Cowon iAudio X5 (20GB)

• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 159 reviews Back to product review
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 6 out of 14 people found this review helpful

  1.0 stars

  "No battery replacement service!!"

  by zepoloo on June 10, 2005

  Pros: Everything else is spectacular

  Cons: 2 years from now, you'll have to throw it away

  Summary: $300 for 3 years, you are renting a player for about $100 per year. Until they offer a battery replacement service, don't buy.
  Updated
  Cowon is very quiet on this issue for a reason. They probably cannot offer battery support if there isn't enough demand for the product, so they can't advertise that there will definately be battery replacement available a couple of years from now. A bit of a chicken and the egg problem.
  
  Anyway, here's the official line from cowon's tech support:
  
  Thank you for support iAudio.
  To replace battery , you need to send your
  unit to us.
  (under $70)
  Thank you.
  
  I'd change my rating to a 9 if CNet would let me.

  Thank you for submitting your feedback!

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• 6 replies to this review

• reply by: Hari Iyer on August 30, 2005

  buy it from costco, you can return anything no matter when u purchase it for a full refund (no questions asked!). So buy the iaudio from them, after 3 years when the battery dies return it and get ur money back, then buy a new iaudio with the money u got from the refund...costing u absolutely nothing!
  
  just make sure u keep the reciept o_O

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• reply by: Ivegottheskill on July 29, 2005

  I wouldn't recommend it unless your warranty was out, but it is possible to unscrew the back, buy a new battery yourself and install a new one (It may involve some soldering, but I am not absolutely sure)

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• reply by: bigbooboo on June 13, 2005

  Soory no disrespect to zepoloo, but the comment about the battery replacement not being available is not true, they offer (like apple) a battery replacement service via a third party supplier and fitters. Other than that, do you need convincing??? I mean c'mon, pound for pound better than the ipod and the feature packed i-river. Only thing apple have over this one is the fact that they're user friendly, but those who know their stuff know that that means easy for...the "illeterate to use". GET ONE!!! Plus the X5L, has 35hrs battery life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And no software!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Take it tp your mates and just plug in!!!!! Store movies (well mpeg4s). By the way i'm not a Cowon salesman.

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• reply by: dod713 on June 10, 2005

  ipod is in the top list for years not to mention its battery... and this players batter even last longer then IPOD U2 which is in monochrome version!! this thing is colored and plays video with the same size as ipod.. and if you rate this player 2... then others may be? .8 or 1.5?

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• reply by: jschee1 on June 10, 2005

  While not offering battery replacement is certainly a negative, that fact alone doesn't warrant giving the X5 a 2. If, as you said, "Everything else is spectacular" on the DAP then obviously giving it a terrible rating is not justified.
  
  Furthermore, the DAP will last you and, in three years, I'm sure many people will be on to the next thing by then anyway.

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• reply by: listen_silent on June 10, 2005

  That's a stupid, un-educated lie. The battery is replaceable for like $50 or something similar ($50-$70). Cowon has you send the player into them and they replace the battery. This isn't another Ipod-inspired screw up (no offense to apple fans).
  
  People like you shoot down players because you're offended this one is better than the one you currently own. Get over it. Actually buy the player before you post a "user opinion." After all, these posts are for "users" to post their "opinions." It's basic english for Christ's sake.

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