iAUDIO is an original multi-media player brand from Cowon Systems. It is a super-compact, portable digital audio device that supports playback of various multi-media audio files including MP3 files and Mpeg4 video, features FM radio listening/recording, recording through a built-in microphone or line-in input terminals, and text and image viewer OTG (USB host feature).
Review by CNET
Take one look at the Cowon iAudio X5’s feature list and you might peg it as an iPod killer. On paper, the 30GB, iPod-size X5 ($350; also available at 20GB for $300) has everything that Apple’s ice-white wonder does–including music playback, a photo viewer, and on-the-fly playlists–then it piles on video playback, an FM radio, voice and line-in recording, and even the ability to read and save images directly from a digital camera without an adapter. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Unfortunately, the X5 suffers from poor music browsing, some odd design choices, and a half-baked photo viewer; additionally, converting your videos so that they’ll work on the player is a multistep process.
Review by PC Magazine
When we first saw the 20GB Cowon iAudio X5, with its textured black shell, minimal controls, slim profile, and huge feature set, it made our eyes bulge with admiration. Sure enough, it delivers sound quality that rivals that of the Apple iPod, and techies will appreciate features like broad file format support. But photo and video playback could use some improvement, and ease of use isn’t this player’s strong suit.
Review by dapreview.net
I’m pretty good at finding everything there is to criticize about an MP3 player, but in this case, there isn’t much to complain about. You get excellent performance and nearly every feature in the book at a very competitive price ($ 300, MSRP). Being fully mass storage compliant, it works like an external hard drive with all modern operating systems (XP, Mac, Linux, etc) plus there’s no software involved in loading music and movies - any file manager will do (like Windows Explorer). The ability to charge-over-USB is a convenient way to keep it powered up without carrying around the AC adapter. USB on-the-go is a rare but handy feature, good for backing up photos directly from a camera and for swapping files directly with other MSC-type devices. FM radio is always nice to have as well as the full range of audio recording functions (line-in, radio, voice). I like the professional-looking design and high-quality build which meets or beats anything I’ve seen before. It’s a bit thick at the point of the “hump” on the front but it doesn’t feel any different from an iPod in your hand or pocket.
You may be the one to comment first. Please leave your message below.