Welcome everyone to the iCover blog! As we all know, the East is a delicate matter! The mentality, habits, and way of thinking of its inhabitants are quite difficult for most Europeans to understand. We can only wonder at a lot of what happens there. But what cannot be taken away from the inhabitants of the East is the strange habit of making really good electronics. As evidence, we present the Cowon Plenue M player.
The Korean Company COWON was no exception to this rule. Her story began in 1995. At that time, these guys did not start by producing audio players, but by writing audio processing programs for NEC and Fujitsu. Later, there were a bunch of awards for the best software products in the field of audio processing and, finally, entering the market of “iron” mp3 players with his first brainchild, Cowon iAudio CW100, which weighed only 40 grams.
Everything is very simple
As usual, let's start with packaging and appearance. The player is sold in an incredibly ascetic cardboard box. The color of the model and the amount of built-in memory are indicated by a small white sticker. To some, this approach may seem overly modest, but from an environmental point of view, it is in complete order.
The delivery set is also quite standard: the player itself, a USB cable for charging and synchronization, simple headphones and instructions.
The device is made of matte plastic with a rubberized back cover. The main part of the front panel is occupied by a 2.8-inch display with a resolution of 320x240 pixels. It displays 16 million colors and has a good viewing angle of 160 degrees.
There is a small speaker nearby. Its volume leaves much to be desired, but for some cases when you don’t want to plug in headphones again, it’s quite suitable.
On the top and right sides there are 7 physical buttons: power/lock, play/pause, switching tracks, volume and the M button to return to the main menu. The controls are quite easy to find by touch without taking the player out of your pocket or bag.
On the left side there is a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot covered with a flap. Accordingly, the initial memory capacity of 16/32 GB is easily expandable.
At the bottom you can find a microUSB port for charging and connecting to a computer. In the past, the company liked to use a proprietary connector for these purposes, so the transition to a generally accepted standard is very welcome.
Ultra-compact with color screen
The original power button is a legacy
Now I have in my hands the new Plenue D2 , which combines all the best Cowon developments in a compact case: a color screen with a capacitive touchscreen, a grippy metal body and original hardware.
But more about her a little later. For now, let's focus on ergonomics, perhaps the most important parameter of modern players.
Once you take Plenue D2 in your palm, all other audiophile gadgets will seem like natural “bricks”. It's the size of a matchbox! But stylish and strict, it does not feel like a “toy”.
It fits perfectly in the palm: everything is at hand and you can hardly feel it
The body is assembled on an all-metal frame without a single sharp corner - they are all chamfered. The back panel is made of blued steel. The front is decorated with a 2.8-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 240×320.
On the right panel there are 2 swings - volume and rewind, as well as “Start / Pause”. The power button is on top and is very similar to the cartridge primer when viewed from above.
The buttons are recessed from accidental pressing, but click easily
Alas, mechanical wheels can only be a dream. But for such compact dimensions this is an unprecedented luxury.
In general, the player is very similar to the ancestor of Cowon Plenue D , primarily differing from it in the firmware and the number of audio outputs. And, of course, the filling.
Control and interface
Here, perhaps, lies the main drawback of the device. It's all about the resistive touch screen. We are already so accustomed to using modern smartphones that the outdated technology initially confuses us. The display responds very reluctantly to touches, and some actions have to be repeated several times to achieve the desired result. It took me a couple of days to get used to the controls. Then it becomes easier, but a sediment still remains. There is also a positive side to this: you can work with such a screen while wearing gloves, which is quite important in light of the approaching cold weather.
The screen itself pleases with wide viewing angles. The manufacturer does not specify the type of matrix used, but this is clearly not a budget TN. We also noted a high level of brightness: the display does not “blind” even in the sun. Resolution is QVGA, which is not very fashionable by modern standards, but is appropriate for a music player where this parameter is secondary.
The player interface is quite nice and somewhat reminiscent of iOS. There is also a home screen where the time is displayed and an animated splash screen, and several pages with various icons that give access to all functions and applications.
A very interesting feature is the dynamic change of screensavers throughout the day, depending on the time. There are also two themes to choose from.
In the settings you can change the interface language, including Russian. Another useful feature is to rotate the screen 180 degrees. It will be useful for those who find the original location of the control buttons inconvenient.
Music
The player supports the most popular formats: MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, APE, WAV - the only thing missing is ALAC. Songs are sorted according to standard criteria - artist, album, genre and year. For those who find it more convenient to navigate through folders, there is a file manager.
The playback screen is made in a very original way - in the form of a rotating vinyl record player, on which the album cover is depicted. When you tap on the screen, controls appear that duplicate the capabilities of physical buttons. Here you can add a song to your favorites, make a “bookmark” at the desired moment of the song, enable repetition of a certain segment, or go to settings.
Support for song lyrics in LDB and LRC formats comes in handy. Just upload the files with the lyrics to the appropriate directory - and you're done. The words will scroll automatically as they play.
A special source of pride for COWON developers is the wide range of sound customization options. All of them are combined in a section called JetEffect 5 . The user has as many as 44 presets at his disposal. This includes separate settings for genres, as well as functions for stereo widening, bass enhancement, surround sound creation and various reverb options.
There are also 4 user presets that can be edited to your liking using the five-band equalizer and adding the aforementioned effects. All this opens up wide scope for experiments with sound.
Sound test. Maybe!
RHA T20: that feeling when the headphones are bigger than the player
Cowon's approach to creating and processing sound is quite original: a lot is entrusted to proprietary software technologies, which is not very familiar to the audiophile community.
To assess its capabilities as accurately as possible, I had to choose the best Scottish dynamic headphones RHA T20 with dual coil DualCoil , which increase the dynamic range and increase the driver's response speed (detail and accuracy).
RHA T20 have a monitor sound quality. In addition, the headphones independently cut off unwanted resonances of the camera and driver, so with them you can correctly evaluate the influence of the player.
Replaceable headphone filters allow you to further shift the emphasis of the sound, adjusting the balance of low and high frequencies for a more complete appreciation of the Cowon product.
Changing the accent does not affect the sound quality
Listening to a combination of Plenue D2 and T20 with low bitrate audio files does not make sense: even in a properly compressed mp3 ( lame 3.92 320 CBR ), compression artifacts, dips in the upper frequencies and the lack of “volume” created by the re-reflection of acoustic waves are noticeable.
Enabling the full JettEffect changes the sound dramatically. The sound becomes more balanced and voluminous, defects in the extreme frequencies are smoothed out. In “blind” listening, it is almost impossible to distinguish such an mp3 from a flac: it only produces a compressed dynamic range, which is clearly distinguishable using the RHA T20.
A completely different picture is observed when playing “heavy” flac and high bitrate DSD recordings. The bundle plays high-quality audio smoothly and correctly. Just like a desktop system will do it.
All frequency ranges are distinguishable up to maximum volume , where the upper ones are partially lost, giving way to more audible midranges. The sound is spacious and clear, without sibilance in the “tops” and ragged thumping lower bass.
The lower and sub-bass sound as expected, pleasantly, without boominess. The mids make it possible to distinguish all the instruments even in complex scenes where everything is lumped together at one frequency.
The scope of delivery of the RHA T20 is amazing
Initially, surround sound seems to “add” a couple of channels after applying Cowon software chips. In this case, the T20 fits perfectly with the player, allowing you to build a three-dimensional sound picture even in games where this combination allows you to accurately determine the position of the enemy.
The player copes with any genre, although the emphasis on low frequencies can add up to bass-heavy headphones, adding excessive coloration to the low frequencies.
However, a successful combination of hardware and software turns the Plenue D2 into one of the best portable players for those who love pleasant music while chasing fidelity. The balance is excellent.
Other options
There are a lot of them here! Let's start by looking at photos and videos. Supported formats include JPG, AVI, WMV and ASF. Probably, few people will need this opportunity, but its presence cannot be superfluous.
And now it’s even cooler: there’s a flash player! Yes, a player of the same swf files with games and cartoons about Masyanya that were popular 10-15 years ago. Just out of curiosity, I even downloaded one of these and checked it – it really works. Basically, you can download several toys to kill time. How about Yeti Sports?
There are also more useful built-in applications. For example, a calculator, stopwatch and text notes. All this can be useful under certain conditions, when you have a player with you, but no smartphone - say, while jogging or in the gym.
Another unexpected, but quite useful feature is the presence of a voice recorder (yes, this player also has a built-in microphone). And finally - an FM receiver with a frequency range of 87.5 - 108 MHz.
General impressions
COWON M2 has modest dimensions and an almost imperceptible weight of 75 grams; it easily fits into any pocket or bag without creating unnecessary interference.
Another undeniable advantage is the incredibly long battery life. According to the manufacturer - as much as 90 hours ! This fact is confirmed in practice: after a week of active use, the player was discharged by less than half. By the way, the battery is completely saturated from a USB port in five and a half hours, and from a wall outlet - in just three hours.
But the main advantage, of course, is the sound. This is what makes COWON products stand out from its competitors. The player plays very brightly and at the same time balanced. Low frequencies are extremely energetic, while mids and highs have excellent detail. Tuning lovers also have plenty to roam around - the device offers very wide possibilities for fine-tuning the sound.
Specifications
- Display: 2.8″, 320x240, 16 million colors
- Frequency range: 20 – 20,000 Hz
- Signal to noise ratio: 95 dB
- Audio formats: MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV, FLAC, APE (up to 16 bit/48 kHz)
- Video formats: AVI, WMV, ASF
- Other files supported: JPG, TXT, SWF, LDB, LRC
- 5-band equalizer + 48 presets
- Power: Li-polymer battery, up to 90 hours of music, up to 13 hours of video
- Other: voice recorder, FM receiver (87.5 – 108 MHz), built-in speaker, microSD card slot
- Dimensions: 74.3 x 53.1 x 13.8 mm
- Weight: 75 g
COWON M2 is available in two colors: black and dark grey. There are also two capacity options – 16 and 32 GB (don’t forget about support for microSD cards).
As a result, we have a compact player with a strict design, rich functionality and an incredibly long battery life. Among the shortcomings, it is worth highlighting the not very responsive resistive screen, which is fully compensated by the bright, high-quality sound.
Why do we love Cowon?
Perfect sound in steel.
What could be better? Before the review, it’s worth reminding newfags about Cowon’s most important achievements. When the trees were big and music was stored on CDs at best, the Koreans released Jet-Audio - perhaps the first multimedia library.
In addition to actually organizing and playing almost all formats, the software had an integrated complex for improving sound from several components:
- 20 band equalizer,
- BBE technology to restore sound clarity,
- BBE ViVA technology for stereo panorama correction,
- X-Bass technology to enhance low frequencies.
All this with minimal resource consumption, correct work with Hi-res in any form and internal 32-bit audio processing. In 1997, all this was like a bolt from the blue.
Cowon Plenue D2: amazing baby
A little later, the company's engineers released the brilliant multimedia Cowon A2 with a built-in HDD. Doesn't remind you of anything?
Cowon was also responsible for the first players with a slot for SD cards, which, together with a touchscreen, was a very rare occurrence. The dream of any audiophile, the D2 is still actively used by many owners today.
Brushed aluminum is the best decoration
Not surprising, because it was during the work on the D2 firmware that the legendary Rockbox appeared, which created the modern sound of portable equipment.
The improved version of D2+ was replaced by the Plenue series of several very successful models of multimedia players with playback of the most “heavy” formats and incredible battery life.
Big Brother: Cowon X9
If the M2 seems small to some, it doesn't matter. Take a closer look at X9.
Musical tank
At the time of its release - and perhaps still to this day - the Cowon X9 was the longest-playing music player in the world . The stated operating time is 110 hours while listening to music. This is a week on a single charge, which no modern smartphone has ever dreamed of, even under similar conditions of use.
This “brick” is designed to be used on trips and not to be left at home. Well, for the lazy ones who forget to charge their gadgets on a regular basis.
Is it worth buying a player?
Players are still more reliable. And they sound better
Evaluating portable audio players today is an extremely thankless task. First of all, the question arises: “Why buy a separate device for listening to music if my smartphone does a good job?”
Fortunately, Cowon Plenue D2 has a number of important advantages that allow you to delimit zones of influence. Among his camp comrades, he is distinguished by his convenience, compactness and autonomy.
Well, smartphones... Do you want good sound and long battery life? The player will be the only option.
A suitable audio interface simply won’t fit into any smartphone, and finding a suitable model is becoming increasingly difficult - only Meizu and LG are left. Here you will think 100 times whether it is worth merging.
Not only a cool player, but also a stylish accessory
After all, the Cowon Plenue D2 sounds at its entire cost of 29,990 rubles, no worse than similar Fiios, and a powerful sound tuning system allows you to catch up with the sound of top audiophile devices.
Real lovers of good sound should take a closer look. The legend returns with renewed vigor.
Sound and millions of settings
The main advantage of Cowon players is the sound quality and its finest customization. No other manufacturer of music players, let alone smartphones, has so many configurations and capabilities. I’ll say more: even for iPhone there are no applications yet that provide at least 50% of this functionality.
From a multi-band equalizer to special add-ons with specific sound enhancements, Cowon X9 is capable of revealing any music track from all possible angles, pumping up any headphones. It is this, and not the design or display, that the line is so famous.
This is partly why I can’t say exactly WHAT specific sound the Cowon X9 produces. There are so many technologies and “improvers” here that everyone can achieve from the player exactly the style that they consider standard: from strong bass to rich midrange frequencies. What am I saying - at Cowon you can do both!
How is this player useful for an iPhone owner?
Don't forget that out of the box these players support uncompressed Flac formats and the rare OGG Vorbis. Cowon X9 also easily and naturally plays tracks purchased from the iTunes Store - with the exception of what was downloaded from Apple Music (there is DRM protection).
The memory capacity in my model is only 16 gigabytes, but this is fixable. The player supports memory cards up to 64 gigabytes, which can be purchased for just a couple of thousand rubles. This way, you can carry your entire media library with you, and free up space on your iPhone for other data.
Main advantages
Plenue D2 did a great job in T20
JettEffect software settings allows you to adjust the sound of any headphones to any listener without any restrictions.
2. High power and the presence of a balanced output are useful for “tight” audiophile monitor headphones, which the Plenue D2 rocks in no time.
3. High-quality DACs process sound accurately and correctly, which is also useful for subsequent equalizing.
4. Low power consumption of the player allows D2 to work for 45 hours when playing lossy files, and at least 30 hours with losseless. Smartphones can't handle that much.
5. Compact dimensions and a convenient firmware menu turn the new Cowon into a really convenient accessory that you want to carry with you.
