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40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Ace of Music and Video, December 29, 2008
While the ipod Touch has wifi and games, its audio and video quality are mediocre. If you sincerely care about your music and videos, the Cowon S9 is superb at bringing out the best of both. Cowon's legendary sound quality is as one would expect from its latest media player, but the AMOLED screen is what made me decide to purchase this over the itouch. It is 1000x more responsive than LCD and has 10,000 to 1 contrast ratio improvement, making watching videos on this thing quite amazing. Everything is very sharp and high quality videos don't blur in movement. Best of all, there's no need to spend six or seven hours converting a 2 hour movie if it's in AVI or WMV, so it's much easier to enjoy videos. If you're more into music, the S9 supports FLAC and OGG for audiophiles, allowing you to enjoy your music the way it was meant to be listened to.
The UI is not THAT clumbsy. It's not as crystal smooth as the touch, but it's much better than a lot of touchscreens IMO. The UI takes some getting used to, but once you know all the shortcuts, you'll be handling it like a pro, easily getting to where you want to go. With a dual core 500mhz processor, it's more than capable of handling whatever you throw at it, so that's not what's causing the occasional lag, but rather some firmware bugs that will likely be resolved quickly.
Cowon loves the S9 and will be sure to improve it even further than it is now so that everyone can enjoy it. Already people are customizing the interface to how they see fit and soon programmers will fix issues and offer alternatives, so there's no reason not to buy the S9 if you're afraid of its interface being faulty.
The itouch is the jack of all trades, but the S9 is truly the ace of music and video performance. If you're looking for quality over quantity, the S9 is sure to please. If you find the lack of uselessly abundant features a turn off, then feel free to try something else.
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70 of 80 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cowon S9 Review, February 23, 2009
As I chilled on my sofa playing my PSP,
a knock on the door caused me to jump up with glee.
As I opened the door, there stood the UPS man,
standing there with a tantalizing package inside his hand.
While outside, I signed happily with a smile on my face,
Gave me the package and then I went back inside my place.
As I set the package on the floor, opening it carefully with a knife,
The phone rang, yet I ignored it... hopefully it wasn't my wife.
After rummaging through the peanuts, what do I see in the corner of my eye,
The very item I've been waiting for, a smaller box holding my long awaited prize.
Tore the box apart and there it was, there was the Cowon S9,
As I held it in my hands, I whispered, "You're finally mine!"
Alright enough of this long nursery rhyme,
it's time to delve into my review of the Cowon S9.
The Cowon S9 has been called THE best MP3 player on the market (at least by non-apple users) and rightfully so. It's specs pretty much speak for themselves but let's look at the highlights.
- 55 hours for Audio, 11 hours for Video (That's freakin long)
- AMOLED Screen (LCD, you are doomed)
- Cowon Sound Quality (Best of the Best, cream of the crop)
- G-Sensor (disabled on Music but great for video)
- BBE+ (sound enhancements "better" than other Cowon players)
- Flash UI (very customizable, user created content already available)
- Sleek design (Curved, somewhat light weight, lots of buttons)
As MC Hammer's songs would put... Let's "break it down!"
Sleek design
After seeing the device in so many pics and in people's hand via videos, I thought this thing was going to be big... like Zune big (like the original Zunes, I know there is a few of us who've owned, previously owned, or seen one). After getting my S9, I've realized one thing about its size, I needed to chuck that Zune size thinking out the window (*Sound of a window breaking*, *Car Crashing noise*). This thing is really small, a pretty good portable size actually. It's 4 Inches long, about 2 and a half inches wide, and a half a inch thick, for those who were wondering (tape measure wise).
The device is curved but rests easy on its back and in your hands. I did grab the Titanium color because I know the device will get fingerprints on its screen but it wouldn't show up too badly on the back and sides as much. I know it would look far worse on the Chrome color in my opinion, as fingerprints would show up everywhere with no hassle.
Now the exterior is made out of plastic and I know people are groaning by now (*"AAAAWWWWW"*) but when you hold it yourself, you get over it pretty quickly. The back does feel like it's made of plastic but it has a very smooth finish feel to it. The sides of the S9 are a different story as I know both of the sides are made out of plastic but it sure doesn't feel like it, it feels a little bit cool to the touch like metal and taping it with your fingernail sounds just like metal as well (unlike the back of the S9, which tapping on it sounds like plastic). Some people have said the screen on the front of the S9 is made out of plastic but it has been mentioned it is glass from numerous sites (Gorilla Glass actually). I did do a test though, I... put my S9 in my pocket with... my keys (only for a little bit mind you). There was not a scratch on the S9, my D2 wasn't so lucky when I put it with my keys (I didn't know better at the time). So if it's a plastic screen like the D2... it's some pretty tough plastic. Also, the Cowon S9 has a capacitive touch screen, so a stylus isn't even needed (the D2 did have a stylus because it had a resistive touch screen), all you need is your smooth finger (not a dirty one, go wash your hands!)
The buttons on the device are pretty self explanatory and placed *somewhat* in good places (huh, I'll get to that later). I had the D2 as my first Cowon device and will say the S9 has a lot more buttons this time around when it comes to Cowon's recent MP3 line. There are five on the top; Play/Pause, Volume Up, Volume down, previous track, next track. Now these are multifunctional and even though they were meant for your music, it also can navigate the menus within the device. The play/pause button is kinda unique as I've never seen a device do it like the S9. If you've seen the pics, it's that middle silver button near the top and... Oh hey Donald Bell from CNET, I was just about to... what are you doing... IT'S NOT A STYLUS YOU IDIOT! Get out of here! (*Sound of smashing dishes*)*Cough*As I was saying, the silver button on the top is curved and slides easily when you press it to play or pause your sound (also when depressed it for a few seconds, it will take you back to the main menu *Thanks pseudohippy*). There's even a >/II stamp on the back of the S9 underneath the play/pause button so morons like Donald Bell can see that it's not a stylus (The S9 doesn't even need one).
The bottom of the player consists of the power on/off and hold switch on the right, headphone jack in the middle, and the USB (20-pin) plug on the left. Alright... I'm going to put this out there as my first negative in this review... why is the headphone jack in the middle. So there's no misunderstanding, I can live with it being there (in that way) but I raise my hands up and ask Cowon... "WHY"? (*"Why" Echoing in a cave*) Maybe it's because I've dealt with many mp3 players in my life that has the headphone on the far right or far left. I know the D2 has the headphone jack on the far left because I've owned one, so maybe that's why I'm criticizing it... I'm just not use to having the headphone jack in the middle. It also doesn't help when you're laying it down while it's charging or transferring music that the headphone jack get's somewhat blocked because of the cover for the usb jack. You can move it down a bit of course but you have to do it almost everytime. Not too much of a big negative but I thought I'd bring up one I've found so far.
Let's jump to weight; I'm not that big... I weigh just... Wait, we're talking about the Cowon S9 here. After seeing some... Questionable reviews (oh I'm looking at you CNET), I was afraid the device was going to be so light that it either felt like a toy or was as light as a feather, flimsy if you will. I'm here to tell you that the Cowon S9 carries a bit of weight (maybe it ate a bit of cake). This thing is lightweight, but still is heavy enough not to have your pinky picking it up easily. It carries a bit of weight, maybe the same amount as a D2 (I'm sure owners of that will understand what I mean about weight better). No it's not as heavy as a brick but it isn't light as air either. It's more of a middle ground, not too light, not too heavy, which I like. I prefer a MP3 player that doesn't feel like I bought at Toys R US but also not like I grabbed a large stone from the front yard.
Pros+: Sleek Design, lots of buttons that are also multifunctional, love the play/pause button, REAL scratch resistant screen, solid construction, not too heavy/not too light- I like it!
Negatives-: Headphone jack could be in a better place than in the middle, Headphone jack can be possibly blocked
G-Sensor
The G-Sensor is pretty cool, glad Cowon grabbed it. Sorta acts like the ... ooohhhh, you almost got me to say that four letter word ($%^&)! The G-sensor works best while you are watching your favorite Movies, TV Shows, Anime (yep, I said it), and even trailers! You can watch your movie vertical but when you turn the player it goes horizontal, it's... pretty cool (Someone slap me, why do I keep saying that *SLAP*). Pictures are pretty much the same way but you can do this in 360 degree fashion. Right side up, side-ways, upside down, sideways again, I was having fun for a bit. The G-Sensors Cool factor got killed when I got to music though. I'd be listening to my music, enjoying the big album art and with one slight turn of the S9 and BAM (*sucker punched in the face!*), Coverflow. Good thing you can disable the G-Sensor now in Music mode cause that would have been quite annoying and added as a negative in this review, good thing Cowon was listening.
Now if only Cowon was listening about making the G-Sensor getting implemented in the Text Viewer or Flash (games). I'm a person that likes to read ebooks but it would be really cool If I could read them in widescreen mode. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks this (hopefully). Now imagine if the G-Sensor was used for some Flash games like the ... ooohhhh, you almost got me to say that four letter word again (#&%@)! Cowon needs to pop some G-sensor games on this baby to maybe make it a bit more interesting when we are playing the Flash. At least allow it so that some games that use widescreen formats can be used like that, widescreen (sideways).That way they aren't being cut in places. The G-Sensor is still pretty cool though... somebody shoot me, that's the third time I've said th... (*BANG!*)
Pros+: Used very well in Pictures, Movies, glad Cowon gave us an option to turn it off in Music mode
Negatives-: Wish it was implemented in Text Viewer or Flash (Games)
AMOLED Screen
First thing I noticed when I first turned on my Cowon S9... the AMOLED screen. Sorry... is that drool on my keyboard, I need to stop staring at the Cowon S9 sometimes. This is going to be a hard section to go over... I don't know if I have the words to explain how beautiful this screen looks. My jaw literally dropped when I saw even the sample pictures and movies (Cowon provided) on the screen. The color was so vibrant, so rich, so eye popping that I could swear up and down that I was looking at the real thing. The screen was so sharp; it stabbed me in the eyes...
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38 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting new player with potential, December 23, 2008
This review is for Cowon S9 16gb with 2.09 firmware - note that future firmware upgrades *may* change what I write here! I will also not comment on sound quality as it is entirely subjective (and depends on headphones).
The slim curved form of the player sure has gotten lots of hype - not undeserving - it feels great in the palm of my hand. The materials (though plastic) have good solid feel to them, as is the glass screen. Titanium color looks great and understated. There are however several issues: due to its curve, its thicker than lets say a P2, thus if you place it on an edge (of a stationary bike, etc) it is less stable. It is also impossible to operate the touch screen while the player is on a flat surface - it rocks back and forth. I actually prefer P2's form factor (though not its crappy build).
The touch interface is very nice - much better than P2, however the glass does not feel as smooth as I expect(maybe some scratch-resistant surface cover on it). Touch UI misfires sometimes, but overall it is acceptable. It is of course awesome that Cowon included hard buttons for all major operations of the player (volume, rev/ffw, pause/play, hold) - its awesome in the gym. Unfortunately the hold/power button is in a terrible position - right next to the phones jack - and if phones are plugged in, it is hard to access the power toggle at times (depends on the plug I guess).
The User Interface is mixed ... the music library browser is excellent, as is ability to zoom in almost any screen. However, I do not think Cowon used an actual usability designer - for example, when playing a track if I want to go back to list of artists, I have to press a soft-button on top left, then another button on bottom left (thus making it very hard to do this one-handed). Curiously there are NO customizations of the interface - NONE! Cannot even set a background! There are two sets of icons you can pick for the main interface that bounce into the main menu - but that bounce gets old real fast yet cannot be turned off. Note - there are now multiple themes available for download (not from Cowon - but from the user community) to address Cowon's shortcomings.
Playback is very good - we have access to file info (bit rate, file type), nice display of album art, and easy navigation. What is truly awesome is a 'bookmarking' feature that not only remembers your place in the file, but also pulls in entire playlist (which is great for mp3-based audiobooks). Unfortunately no dynamic playlists are available (only a single 'Favorites' list). There is also an odd - and extremely lame - coverflow feature. Besides being terribly slow, I have not ever figured out why its useful in a 16gb player. And of course there is no gapless playback (to disappoint fans of Pink Floyd I am sure).
Then there is the AMOLED screen - which is quiet spectacular. It is sharp and colorful, and is simply delight. The possibilities (if ever implemented by Cowon) are endless! The screen flips and rotates using a built-in accelerometer - a feature so annoying I wish there was a way to shut it off! . In reality its only useful for movies, text, and photo. I wish it was disabled in music mode (would be great for it to be a setting one can set: Disable G-Sensor in Music Mode: Yes/No). Update - Firmware 2.07 allows shutoff of the g-sensor in Music mode .
The radio is terrible. Probably worst I've ever heard (its related to the tuner I think - not to the sound quality). The UI for radio is ok, but sluggish 'analog' dial and a total lack of RDS support (that even P2 had!) is a shame.
Bluetooth audio quality is fantastic - and all sound enhancements are available via BT (unlike P2). Unfortunately performance goes downhill during BT streaming - especially in movies. Entire interface becomes extremely sluggish (generally not an issue except when watching movies). Unfortunately, no support for BT transfer is available. It may be slow, but in a pinch it would have been nice - especially transferring photos from cell phones.
So in summary,
Pros:
- Beautiful Amoled screen.
- Great feel in hand, excellent build quality, and nice titanium/black color.
- Good sound quality and decent number of sound enhancements.
- Well implemented media library navigation.
- File Bookmarking which remembers the playlist.
- Decent electrostatic touch interface.
- Bluetooth with great sound quality (to me at least).
- Support for FLAC and OGG formats.
- Great battery life (I accidentally left it running overnight - it was playing for 10 hours straight and barely lost the juice.
Cons (in no particular order):
- No RDS support for the radio and poor radio tuning quality.
- No Gapless playback.
- No UI customization - not even setting a wallpaper (still nothing from Cowon, though community has fixed some of Cowon's blunders there).
- Somewhat thoughtless UI implementation (I didn't bother going into all the different issues in the review).
- A 20-pin data cable that is hard to find in the USA. May want to order an extra or two online just in case.
- No way to shut off accelerometer (Fixed for Music mode in Firmware 2.07)
- No accessories of any kind (armbands, etc). Update - some accessories are available now - but still no armbands.
- Only a single on-the-go playlist (P2 for example had 5).
- No support for standard playlist files (like .m3u). Playlists not supported in MSC (standard USB drive) mode.
- Performance lag when BT is streaming.
- No BT file transfer support to feed the player.
I sincerely hope that majority of the issues I listed will be fixed by later firmware - but I have my doubts. If they do take care of all this - which they can if they really try - S9 will be truly awesome!
Updated with a few more pros/cons.
Updated on 1/10/2009 due to release of 2.07 firmware.
Updated on 3/6/2009 for BT and a few minor comments.
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