The O2 built up our expectations with its ludicrously impressive support for different media types, and then let us down with its unfriendly method for listing your actual media. But it redeems itself once more with performance, despite the questionably glossy and reflective screen. Video, while not as crisp as on the A3, is smooth and judder-free. Even 1,280x720-pixel HD DivX content played smoothly, and obviously requires zero transcoding.
We tested all but two video and audio file types (DAT and MTV) that Cowon claims the O2 supports, and all played perfectly. Some disappointing exceptions, though: no support for protected WMA files and no gapless playback.
But that trademark Cowon sound quality was anything but absent. Testing only with lossless FLAC files though Denon D7000 headphones and a Woo Audio 2 headphone amp, we heard the full, rich and meaty sound for which Cowon players are so loved. It's clearly richer and deeper than the iPod classic, and on par with the highly rated Cowon D2.
Conclusion
The Cowon O2 is a more affordable and compact alternative to the Cowon A3, with even the most obscure file formats left intact. It's not without its navigational flaws, but it's a worthy little brother to the more professional A3 or Web-enabled Archos 5.
If you download a lot of content from the Internet, we've got to say that unless you can afford the more costly alternatives mentioned above, this is one of the best candidates for the job.
The Cowon O2 will be available from Advanced MP3 Players.
Edited by Marian Smith
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