Cowon iAudio X5 (30GB) review

What you need to know

Reviewed by: Ben Patterson

Reviewed on: 5 August 2005

Tags: Cowon Systems, Cowon iAudio X5 (30GB), music files, low resolution, songs

We like:

Small size; video player with 260,000-colour LCD; customisable wallpaper; FM radio; line-in and voice recording; photo viewer; text-file reader; excellent sound quality; reads photos directly from digital cameras; compatible with OGG and FLAC formats

We don't like:

Must plug in an adaptor to attach AC, line-in and USB cables; so-so control layout; can't autosync music with a PC; can't browse by artist, album or genre; must convert videos to a special format before playing; no slide-show mode or music while viewing photos; no auto presets for FM radio; no compatibility with online music stores or subscription services (yet)

You might also need:

Nice earbuds or headphones; AV cables

CNET UK judgement:

The iAudio X5 looks like an iPod killer on paper, but this palm-size video and music player suffers from poor music browsing and some key design missteps

Full review:

Take one look at the Cowon iAudio X5's feature list and you might peg it as an iPod killer. On paper, the 30GB, iPod-size X5 (£290; also available at 20GB for £250) has everything that Apple's ice-white wonder does -- including music playback, a photo viewer and on-the-fly playlists -- then it piles on video playback, an FM radio, voice and line-in recording, and even the ability to read and save images directly from a digital camera without an adaptor. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Continue Reading...