	Archos MP3 Player

Cowon V5 16 GB MP3 Player (White)

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Cowon V5 16 GB MP3 Player (White)

(8 customer reviews)

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Features

16 GB capacity for 4,000 songs, 14,000 photos, or 16 hours of video
45 hours of audio or 10 hours of video on a single charge
4.8-inch TFT LCD touchscreen display with 800 x 480 pixel resolution and WVGA 16 million colors
Supports MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, APE, MPC, WV, TTA, ASF and OGG Vorbis audio formats; MPEG-4, MPEG-4 HD , H.264 HD, MKV, DAT, TS, TP, TRP, M2TS and 3GP
One-year limited warranty

Description

HD Video and audio player with FM tuner, voice recorder, and text and photo viewer; 4.8-inch TFT LCD 800 x 480, WVGA with 16.7M colors; Up to 45 hours of music playback (10 hours of video) on one charge; AV Out: HDMI, Composite; BBE+ support

Product Details

Product Length:	9.4 inches
Product Width:	7.3 inches
Product Height:	2.2 inches
Product Weight:	1.7 pounds
Package Length:	10.2 inches
Package Width:	7.5 inches
Package Height:	2.2 inches
Package Weight:	1.85 pounds
Average Customer Rating:	based on 8 reviews

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review: 4.5

( 8 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 found the following review helpful:

Cowon V5: A typical Cowon product Oct 03, 2010 By killazys
DISCLAIMER: I compare to Apple devices not because I think they are good. I use them as a reference because a large segment of the consumer market has dealt with Apple products before.

Now, onto the review:

I have never owned a MP4 player before, and so I have no pre-disposed notion of what is good or bad, I will simply relay what I have seen.

First, let's talk about what's bothering everyone, the user interface. Is it the most intuitive? Obviously not; it falls quite short of the iOS interface of Apple products, probably the best and most natural UI of any PMP. However, it's not necessarily counterintuitive either: there are options to minimize windows, close them, go to the top folder, etc. These shouldn't be too hard to figure out. Sure, the learning curve may take a little while, but the UI is just so cute anyway. 6/10, which is 3/5 on Amazon's rating system.

Next, let's move to audio. There is no ID3 tag organization on this music player: when you plug it in, you'll have to organize the file structure yourself, or else it'll basically be a mess when you try to use the device. For me, with some 9000 songs, this can prove a hassle when scrolling through artists, as there is no faster way to scroll through them than just by scrolling. However, audio playback is gorgeous, as to be expected of a Cowon device. With some 26 presets, and BBE for those of us who are lazy and don't want to bother, the Cowon is a godsend. Just make sure your files (and, really, virtually any file format is compatible with Cowon, except for Apple Lossless, I believe) are of high quality and that your earphones/speakers can also match the built-in DAC and EQ capabilities. The sound feels a bit on the warmer side, but it's much more analytical and is much clearer than, for example, the iPod Touch. Highs, mids, and lows were accurately represented on the variety of earphones I have gone through (ranging from "fun" ones to extremely sterile, analytical ones) such as JAYS q-Jays, Klipsch Image S4, Monster Turbine, and JAYS d-JAYS. Music organization gets 5/10 because of the lack of ID3 tag organization, but audio quality is 10/10. Truly top notch.

Video playback could go either way. On the one hand, there are cheaper alternatives from places such as China that support more file formats, 1080p, embedded softsubs (yes, for those of you who are wondering, MKV/MP4 softsubs will not work), and EQ while playing back video files. For those of you that are more interested in video compatibility/need subtitles (for example, anime), I recommend you check out MP4nation for brands such as Ainol or RAmos that can handle softsubs. Otherwise, the Cowon's video quality, for what it offers, is probably top-notch. The company has created rather high pixel density, with a 800x480 resolution screen on a 4.7" diagonal. The colors seem to be accurately represented, and video playback does not stutter, even for 10Mbps AVC 720p video. External plaintext (SRT/TXT) subtitles are supported. Video quality is 10/10, but the alternatives drop this rating to 7/10.

Now that the two main features are out of the way, let's talk about everything else. Cowon is known for not specifying certain file format compatibility on the specs that still actually work. It's the same case for Cowon, even file formats not listed usually get played. As I mentioned before, only ALAC files are not supported. That, and the DRM protected files from Zune Marketplace/iTunes. If you really still buy DRM-protected music. In addition, it does charge via USB, even though Cowon explicitly states that it doesn't. Device settings allows the user to tinker with LCD brightness, contrast, RGB, touch panel calibration, and launcher settings. There are useful power management settings, and the device can also wake you up with a built-in alarm function. Other interesting functions are the ability to go into the Windows CE underneath the cute little interface Cowon provides. This opens up possibilities of unlimited mods. In addition, the Cowon V5 offers Flash support, although I have not tested out this function. It comes with a few standard games, such as Solitaire and Freecell. Interestingly enough, the Korean firmware also comes with its own version of Bejeweled. I'm not going to mention the Office applications, because they are pretty much useless.
The utilities, however, are not. Calculator, unit converters, and a scheduler, as well as a calendar are all nice additions to this audiophile-targeted PMP.

The USB/HDMI cables are proprietary Cowon cables, meaning that they only work with this device. They don't use a standard micro/mini USB interface, which may bother some.

What else is there to mention? Be sure to get the firmware updates if you plan on purchasing this product. The increased utility is certainly a plus, video playback for 720p files is smooth and gorgeous, and audio quality is also top notch.

If you are a user looking for high quality audio/video playback and can afford to miss out on a more intuitive/smooth UI, the Cowon V5 may be the product for you. I feel the support for it is better for those products from China, which would probably be your best alternative.

The final verdict? 7/10. Not the best, but FAR from the worst. Did I mention the video are beautiful, and the audio is great?

8 of 9 found the following review helpful:

My take on the V5 Apr 04, 2010 By Will
I have a v5 white 16g. The only thing i dislike is the silly UI. Sound is Great as usual. Video is awesome as usual. I hope they can create another UI like on the s9 which i own. The V5 is everything the a3 and o2 should have been. Again I hate the UI. Since I Think its flash based. We should be able to change the UI.
If you want the internet and so so sound and video buy the Archos 5 Andriod. By no means I'm i Trashing The Archos. IMO the archos is a better all around media player. But If you want a PMP only device the Cowon V5 is the way to go. It is superior in sound and video quality. I had an early Archos 5 andriod Thats why i can make the comparison. I returned it beacause it was a bit buggy. But it was a fine media player.

2 of 2 found the following review helpful:

In a world dominated by Apple, other options do exist. Nov 28, 2010 By Clifford Prisament "Clifford Prisament"
Due to Apple's undeniably huge percentage of the PMP market share, the name Cowon doesn't come to the minds of most consumers looking for a mp3 player. The truth is, the vast majority of Americans will go to Best Buy and walk away with a new 4th generation Ipod Touch. The Cowon V5 is a refreshing and attractive alternative in the small world of PMPS.

The Cowon V5 is a striking player to look at and thus a great conversation starter. Having owned this player for a mere weekend, I've already had numerous comments on it, ranging from "is that the new smaller Ipad?" to "can I see your tablet PC?". Physically speaking, this player is a very handsome unit. The v5 won various international design awards, and I can see why.

The 4.8 inch touch screen, while being resistive, is still smooth and reacts with little effort. I also own an Archos 7 HT, and comparing the two screens, Cowon takes the lead. I do not use the little stylus that came with it and don't feel the need to.

In terms of video, picture, and sound quality, this unit is really a step above both Apple and Archos (2 companies I have personally used before). My first reaction to watching a movie on the V5 was, "wow that is clear." A/V quality is the main selling point for Cowon products. If you really want to hear the various instruments in a song, or watch hd movies on your way to work, this is your best option. As for file playback, the unit will not play purchased movies from the itunes store, .m4v files will not work, which is a bummer.

Unfortunately, in terms of other functionality, the unit is lacking. Like other reviewers have said, there is no WIFI, hence no checking email or your ebay bids. The UI comes loaded with very few, very mediocre apps - one being a world clock that has the wrong time for New York. It comes with two games - both card games, and thats not my cup of tea. I haven't tried loading windows CE software on the unit, but people say its hard to do.

The UI, which most reviewers hate, is actually decent. It could be designed better for a touch-screen device, but really doesn't me. As other people have said, out of the 20+ icons on the main menu, only 5 actually do something.

The Cowon V5 is being sold on Amazon for 175 new or a mere 140 refurbished (i bought the refurbished unit). For potentially under $150 to have a 16 gb 5 inch touchscreen unit capable of super clear movies and music, its really a great value...and there is no Apple logo to be found.

1 of 1 found the following review helpful:

Great Deal on Great Cowon Portable Media Player Feb 05, 2011 By Brandon
The Cowon V5 is the best video mp3 player I've ever owned. It has all the features I could want and works for all my multimedia needs. The price for the refurbished one I bought was at a good price. There was nothing wrong with it when it came in the mail, it was practically brand new. I highly suggest this PMP if you aren't a fan of the ipod or Zune.

1 of 1 found the following review helpful:

Excellent PMP Sep 15, 2010 By Ameya P
If you want quality audio and video playback there are very few products out there on the market that come close to this cowon v5. If you can ignore the tacky interface and non availability of wifi this is the PMP to have. The only reason that I took away a star from it is because it did not play a particular standard defination .avi video format which my mobile phone could play without convertion. Maybe in the future with firmware upgrades it will play the file but currently it doesn't one star deducted. Also order the proprietary TV out/HDMI cable which does not come in the box else you won't be able connect it to your TV.

See all 8 customer reviews on Amazon.com