Cowon iAUDIO E2 4 GB Mp3 Player (Black)

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by: Spinnukur (United States)
on: Thursday, 2-September-2010

Last time I heard sound this good, was on my Bang and Olufsen mp3 player. I must say, that I am quite impressed. Only having the device a day I have yet to experience any battery issues but for the quality of sound, I must say, WHO CARES!

Highly recommended!


Oh, and where else are you going to find a device that plays FLAC and is small???

by: D. Vrecko (Vancouver, BC)
on: Friday, 6-August-2010

Lets get at it.

Cons

-The symmetry of the buttons make it impossible to tell if youre hitting the power vs. shuffle button or the volume vs track skip button.
-The stated 11 hour battery life, while already short by todays standards, is actually much shorter than stated. Several times Ive used the fully charged player for only 1-2 hours, then left it (turned off) overnight only to find the battery is completely dead.
-Im completely fine without a screen, but when Apple has voice display for track titles to help keep track of where you are, it makes me wonder why this player doesnt at least match that feature.
-The lack of being able to play playlists is ridiculous given this is a screenless player. There should be someway to organize your 2-4GB of music. NOTE: Many reviews mention the lack of skipping by folder - this has been addressed via a firmware update. This helps with navigation a bit if you take the time to make folders for the player (a far cry from playlists, but better than nothing)
-Size is too big for the feature set that this player has. Both the 2nd and 3rd gen Shuffles are smaller and more better designed in terms of navigation.
-Design is subjective, but this seems a bit uggo to me. I think it would have looked a lot sharper if the player body width was made smaller so that the ring and body sides are flush.

Pros

-Love how its a key fob
-What Cowon does best - AWESOME sound quality. If youre the average joe with the average earbuds, you wont be able to tell the difference between the E2 and the Shuffle, but if youre at all an audiophile and have a decent set of buds/phones, youll definitely appreciate the difference.


Overall

Maybe my standards are too high, but its only because experience with previous Cowon products made them so. I own an iPhone and have owned several Cowon players and used different iPods extensively (for lack of better alternative). Cowon makes consistently high quality players that really dwarf Apples products in sound quality, options/features, and build quality. However, I was disappointed with this product. I actually quite dislike Apple and all it represents with its pseudo-originality appealing to yuppies with too much money to spend on a generally slick but under-performing device, but Apple handed over Cowons ass on a platter on this one. It feels like the E2 fails even when stacked a 2nd (dare I say a 1st) gen Shuffle. Its just years behind in navigation which is key for a screenless device, and despite the reduce usability it is significantly larger by comparison (to either 2nd or 3rd gen).

Ultimately I bought this player for running with and it serves its purpose well enough. I have my keys attached and so its all I need when I head out the door (using an armband for it specifically - found on your site). The 3rd gen Shuffle, though tiny and more feature laden, is not for exercise as youre dependent on the specific earbuds to control the device and from reading reviews, the Shuffle (or its earbuds) malfunction quite quickly during exercise from moderate perspiration. In this respect E2 wins, but if I were to pick over again, as much as it pains me to say it, I would go with (ugh) Apple - the 2nd gen Shuffle as it seems to be the best exercise friendly music player available - not to mention its stated battery life beats both its newer brother and the E2. You can get them for cheap now that the 3rd is out.

by: longfellow (New York, NY United States)
on: Tuesday, 23-March-2010

As our world becomes more spoon-fed we get comments like the ones below about not being able to figure out the buttons...thats analogous to someone saying they cant read a map anymore because their GPS does all the work for them!

Really, people, after youve used the E2 on a regular basis, youll know which is the left side and which is the right, and what the buttons do. Without looking! The fact that COWON elegantly designed it for simplicity should not be listed as a detriment. Yes, it takes a little time to memorize all FOUR buttons (and 1 of those is ON/OFF) but the payoff in convenience is worth it. And OK, they still could have marked them a little better, but its ultimately a no-brainer.

To the good stuff:

The sound is ASTONISHING. Audiophiles will go wild for the quality; unfortunately, the COWON ear buds are pretty uncomfortable though they deliver the BEST sound -- Ive tried 3 others ranging from basic to expensive and have yet to match the sound on the Cowon native phones. Strange but true!

At one point a song Ive heard a hundred times sounded so fresh and beautifully tracked and produced that I jumped, (in an AIRPLANE!) thinking the stranger next to me had just spoken into my ear. The sound is that delicate and clear and balanced.

I bought a $5 cable to hook the E2 into the AUX port in my car and was blown away again -- the speakers never sounded quite this rich in terms of detail, ambience, and layering. Just amazing. Certainly blew away the wifes Nano.

No need to take my word for it -- research the E2 elsewhere; its been rated the Best Sound in MP3 players and just won a 2010 Red Dot Design Award.

To all that I add a hearty amen!

by: Curtis Yee (San Francisco, CA)
on: Tuesday, 16-February-2010

I bought this back in November on an impulse. I havent really used it much since. It is a bit overpriced for what you get, but it does play FLAC which is nice. The buttons are tiny and seem awkwardly placed. I always get the buttons mixed when its in my pocket. Also, the battery life is not very good. I can get through a work day, but youll be charging it daily if youre using it that way. It goes well on a keychain as a backup in case your main players battery is dead. It recently got a minor firmware update. I recommend the Sansa Clip+ over this any day though.

by: Craig Fitzgibbons (United States)
on: Sunday, 31-January-2010

I wanted a small player for work and have had a couple Cowons before.


Pros- Plays all formats with good sound.High Quality

Cons- Buttons are tiny and on the sides.Its almost impossible to change songs or volume without looking at the player.
Power button is next to the skip button and easy to hit accidentally.
Special round usb plug means I cant use someone elses if Im not at home to transfer or charge.

Im a big fan of Cowon products but this one is over priced and not thought out very well.