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Average user rating:
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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3.0 stars
"Adequate overall player with excellent sound and a nice form factor"
Pros: Extremely thin and fairly robust
Cons: Navigation can be difficult, some annoying software glitches
Summary: I chose the IAudio U5 for a number of reasons. One of my primary needs in a player was a sound recorder. I also had no need or desire for a video capable mp3 player.
The U5 serves these limited needs very well and the price was reasonable for an 8-gb device. Recording of lectures was excellent. Clarity was great even in a large lecture hall with a number of distracting nearby sounds. The 8 gb allowed me to record a full week of all-day lectures without having to download each day.
Music sounds great, but there are some annoying glitches.
1) Navigation is extremely difficult. The navigation pad is extremely fickle and sometimes can't distinguish between rewind / previous track. I think that this is likely a hardware issue with my particular device and as such shouldn't be judged overly harsh.
2) The device has required a reset on a regular basis. While no data was lost, it was still a major inconvenience.
3) There's no way to bookmark your place in an MP3 if you should want to move to another directory, (I listen to quite a few audiobooks)
4) The player forgets where you were in a file when you plug it in to re-charge. This requires you to navigate back to the file and find your place again.
5) The device holds a charge fairly well, but nowhere near the 24 hrs claimed by the manufacturer. I'd estimate that I get 12 hrs of listening at moderate volume, (of course this likely depends on a number of settings relative to screen brightness, duration etc).
It should be noted that I've owned it for approximately 6 months, and have done every firmware upgrade offered.
The above issues aside, the device sounds great and sound is adjustable to make the most out of whatever type of file or narrative you might be listening to. The design is attractive, although I find the black case, (not the screen) gathering scratches, and the finish showing most every fingerprint and/or smear.
Good luck with yours
Where to buy
Cowon iAudio U5 (8GB, black):
$74.99 - $85.06
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
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$85.06 | Yes |
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$74.99 | Yes |
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