[ElKabong]

I’m really shocked that so few of us have Cowons. Whats the reason? Build is superb, sound is also, I wonder what stops more folks from trying one.....

I had the old X7, it was a horse, i did crack the screen by being careless, but i forked the repair bill because i really enjoyed that dap, after some different purchases i ended up giving it to my son.
I had the Plenue D in hand, still do, but the Plenue R came at a very good price used, i love jeteffects that Cowon uses. Just wish they would start having 2x microsd slots.

I'd like to see them implement higher capacity microsd cards,the internal memory i pack with 320 mp3's. My microsd is filled with flac and my favorite hi res files.
You are correct in that the build is superb along with the sound.

 

[eclein]

I found money somewhere and bought the leather case for Plenue R, its very nice well made leather case.....

 

[DocHoliday]

I’m really shocked that so few of us have Cowons. Whats the reason? Build is superb, sound is also, I wonder what stops more folks from trying one.....

Most folks are cattle who just move with the crowd. They go with the masses instead of doing their due diligence. I remember this phenomenon back in 2006 when trying to determine which Teutonic sedan would serve my needs best. BMW had a huge following. Everyone wanted a BMW. All the car shows praised BMW 's steering in previous years but the newer cars had steering that was more vague. In addition, the newer cars with their new Chris Bangle designs were considerably less attractive (5 series excluded, of course) and the VANOS turned out to be a money pit nightmare for BMW owners. To top it all off most of the recommendations from popular TV and magazine personalities were offered after spending time with a BMW on a racetrack. You know where I am going with this.

What percentage of BMW owners will be taking their BMW to a racetrack?

"All the gear and no idea"!

Audi was fast becoming the industry standard for interior design and consumers who did their due diligence found Audi's "real world" use (all-wheel drive for instances of inclement weather) to be more agreeable. The exteriors were "understated elegance", the interiors were fitted with high quality material with absolutely gorgeous designs while the all-wheel drive was more confidence-inspiring in rain or snow.

I could go on but the bottom line is that these two vehicles from Germany cater to two different crowds, not to mention Mercedes.

Likewise, both South Korean companies, Cowon (established 1995) and A&K (established 2013 as a subsidiary of iRiver - established 1999), cater to two different crowds....

....and all I will say is "do your due diligence and spend your money wisely"!

On Cowons home page the is a link to a nice explanation of what BBE does and more.

http://www.cowonglobal.com/product_wide/product_etc/product_bbe.php

Thanks for this. It explains precisely how and why the sound is so much more dynamic once I press "BBE".

Doc

p.s. - the new leather case looks good on that Plenue R.

 

[ElKabong]

I found money somewhere and bought the leather case for Plenue R, its very nice well made leather case.....

I have the same one, it is a good case.

 

[mysticstryk]

Cowon is big in the East even if they don't have a huge following in the US. They have been a staple of the DAP industry since people were still calling DAPs MP3 players. The original D2 was the standard on portable audio forums for years. They were the original "iPod killer" (a name perhaps shared with Creative and iRiver at the time, well before MS created the original Zune even).

These Chinese players that you see flooding the market now are still relatively new in the industry. Some of the designs are great, some not so much. They are popular because they look good, a lot of them are cheap and they have huge power specs (which is all that some people will see, not understanding that power is not the only qualifier for good sound). Most people running balanced armatures don't even need close to all that power output.

 

[DocHoliday]

Cowon is big in the East even if they don't have a huge following in the US. They have been a staple of the DAP industry since people were still calling DAPs MP3 players. The original D2 was the standard on portable audio forums for years. They were the original "iPod killer" (a name perhaps shared with Creative and iRiver at the time, well before MS created the original Zune even).

These Chinese players that you see flooding the market now are still relatively new in the industry. Some of the designs are great, some not so much. They are popular because they look good, a lot of them are cheap and they have huge power specs (which is all that some people will see, not understanding that power is not the only qualifier for good sound). Most people running balanced armatures don't even need close to all that power output.

Agreed! I remember when the J3 came out. It was a game changer, although I was steeped in Samsung's K3, Q1, P3 and Galaxy Player 3.6 at the time. Then I moved to the ZuneHD, (still own two of them that run like a charm, even though they are going on ten years old). I currently own six DAPs and I'm close to buying my second Cowon before long. Plenues are a great replacement for the ZuneHD. Not as intuitive as the ZuneHD but very little is. That said, the Plenues bring JetEffect to the table and the ZuneHD's intuitive...ness becomes less of a factor. I still use my ZuneHD, just not as often as my Cowon; there really is no comparison between the two. The ZuneHD starts with a very clean and neutral sound and ends with a UI that flows beautifully but things end there. A "clean and neutral" sound is the starting point for the Plenues.

Next to the clean and neutral sound signature my three favorite features on the Cowon are JetEffect, low output impedance and the ability to make playlists on the fly. Elegant designs and great build quality just sweeten the deal.

 

[eclein]

Just ordered a balanced cable so I can finally try out that feature!
Doc is the Cowon photo above your next target? Model #?

 

[jmills8]

Just ordered a balanced cable so I can finally try out that feature!
Doc is the Cowon photo above your next target? Model #?

For just 1,800 USD.

 

[Ghisy]

I found money somewhere and bought the leather case for Plenue R, its very nice well made leather case.....

Hi,

I have the same case (it's probably the only one available for the R). It's nice but impossible to remove
It fits the R a little too tightly...

 

[ElKabong]

Hi,

I have the same case (it's probably the only one available for the R). It's nice but impossible to remove
It fits the R a little too tightly...

Mine is snug, but it comes off with some effort so i can clean the screen properly.

 

[DocHoliday]

Just ordered a balanced cable so I can finally try out that feature!
Doc is the Cowon photo above your next target? Model #?

Have to save up for the Plenue L. I'll wait a little while for a Cowon sale to surface. Earlier this week the Plenue 2(i) not (ii) was only $800 on Amazon. Now the price is back up to $1,550. I shouldn't have hesitated.

Of course if Cowon would like to send me a review sample for review I'd be happy to do so. I think their DAPs deserve more attention here in the states. Currently, there is only one Plenue L review up on Head-Fi and that needs to change.

I hope my recommendation of the PR for you was a good recommendation.

The low output impedance should pair well with your BA10 and C16?

Are you pleased with its sound and capabilities?

Doc

p.s. - thanks for the contact info earlier. I sent Sunny my information. I think Elle at BQEYZ had Sunny send me the BQ3 for review (review should be up in about a week) so it's only natural for she and I to become acquainted with each other.

BQ3

Thanks again

 

[eclein]

Cable is due in today.......now I can hear what balanced outs do. All good here, Plenue R sounds better and better.......

 

[ElKabong]

Cable is due in today.......now I can hear what balanced outs do. All good here, Plenue R sounds better and better.......

If i may, what balanced cable did you order? I may get another one with mmcx endings, right now the one balanced cable i have is in use on my LZ A4 iems, i did get an adapter 3.5mm female to 2.5mm male.

 

[Soundtrap]

Hi,

I have the same case (it's probably the only one available for the R). It's nice but impossible to remove
It fits the R a little too tightly...

You should be happy with a tight fit. My FiiO X5III slides out of its original case like it's greased with butter, so I have to make sure that I hold it securely or it might do a runner.

 

[Ghisy]

You should be happy with a tight fit. My FiiO X5III slides out of its original case like it's greased with butter, so I have to make sure that I hold it securely or it might do a runner.

Eeeesh, that's not ideal!

But in my case, I forgot the idea of being able to easily switch micro SD cards on the go. It's too much of a hassle to remove that dang case!