Cowon has long been a stalwart brand of the PMP scene and with its latest device, the D3 Plenue Android media player, the company is looking to stir things up with an impressive mix of design and features. Branded as a "Prestige" high-end PMP, the D3 instantly strikes a chord with its impressive 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED capacitive touch screen wrapped in a simple but very sleek design.
The rest of the comprehensive features stay in the premium mold in the form of full HD 1080p video playback, 8/16/32GB local storage, b/g WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, T-DMB and FM radio receivers, recording capabilities, VoIP, MicroSD support, integrated speaker and G-sensor, and Cowon's JetEffect 3.0 and BBE sound enhancement features with 39 presets. The device has the company's traditional wide video/audio codec support (including Ogg Vorbis and FLAC) and runs Android 2.1 out of the box, but like many of its PMP contemporaries doesn't appear to include access to Android Market.
Available for pre-order from Amazon now
Check out more images of the D3 below and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
The first video of this device revealed a rather sluggish interface; hope they fixed that. Cowon is known for taking years of updates to get their software working right.
Not that Archos doesn’t have a reputation for the same thing, but I don’t see how this can compete with the $250 Archos 43.
Amoled capacitive vs lcd resistive perhaps?
Seems to be more of a proper pmp as well, as it has external control keys for playback so no need to go pecking the screen all the time (almost required as the amoled is less then perfect in sunlight, iirc).
Kinda odd that they have apparently used NTFS on the internal storage.
I just have a hard time imagining consumers will find the small differences worth paying more than $100 extra for. I believed before the price for the D3 appeared that Archos made the choices they did to keep the price point for their device within reason; now it appears the D3′s price is getting dangerously close to what you might pay for an unlocked phone. Actually, Amazon is selling the Nokia N900 for $20 cheaper than the D3. I’ll be really shocked if this becomes anything like the hit the Cowon D2 was.
Cowon = Car crash. I saw the vids too and sadly the Interface is looking like a lag fest and 2.1…really? They should have had an android pmp out over a year ago and with their usual stratospheric pricing I just can’t see this being a runaway success. The audiophiles will still pay for the SQ, just a bit lacklustre all round, too little to late.
Good points. I believe Archos pushed out a 2.2 update already.
Full-range speakers contain all the speaker elements in one basket. In their simplest form they consist of a woofer for the lows, and a tweeter mounted onto the woofer to produce the highs. Some models will have additional drivers, like midrange or supertweeter
Depending on the technology that is based, there’s two types of touchscreens: resistive and capacitive . Resistive screen involves several layers of plastic and the signal is recorded at the touch of them, to push your finger, creating an electrical connection.
The speaker should sound natural to your ears, have balanced tone quality and should be easy to listen to for long periods. Don’t feel rushed, listen to a speaker several times before making a final decision.
I’ve been Cowon fan and multiple player owner for years now (D2,D2+,S9,X7,J3), and so far S9 is by far the most adorable pocket device they have created. Sound quality in all of their players is superior to any other manufacturer out there. However, their inconsistent design, more than clunky UCI and often price can put quite a few people off their products. But as all of us who worship Cowon know – once you turn on their player, plug some descent headphones (no need for any external amps, no matter what headphones you might try to drive!) and customize equalizer (presets are aplenty but they are all rubbish in my opinion)- be prepare to submerge yourself in out of this world sound. That is how good their DAPs are. Believe you me , whatever quirks you might experience with their UCI or lack of any non essential features, you will either forget or be prepared to forgive them for the shortcomings. Hail Cowon you people!