the product being reviewed... ^_^
Hey,
The soundFX to the 'user ...Summary: I don't have one.
I want one.
Jasmine F. is hot; made it hard to pay attention to the product being reviewed... ^_^
Hey,
The soundFX to the 'user rating' slider above this text box are AWESOME!!!
0 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Cowon Systems, Inc.
- Part number: D2-4096RD
- Description: A wide touch-sensitive 2.5" LCD screen maximizes you viewing experience with ease of use. Cowon D2's conventional yet highly modernized design contrasts its high profile feature set while preserving its compact form factor. Cowon D2 does not compromise features for its compact size. COWON provides the latest innovations in digital multimedia technology to provide incredible video and audio quality.
General
- Width 3.1 in
- Depth 0.7 in
- Product type Digital player / radio
- Height 2.2 in
- PC interface(s) supported Hi-Speed USB
- Weight 3.2 oz
- Color Red
- Digital player signal-to-noise ratio 95 dB
- Flash memory installed 4 GB Integrated
- Digital storage None
- Dimensions (W x D x H) 3.1 in x 0.7 in x 2.2 in
- Voice recording capable Yes
- Included accessories Stylus
- Packaged quantity 1
- Software type Cowon jetAudio VX, Cowon jetShell
- Digital storage media type None
Radio
- Tuner type Digital Radio tuner
- Tuner bands FM
- Antenna form factor Headphone cord FM
- Tuning display LCD display
Digital Player / Recorder
- Digital player supported digital audio standards WMA, FLAC, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, MPEG 1 Audio, MPEG 2.5 Audio, MPEG 2 Audio, MP3
- Digital player response bandwidth 20 - 20000 Hz
- Digital player sample rate 48 KHz
- Digital player playback modes Playlist, A-B repeat, All tracks repeat, One track repeat, Resume play, Fade in / fade out
- Digital player supported bit rate 320 Kbps
- Digital player ID3 tags support Yes
- External hard drive function Yes
- Digital player additional features TEXT viewer
Carrying Case
- Case type Included
Video Playback Features
- Video playback support AVI, WMV
- Still image format JPEG
Battery
- Rechargeable Battery Rechargeable
- Battery Enclosure Type Internal
- Technology Lithium polymer
- Recharge Time 3.5 hour(s)
- Battery Lithium polymer Rechargeable Player batteryInternal
- Mfr estimated battery life 52 hour(s)
- Battery Life Details Video playback Lithium polymer 10 hour(s), Digital playback Lithium polymer 52 hour(s)
Audio System
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Additional features Auto power off, USB 2.0 compatibility, Lyrics display, Audio bookmarks, FM radio recording capability, Upgradeable firmware, Text viewer
Cable(s) / Peripheral(s)
- Cable(s) included USB cable - External, 1 x
System Requirements
- Peripheral / Interface devices USB port, CD-ROM
- Min Operating system Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, Microsoft Windows XP, Apple MacOS X, Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Apple MacOS 9.x, Microsoft Windows 2000, Linux 2.2.x or later, Microsoft Windows 98
- Min hard drive space 50 MB
- Min processor type Intel Pentium or Higher
- Min processor speed 200 MHz
- Min RAM size 32 MB
Connections
- Connector type 1 x DC power input, 1 x Headphones Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Audio line-in Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Composite video/audio output, 1 x USB Mini-USB Type B
- Slot(s) provided 1 x SD Memory Card
Built-in Display
- Audio system built-in display TFT
- Diagonal size 2.5 in
- Resolution 360 x 240
- Backlight display Yes
- Features Touch screen
Power
- Power Supply / Device Power adapter External
Audio Features
- Sound effects MP Enhance, BBE, Mach3Bass
- Amplifier response bandwidth 20 - 20000 Hz
- Timer Sleep, Playback, Record
- Built-in clock Alarm, Digital clock, Timer
CD System
- CD system type None
- Digital audio standards supported WMA, FLAC, WAV, Ogg, MP3
- ID3 tag support Yes
Equalizer
- Equalizer factory preset qty 6
- Equalizer factory presets Vocal, Classic, Normal, Rock, Jazz, Pop
- Equalizer user preset qty 1
- Equalizer band qty 5 bands
Remote Control
- Remote control None
Microphone
- Microphone type Built-in
- Microphone technology Electret condenser
- Microphone operation mode Mono
Headphones
- Headphones type Binaural
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Connectivity technology Wired
Battery / Power
- Power device type Power adapter
Product series
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Manufacturer: Cowon Systems, Inc.
Specs: Digital player / radio, 2 GB, MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, MPEG 1 Audio, MPEG 2 Audio, MPEG 2.5 Audio, Lithium polymer Rechargeable Player batteryInternal
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Manufacturer: Cowon Systems, Inc.
Specs: Digital player / radio, 4 GB, MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, MPEG 1 Audio, MPEG 2 Audio, MPEG 2.5 Audio, Lithium polymer Rechargeable Player batteryInternal
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Manufacturer: Cowon Systems, Inc.
Specs: Digital player / radio, 4 GB, MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, MPEG 1 Audio, MPEG 2 Audio, MPEG 2.5 Audio, Lithium polymer Rechargeable Player batteryInternal
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Manufacturer: Cowon Systems, Inc.
Specs: Digital player / radio, 4 GB, MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, MPEG 1 Audio, MPEG 2 Audio, MPEG 2.5 Audio, Lithium polymer Rechargeable Player batteryInternal
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Manufacturer: Cowon Systems, Inc.
Specs: Digital player / radio, 8 GB, MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, MPEG 1 Audio, MPEG 2 Audio, MPEG 2.5 Audio, Lithium polymer Rechargeable Player batteryInternal
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Manufacturer: Cowon Systems, Inc.
Specs: Digital player / radio, 16 GB, MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, MPEG 1 Audio, MPEG 2 Audio, MPEG 2.5 Audio, Lithium polymer Rechargeable Player batteryInternal
Manufacturer info
- Cowon Systems, Inc.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Cowon Systems, Inc. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.cowonamerica.com
- Address:
448-2 (STX bldg 7F) Dogok-dong, Seoul - Phone: 82-2-3460-8282
- Email: service@cowon.com
- Fax: 82-2-3460-8222
