[Danneq]

The 8GB and 16GB versions of the S9 was released in Europe in October/November 2008 and the 32GB version finally was released in Europe in late April 2009. I got my 32GB from mp3-player.de in May 2009.
 
I would guess that there might be a similar time frame for the releases of the 8/16GB and 32GB versions of the J3. So in the worst case it could be a 6 month wait for those who want 32GB versions of the J3. Hopefully you will not need to wait that long, though...

 

[jjeremycai]

Hey guys, it's available to order today 

http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/11/cowon-j3-goes-on-sale-in-america-we-go-hands-on/
 
"As of today, prospective consumers in the US can order one for $199.99 (8GB) or $239.99 (16GB), both of which have microSD slots for capacity expansion."

 

[nsx_23]

This should be a nice upgrade from my beloved Cowon D2.
 
For aussies, minidisc.com.au has the 16GB J9 for $295AUD.

 

[Head Injury]

Man, if only it was cheaper. That's like $100 more than a D2+. I'm sure the screen's nice, but I wouldn't watch movies on it anyway.

 

[Hero Kid]

Quote:

This should be a nice upgrade from my beloved Cowon D2.
 
For aussies, minidisc.com.au has the 16GB J9 for $295AUD.

If only I knew about this player when I bought my D2+ a few months ago. It fits the gap of what I wanted perfectly.
The perfect mix of the D2+ and the S9... on paper anyhow.

 

[jjeremycai]

Still, you guys have to admit...the pricing is a little bloated. The iTouch 8GB is the same price as the J3 and it has a boatload of more features, not to mention a passable SQ. 

 

[Head Injury]

Quote:

Still, you guys have to admit...the pricing is a little bloated. The iTouch 8GB is the same price as the J3 and it has a boatload of more features, not to mention a passable SQ. 

A boatload more non-audio features. The J3 has BBE+, which is more feature than the Touch has when it comes to audio.
 
It's about priorities. It's still overpriced, but I'd buy it over a Touch if I wanted to spend this much. I don't have to try to use the internet on a 3" screen.

 

[nsx_23]

Quote:

Still, you guys have to admit...the pricing is a little bloated. The iTouch 8GB is the same price as the J3 and it has a boatload of more features, not to mention a passable SQ. 

An iPod Touch 8GB starts at $268AUD here...

 

[iPoodz]

Quote:

Specs say it supports 480x272, which is slightly worse than the ipod touch (480x320), but the Cowon has a 3.3" display vs. the ipod's 3.5" display.

Ah, thanks. The specs say the same thing about the S9, but in the anything but iPod review, he says that he was able to play larger XviD files without issues.
 
Quote:

The 8GB and 16GB versions of the S9 was released in Europe in October/November 2008 and the 32GB version finally was released in Europe in late April 2009. I got my 32GB from mp3-player.de in May 2009.
 
I would guess that there might be a similar time frame for the releases of the 8/16GB and 32GB versions of the J3. So in the worst case it could be a 6 month wait for those who want 32GB versions of the J3. Hopefully you will not need to wait that long, though...

When the 32GB came out, did the 8GB and 16GB versions drop in price? If so, that would be nice.
 
Cowon, as soon as you drop the price on the 16GB so I can spend the money on SD cards, or release the 32GB, I'm going to buy this beast.

 

[EphemeralHope]

Is cowon SQ still competitive with persay S:Flo2 or Sony X series? It seems that even though Cowon is known for audio quality - newer audiophile equipment is being discussed as the dominant options in headfi (maybe pricing?)
When I first joined headfi, cowon was the standard and the best(D2,S9,etc etc..) I wonder what happened

 

[Danneq]

Quote:

When the 32GB came out, did the 8GB and 16GB versions drop in price? If so, that would be nice.
 

 
Well, I wanted the 32GB version, so I didn't keep track of the 8GB and 16GB prices. I've checked on a Swedish equivalent to Pricerunner and there statistics show that at the end of May 2009, 8GB and 16GB prices were lowered. That might not say much since it is just statistics from one site showing Swedish retailers...

 

[Azathoth]

The J3's lack of wifi/internet browsing/apps is a moot point for me. All I want is a DAP with killer SQ - I'll bite once a 32 gb model is available.

 

[usf09]

Yeah, I have an iPhone already, which I'll always carry with me, so the apps/etc aren't a big deal. I have movies and stuff on my portables now, but I don't watch them, I only listen to music, and surfing the internet on a 3 inch screen is annoying as hell. I just want good SQ, and the ability to play FLAC. 

 

[Danneq]

So now I have touched the J3. I didn't listen to it, but overall the design and UI is nicer than I thought.
 
This is one of the advantages of living in the Tokyo area in Japan - new technology is actually available. Not at all like in Sweden where you have to order from special online stores. I do not think that there are any electronic stores in Sweden where you can look at other DAP brands than iPod or perhaps Sony. I think that I might have seen Creative Zens a few years ago.
 
Anyway, I went to Yodobashi kamera to get a screen protector for my new Kenwood HD20GA7, and while I was there I went to the section an looked at the new Panasonic Viera 3D sets. Nice, but the 3D-glasses are dark so it almost feels like wearing sunglasses to watch TV.
 
After that I went to the DAP and headphone section and woe and behold - they had the 16GB J3. I just tried the UI out a bit and it seemed nice. Much more fluent than my S9 (with 2.41 version firmware), and when I flipped the player on the side, the icons switched to landscape mode. Nice! See how easy it is to get impressed with bells and whistles.
The tactile buttons were all there: pause/play, next/ff-previous/rewind and volume on the right side. An on/off button on the left side. On the bottom the headphone plug is to the far left. Then there is like a small "hatch" that you remove (like on the S9 and D2) to get access to the USB input and the MicroSD slot. I tried to not touch the screen too much, it looked like the previous person who had touched it first had put his fingers up his nose...
 
Ironically the S9 next to the J3 had lost its play/pause button. I have heard that they can break, so I am very careful with mine...
 
The price for the 16GB J3 is 25.800 yen. The 16GB S9 is 21.800 yen and the 32GB version is 32.800 yen. The 16GB version of Sony X1050 is 24.800 while the 32GB version X1060 is 35.800 yen.
 
Not too many people were looking at the section with iRiver, Cowon and Creative players. The iPod section was crowded as always and the Sony section had its fair share of people looking. I can understand the appeal of iPod in Japan. Firstly Japanese people love things with nice design and secondly if everyone else has got one, it has to be good. Pretty much like in the rest of the world, that is. Myself, I cannot understand it...
 
Anyway, about the J3, it looks nice and solid. While I do not think that my S9 feels cheap in anyway, my Titanium version is a bit on the "plasticky" side, but the J3 did not give me the same feel. However, I do prefer the curved design of the S9 to the more standard J3.

 

[usf09]

That's good to know...the only real advantage to the iPod is its ability to play my iTunes shows...(for me at least). I still haven't found a good program to convert the protected m4p movie files to avi or anything...hopefully someone will give a review of the J3 sound quality soon...