Cowon D2 or Zune 4gb?

Deciding between these two players is turning out to be much tougher than I though

Well, here it goes:

Zune 4GB:
Wireless sync
dedicated software
Use of D-pad/touch pad
slightly cheaper off amazon
smaller and thinner
"social" features such as wireless music/photo sharing

Cowon D2:
Audio quality is (supposedly) incredible
Many audio options (mach3bass+++)
touchscreen
larger screen
expandable memory (SD slot)

Honestly, I'm looking for an easy to use, user-friendly mp3; able to produce quality music without sacrificing much while being very portable. I know that the cowon supports many more audio formats and (in that sense) requires much less conversions. However, this wouldn't necessarily be a deal-breaker if the Zune offers more in other areas.

What I'm worried about is that the Zune won't offer much other than your basic MP3 player. Yet I don't know how user friendly the GUI of the D2 is, as I've yet to try it out. However, since I'll be using this mainly for music, I wouldn't need much more other than the basic MP3 player, but I've heard nothing but good reviews coming from the D2, which is what is really keeping me on the fence.

CONVINCE ME

 

Zune all the way. If you are using this for music, use a zune. its great, small, and really nice to use. I own a zune, and i say, i don't regret.

 

To your list I would add:

Zune:
- smaller and thinner
- "social" features such as wireless music/photo sharing

Cowon D2:
- larger screen
- expandable memory (SD slot)

So... what are you looking for? You should get good sound from either one. If you want video, go with Cowon for the bigger screen. If you want wireless sharing and sync, or a smaller and thinner form factor, go with Zune. If you want expandable memory or equalizer/sound enhancements, choose Cowon.

There may be other stuff worth looking at too. I would say Sony's line is also worth a look though.

 

I unnecessarily purchased a D2 partially because my very first mp3 player was a Cowon iaudio x5, and also because I wanted something smaller then my ZVM. Really though, I just wanted a new toy. In retrospect, I don't think it was the best decision for me. Here is what I do like... It is fairly compact, but that is comparing it to my huge ZVM, I don't know where you generally keep your mp3 player, but the Zune will likely feel smaller in your pocket. The D2 is a little thick, if you are keeping it in your backpack or something I suppose this is irrelevant. I usually throw mine into my back left pocket, coat pocket, or front jean pocket, and really it's not a huge deal if you are used to carrying around a cell phone it's not like it's some huge thing protruding from your pocket. Build quality is good, it feels solid and I think it looks pretty nice. A huge bonus for me was the SD card. I bought a 4gb and put a 16 gb SD card in, totaling at around $200 for a 20gb flash player. I am not a real audiophile so I don't feel qualified to comment on SQ, but I will say Cowon is notorious for having great sound quality, and I have absolutely no complaints. The player is quite customizable if you are into that, there are some D2 forums to help with that. You can get different flash applications (dictionary, even a small version of wikipedia, games, etc...) you can also change the now playing interface around so it is easier to navigate. Again I don't know what you are using your player for but the D2 comes with a lot of extra functions, for me cool to have, but I really just use the player exclusively for music. Oh yeah and battery life is great, I go a long time before I charge...
Now I guess the cons...
I wouldn't say the GUI is super friendly. Like I said you can customize the now playing screen but the basic menu screen is not customizable. If trying to navigate through music while the player is in your pocket or while you are not looking directly at it, it can become quite cumbersome. With the hold feature on, you can skip forwards and backwards, but thats about it as far as navigation without looking. I use my mp3 player in my car a lot, and I have found it is a lot more difficult to navigate then my ZVM. When I am walking around campus though and I don't have to pay attention to driving it isn't a big deal, still not as easy to navigate as other players. On sunny days the screen is a real pain to view. I can barely make anything out. I don't know if it is just because of the settings I have, but it is REALLY hard to see. I should play around with settings to see if I can achieve better results, but that is a definite negative for me. I guess those are the only 2 big drawbacks for me. Trying to use the player outside when it is really bright, and navigating the UI while driving.
Here is what I would suggest...
If you have more than 4 gigs of music, but are limiting yourself to the 4 gig because of price, get the Cowon D2 plus a SD card (8 gigs are pretty cheap now)
If you really only have 4 gigs of music, I would determine how you are going to be using the player and what features are important to you. I use my mp3 player A LOT in the car, so in retrospect I feel that maybe I should have gone with something slightly easier to navigate. Using the player at home, or on campus, work great for me. Hope this helps... PM me if you have any specific questions.

 

is this for video or music?
i recommand chinese pmp player called t8 by ramos.
4.3 inch touch screen
plays almost all video files downloaded from internet
good gui compare to other chinese players.
thin stylish and cheap

 

I vote the D2 for sure. I always thought it was pretty easy to navigate while driving, once you realize the lay out of your songs(It took me all of about 2 minutes to get completely comfortable with the UI) then you can scroll to any file you want with a simple touch. And skipping songs while driving is easy cause you just touch either side of the screen. The SQ is very good, and its got the most powerful amp that you can get in any DAP.

 

Go Cowon Go!!!!!

 

Added

To help clarify things a bit, this will be used almost mainly for music (as the screen size on both is a bit too small for comfortable video), and the 4gb is actually plenty, especially since my music collection isn't very large (2gb), so the SD option on the D2 is only an "extra" for me. I'm liking the size of the Zune, and I've been toying around with the software and finding it very user friendly. The touchscreen on the D2 is a very exciting feature, and I'm OK with having to get accustomed to the layout and use of the D2.

However, what is the sound quality difference between these two players? I like having a bit more bass/treble in certain songs, so the customization of the D2 reigns supreme there, but is the audio quality very noticeable between the players? I'm going to go check out the Zune at a store this weekend, and see what I think of it.

 

I've got the D2 and I love it. It's really a great player with amazing audio quality (If your music is well encoded) and supports a lot of playback formats. Make sure you get the 8gb or higher version, the SDHC card support allows you to expand your storage to very large amounts as well. If you install 3.xx series firmware you gain a lot of features like customizable themes, a dictionary, calculators and many other user designed flash apps.

 

Would you mind going into detail on the "well encoded" subject?

 

well, for simplicity and stuff, i still think the zune wins hand down. Sound quality is quite similar. If you are just going to use it like commuting or something, you won't here there difference, unless you want to just sit down with $300 headphones. I think the size is also better. Its small light, and easier to use imho. Again this is an opinion, but i think its a well backed up one.

 

For something about the size of the Zune but with more sound enhancements/options, check out Sony's players. (No touch controls though.)

For me, the downsides of the Cowon D2 were size/thickness, the touchscreen, and price. (In fairness, I haven't actually used the D2... I just tend not to like touchscreens so much in general.) But if none of those things bother you, then it's probably the best choice.

 

aye, touch conrols don't seem handy if you are on the go. The size of the zune is much better for portability.

 

If your music is good quality, meaning, how well is it encoded and in what format is it in.

Good explanation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_file_format

 

Wow, I looked at their 4gb walkman, and it's got some very nice features for a very good price. It's just not... aesthetically appealing. But no worries, it's definitely made my list now

 

You may also want to take a look at the Sansa Fuze. As far as size comparison goes it is similar to the third generation ipod Nano. You can use Micro Sd cards to get a 16 gb player for pretty cheap. I hear they have pretty good sound quality as well.

 

It doesn't get more simple than the D2. you plug it in, drag your music onto it, unplug it, turn it one, press music, and pick your song, then its playing.

I was also afraid of the touchscreen before I got mine, but once I finally got it, I beat myself up about not getting it sooner. The Cowon D2 has an AMAZING EQ, on top of good pure sound. So saying that you wont notice a difference is just an ignorant statement.

 

I'm going to take a stop at Best Buy today, and, if nothing is wrong with the player, I'm probably going to pick up the 4gb Sony walkman. My decision came after reviewing both the pro's and con's of the Zune, Cowon, and Sony players. The Sony came out to be the cheapest yet contained all the pros of the other players: portability, ease of use, exceptional sound quality, etc.

Many thanks to Swarmer for recommending the Sony.

 

New Cowon O2 replacing the D2



Link: http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/11/cowons-o2-pmp-ships-in-korea-october-13-starts-at-224/