As a upgrade from an iPod classic, this is perfect. I spent three months trying and considering different hi-res audio players and feel I have found the right one for me with a balance of quality feel and value. I only started looking at Cowon after ...Read morereading mentions of them so often in reviews of other makes and was just nosey. Glad I was, because, whilst not splattered all over the web, it seems to me the Cowon is a 'sleeper', and worthy of being shortlisted by anyone seeking a quality iPod replacement. The iPod, we must remember, was so so good and spoiled us with its slickness and feel, However, Apple seem to have abandoned the idea of a high capacity player and to play Hi-res music you had to tweak and also you had to always use their own software - which gets frustrating when it stops working because of software upgrades needed.
Memory cards need to be formatted as FAT, with SanDisk 128s requiring a bit of trickery on my Mac before I could achieve that. Once achieved, connect the unit to your computer and use the storage as a hard disk - transferring music files as you like without being limited by msuic management software - great!. Overall I am most satisfied as the sound quality surpasses what I every got on my iPod and now I can manage my music files simply by transferring to the player as a hard disk - not needing to use iTunes save for organising the tracks. I'm using mainly lossless ALAC files, but even regular mp3 files sound enhanced on this device. Cover art needs to be in jpg format and organised correctly - still on my todo list.
For the price, this player is great value for the quality. I considered both equivalent priced options and more expensive players, but wanted something to use just for playing music I have on CD to listen to on headphones, The Plenue D works well with wired speaker as well - the sound is good even through a £10 one I tried. No bells and whistles, no streaming wifi, no Bluetooth, but lack of these is not a problem for me and probably helps the impressive battery life.
The EQ settings are fun and effective. The unit is smaller than a pack of cards and easy to hold or conceal. I've paired with both medium quality Bose and RHA headphones and my Pink Floyd never sounded so good for me! The interface is as simple as it can be, to be honest, and once you spend time with it, it makes sense. It's not an iPod, but then, I didn't want an iPod.
I bought the little Cowon leather case which fits perfectly and looks great. Overall this has been a considered buy, chosen for simplicity and value.
As a first step up from the basic mp3 world, it is a good investment.
I also will now not feel guilty about considering a more expensive unit in the future, but for now, my saved money has gone towards a few remastered CDs and even hi-res downloads for selected artists I really want to appreciate.
Delivery from AMP3 was quick and easy. I have not found many other players at all price points with as much positive feedback and reviews. I had been looking at some 4 times this price but decided on the Cowon Penue D because my basic needs were simple and straight forward and I am a middle-aged saddo who likes having also physical copies of his music. Even so, my son was impressed when the tried my new puchase, even though he tends to stream. I, personally, like the idea of having a music collection, reflecting my curation and (refined) tastes. But each to their own. Hope this review is of help, as others have been for me when I was trying to choose.
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