Cowon

Cowon is a Korean company . In the beginning it creates software multi-media Audio Jet, then it diversifies its activity in the walkmen called iAUDIO . Its leading products are the D2, the iAUDIO X5 and the Cowon A2/A3.

Software

Cowon conceived software such as Audio Jet, JetCast, JetToolBar and JetMailMonitor. These programs, which are provided with all the walkmen iAUDIO and are available to the remote loading free. They in particular make it possible to manage and read various types of files Multimédia.

Walkmen

Cowon produces the series of walkmen iAUDIO. They meet a reasonable success on the Korean market and in other countries of Asia. On the other hand, Cowon remained relatively unknown on the market of the the United States and Europe. The company is recognized for its consistent and regular software updates. Its old leading product, the iAUDIO m3, received more than 15 updates, even after the exit of X5. In general, the Cowon products are of very a good quality of manufacture and relatively reliable.

The models m3, M5 and X5 of the series of walkmans iAUDIO are equipped with disks hard whose capacities are spread out from 20 to 60 Go. It is possible there to store any types of files thanks to USB Mass Storage, compatible with all the modern operating systems, which makes it compatible at the same time with Microsoft Windows, GNU/Linux, Mac OS X, etc

Flash MP3

Cowon D2

Cowon D2 is the first touchscreen walkman of the mark. With its touchscreen of 2.5" , its good autonomy, its multiple supported audio formats, its featherweight and its audio quality are the points proposed for this walkman.

Moreover thanks to its slot SD and its compatibility with the charts SDHC, this D2 can reach a capacity of 40Go of memory flash with a chart SDHC of 32Go. In its last versions the Firmware of D2 integrates a reader Flash (V.7).

Characteristics of this mini PMP:

  • Size: 78.0 X 55.4 X 16.6 mm

  • Weight: 91gr (with the battery)
  • Capacity: Go 4/2/8 - Port SD (compatible SDHC)
  • Autonomy (theoretical):
- Music up to 52 H
- Video until 10:00
  • Time of load: 3.5 H with the charger - 7:00 with the USB
  • Screen: tactile of 2.5" 16 million colors (24bit) TFT-LCD: QVGA (320x240)
    • Audio
  • :
- Windows Standard Audio Media (.wma): ~256kbps, ~48khz, mono/stereo
- MP3 (.mp3): ~320kbps, ~48khz, mono/stereo
- OGG (.ogg): j~Q10, ~44.1khz, mono/stereo
- FLAC (.flac): Compression 0 ~ 8, ~44.1khz, mono/stereo
- WAV: ~48khz, 16bit, mono/stereo
- APE: to come via update from the firmware
  • Photo
- JPEG (.jpg): All resolutions supported with realignment automatique
    Video
  • :
- Resolution in 320x240 (QVGA), 30fps
- AVI (.avi), WMV (.wmv)
  • Radio operator FM:
- Frequencies: 76Mhz ~ 108Mhz, 87.5Mhz ~ 108Mhz
- Recording in WMA: 32~256kbps

iAUDIO U3

The iAUDIO U3 takes again the characteristics of X5, but in much more compact. Its screen is smaller, (160 X 128 pixels), but also allows the reading of video files.

iAUDIO U2

Walkman with Memory flash whose capacities extend from 512Mo with 2Go.

  • monochromic Screen LCD (128x64)

  • Audio Reading: MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV
  • Function dictaphone.
  • signal-to-noise Report/ratio: 95 dB
  • Interface: Microphonous USB 2.0
  • integrated.
  • Radio FM
  • List of reading
  • Firmware which can be updated
  • Equalizer
  • Autonomy of 20:00.
  • Dimension: 7.4x2.5x1.8 cm
  • Weight: 34.0g

HDD MP3

iAUDIO m3

It is about the first model of portable reader MP3 to hard drive of the firm. Its design is very simple and its size similar to that of the iPod. It does not have of an embarked screen, but a rétroéclairée monochromic remote control of 6 lines.

This model is declined in two versions:

  • standard m3, having of an hard drive of 20Go or 40Go and an announced endurance of approximately 14 hours.
  • the M3L, with an additional battery increasing the endurance up to 35 hours.

It supports many formats of sound files: MP3, WMA, Ogg, ASF, WAV and FLAC. It is possible to regulate the sound with the integrated equalisor 5 channels. In the last Firmware available, navigation is done by files and not by Tags ID3. It supports the lists of reading and the creation of dynamic lists of readings.

It can be used as Dictaphone thanks to its Microphone integrated. M3 allows also the reception of the Radio FM and the encoding in MP3 starting from its entry line. It is equipped with a Processeur Motorola ColdFire MCF5249.

iAUDIO M5

The iAUDIO M5 takes again the characteristics of m3, but has a monochromic screen rétroéclairé directly integrated on the body of the apparatus.

iAUDIO X5

The iAUDIO X5 takes again the characteristic of M5, but has of a color screen and a video function. It this declines in several models X5 (14h of autonomy) and X5L (35h of autonomy and 4mm thickness in more). The X5 version exists in 20Go, 30Go and 60Go (thickness equal to that of the version L). Version X5L exists it in 20Go and 30Go only. A version X5V with also made available, this dernère is deprived of radio operator FM for a reduced price. This reader received many prices such as the walkman of the year 2005 on GMP3

  • Screen 260.000 colors.

  • Audio Formats: Mp3, Ogg, Wma, Wav, FLAC
  • Video Formats: MPEG4, (usual compression Xvid).
  • Function USB Host (OTG) (the transfer of file starting from a peripheral USB like a numerical Camera or Clef USB allows)
  • UMS (Universal Media Storage) (Windows, Mac OS, Linux)
  • Radio international FM
  • an autonomy of 14:00 for the versions of bases and 35h for versions L.
  • up to date Mise possible of the firmware
  • Équaliseur, BBE, Mach3Bass, MP enhance, 3D Surround, Pan
  • Microphone
  • Telecommande (in option)
  • Station dock (in option)

PMP

Cowon A2

Cowon A2 is a portable multimedia player (or PMP for Portable Multi-media Player ).

  • Audio Format: MP3, WMA, WAV, MIDDAY, OGG, FLAC, MPC

  • Video Format: AVI, DivX (V 3,4,5,6 without options QPEL/GMC), XviD, WMV (V9), MPEG-1, ASF
  • Subtitles: SRT, SMI
  • Photo Format: JPEG, png, BMP (Diaporama with its, Zoom)
  • Creation of lists of reading to the flight (Without Safeguards)
  • Radio operator FM: 25 preset stations per automatic sweeping. (Recording of the emissions)
  • Screen 16/9e of 4 inches, resolution: 480 X 272 pixels (like Mobile AV500 DVR of Archos)
  • Audio Autonomy: 18 Hours
  • Video Autonomy: 10 Hours

Incompatibility Macrovision thus impossibility of directly copying the contents of certain DVD. It is not compatible with the files WMA DRM and WMV DRM (Cowon envisages an update). On the other hand, It is compatible with the files DivX DRM.

  • Hard drive Usable Via USB 2.0

  • Function video tape recorder allowing to record a Video source in ASF.
  • Function tape recorder allowing to record an audio source in MP3.
  • Good Qualities of Audio/video restitution.
  • Adjustments of the equalizer (Normal, Rock'n'roll, Jazz, Traditional, Pop, Voice, defined by the user)
  • Effects BBE, Mach3Bass and 3D Surround
  • clear video Images and sharp.

Cowon A3

Cowon A3 is the successor of A2, very near side design, he is it also with regard to his functionalities. The large innovation lies in the fact that it embarks a DaVinci chip manufactured by manufacturer T1 what should make a clear improvement for the video (see below the compatible formats). It should be available in France the 12/12/2007

Characteristic of A3:

  • This PMP offers a compatibility audio/video/photo impressive:
MP3, WMA (with DRM), OGG, FLAC, M4A, MKA, TTA, APE, WAV, MPC, WV, AC3
AVI (DivX, DivX DRM, Xvid), ASF, WMV, MPG, MP4, MPEG-4, M-JPEG, DAT, MKV, VOB, GMO, MTV (Video HD to 1280 X 720 px)
JPEG, BMP, png, GIF, TXT
  • a screen TFT LCD 16:9 (16M of colors, 4" (800x480 px))
  • a Hard drive of 30Go or 60Go,
  • an exit AV (Component, Composite, S-video)
  • a microphone
  • an external loudspeaker
  • the USB host 2.0
  • a tuner/recording FM
  • one line-in AV (video recording in MPEG4)
  • Function USB Host (OTG) (the transfer of file starting from a peripheral USB like a numerical Camera or Clef USB allows.)
  • a module DVB-T to reach the chains of the TNT (in option)
Its autonomy is 7:00 in video against 9:00 in audio
Its dimensions are of 133x78,5x22mm.

PMP/PDA

Cowon Q5W/Q5

This pmp/pda is a very promising product for the mark which should leave the 12/12/2007 .

Q5 embarks with him:

  • a touchscreen TFT LCD 16,7M of colors of 5" (800x480 px),
  • a processor AMD Alchemy AU1200 @ 500Mhz accompanied by 128Mo of SDRAM DDR2,
  • a Wifi connection and Bluetooth 2.0
  • a tuner/recording FM
  • an exit AV (Component, Composite),
  • a port USB host 2.0,
  • an external loudspeaker and of a microphone.

All this turning under Windows CE 5.0 Professional with an hard drive of 40 or 60Go.

  • It offers also large a compatibility of audio/video/photo formats to us:

MP3, WMA (with DRM), OGG, FLAC, APE, WAV, AC3, MPC
AVI (DivX, DivX DRM, Xvid), ASF, WMV, MPG, MP4, GMO, SMI
JPEG, BMP, PNG, RAW
FLV and TXT.

Its autonomy is 13:00 in audio against 7:00 in video and its dimensions are of 138,8x88,5x20mm for 380g.

See too

Internal bonds

External bonds

  • Site of the company Cowon
  • Cowon iAUDIO
  • Site of fans
  • iAUDIO m3
  • iAUDIO M5
  • iAUDIO X5
  • Cowon jetAudio Fansite
  • GenerationMP3

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