Cowon iAudio 7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Specifications

Audio Format	ASF, FLAC, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, WMA, WAV
Device Weight	51 g
Battery Type	Li-Polymer
Interfaces	USB 2.0
FM Radio	Yes
Product Dimensions	33 x 73.7 x 17.8 mm
System Compatibility	PC, Mac
Video Support	MPEG-4
Product type	Portable Audio Player
Line-In Recording	Yes
Display	Color
Signal to Noise Ratio	95 dB
Voice recording	Yes
Capacity	4 GB
Main Storage Type	Flash

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Performance

The iAudio F2, being a USB 2.0 plug-n-play device, doesn't require drivers or any other custom software under Windows XP: the OS detects the player as soon as you plug it into the USB port. You can transfer data or songs by the usual copy-paste or drag and drop methods. Owing to the player's compliance with USB 2.0, the transfers are quick.

The sound quality is top notch and the bundled earphones do an excellent job of reproducing the entire frequency spectrum. They don't crack even at peak volume, but I'd nevertheless advice you to keep the volume under 90%. The sound is crisp, with sufficient punch and loudness even at that level. The FM tuner is moderately decent. Reception of some channels is clear, while some never attain clarity even in good signal areas.

he battery life is supposed to be the forte of this player. The company rates the battery life at 60 hours. Yes, you read it right! By the way, it's not a tall claim. Let me tell you why: I charged this player just once since it arrived, and I've used it for around 30 hours in the past 10 days -- and the battery indicator shows it's still half-full. Phenomenal figures for a player this size.

 

Conclusion

The Cowon iAudio 7 4GB version is available for a street price of Rs.10,500 with a 1-year warranty.

In the past, I've been comparing iAudio products to iPods, and the former always seemed like a better deal. Here, for a change, the iPod Nano wins. At the moment, we've the third generation iPod Nano 4GB version selling for Rs.7,000 (a full Rs.3,500 less). It scores on looks and has a bigger and better screen to boot.

As for the sound quality, the iAudio 7 is a bit better on bundled earphones. However, if you invest another Rs.900 in a set of in-ear phones from Cresyn or Creative, the sound quality of the iPod surpasses that of the iAudio 7 at stock, and you'd still end up saving around Rs.2,500.

However, in terms of audio features and format support, the iAudio remains a superior option and its battery life is twice as that of the iPod. It's just the price where they have goofed up.

All and all, the iAudio 7 is a very good audio player with loads of features and good sound quality. Had the pricing been more competitive (around Rs.7500), I'd have had no hesitation in recommending this product.

 

Reviews of latest mp3 player, portable audio/video player