- Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 11 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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2 out of 3 people found this review helpful
2.0 stars
"Good hardware...horrible software!"
Pros: Small, FM recorder, great battery life.
Cons: No support for album art, no "shuffle mode" on the fly, poor DRM support, etc.
Summary: I'm really bummed out with this player because it has SO much potential. The review from CNET was great, and the info I got on the iAudio 6 was all pretty positive. Unfortunately, this player was a massive letdown for me.
I've used a number of players in the past, including my long time favorite, the Zen Micro, a brief stent with the Toshiba Gigabeat (which was returned due to manufacturing problems) and my girlfriend's iPod. Compared to all of these players, the iAudio 7 has some clear advantages (on paper). The FM recorder is huge, and its even better because it has the ability to set the time you want it to record. The bummer is that the reception is horrible, and if you're not wearing the device (coiled up headphones sitting next to the player) the reception isn't even listenable.
The iAuio 7 also boasts great sound quality, but personally I found that my Zen Micro sounds just as good (if not better) and it took a TON of tweaking with the EQ to even get that level of performance. I guess if you're REALLY into playing with an EQ then it is nice. But if you're just looking for a simple, great sounding player, this one probably isn't for you.
One of the BIGGEST problems I had with this player was getting my DRM music to sync. I use URGE through Windows Media player, and was unable (despite many emails back and forth with URGE) to get my music to sync. I'm still not sure what the problem is (as iAudio claims to have "Playforsure" capability), but even when I tried to duplicate the problem with my Zen Micro I found that the problem was specific to the iAudio only.
Lastly, I was never able to get any album art to show up on the player's screen (which is a nice color screen). When I spoke with Cowon about this, they said that the current version of firmware DID NOT support album art yet, but that a fix would be out soon. Not sure why they would release this player WITHOUT that, but it was definitely a major bummer.
Also, if you haven't dealt with Cowon before, I would heavily advise caution. I was unable to register this device with them, despite many attempts. I never was able to successfully create an account with them because they refused to email me the activation codes, and the support staff kept me waiting for minutes (sometimes up to 15 minutes) before being able to answer my questions. Personally, I probably not going to buy another Cowon product again...or at least for a long time.
Guess I'm stuck waiting again for an adequate upgrade from my Zen Micro...
- 2 replies to this review
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I just use it withut the Cowon provided software and I love it, just simple.
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I had a similar experience with the U3 when it was released. I was so pumped upon its release but unfurtunely experienced a big let down. I had a lot of diffculties with the software, functionality, ect. In the end (after a brief stint with the iPod Nano)I too went back to my Zen Micro and since have upgraded to the Zen Nano Plus. As a perfectionist, I'm very pleased with the Creative flash players and am sorry I spent time and energy seeking "something better."
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