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Cowon iAudio G2 (1GB, dark blue)

Reviewed by

John Frederick Moore

on 11/23/2005

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See all Cowon Systems, Inc. products

CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
Detailed editors' rating
Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 4 reviews
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Quick specs
Device type: Digital player
Flash memory installed: 1 GB
Digital player supported digital audio standards: ASF MP3 WAV WMA Ogg Vorbis
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Add to my list Product summary

The good: The Cowon iAudio G2 delivers great sound quality and sound-enhancement options, plays protected WMA files, and features line-in recording.

The bad: The Cowon iAudio G2 is a bit large for a flash-based player, lacks an FM tuner, and most notably, uses the slow USB 1.1 protocol for transfers.

The bottom line: The Cowon iAudio G2's terrific audio quality and ease of use overcome its lack of USB 2.0 connectivity.

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CNET editors' review

CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
Detailed editors' rating

Reviewed by:
John Frederick Moore
Edited by:
James Kim
Reviewed on: 11/23/2005
Released on: 10/25/2005

Cowon built the iAudio G2 with the premise that less is more. Without the FM tuner and USB 2.0 connectivity found in the iAudio G3, this 1GB flash-based player has excellent sound quality and audio-control options, its main selling points. For $130, the Cowon iAudio G2 is a good choice for anyone seeking a fairly basic but great-sounding device that can play WMA (DRM 9) and OGG files, in addition to MP3s.

At 2.5 by 1.8 by 0.7 inches and a lightweight 1.3 ounces with battery, the Cowon iAudio G2 is a bit large for a flash player, but the rectangular, dark-blue case and blue-backlit screen is hardly ugly. To the right of the four-line display is a navigational joystick that controls fast-forward/rewind and volume, as well as lets you view the main menu and the tracks directory. The top of the device houses buttons for power/play/pause, mode, and recording; the mode button, new to Cowon players, is a welcome addition. It's difficult to say how well the all-plastic design will hold up to long-term use, but we liked the firm snap of the protective flip cover for the line-in and USB ports, and we found all the buttons responsive and easy to control.

The Cowon iAudio G2 (1GB) next to the Apple iPod Nano (4GB).

The Cowon iAudio G2 plays MP3, OGG, and protected WMA files, so you can play tracks purchased from online music stores such as Napster, though not subscription-based tracks. You can install the included JetShell software to transfer your media files, but the player is also compatible with Windows Media Player, Musicmatch Jukebox, and Yahoo Music Engine; or you can simply move unprotected tracks using Windows Explorer.

The Cowon iAudio G2's screen is small, but it's packed with info.

Most helpful user reviews

Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 4 reviews
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Showing 3 of 4 user reviews
4.0 stars

3 out of 3 people found this helpful

"Great bang for the buck"

by scott_wilder on February 10, 2006
4.5 stars

"Gotta Love It!"

by gschaps on February 24, 2006
4.5 stars

"SUPER DUPER!"

by TheLumberJak on February 10, 2006
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Cowon iAudio G2 (1GB, dark blue)

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Recent user reviews

Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 4 reviews
My rating: 0 stars Write review

Showing 3 of 4 user reviews
4.5 stars

"Gotta Love It!"

by gschaps on February 24, 2006
4.0 stars

3 out of 3 people found this helpful

"Great bang for the buck"

by scott_wilder on February 10, 2006
4.5 stars

"SUPER DUPER!"

by TheLumberJak on February 10, 2006
See all 4 user reviews Write review

Submit your review

Cowon iAudio G2 (1GB, dark blue)

ORLog in with your Facebook account

1. Rate this product:: (Mouse over the stars to rate this product and click to set your rating.)
2. One-line summary:(Summarize your review in one line. 10 characters minimum; required.): 0 of 55 characters
3. Pros:(Tell us what you like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.): 0 of 250 characters
4. Cons:(Tell us what you don't like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.): 0 of 250 characters
Bottom-line summary:(Explain to us in detail why you like or dislike the product, focusing your comments on the product's features and functionality, and your experience using the product. This field is optional.): 0 of 5000 characters; Submit

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Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

alaTest.com

Editors' rating: 81

Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 17 reviews of COWON iAUDIO G2 from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 73/100 and users 89/100. Comparing these reviews to 407682 other MP3 Players reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 81/100 = Very Good.

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mp3.com

Editors' rating: 73

Summary: The Cowon iAudio G2's terrific audio quality and ease of use overcome its lack of USB 2.0 connectivity.

Read full review