COWON iAudio X5 20GB Portable Media Player

Reviews: Multimedia

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Nicholas Hart
Kurtis
COWON
Sep. 5, 2005

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First Looks

The iAudio X5 came packed in standard iAudio fare. Instead of product shots on the box, the player is plainly visible so you can get a good look at what you will be purchasing. I do have one suggestion for iAudio, and that is to add contrast to the text and graphics on the box because as-is, it's hard to read any of the specification unless you hold the box at the right angle in the light. Any kind of glare on the box and the text simply disappears and you might not notice that anything is even there.

Getting to the player itself, the X5 is encased in aluminum with a black powder coat finish. The silver trim around the edges is plastic and everything fits together very nicely. Be careful with the paint as it will scratch. As an example, that will probably happen on every player, there are little nubs on the bottom of the player for it rest on. While they keep the paint on the bottom of the unit from being scuffed while sitting on your desk, the paint on them is quick to rub off.

The iAudio "joystick' control system is present which should come as no surprise and on the side of the player are the additional buttons for powering on/off the unit, play/pause and record. The bottom of the player is the connector for what I will call the "backpack'. Insert the backpack onto the bottom port to make use of the charge, USB and line in/out jacks. The backpack is kind of interesting as you can leave it home during play only tasks and the space used by those connectors can be shaved from the unit itself. Of course, if you plan to transfer files with the player, you will need to carry that piece as well.

The side opposite the play and power buttons houses the headphone jack and also the connector for the optional LCD remote module. I'd give you more info on the remote module, but I didn't receive one for testing. Essentially, it allows you access to navigational functions and song information in a smaller package so you can leave the player stowed safely away. (Kurtis' Note: I believe the X5 would use the same remote as the M3 which I previously reviewed, so you can find more information on the remote there.)

The top of the unit has a charge indicator that confused me at first until I plugged the unit in. It's entirely silver and I didn't know what it was supposed to do. Was it a button that I push to charge? Anyway, when plugged in, it glows red while charging and blue when charging is complete. The silver is more of a tinting to let it match the rest of the unit when not lit up. The charge indicator isn't the only means of seeing the charging status of the unit as the screen also activates to let you know charge status.

The headphones included with the X5 are certainly nothing new; they are the same Cresyn headphones included with the other iAudio players we have reviewed in the past. Don't be prejudiced by their "bundled' status, these headphones have proven themselves worthy of everyday use by way of some very good sound quality.

In addition to everything mentioned above, the iAudio X5 comes with an AC adapter to use with the backpack for charging, a USB cable to hook up to your PC, an audio cable for line in/out functionality and a small USB adapter to allow you to connect another device when using the USB host feature of the player. There is also a software CD, a manual and a couple screen protectors to keep the unit looking new.

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Page 2 of 6

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Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: First Looks
Page 3: Features & Testing (Display, Video and Photo Playback, Interface)
Page 4: Features & Testing (USB Host, FM Radio, Voice and Line-In Recording)
Page 5: Features & Testing (Battery Life, Music Playback, Software)
Page 6: Conclusion

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10 User Comments

1 - Posted by rickalamo02 on October 13, 2005 - 12:00 pm

Do you know or have you heard about how easy it will be to replace the Li-on battery? What is the expected lifetime? 2-3 years? How much will it cost, or will the company have to replace the device?

2 - Posted by Kurtis on October 13, 2005 - 12:15 pm

I honestly don't know. I haven't heard of any issues about battery life with the X5 though. I take it that you are worried the X5 will turn into an iPod? :-D

3 - Posted by rickalamo02 on October 14, 2005 - 11:44 am

Not sure what you mean by the X5 turning into an ipod, can you explain? I currently own a iRiver Ifp-799t model, and for some reason or another it won't power on anymore. I had to send it back to iRiver and they are in the process of replacing it. I like the features that the iRiver devices have such as MP3, voice recorder, FM Rado, In-line recording etc., yet for the model I have you need to have the iRiver dedicated software loaded onto your PC in order to transfer files.

I came across the X5 from search engine, I was impress with all of the features and then decided to look some reviews and thankfully yours was pretty good.

Can you confirm for me if the X5 does not require software loaded onto a pc in order to transfer files to and from it? Can it also be used as mini usb drive?

When I do research on a device or anything, I try to get all of the Pros and Cons with it before buying. I think for me the worry is having the battery go bad, and is it expensive to replace, or will the company just say where are going to replace the whole thing. If it ever comes to that then, I hope I will have my music or info backed up to recover quickly. Sorry for rambling, but thanks for any info you can give on this device, I'm seriously considering buying this.

4 - Posted by Brian on October 14, 2005 - 11:58 am

There was a big problem with Apple, where they were charging around the price of a brand new iPod just to replace the battery. That is what he was referring to.

5 - Posted by Nick on October 14, 2005 - 12:02 pm

There is no easily accessible battery compartment, only screws. I don't recall the manual mentioning battery replacement, the iAudio website (cowonamerica.com) doesn't mention battery replacement and their online store doesn't sell a battery for the X5. That tells me that its off to the factory if the battery has problems. Unfortunately I don't have an extended amount of time with the player so can't comment on battery lifetime.

As far as needing software to transfer files, I know that for XP and 2k you shouldn't even need a driver. On my systems at home and work, I just plugged the player in and could immediately copy files. The X5 uses a folder hierarchy and you can copy files anywhere you like, although it is best to use the folder structure and put music files in the music folder for example. So yes, you can use it as a flash drive and I certainly did that on a few occasions while I had it.

6 - Posted by rickalamo02 on October 17, 2005 - 11:29 am

I have another question. When recording from the radio, voice or In-line, does the X5 convert the recording automatically to MP3 format or do you record the file first, and then go to the X5 software package to convert the file to MP3?

7 - Posted by Kurtis on October 17, 2005 - 12:59 pm

it automatically converts it, you don't have to do anything in software.

8 - Posted by rickalamo02 on October 25, 2005 - 10:05 am

Does the iAudio X5 allow you to upload copyrighted music files or copy protect music files to a PC? I know recently that IriverAmerica is adjusting their devices due to copyright guidelines, MP3 / WMA files cannot be uploaded to a PC.

9 - Posted by Nick on October 25, 2005 - 12:18 pm

Im not sure I understand the question. So ill just spew a little :0

The X5 does not support the 'plays for sure' standard (if its really a standard) so it may not work with music purchase sites that use DRM protection.

If you're asking if you can copy mp3s from the player to the PC, the answer is yes. You can copy anything from the player to the PC. However, if that music file has DRM protection, it may not play on the PC. This is a limitation of the file itself, not the player.

10 - Posted by rickalamo02 on October 25, 2005 - 12:33 pm

I believe you answered my question. Basically what I asking is this: Does the iAudio allow you to upload MP3 files whether they are copyrighted or not to a PC? I believe that your answer was yes. Next, I was stating a comment that I had saw and experience with iRiver. Because of copyright laws they are no longer allowing you to upload copyrighted mp3(protected) files to a pc, which they had at one time. I'm wondering in the future will other or all mp3 players be affected by copyright laws to hinder users from copying or sharing music.

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