Cowon S9 Curve

The iPod gets competition from Korea wants Cowon S9 Curve with its market for MP3 players to conquer. The device scores with technical finesse, a fantastic display and a super sound quality. Whether that's enough to displace the market leader, is questionable.

Elegant curved back, classy in black gray, the Cowon S9, therefore. He immediately makes a sympathetic impression. The confirmed when the device is in the hand: the music player with 77 grams of very lightweight (110 g iPod Touch) and with the dimensions 5.7 x 10.6 centimeters and a thickness of 1.27 centimeters space.However, Apple's0.85 centimeters in touch with something thinner.

The plastic housing makes a strong impression that worries the plastic front of the display. Here one must be very careful so that no scratches are.

Way of fictitious and His: Cowon uses a so-called BBE + technology, including digital Tonaufbereitung ( "JetEffect 2.0") an. The hearing on the standard headphones supplied already brought impressive results, but the others offer.

After the test with our listeners reference Shure SE530 then completely convinced. Clean in the treble and bass, mids present - there's more there. The Cowon is something for real music lovers. He even supports exotic music formats like FLAC and Ogg Vorbis, for their quality are known. The normal music fan is probably the MP3 Gekrächze prefer.

To support the Cowon Not even DRM copy protection. But only marginally. The days of copy should be counted, since apple it virtually eliminates.

The menu interface is finally arranged kept an old Cowon problem. At S 9, you now really hard. Radio (with recorder), music, image and video directories. The Active-matrix OLED display is for videos only really on form, brilliant picture and smooth, thanks to strong processor with 500 Mega Herz.

Regarding the duration of the non-replaceable battery itself is concerned, could operate in the music are the nearly 55 hours to be achieved. That's peak. In the video, the battery operation of up to eleven hours hold. This saves the transatlantic flight in the timber class.

 iPod Touch can not keep up. But has other advantages such as Wi-Fi and Web browsing.

It's the little things that make the mood or they spoil. Toll is a small slider with which the letter size on the screen or can infinitely customize a funny karaoke function. Doof: Connected to the PC is displayed on the screen formatfüllend a slowly rotating USB cable. Okay, this has a calming effect, but I would prefer the current progress of the battery-charging admired and seen whether the synchronization is finished soon.

The included Media software JetAudio is getting used to, used the skills but better than a Windows Media Player.

Conclusion: Despite undeniable technical finesse, it will be the Koreans we simply have not. The price is the 8 GB model with 229 euros at least slightly higher than the iPod Touch. Since so many will probably prefer the "Original" grab.