[DrSheep]

Background: Due to complete lack of official guide on how Cowon Plenue series of DAPs handle playlist, I have decided to write this quick guide after quite a bit of searching and trial and error. I have tested the methods with my Plenue V with firmware 1.13, but I can only assume this will work across the DAPs running the same OS. Note that I did started out with my Plenue D3, but it seems firmware 1.0.0 has a bug that fail to correctly handle m3u and cue lists. If you have a D2, then please post and let me know will this work or not. Thanks.

Q1: what playlist formats are supported?
A1: Cue sheets (.cue) and partial extended m3u (.m3u).

Q2: what do you mean by partial extended m3u support?
A2: the Plenue OS is weird, as it does handle m3u coded in the official extended schema. However, it CANNOT read URL style paths (/ and %20 and etc), and you have to use Windows style path reference (e.g., \Folder One\Folder Two\My Music.whatever). Note, spaces are OK in the path reference and no need to use quotes.

Q3: since the path starts with a backslash, does it mean Plenue can handle dynamic path?
A3: not really. If the full path of your music FROM THE SD CARD within windows is D:\Folder One\Folder Two\My Music.dsf, and you use \Folder One\Folder Two\My Music.dsf as the path for the m3u or cue list, then you can put the playlist file anywhere WITHIN THE SAME DRIVE, and the Plenue OS will pick it up, phase it, and put it in the "Playlists" menu. However, if you only use the file name as the path, meaning \My Music.dsf, you will need to have the playlist in the same folder as the music files.

Q4: what if I put my list under \Folder One, and use paths like \Folder Two\My Music.dsf within the list?
A4: nope. This is why the Plenue OS is weird, as this normally will work for the extended m3u scheme.

Q5: what's the schema for m3u??
A5: this turns out to be super simple, just use a text editor and save the file as .m3u:

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:
\Folder One\Folder Two\My Music1.dsf
#EXTINF:
\Folder One\My Music2.flac
#EXTINF:
\Folder One\Folder Two\Folder Three\My Music3.aac

Q6: what about cue sheet?
A6: as follows and save as .cue file.

FILE "\Folder One\Folder Two\My Music1.dsf" WAVE
TRACK 01 AUDIO
INDEX 01 00:00:00
FILE "\Folder One\My Music2.flac" WAVE
TRACK 02 AUDIO
INDEX 01 00:00:00
FILE "\Folder One\Folder Two\Folder Three\My Music3.aac" WAVE
TRACK 03 AUDIO
INDEX 01 00:00:00

Q7: do I need any meta tags from the files like title or artist?
A7: nope, the Plenue OS ignores them when phasing the list, so there is no point to having them in the file, hence why EXTINF: has nothing to follow.

Q8: do I need to use special software like MusicBee or JetAudio to make the playlists?
A8: NO, but it will help when you have a big collection and want them in a list. Although JetAudio is pretty old, it does allow you to make m3u with the correct scheme pretty quickly.

Q9: what about software for cue sheets?
A9: I downloaded CUETools 2.1.6 and it work the very first time.

Q10: how do I know my playlist is working and not due to buggy firmware?
A10: if your m3u or cue files were generated and coded correctly, you will NOT see the playlist files once booted up the DAP, but instead see your playlists within the "Playlists" menu option. The Plenue OS generally ignores all file types that it can't handle and hides them, like pdf for example, which you why you get an empty folder when folder browse to "Manual". For all supported file types, it will either just shows them (like flac or dsf), or handled them then hide the files (like jpg, m3u, and cue). However, if the firmware is bugged, like my 1.0.0 Plenue D3, it will shows my valid m3u lists as browsable under folders, and will not correctly process them (put your lists in the Playlists menu.) This is why making playlists for these Plenue DAPs can be such a pain, if you have no way of knowing whether you did something wrong, or the firmware is just bugged.

 

[safarial]

@DrSheep Have you been able to get the m3u playlists working in Plenue D3 since you made the post?

 

[DrSheep]

Not at this time. Cowon still only posted 1.0.0 firmware for the D3, which is the current bugged version. I tested the exact same card with my D2 with the latest firmware, and all the m3u playlist worked fine.

 

[safarial]

Ahh, will drop a message to Cowon support on this. It's strange that D3 firmware has issues when D2 works fine. Thanks for the quick reply

 

[DrSheep]

Please do, but I am not too hopeful at this point...

 

[iciclevan]

I've been in contact with Cowon about this recently and here is their initial reply:

Hi!
Sorry for the situation you have!
PD3 doesn’t support .m3u. and we are not sure if it can be supported in the future.
Again, sorry about that!
We’ll notify through our website if there will be any change.
Regards,
JetAudio, Inc

I wrote back to say that I was puzzled by this due to the fact that both the Plenue D and Plenue R were able to read m3u files and that even my old J3 could as well.
I got this today:

Hi!
Unfortunately, J3 and plenue series are different.
Plenue support .cue and partial extended m3u. please refer to the details from head-fi.org at https://www.head-fi.org/threads/cowon-plenue-playlist-quick-guide.952320/.
You can still make a partial extended m3u file through our jetaudio. Please refer to the information below.

Making playlist(m3u) is as the below.
Please refer to the follow steps.
1. Please install the latest version of jetAudio program to the PC refering to the link below.
http://www.jetaudio.com/download/
2. Please connect the device to USB connector and then start the jetAudio.
3. Please click the playlists category of jetAudio by the right button of the mouse,
and then click the 'Add Files▶Add Files in Folder' to appoint the folder where the music files are saved in the device.
4. Please click the playlists category of jetAudio by the right button of the mouse again,
and then click the 'Export▶Export to Files...'
5. When the 'Export to File' pop-up appears, please check all the options from 'Options for Exporting'
and then click the Browse button.
6. Now, please set as file name, formation of file (m3u), unicode and then save m3u file in the folder where music files are.
Regards,
JetAudio, Inc

I'm not sure that I understand what a "partial extended m3u" is but I wrote again to say that while I was a big fan of their DAP's, it would really help if they
could achieve a better level of consistency with regards to the software; I also said that I hoped a fix is being worked on and that the PD3 would receive some
kind of update in the very near future...

 

[safarial]

Good to know that they are responding to the emails. Which email did you send them to? I'd like to send my request as well..

I don't understand those instructions either, I had found it in their FAQ page but the steps didn't work for me.

 

[iciclevan]

info@jetaudio.com

Well, at least they're writing back, I just received this a few minutes ago (my most recent reply is at the bottom):
------------------------------
Hi!
Thank you for your royalty!
The files for m3u on plenue should exist in the same folder. That is not an appropriate m3u. that’s why we can’t say officially supporting m3u.
We chose appropriate chipset when we develop a new model. And our development team develop the best OS for the chipset. So, some new model didn’t succeed the previous models.
Sorry for not satisfying your needs!
Regards,
JetAudio, Inc

Sent: Monday, June 21, 2021 2:29 PM
To: info@jetaudio.com
Subject: RE: Plenue D3 & m3u

Hello,
I know that they are different but, as I already mentioned, m3u files are supported on my Plenue D as well as the Plenue R.
What I found strange is that on the D I am able to keep my playlists in a folder but with the R I had to leave them in the root
Music folder or they would not be located.
I am a longtime member of Headfi so I am now aware of this issue but I still can’t understand why it cannot be fixed.
I already tried to create playlists with the JetAudio software but was not successful.
I will try again but I’m not entirely clear what a “partial extended m3u’ is.
As I stated before, I am a big fan of your players but it would really help if you could achieve some
Consistency with regards to the software.
I hope that there is some active development regarding this issue and that this DAP will not be abandoned after almost
Zero updates.
Thanks.

 

[DrSheep]

That's beyond dumb, as this is clearly a bug in their firmware compare to the D2. Also, I WAS USING JETAUDIO to confirm and make all those test m3u. Whomever was responding had no clue what is going on and only rely on generic respond.

 

[iciclevan]

That's beyond dumb, as this is clearly a bug in their firmware compare to the D2. Also, I WAS USING JETAUDIO to confirm and make all those test m3u. Whomever was responding had no clue what is going on and only rely on generic respond.

I know, I've spent the past hour trying every combination of playlist type and location I can think of, all to no avail.
As I told them, my PD works fine with regular m3u files stored in a separate folder whereas the Plenue R could only see them if I dropped individual m3u files into my Music folder.
I've been a Cowon fanboy since the days of the A2 PMP but this inconsistency is a bit maddening (and don't get me started as to why I can sort by Year on the budget Plenues but cannot with the much higher-priced R series).
I stlll miss my J3...

 

[DrSheep]

This is the reason why I got myself a D2 AFTER I bought the D3 from Cowon, as NONE of the new additions on the D3 are worth anything. The Bluetooth sounds like crap, the USB-C connection is only on USB 2.0 and charge at the same rate as the D2, and the volume nob on top feels like crap. And yes, playlist works as intended for the D2.

 

[iciclevan]

This is the reason why I got myself a D2 AFTER I bought the D3 from Cowon, as NONE of the new additions on the D3 are worth anything. The Bluetooth sounds like crap, the USB-C connection is only on USB 2.0 and charge at the same rate as the D2, and the volume nob on top feels like crap. And yes, playlist works as intended for the D2.

Wish I had done the same thing...at least I got mine new for $200, if I had paid $300 or so I'd be feeling a bit hard done by.

 

[DrSheep]

Well keep an eye on Cowon official JetAudio seller on eBay for the D2 restock. I got my D3 for $270 and D2 for $250 from them. If you got it for $200 new that still a great deal, and I will just wait for new firmware.

https://www.ebay.com/usr/jetaudio?_trksid=p2047675.l2559

 

[iciclevan]

At least there's the option to create playlists (of a sort) on the DAP itself.
A bit time consuming but better than nothing....

 

[DrSheep]

Note: I mentioned the Plenue V, D2, and suppose D3 supported a "partial extended m3u" scheme, and the reason being that the format of the m3u files from JetAudio, as well as how Plenue OS reads it, is not conformal to official extended m3u scheme (e.g., file paths and such). Which is why this is so hard to debug playlist issue with Cowon DAPs, as there is next to zero references on how the Plenue OS handles m3u. Also, there are ZERO REASONS why playlist which works with the V and D2, will all the sudden not work on the D3. You might argue they could drop support for m3u for reasons, but cue should still work, because you need cue support to read SACD-ISOs, and Cowon listed SACD support with cue within the D3 specs.