Cowon U3-4096BL iAudio U3 4GB MP3 Player with FM (Black)
by Cowon
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Digital product summary information
Manufacturer: CowonBrand: iAudio
Edition: Electronics
Model: U3-4096BL
Color: BLACK
Publisher: Cowon
Studio: Cowon
Music Label: Cowon
Product features:
- MP3 Player
- color LCD
- Picture viewer
- movie player
- FM/Voice/Line-In Recorder
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Digital camera reviews of Cowon U3-4096BL iAudio U3 4GB MP3 Player with FM (Black)
Digital camera Review: A fine little player with excellent sound
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had a succession of digital players from various mfg's (Iriver, Apple, Sandisk, Intel) and thus have the benefit of perspective. So, let me say that this is overall the best player I've come across.
- Sound is excellent.
- Configurability is as good as any unit that I've used.
- User interface is sensible and easy to acclimate to.
- Excellent build quality.
- Surprisingly useful little powerhouse of a display.
- Really good utilities (Jetshell, Jetaudio) that come w/ the package.
I'm still trying to figure out how Cowon does it. Keeping in mind that mp3 and wma are lossy encoding formats, one tends to forgive the fact that the sound of most portable players is "not quite CD" quality. From now on I'll hold them all accountableto a CD quality standard...if Cowon can do it, the rest can as well. The sound is crisp, detailed, accurate and consistent across the wealth of formats (both lossless and lossy) that the device supports.
Of course, "the best yet" doesn't necessarily mean "perfect". Here are my gripes:
- Cowon is pushing it a bit by touting the "movie player" capability. The screen, though crisp and bright, is too small for my 40-something eyes to make much video use of.
- The status display during playback shows a lot of info...perhaps too much for the (again) small screen to comfortably accommodate.
- The player is rated at 30mw per channel, which is twice the output of most other current-gen players. But the sound levels are not commensurately higher. This is especially important if you intend to plug to the auxiliary jack in your car. Most mp3's can't accommodate a healthy volume level when plugged in to normal car stereo. The U3 is the only player I've found adequate for this use, but I am ever so slightly disappointed that I couldn't eke more out of it w/ that 30mw rating. NOTE: If you set the EQ to something other than flat, the sound levels are significantly boosted and are closer to what you'd expect w/ this power rating.
- Battery can't be replaced. Not a problem for me, as I usually do a tech refresh (i.e., buy a new model) before the units die on me. But if you flog your gear until it drops, you will eventually find yourself charging after 2 hours of use, not the 20 that this thing handles when new.
But those are nits. In my mind, it's still a 5-star device...not because it's perfect, but because it's the most complete realization of the mp3 player category. (Hey, my dog drools on my passenger window, but he's still a 5-star doggie...the best pooch ever.)
Worth every penny of the price.
Summary of Cowon U3-4096BL iAudio U3 4GB MP3 Player with FM (Black)
Portable MP3 PlayerMP3 Players
Cameras and Photo
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