Home > Consumer Reviews > Cowon iAudio S9 8GB MP3 Player - Titanium

After a recommendation from a friend i punted for this player given the spec and AMOLED screen. I own a 30gb and 120gb ipod both of which struggle to cope with bass and only offer a limted range of EQ settings. The poor quality sound was really exposed once i bought a pair of Shure SE310 headphones so decided it was time to upgrade the player. Reading some of the forums, everyone has said about how Cowons have the best sound quality etc., and not having heard it for myself decided to take a gamble. I have to say what a fantastic player, the sound from this thing is amazing and matches the quality of the headphones.
You must invest in a good pair or the quality of this player will seem no different to any pther ipod/MP3 player. EQ settings are infinte and the screen colours just blow you away and the screen is brilliantly responsive. FLAC tagging is a little clumsy but firmware updates seem to be coming out every month which should address this. Also MP4's are not supported which is dissapointing but as long as you have a decent converter does it doesn't matter as you can still convert to divX but again a firmware update may fix this. Bass is stunning and top end has clarity you simply will not have heard before. The interface takes a little getting used to, certainly as i own an iphone and the interface is no-where near as intuitive but once you know your way around its fine.

all in all this player exceeded all my expecations. If you can get the 32g go for it, but the 16gb will hold 360 songs at 44mb each in uncompressed format so should be enough for most. I stull use my ipod for going to the gym and use Skullcandy earphones which compensate for the lack of bass, but if your going to spend £200 on a player buy this you will not be dissapointed

This thing is beautiful. I converted my CDs to mp3s and my music collection outgrew my 8GB mp3 player. I needed a 32GB player, so after hours of googling and forum reading I got this.

Stick it in any computer and it acts like a USB stick, just drag 'n' drop your files.

It's a bit slow starting when the full 32GB capacity is used, but if you're buying an mp3 player to listen to music then I highly recommend the Cowon S9, the sound quality is excellent.

If you're not an audiophile and want to play games, surf t'Internet and stuff, get the Apple ipod Touch.

Great bit of kit. Never heard of Cowon before but the quality of the design and build of the S9 is outstanding. Really light as well. Main reason I bought this was due to the solid state 32 Gb memory and the wireless function. I managed to pair the device with my Sony DR-BT160AS Active Series Headphones with no problems at all.

I bought this firstand foremost for the possibility of improved sound quality using FLAC.

Does it make a difference? Do bears poop in the woods? I downloaded a FLAC converter for my CD's as I was waiting for delivery but although from one of the more popular sites it was non functional. So when this player turned up I used the supplied CD for the conversion program. Normaly I don't use them but I have to say, top marks to COWON - their converter works like a dream. Okay FLAC takes up more space and is a bit of a faff, but as a compromise of storage space against sound quality it can't be beaten.

I know. I tried FLAC against high quality MP3 and WMA and you can tell the difference almost immediately. And of course COWON have a bit of a rep for great sounding machines, so combined with the FLAC files I was astounded at just how good this sounds. Even with the supplied headphones I was rocked back. I'll buy some top quality 'phones later as well so should sound even better.

Video is excellent and the clarity and brightness of the screen is something to behold. It certainly is better than my Archos and my wife's iPod.

Touch screen is fine when you get used to it. Not sure to be honest how much of a benefit this it apart from being the latest "must have." After all when you have a bright colourful screen why ruin it with fingerprints or dirt and scratches? However it's here to stay and the COWON seems to work fine.

The interface is not as clear as Archos or iPod, but whilst one could moan and groan and drag out the usual "iPod interface is better" argument, the reality is that after a couple of uses like all other players you get a handle on whatever operating interface they have. In most cases you'd have to be a dribbling imbecile to fail to be able to operate any one of the units on the market.

It's small, light and very well made with a high quality feel to it.

Is it an iPod beater. Yes. Will it achieve this? No, because youth targeted marketing has already won that battle. However for the more discerning, less influenced buyer then this is the machine to have.

fantastic sound quality even with the issued earphones.how ever I purchased a pair of shure se110 and the issued earphones out performed them by miles.