iAUDIO U5-08BS U5 8GB MP3 Player (Black and Silver) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've owned a Cowon D2 for awhile and thought I'd get a 'scroll/pad' version (rather than D2's touch screen)for 1 handed use while exercising or while driving;

the menu system and features are similar to the D2, but

it does not have the ability to bookmark (see corrections/updates below)
it cannot speed up play (I use this for audio books) if mp3 is recorded under 44Khz,
the control pad is really too small/thin to use without looking at it, they might want take a look at Sandisk's implementation,
non-expandable...no sd slot as in D2,
battery life ok, but only about 1/2 that of D2,
uses less common micro usb cable (D2 uses more common mini),
and,like the D2, it cannot recharge and play at the same time;

on the positive side,
the screen is big and bright,
very light and small, great for use while exercising/jogging,
sound is good,
drag and drop files and folders, no need for additional software,

I bought the u5 for it's speed up playback feature(as long as it's +44Khz) to listen to audio books, which it does well, but it's inability to do bookmarks is a major drawback;

features seem less well implemented and refined than either the D2 or the rockboxed Sansa that I own;

update:
1. there is a bookmark feature, accessed by by backing out the music directory and into the bookmark directory!
2. clarification...the 'scroll wheel'is just really a 4 directional pad, cannot be rotated in any manner;

further update/corrections:
I accidentally found that if one holds down the centre button while playing, (it usually is the play/pause button), an 'undocumented' menu pops up (this feature is not listed in the pdf manual I downloaded from their site): add to dpl/add to bookmark/delete; this makes it a much more useful player for me!

...am upgrading the player to 3.5 stars

Click Here to see more reviews about: iAUDIO U5-08BS U5 8GB MP3 Player (Black and Silver)

Product Description:
Supports Windows Media DRM 10, MTP (Media Transfer Protocol)MP3, WMA, WAV Playback / FM Radio, Recording / Voice RecordingBuilt-In Flash Memory 4GB, 8GBHigh-Speed USB 2.0 Interface1.8 inch TFT LCD display with 128x160 resolution and 65K colors.Long Contiunous Playback Time: Up to 24hours (Based on company test result. Play time may be shortened if TFT LCD is used often.) Multilanguage supportEnhanced music file browserPlay/Pause during Playback, Record/Pause during RecordingNext Track/Previous Track, Fast Forward/Fast Rewind, Infinite LoopResume, Fade In, Auto Play feature supportSearch Speed, Skip Speed SettingDigital Volume Control :40 levelsVarious EQ and Sound Effects (JetEffect)- User adjustable 5-band EQ- Normal, Rock, Pop, Metal, Jazz, Classic, Vocal, User- BBE, Mach3Bass, MP Enhance, 3D Surround, Pan, EQ FilterSupport Clock, Alarm, Scheduled Recording, Sleep Timer, Auto Power -OffAuto display off feature to save battery power and screen burnoutEasy firmware download and upgradeTitle Display with ID3Tag or File NameSupport M3UDisplay Product Info (Firmware version, Total capacity, Total usage)USB Data Transfer Support for MAC OS (9.X, 10.X) and Linux (v2.2 and higher)

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Cowon iAUDIO 9 16 GB Mp3 Player (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)Quick list of why I choose the Cowon iAudio 9 I wanted...
1.Excellent Sound Quality
2.External speaker
3.Good battery life
4.Easy to use.
5.Don't need Wifi cause it eats battery and I would never use it.
I have spent over two weeks of searching reviews and youtube vids with the goal of meeting the above stated requirements.My head would spin as I would weigh the features and choices out there.One things I was not gonna accept was poor sound quality.I started with the Zume HD which was my obsession for a few days. Zune HD! Has the HD Radio which attracted me.So for the next few days I focused on the Zune only to find actual users posts on how poor the audio and ease of use was designed.I mean just to adjust the volume you have to use the touch screen three steep process.Plus you are locked into Zune proprietary software plus no spaker.I then stumbled on the Samsung p3 it had most of my requirement but the same poor users reviews, Plus much too many eye candy things I would never use.Build quality was good but Samsung support is poor. Then comes the Sony X; too expensive. Next I ran across found the Cowon S9 and I was hard press to find any negative reviews about the sound quality anywhere on the internet. But again no speaker caused me pause.Which lead me to the IAudio 9.Now on first glance it's a bit strange but it boast the same specs as the S9 unmatched sound quality.Nice external volume, skip and power buttons. External speaker, Micro USB sync which matches my Android Phone (less cables to carry) and 30 hours battery.All this is a small clean pocketable size that won't explode if I drop it.I mean come on; some people want the heft to justify the money they spend.Nonsense! Who wants to run around with a heavy device causing women to wondering if you have a herniated groin? Now understand this; I believe you should use the right tool for the right job.So if I wanted to watch movies on a plane I will buy a quality blueray player who wants to watch movies over and over again, twice is enought for me.If I wanted to search the net then I would pull out my laptop or maybe my android phone in a pinch.I want a MP3 player to play music an play it well. The I9 does this and does it very well. No toys added but tons of EQ options to tweak the music to your liking.

Expand your views and don't follow Adam's experiance with the apple.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Cowon iAUDIO 9 16 GB Mp3 Player (Black)

Product Description:
Video and audio player with FM tuner, voice recorder, and text and photo viewer; 2.0-inch TFT LCD 320 x 240, QVGA with 262K colors; Up to 30 hours of music playback (7 hours of video) on one charge; AV Out: Composite/Stereo; BBE+ support

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Nu Dolphin Touch Waterproof 4 GB MP3 Player with FM Radio Review

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(More customer reviews)Had the Dolphin in the pool 4 times now after a couple of weeks of hesitation. Touch screen works well enough. Screen locks after a few seconds so you don't trigger a song change by accident. Still learning the system, and as a novice MP3 user (yes, at 47 I did not grow up with one in my crib), I find the instructions rather lame. That may be less of a problem for more tech-wise folks. I saw the volume control option on the touchscreen exactly one time in several attempts to locate it. Luckily, I set it at a tolerable level the one time I saw it as I've never been able to find it again! Controls are managed through the on/select/off button and a touch screen with 4 "buttons" and buried menus. Confuses the hell out of me, but I never learned how to use Windows Media Player to set up a playlist to give you some perspective! Need to rent a teenager to explain how to move around on it...

If you screw the waterproof headphone jack in WELL, I can't imagine having leakage (as per other review). I am not thrilled by the earplug headset, but am getting used to it. There are a number of different size earplug covers included so perhaps I am just trying to shove too large a plug in. Mine came with a better quality normal set of earbuds for out of water fun. In the water, you aren't getting high-fidelity, but you DO GET MUSIC. I am a right side breather when doing the crawl, and my right earplug doesn't fit as well as might be possible. I get water in that ear (as it is often held upward and acts as a water trap) that gets past the earplug. Surprisingly, that doesn't much affect the sound. Generally better sound when ears are submerged, but in all cases, I can hear the music clearly enough to keep my head occupied with something other than counting laps. Tonight for the first time, I eliminated the slower songs from my initial upload and swam HARD for 6-7, 3-4 minute songs. While I can swim a mile without too much trouble, I swim fairly casually. I am sure I did at least a half mile in at least 20 minutes of hard swimming and was hardly aware of the strain. The power of music!

Finally, there are wires on this of course. And the unit is designed to be attached to swimming goggle strap. No goggles would be less than ideal I think, though mine also came with an armband I have not used. With goggles, the wires can be tucked up under the strap in the rear to get them out of the way. With the Dolphin strapped onto the goggle strap with the included flexible clips, and the wires tucked into the goggle strap as well, it has held up for 4 long and/or hard swims. I don't notice the Dolphin at all while swimming. Others certainly do. Been asked about it a bunch already at the pool after swimming! I'm quite pleased in general. Wish me luck on getting past my technical limitations with navigating the menus.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Nu Dolphin Touch Waterproof 4 GB MP3 Player with FM Radio

Product Description:
An enhanced version of their original 1GB and 2GB MP3 players, this souped-up music player from Nu Technology features 4GB of data storage and a patented earphone antenna that allows you to tune into your favorite FM radio station with a single touch. Perfect for bringing music to your favorite aquatic sports, the Nu Technology Dolphin Touch MP3 player will keep you entertained whether you are out lap swimming, snorkeling, kayaking or surfing.

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Sony 2 GB Walkman Video MP3 Player with FM Tuner (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've used just about every MP3 player there is and this one is right there with the best of them. It's small light and extremely easy to use. You don't need ANY software to upload songs to it. The device shows up like a drive on your PC. You have the option of using Windows Media Player 11 to upload songs, but I'd rather just drag and drop songs or use my Napster subscription to upload songs from Napster's huge library. I thought 2GB wouldn't be enough but it is so easy to upload songs when my mood changes that it's never been an issue for me. If you like to watch movies then you may want to go with the larger 4GB (NWZS616) or 8GB (NWZS618) versions of this model since a typical movie takes up ~700K memory after you compress it to QVGA. If you want a larger screen size then you can get the NWZA815. That model is basically the same player with a larger screen. It also has a heavier metal shell, but it does not have an FM tuner like the NWZS615, and I wanted the FM tuner. I typically use my player in shuffle mode in my car and if I don't want to hear a song, it is a breeze to reach down and click just to the right of the center button to skip to the next song. I honestly can't see how anyone would be disappointed with this player especially when you consider the great price.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony 2 GB Walkman Video MP3 Player with FM Tuner (Black)

Product Description:
The NWZ-S615F Walkman Video MP3 player combines a powerful digital music player with a 1.8" QVGA LCD screen9 for hours of multimedia entertainment. Available in black, pink, or red, the 2GB player weighs less than 2 ounces yet provides the capacity to store up to 1,150 songs. A built-in FM tuner lets you listen to your favorite radio stations, or use the LCD screen to play back hours of high-quality video or view JPEG photo images5. Slim and stylish, the NWZ-S615F MP3 Player is the perfect MP3 player for your mobile multimedia lifestyle.

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