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Cowon iAudio G3
Ameya Dalvi, Nov 10, 2006 1701 hrs ISTThe G3 can be summed up as the iAudio U2 in a different shell with a couple of changes. Read on to know more.
Excellent sound quality, Tons of features, Good FM tuner, Good bundle, Direct MP3 encoding, Supports wide variety of audio formats, Upgradeable firmware, Sturdy build quality, Excellent battery life, Simple user interface.
Uncomfortable headphones, Sound cracks at peak volume, No integrated battery.
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Cowon needs no introduction anymore. Its last two audio players, we reviewed, did not fail to impress us and hence I was looking for more from that brand. Then, arrived the G3. Though it did not sport the usual elegant looks that you associate with the U-Series of players, I was hoping the sound quality would be at par. So, let's find out what the Cowon iAudio G3 brings to the table.
The G3 is similar to the U2 model that we reviewed a few months back in several ways. In fact, I would go to the extent of saying that the G3 is very much the U2 in a different shell with a couple of changes. Firstly, the built-in rechargeable Lithium Polymer battery has been replaced by a standard AA cell and the FM tuner has been improved significantly. Cowon also claims that they have incorporated a new chipset on the G3, an upgraded version of the one used in the U2. The interface and software remain the same though, and the similarities extend to all other features of the player as well. For those who have already read my review on the U2 may experience a sense of deja'vu when going through the next few paragraphs.
The Player and Bundle
As aforementioned, the outer shell is different from their earlier players. It is rectangular but a tad flatter with more surface area. It is understandably bigger as it has to host the AA battery. The player measures 64 x 45 x 17.1 mm (H x W x D) and weighs about 30 to 40 grams without the battery. It sports a mono 128 x 64 pixel 4-line display with a blue backlight that displays all the necessary information from your track title, duration, progress, sound settings, battery life, and a lot more. There are 3 buttons (Play/Pause, Record, Menu) placed along the top edge of the player and a 5-directional joystick is present on the face. The hold slider is placed at the back with the headphone jack and mic along the left edge and the mini-USB connector and line-in terminal along the right. It supports USB 2.0 transfer speeds. The player was draped in white and hosted 512 MB of Flash memory onboard. The player is also available here with 1 GB capacity.
The player supports MP3, OGG, WMA 7/9, and WAV playback at variable bit-rates. There are plenty of sound settings starting with 6 equalizer presets (Rock, Pop, Jazz, Classic, Normal, Vocals) and one user-defined preset where you can play around with a 5-band equalizer. The presets are distinct.
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