Customer Reviews

COWON Q5W-40DN 40GB Dark Navy

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The specs
5" touchscreen with 16 million colors. Plays a wider variety of audio and video formats than anything else on the market. Wireless. Bluetooth. USB Host. FM radio. Voice recording. Text and photo viewer. Read more at
[...]
So is the Cowon Q5w as impressive as it sounds? Let's see.
Build Quality
The Q5 is hewn from heavy and I mean heavy weight steel. With a 5-inch screen it comes across as big and heavy. It will fit in a jacket pocket but certainly not a jeans pocket. Nor is it meant to. The quality of the build is superb, solid and beautiful in a minimal sort of way. The screen doesn't scratch easily although screen protectors are highly advised.
Software and Interface
It's a touch screen with just buttons for volume and power on the outside rim.
The q5 has two distinct interfaces- Cowon's interface, which is a series of icons on the left side that act as a top menu and a corresponding series of icons on the right side that act as submenus to the selected left side menu.
Dig a little deeper and you'll find that the Cowon interface is built on top on Windows CE- to be specific Windows Embedded CE 5.0- total size about 70mb, total license cost, $[...].
What CE brings to the table is set of core functionality that is far easier than a linux based system to build off. It also allows for a fair amount of user customization.
The Cowon interface has a slight learning curve, not being that intuitive. However once you get used to it, it is peppy and responsive.
The windows interface is, well, windows, so it should be familiar to most. The problem here was that it didn't recognize taps on the touchscreen very well, even after recalibration. When the fw/sw was upgraded to 1.43 this issue vanished. I'll return to this in my conclusion.
The Cowon software has a fair amount of depth to it and a myriad of power-saving/skin options.
Video and Audio Quality
I rip all my music and videos at the close to the highest available quality settings. My music is 256 mp3 or flac. And my videos are at least 480X272. I use quality headphones
In that context, let me say this once. Nothing on the market rivals the Cowon Q5w's sound quality. Nothing rivals its video quality. The sound is wide, punchy and rich. The video, on the device at least, looks like it's HD with no stutter whatsoever.
And that's all I have to say about that!
Other
There's a lot more the q5 does. Wireless and Bluetooth. Web-browsing. TV out. FM radio. WordPad. Text and photo viewer. Flash Player. Audio recording. USB host. Remote Control
The wireless works okay. It is really good at finding networks in range. When its connected to a good strong signal, web browsing works well, the web pages look great. The range itself is okay but not great.
TV-out: The TV out was solid but that's all. Experimentation will be needed here. The q5 outputs rgb and component and, with an adapter, svideo. It outputs a full screen in fairly normal resolution- nowhere near HD. The sound output from the movie I tested was in booming 5.1 surround.
The remote control does its job extremely well.
Audio recording is adequate.
The flash player allows games and browsing of flash-enabled web sites. I browsed several flash-enabled web sites without a hitch.
Photos, as expected, looked great.
I had mixed results with the usb port\ host. It didn't recognize my Canon D450. I was able to plug in my mouse and use it perfectly.
FM radio and Bluetooth were not tested.
Conclusion:
The fact that the touch screen had initial problems has caused several bad/mediocre reviews already. It should have been fixed before it was released. That said, kudos to Cowon for fixing it so quickly. The other factor that `s contributed to the bad reviews is the fact that it's built on Embedded Windows CE and people seem to hate that idea. They think it's bloated and expensive. The truth is it's neither.
The Q5w has a slight learning curve. Does that scare you? Could the UI have been better? Yes. Could linux have been used as the OS? Yes. Does WinCe do what it needs to do for this player? Yes. Are there a few areas that need improvement? Yes. The wireless could have better range. The USB host needs to work with more camera. Is it overpriced? Yes. By about $[...] to $[...]. Although it's already dropped at a couple of places. Quality costs.
So, finally, I pose this question. Does anyone buy PMPs anymore for the quality of their main function? Or is it caché, add-ons, web tie-ins that carry the day?
I don't think this is the right device for your mother and your mother's purse or for your girlfriend who wants lime green to match her earrings. That is, unless your mother/girlfriend loves to be blown away by the quality of Chopin she's listening to or your girlfriend likes to able to pick out every note in Duff's snaking bass line. Or they both dig the near three-dimensional clarity of ships passing overhead in Riddick.
The Cowon q5w has a better build quality than any PMP I've yet to see. The bottom line is that it is a superb, unrivaled video and audio player. Seriously.
There's a gps cradle on the way by Christmas time and an upgrade to the OS that includes an office viewer.
A case and screen protectors are on sale now at jetmall.net.

I did a lot of research on this PMP prior to making my purchase.
We recently brought a Archos 604 for out son. It is a very nice pmp also, but I wanted to really push the envelope as far as what I could get out of a device of equal size.
My biggest worry with purchasing this pmp was that there was not a lot of user reviews on Amazon, and the ones I saw on other websites appeared to be of pre-release models that had not had the bugs worked out yet.
I read and re-read the reviews that were out there, and the more I read the more this appeared to be the device for me even if it has some flaws. I held my breath crossed my fingers and finally took the plung.............
and I so glad I did! This thing is amazing in so many ways. First let me say up front that I am a Techie, it's my job, and hobby.
With that said this pmp is not for everyone, you will have to make some adjustments to it right out of the box such as a firmware and apps update which you can download from the manufactures website.
Long story short if you have the nerves,patients, and skills to deal with this pmp, you will not be disappointed.
The sound quality of everything you put into this thing is improved on play back. I consider my ear to be pretty good, and this player has blown my socks off when playing music that I have had and listened to for a long time on various mp3s and sound systems. I'm hearing sounds in the music that I never knew was there.
I will play just about any type of file you put into it, and play it well.
The UI is not the greatest, but since I have dealt with pocket pc in the past I am use to the adjustments that have to be made to make this work the way that I want.
Others on the web have covered the other specs on this pmp, and I just wanted to add my two cents.
Before closing I want to say that this item arrived quickly, and when I was getting gadget fever I contacted Jetaudio via instant chat on their website they quickly told me the status of my order and the sales person was very polite.
In closing this pmp is not perfect but it is very close.
Just my humble opinion.

Hope this helps others,now back to my Q5W.

Don't waste your money in it if you want WiFi working properly. Don't waste your money if you want a gadget with touch screen usability. This one claims to have touch screen, but it is not working properly, even after several firmware upgrades. I wouldn't recommend it.

When I bought this I wanted something that could play videos and music and browse the web. I did not ask for extra and so the extra was a pleasant surprise, if a little depressing at times. The music player is wonderful if you have an ounce of ingenuity with which to make your own playlists with. The video player has some quirks like supporting wmv and avi but not many forms of mpg, but at this point we're all used to optimizing our videos for our players. The web browser is out of date......I mean that when I visit websites they tell me that my browser isn't supported any more and that I need to update, the problem is that programs on win CE aren't the win32 that I've been used to for years. Doubtless I'll find and update to the browser and flash player eventually though. There are a few neat features and a few sorta dumb ones, I have yet to make the FM radio work, but maybe its just where I live (a suburb).

All in all, if you're looking for an interesting media player, this is it. But if it's a good PDA you're after, don't even think about buying this POS.

so i have been looking to get a cowon Q5W for years now, and only recently have i decided to spend enough money to get it. the previous player i had was a A3 and although it had great codec support, the screen, and hardrive broke on it after an accident.

the only major issue i can see with the cowon Q5W is i have to question it's support anymore. if you look on most of the sites that the jet mall has as resellers, you will find that many no longer carry it. there are a few outdated sites still selling them at the original price on release (500 US$, which is crazy) but the only other option is amazon or ebay.

so for the past month i have been extensively testing it and i have to say it is an amazingly stable platform. i am surprised cowon does not make ANYTHING similar to it anymore. there newest model the S9 is a touch screen, but it is based on flash storage instead of hard drives like the Q5W. over all the Q5W has more features and a bigger display than anything that cowon currently offers, and still remains at the top of the game even though it may not be supported any more.

now then, on to the features. the cowon Q5W has a wide range of codec support, not quite as large as the A3, but still very very large. and like all cowon products, they are ahead of the game in what NEEDS to be in a PMP, such as the ability to export video to a TV or other display device. all cables to do anything that the Q5W can do are included, the only thing not included is a headset microphone combo that fits into a single jack.

the screen has a very nice quality, and the touch sensitivity is also rather nice. one problem i can see with the touch screen though, is that unless you have small fingers, it could be hard to operate the media list to select what you want to play. it is highly recommended that you use the stylus to operate it. besides the screen, the cowon Q5W also has a very nice OS design, although it is not really a OS, but rather a application that runs over windows CE 5.0, it is still nicely designed. if you care to write your own applications for it, that is possible. you will need to be able to know how to work with the windows CE 5.0 environment though.

another really nice feature of the Q5W is it's wireless capability. although it can connect to the internet through wifi, and when it is connected it even has the capability for flash (to a point) the major issue here is the connection method is a bit confusing. choosing the encryption type, and scanning / connecting to wireless access points is a bit annoying compared to desktop and other mobile device interfaces. but besides that the receiver is pretty good, and comparable to the PSP.

the built in speakers are about the highest quality you can get for tiny speakers in a mobile device, but if you really are using this thing seriously, you will plug in some headphones.

I actualy own the 60 gig model but wanted to warn others on the 40 gig model also
The date is 12-12-09 And Still no firmware updates for The USA model users so
no fixes for the glitchy software that controls the consumption of the battery or
it's weak Wi-fi complete joke their last update was Sept 2008 they don't even list this model
on their own website anymore while much older ones are still listed. Korean model updated 4
times while us none. You have been warned find a Cowon A3 if you can great model just see my review
on it.


Cowon Q5W BATTERY LIFE BEWARE, June 6, 2009


This is now my third cowon unit see my other review for The Cowon A3 review. I have owned this unit for now a little over 90 days.

Pros
Like everyone says beautiful picture can even read subtitles, very good sound and lots of storage. Remote control very nice when hooked up to my entertainment system. One plug end to hook up to Tv and entertainment system also nice can choose between Svideo or Component video and also choose between analog sound hook up or finally a digital coaxial for sound (5.1). Looks great plugged in to the TV and sounds very good on my home theater system. Picture viewer nice also and can do slide shows comic book read view ect. ect. interface for control is OK not bad but not great either finger control can be used for main functions but for secondary like video selection on the bar or double tapping on the Microsoft CE system spotty at best. Stencil control is usually 90-95% this only applies to double tapping otherwise 100% good.

CONS
Horrible battery life don't even think about getting even close to 7 hours of video or 12 hours of music. Try Between 3 1/2 to 5 hours of video at best most people I see reviews on settle on about 4 to 4 1/2. Mp3 time varies between 6 1/2 to maybe 9 if you are one of the lucky ones.
Most probable reason for this shortened battery life is two factors one the software/Firmware combined with the excessive heat this will build up after using it for a couple of hours straight causing the CPU to work harder thus burning up more energy. Sometimes after listing to music with screen off of course, for 3 to 4hrs my system will crash when trying to switch tasks like to main screen or picture viewer for instance quick pop sound and poof its off. Firmware updates if you have the American version good luck none since sept 2008 Korean version 3 major updates since that time Ps can't use theirs either because incompatible because of they have live tv while we have WIFI trust me I have tried. So a firmware may or may not take care of this problem but we may never no since we don't seem to get the updates.
Customer service from their company HA HA HA HA just review some of the so called help from their own company's community board. Think about it they won't even give you a phone # just instant chat Ps look at their return/ repair policy they do their best not to help and to make it difficult as possible ps you pay shipping to get it there.
Wifi is an absolute joke harder than heck to get on even when 2 feet from my tower and a 50 to 60 foot range when you finally do get on and the speed just watch that snail pass you buy fortunately I don't care about this not the reason I bought it but others should know in case this is important to you

Pro/Con
Video Codec support still better than anyone else BUT.... No MKV like on their A3 model WHY???? also does not support AC3 2.64 audio so no real point to the digital Sound cable if it can't read hi def audio LAME.
But it still does AVI,OGM and you can get mkv support thru third party but you will have to do a Hacked version of that software to load it on to the system don't believe the third party seller it will install on your windows wince device it WILL NOT but you can and heres how. I did this only thanks to the company's CUSTOMER support forum no not the company's reps but their customers helping out customers and giving reviews and advice. You will find them to be more knowledgeable and helpful 75% the time over their own reps this does not just apply to the aftermarket stuff but everything. Cowon should have just included the MKV support from the start just like the A3 model.

Summary Despite the beautiful screen and good sound and the ability to hook directly to Tv or Entertainment center this will be my LAST Cowon. I will take my chances sometime in the futrue with The Archos Android estimated release date some time June to July 2009. or hopefully another manufacture who is willing to step up to the plate who has a better customer service record and more solid name behind the product who will give us MKV & Avi support along with the high tech and high end features that many of us crave coupled with a good promised battery life they will stand behind.

Overall star rating 2 1/2 to 3 until they fix the issues if they do I will update.

Thank you for reading this, You have been warned.

I ordered the Cowon Q5 from Jet Audio, from the moment I placed the ordered they helped me with any questions I had. The item arrived when they said it would, but unfortunately it ws defective it was very easy to contact them and they issued a refund with no problem. They were very apologetic and extremely helpful, I would defenitely purchase from them again.

THE BATTERY GETS WAAY TOO HOT!!
When I bought the Cowon Q5w, I was excited. I couldn't wait for my wifi and bluetooth enabled pmp that no one else has. My aspirations of an excellent pmp then faded. Sadly but truly, there is no video input where you can record at all (I'm not sure if you can with the GPS cradle in use though). The bluetooth capability is practically useless when the only think that you can use is bluetooth headphones with the device (I at first thought that maybe you could connect to phones and transfer files). Another disappoinment, although minor, is the wifi capability since some times it works, but other times it doesn't. It is also very difficult to find games that are compatible with the windows CE 5.0, so far I haven't found any yet. Another downfall is the heat of the battery that is emitted after long use, or even short use. After 30 minutes of use, the Q5 gets hot very quickly. After 4 hours it was VERY hot, and the battery life is only about 7 hours for video. I returned it because it got so hot after 7 hours that the top part of the metal casing MELTED... Another downfall is the size of it. It fits in your pocket, but I guarantee you that you won't be putting this thing in your pocket after you see how hot it gets. This pmp is DEFINITELY not worth the money at all, and should be priced under $400. The only thing that was so good about the q5 was that the video output and audio were so crisp and colorful that it was probably one of the best quality pmp's that I've ever used, not to mention it has a 5 inch touchscreen. All in all, this is a great player if you are on the road a lot or always traveling. If you have heard that this pmp is a gadget warehouse, then you heard wrong. You don't really use the bluetooth or the wifi or the wince 5.0 operating system. The only thing I have used it for is watching movies and playing solitaire. If what you're looking for is a good solid pmp that has better battery life and good video quality, save your money and get a D2, which is so far the best pmp/mp3 player that I have ever used in my life. The Cowon Q5w is not a keeper for the average or even the advanced users.

I've had a Cowon A2 before this one, and I am really disappointed in it.
First of all, it is much slower to boot and be "ready to play" than the A2. The Windows CE sucks, the touchscreen is not even close to useful when using it with the finger, and even with the stylus it is not that sharp.

Video output on the Q5 is slightly better than the A2 through the Component video cables.

Audio quality is good, and also it supports divx, but so does the A2.

The cons about the A2 compared to the Q5 would be the joystick style browsing, but you get used to it, and if you wanna use it to watch mostly video, then you dont need to browse as much.

The recording option is another thing that I miss. Overall, I would recommend you get an A3 as opposed to this one.

The sound quality is great (better than my PC).
Windows CE is a very poor OS, but the Q5 is not designed to be a PDA: it is one of the best PMP ever.