Customer Reviews

iAUDIO I5-2048BL 2 GB MP3 Player w/FM & Voice Recorder Noble Black

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

 

 

I have a lot of mp3 players. Apple, iRiver, Olympus, iAudio... Never thought there could be something so small light powerful and resistant like this player. I am just amazed.. Records Wav and mp3 (Line-in and voice--internal micro), Reproduces a lot of formats, 2GB flash, Exceptional FM, PC Software, UMS (Mac and Linux compatible, works like Jump Drive), 1 AAA battery works 20 hours, lot of accessories, full equalization, VOX, and wow!! 1000 backlight colors... see bellow:
( I just uploaded the manual (see JetAudio page/site), check it for more info :-)

========2GB users BEWARE- Found AT COWON FORUMS========
jetAudio
Administrator
 
Playable media file capacities in iAUDIO Players
------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are limitations in total number of PLAYABLE media files including folders supported by iAUDIO players:
iAUDIO Flash based players: Total 450 files/folders.
iAUDIO HDD based players: 2,000 folders and 10,000 files.
We apologize for any confusions that this may have caused you.
=====================================


Supported Files
All ranges of MPEG 1/2/2.5 layer 3 (8kbps ~ 320kbps) (8KHz~48KHz) and VBR
All ranges of WMA7 WMA (20kbps~ 192kbps) (8KHz~48KHz)
WMA9 CBR (5Kbps Mono ~ 320kbps Stereo) VBR (Average 48kbps to 256kbps) OGG (up to Q9) WAV (Up to 48KHz Stereo)
Memory 256MB/512MB/1GB/2GB
PC Interface: USB 2.0
File Transfer Speed Max. 20Mbps
Battery 1 x AAA (Up to 20 hours of playback time based on cowon standardized testing)
Buttons 2 jog buttons (PLAY, FF, REW, VOL UP/DOWN, MENU), MODE button, REC button
Switch 1 Switch (Hold)
Display 128 x 64 full graphic LCD + Segment LCD
SNR 95 dB
Output 13mW+13mW(16 Ohm Earphone)
Frequency Range 20Hz ~ 20KHz
Size 76.8 x 35 x 18 mm (Height x Width x Depth)
Weight 28 g (Excluding Battery)
* WMA9 Professional, Lossless Codec, and Voice Codec are not supported
* JetEffect is partially applied to Q9 when OGG is played.

This will be a great flash-based player when they get the bugs worked out.

However, you should be aware that the iAudio 5 (2 GB) is one of the first 2 GB models on the market and there are problems with the unit utilizing all that memory. I found that the player did not recognize the last 260MB of memory and this is from the manufacturer itself (sic):

***
Dear Valued Customer,

We regret to inform you that we have found a defect in our 2bg players. Through thorough tests we have discovered that it cannot hold more than 480 (Files+folder). There seems to be a hardware limitation that cannot be fixed through software upgrades at the moment. We have informed all of our retailers that return and refund for these products over the due date of the return policy have been waived. If you would like to schedule a return and refund of your unit please contact your place of purchase. Again we apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you.

Best Regards,
Cowon America Inc.
***

I also found a problem with one of the line-in recording features where the unit is supposed to start recording only when sound is detected. Although probably not a big deal for most people, this feature does not work as stated in the user's guide.

I agree with most of the other comments. The 440 file/folder limit is unfortunate. However, if you are not committed to listening to every single song individually, there are many shareware tools on the web that will "join" or "link" MP3 files. (search with "join mp3 files"). Make 2 - 4 min files into one 8 min file. This could halve the number of files you need. One hobby of mine is listening to movies in audio, by ripping the DVD audiotrack into MP3s. I don't need 30 separate 3 min segments.

Mike Wright- Dude, NOBODY encodes their mp3's at 128kpbs anymore. It sounds like crap. So in one sense you are spot on: if you encode your 4 minute-long tunes at a paltry 128kbps then you really shouldn't waste your money on an iaudio player. Just buy an ipod or some other sonically inferior product and save a few bucks. Listening to mp3's encoded at 128kpbs on an iaudio is like buying a Ferrari and driving around at 15mph.

I did a cursory test by dragging some random songs from my collection (most between 192-320kbps) and I couldn't get more than 375 songs before the 2 gigs would be full.

If that argument doesn't satisfy you, then I would highly suggest that you put around 470 songs on the iaudio player and leave the extra space for 10 possible data files that you might want to transfer from place to place. Filling up the player to the brim isn't advisable for this very reason. I'll definitely leave some space on mine.

As has been reviewed before, the player is limited to 480 files+folders.

How much space do 480 files take up?
Average song length = 4 min
Average file size (MP3 at 128kbps) = 0.94MB/min
Total Space Used = 4min * 0.94MB/min * 480 = 1806MB

This means that the average user will waste 200MB of space due to the file limit. However, if you encode at a lower bit rate, your problem is even worse. If you organize your music into folders, your problem is even worse. If use one of the other formats like ogg or wma, your problem is even worse.

To me, this is absolutely unacceptable. Why pay over $250 for extra memory that you'll never use? Note also that they probably won't be able to fix this bug through firmware since it is a hardware limitation.

Unless they fix the file limit, I wouldn't recommend the 2GB player to anyone. If you like the player, stick to the 256MB, 512MB or 1GB version. I bought the player because I wanted a good 2GB player. Since 2GB isn't an option, I'm going with a cheaper player like the Creative MuVo Micro n200/Zen Nano.