Customer Reviews

Cowon D2 4GB Portable Media Player (White)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This player is a very solidly constructed mp3 player (the weighty feel confirms this even though the unit is not that heavy) that has great sound, good interface, and a good mix of features and EQ settings for the price.

The battery life is stated at 52 hours music and 10 hours video, and this was confirmed by my research at CNet's review, who clocked in at 51 hours and a few minutes and roughly 9.5 hours of video time. I can say from practical use of this product that I do not worry about battery life like I did with my Samsung mp3 player, although that was hard drive-based.

The touch screen interface is a little gimmicky in my opinion, more of a "wow" factor. However, when looking at the overall design, the touch screen does help in enlarging the screen size, with all the other buttons on the top of the unit. The interface is fast and responsive, very important for mp3 players and for me since I'm always on the go. Its possible to operate this unit single handedly like iPods.

The quality of the screen is very nice, very clear text, although they are quite small sometimes. I've had to squint a few times to see what I was pressing while on the run. Don't let this be a turnoff though, since the video quality was nice when being played back (so far I have only viewed the promo video that came with the unit, none of my own clips).

Sound quality is top notch, and EQ settings can be individually changed, however, beware the radio. I have heard some problems with people receiving poor feedback through the radio feature (Cowon America's product forums), and personally have heard some occasional static when walking around the city.

The transferring of music went by quickly, and can be done with USB going through Windows Explorer. No need for specialized software that needs to integrate with the player. The ability to sync with specialized software is available, although I have never tried it.

Overall very impressed with the player. Forget the stylus, it doesn't really help keep my unit standing, not that I'd need to anyways.

<<This review is subject to edits, as I continue to use the player, its only the first week that I've had this unit>>

Great sound, excellent quality screen for video, amazing battery life, and straight forward touch screen (note my five stars)

However, things to be aware of: Almost all videos must be coverted to specific resolution .avi file before they can play, which can be time consuming. My P4 at 3GHz converts at ~ 2.5x speed (1h movie takes ~ 25min to convert)

The touch screen is easily damaged, not quite Ipod nano sensative, but ABSOLUTELY buy a protective screen cover or a case. Scratches will dull the video experience (learned the hard way)

The on-screen text looks like 4 or 5 point font, including the text file reader. Reading the screen takes some effort.

TV out only plays in the player's resolution and is fairly pixilated on a large screen.

Skip the "stylus", don't buy the automobile mount.

Bottom Line: My favorite toy, incredible bang for buck. Strongly recommend it. However... now that the Cowon Q5 is on the horizon, what's a nerd to do?

I got myself one of these for Christmas, to use while working out. I'm a Linux-only kind of guy. Transferring files was no problem at all, since it just presents itself as a USB storage device same as a thumb drive, but it took me a while to figure out how to convert video for it (especially how to get the audio and video sync'ed properly). This is apparently a common and much-discussed problem; the d2-convert script that's out there on the web seems to do a good job for both DVD content and avi/mp4 stuff I've downloaded from the web. A little more flexibility or at least better documentation would be a big plus here; that cost them half a star.

Since figuring out how to get video onto it, my experience with the device has been very pleasant. The screen is simply beautiful, the sound is good, the battery life is excellent, the interface is intuitive (though it does often seem to require a tap or two more than it should). However, Cowon does lose another half-star because yesterday the unit appeared totally dead for no apparent reason. It didn't respond to power-on, or to connecting via USB to my computer (which normally results in the screen waking up to tell you you're connected). The reason this only cost them half a star is that I was able to find the solution pretty quickly on Cowon's web site; there's a reset button between the power and USB ports which, if pressed with a paper clip, puts the unit back into its normal power-off state. Voila, my little companion was back. While it would be better if such things never happened, the fact that it was easily solved kept it from being a disaster.

The reason for my review title is that I believe the D2 is only a firmware/documentation update or two away from being darn near perfect. If I were designing a device in this category at this price point, this - with the couple of changes already noted - would be it. This is the second Cowon device I've owned, BTW (the other's a G3). They might not be the most familiar name in the business, but because of these experiences I've come to think they're one of the best.

Pros: Sound quality, battery life, touchscreen, screen, size, loads of features, design, drag & drop files, expandable memory
Cons: Touchscreen, max internal capacity is 4G, small text, lack of customization, lack of accessories

I was going to either get this or the iRiver Clix2 but ultimately decided on the D2 for a number of reasons. First, the sound quality is awesome, and so is the output. I think it pumps out 74mW of power which is more than most players, if not all. Cowon is known to have the best sound quality and this one does not disappoint. Second, is the battery life (52 hrs), which is rated almost twice as long as the Clix2. I listen to my player every weekday during my commute and while in the office and I only charge this baby once a week.

I wasn't too excited about the touchscreen at first because I preferred tactile buttons and I knew the screen was always going to get dirty. But, the touchscreen is actually quite functional and easy to use. You just need a screen protector to prevent scratches. Navigation is ok. It looks like the Clix2 might win in this category but I found browsing through the files and menus to be quite simple and relatively quick. I don't have too many complaints about this because I think it's one of the best players out there. The video quality is clean and smooth, pictures are sharp, and the design is very attractive. For me it all came down to SOUND QUALITY and BATTERY LIFE. I don't think there's anything available right now that can beat it.

If you're looking for a brighter screen, easier navigation with no touchscreen, and battery life isn't a big deal, then iRiver Clix2 might be the way to go. But, if battery and sound quality is just as important to you as it is to me, then there's no other choice.

OK -I am not so much of a techie-- what I am is a librarian trying desperately to keep up on my reading -- by 'reading' audiobooks. I have a Mac at home and a PC at work and this little player allows me to download books from both Audible and NetLibrary (not Mac friendly). It has a great bookmarking feature. Took me a bit to understand the process of updating the firmware, dowloading and transferring book files, but now it is a snap. I have 'read' at least 8 books over the past 3 weeks since I purchased this. Coupled with the iRiver FM transmitter I bought this makes my 50 minute commute a dream, and a much better use of my time in the car. Additionally, I think the sound on this Cowon rivals my ipod, and the video and pix I have added look fabulous on this player.I love the fact that it also has FM radio capability. I say- don't let the unfamiliar name throw you -- this is a great little product.

Buying an 4gb SD card made this an awesome player. Very portable and convenient to run with. Love the touchscreen but also how you can operate the player "no look" while on hold. People love asking me about the D2 so if you want an eye catching device this is it. The player was very easy for me to use even though it may look confusing at first. The battery life is awesome and lasted me an entire week without having to charge. Sound quality was excellent and has many options to customize. NEED to have screen protector.

This is for all of you who would compare this to the omnipresent iPod - It's NOT an iPod. It's something beyond said Mp3 player.
To decide if you need this product, you need to look at your own self. How do you like your music? If you like your tunes laden with DRM, presented in auto-generated playlists, and you let a program called iTunes run amok on your computer, whisking away your music files from where YOU put them and tossing them in some folder you can't access directly, then save yourself the pain and go get an iPod. You won't have to deal with a lot, just a player that is compatible with a paltry 3-4 audio & video formats, has no radio, no expandable memory, no software expandability and so on...

BUT...

If you are like me, someone who refuses to go with the mindless masses, and has his own way of dealing with a 30 gigabyte music collection, listens to Uncompressed FLAC and OGG audio, and demands the best audio quality available from any Mp3 player, you'll understand the raison d'etre for the Cowon D2. Sure, the interface is not as smooth and polished as the iPod's and there are a few quirks in the D2, such as a wanton shuffle mode, but the sound of the music flowing into your ears will drown out all that noise.

More importantly, everyone else has an iPod. Why be a sheep?

At first, i had doubts about the media player because i have never heard the name "Cowon" before(And it was a present for my boyfriend, so i wanted it to, well, not allow it to be a load of "garbage" as one might say.) After reading the other reviews, i decided to take my chances...And i must say, that i am proud that i got it :D The sound was amazing, although the F.M. radio can have a bit of a static, ( but everything would be fine under the right connections)
The only thing that i disliked about this media player is that it does not have speakers, and the pen was put out badly (The pen was the size of approximately the size of a dollar coin, and triangular in size, with no slot to store it in) On the other hand, it IS touchscreen so the pen was optional to use.
Overall the media player was a great buy, and my boyfriend loved it.He said that he was about to get something similar from SAMSUNG before.The Samsung cost more, and had less features.After getting it for him, i have to admit i got a bit jealous, and am considering on getting one myself =]
Another BIG PRO would be the battery life... 50 HOURS?!?! lols that is great for people that forget to charge their electronics once every few times.The visuals on the screen is also amazing, along with everything else. Long story short, i baught the Cowon D2 4 GB Portable media player (Black) for my boyfriend, and it was a great buy :)

I'm really quite happy with my Cowon D2. I chose it because its one of the only players that can play FLAC files (perfect lossless compression), and because it can record from both a mic and a line-in.

It does everything really well. Recording quality using the line-in is excellent, and general sound quality has got to be the best or one of the best that there is out there.

There are also many downloadable themes on the net that can totally change the look and feel of its interface (I have mine set up to look like an ipod touch), and the Cowon keeps coming out with new firmware releases that add new features.

Its a good buy. I got one, and added a 16gb card to it, so I have plenty of room for all my music.

I have four of Cowon's products. A 60 gig 2 30 gig and this D2. I will make this very short! As for the sound (What else matters!); the best of all MP3 players. the ease of transferring misic, photos, etc; the best of all MP3 players.reception; As good as any. The durability;
I have dropped the D2 a few times and there was no damage. Oh yes, the photos I have transferred to the D2; I can see the clearly even without my glasses. One last comment. If you want to go for drag and drop, go for it!