[shadowspine]

i am new to all of this but can I use a headphone amplifier with the Z2?

 

[StyleElements]

  i am new to all of this but can I use a headphone amplifier with the Z2?

 
Hi shadow,
 
Of course you can, I use the Z2 all the time with my amp (it's an E11) through the headphone jack.
 
I have heard that it might not be great for the sound quality, though. The Z2 doesn't have a LOD like Apple or Sony players do, meaning that when you plug the amp into the 3.5mm jack you will be 'double amping' (simultaneously using the built-in amp as well as whatever portable amp you plug in). My understanding is that with a LOD, you really get the full benefit out of the amp.
 
This hasn't really stopped me from using the amp; I think it sounds fine with it. I prefer the amp's warm and bassy sound for electronic music, and I like the player on its own when listening to most other genres.
 
Good luck!
 

 

[Sioban]

Can anyone please comment on whether the Z2 can handle 128GB memory cards?
 
Thanks.

 

[Promkingbaba]

Does anyone know where I can purchase a Cowon z2 in Los Angeles other then from the net as I'm flying off on Sunday

 

[Weaves]

  UPDATE:  Weaves, I don't know if this is a problem with your solution, but the mic recorder application does not show it is running when I go to manage applications.  So, I can't be certain it is running in the background when I open it in step 2.   Also, the vocals aren't that much better on the stock player so do you think this a Poweramp or Cowon issue?  Thanks.

 
Rtperryal1,
 
Sorry, it was a similar bug in the D3, the Mic App would sometimes shut down.  Yes you should be able to see it running in the APP manager.

 

[Weaves]

Does anyone know where I can purchase a Cowon z2 in Los Angeles other then from the net as I'm flying off on Sunday

I don;t think they sell them at stores in the USA.  However, their customer service site is in Cali somewhere.  I would send them an e-mail.

 

[HERMANtheSMASHE]

Was curious if anyone has added apps like MOG to there Z2 and how well it might have worked through the wifi on it?

 

[rtperryal1]

  This may sound strange but for many songs, it seems the singing is not as loud as the music when I listen through Poweramp on my cowon z2 player.  It's as if the music is enhanced (which I love BTW) but the singing is dampened.  When I listen to the songs (all wav files) through my computer (through earphones of course) or on my old mp3 player, the voices sound clearer or at least louder.  I'm not sure that this is a player issue or Poweramp issue but I thought I would ask here to see if anyone else has noticed this.  I've even increased the middle and upper frequencies on the equalizer where I believe most voices would come through at.  Has anyone else detected this or is it just me?  Thanks.

 
 

   
 
This was a known bug on the D3.  Try this:
 
1) Close all the apps.
2) Open the Mic App
3) Go back to home page while leaving mic app running in background.
4) Open up Poweramp and play.
 
See if the music has become back to the original volume you noticed with the Z2 music app.
 
Post results back here

 
 

  Weaves,
 
Wow! Your suggestion worked perfectly.  The vocals were clear and loud.  I also noticed the rest of the music was less intense.  I actually had to turn up the bass and pre-amp along with some increase of the higher frequencies to get a richer, fuller sound.  But it was great.
 
But later it stopped working!!   I had put the Cowon to sleep and when I turned it back on, I opened neutron player.  The vocals were low again.  I opened Poweramp and the vocals were low again.  Also, the music had returned to high volume and intensity.  I went through your 4 steps and it didn't help.  I rebooted and tried the 4 steps, and still no good.  I'm so disappointed.  If I can't get this fixed, I'd just as soon send the cowon back.  This is ridiculous to have a bug that seriously affects the quality of the music when you pay so much for  the device.
 
I want to thank you weaves for your suggestion, because I at least know this wasn't something I was imagining and I know how good the z2 and poweramp can sound.  I sure hope you or someone else has a answer for this.

 
Well, I want to update what I finally decided to do. I sent the z2 back and bought a J3 on ebay.  Fantastic sound from J3.  Vocals are clear.  The stock player doesn't have as versatile equalizer as the Poweramp or Neutron player, but it is quite capable with many settings and options available.  Battery life is fantastic, too.  And it is much smaller and lighter.   The J3 is a great player just like everyone has said in this and other forums.  I am very happy.  I don't know if I had a bad z2 device or what but I wanted to put this out there for any z2 owners or potential owners.  They can listen to songs on other players or a computer and compare with a z2 if they are interested or concerned.  Thanks to everyone for their responses and suggestions.

 

[roadrat]

If HDMI is connected, the Z2's screen will not turn off, causing unnecessary battery drain.
 
How do you turn off the Z2's screen when outputting audio only via HDMI?

 

[proedros]

 
 
Well, I want to update what I finally decided to do. I sent the z2 back and bought a J3 on ebay.  Fantastic sound from J3.  Vocals are clear.  The stock player doesn't have as versatile equalizer as the Poweramp or Neutron player, but it is quite capable with many settings and options available.  Battery life is fantastic, too.  And it is much smaller and lighter.   The J3 is a great player just like everyone has said in this and other forums.  I am very happy.  I don't know if I had a bad z2 device or what but I wanted to put this out there for any z2 owners or potential owners.  They can listen to songs on other players or a computer and compare with a z2 if they are interested or concerned.  Thanks to everyone for their responses and suggestions.

 
yes it is - hopefully Cowon will come up with a worthy successor sometime soon - meanwhile having 2 J3 , i am at peace that i can enjoy my music without the hassle of finding a DAP that fulfills my few basic wants (decent sound , gapless ability , sd card slot , easy-to navigate UI)

 

[melres]

Thanks to all contributing folks so far!
 
I purchased the Z2 recently.
 
This is my short review on the Cowon Z2 Portable Media Player (PMP). I was using Cowon's J3 player and was pretty enthusiastic with it. The only drawback was that the J3 could not handle HD video files thus forcing me to convert most of my videos. This was the reason for me to check out the Cowon Z2.
 
(01) Android
The Cowon Z2 runs under Android 2.3 "Gingerbread", which is a quite outdated version. No indications of OS upgrades in the future. 
Was the switch to Android a good choice? I don't think so. It makes the operating system vulnerable while depending solely on Google's platform. Yes, I do know that Android offers a quite popular interface for A/V streaming/downloading, and wifi connectivity is a convenient gate to music/video transfer. But if the issue is audio/video quality - and that's what Cowon is known for! - it appears to me that trying to compete with smart phone facilities is just a lost race. Why then? In fact, I do NOT use any of these facilities/features, since I use them on my smart phone instead. Thus, my power savings provide me with longer play times (I read recently that Cowon's next player generation will NOT use Android any longer).
 
(02) Design
I purchased the white model. It is quite handy, not too heavy-weight. The display is good to very good, however I am using a display protection shield. Thus, color brilliance and brightness may be compromised a bit, but that does not matter a lot. Of note (I did not find a manual's description on it): If you want to adjust video size or dimension ratio, you have to place a finger's tip onto the screen and let it rest there for a moment. Now, the screen resolution is depicted, and you may now browse the options by trying your choices.
 
(03) Usability
The menu's are pretty clear and self-explanatory. However: I did NOT find an option for gapless playing. And I do miss a display of the bit rates in kbps of the respective audio files. It is recommended to clear the audio/video storage cache befor shutting down the player!
 
(04) Formats
There isn't hardly to be found a file format that is NOT supported by the Z2. This is a great feature! Even some (not all!) flash videos could be played.
 
(05) Audio Quality
Superb and breath-taking! This is Cowon's Uniqueness!
However: I had several unforeseeable system crashes ("unknown error") while playing music files using JetEffect settings. The system did not crash in total, however it changed the audible setting while still displaying the chosen one. For instance: I chose user setting #1, the file played for some seconds, then the crash happened. Resuming the file play still displayed setting #1, while audio was set to "normal" (which, of course, can be heard!). So, the JetEffect settings had to be adjusted again by chosing a different one, and then going back to the (wanted) setting #1. Cowon's folks should work on that...
 
Below are my personal adjustments. Audio File is "Reckoning Plan" by Austin Plaine (www.austinplainemusic.com).
 
Cowon Z2 32GB 
 
JETEFFECT 5
Settings
 
Earphones: Creative EP 630 In-Ear-Earphones
EarBuds: Comply T-500 big/black
 
EQ
80 Hz (WIDE):      12
220 Hz (WIDE):      5
1.4 KHz (WIDE):      0 
30 KHz (WIDE):   12
13.0 KHz (WIDE): 12
 
BBE+
BBE: 10
Mach3Bass: 8
3D Surround: 0
MP Enhance: On
 
SE
Stereo Enhance:  6
Reverb Level:    0
Reverb Mode:  Hall
 
 
 
HTH,
Holger (mwebnet)

 

[Pure Quickness]

  Thanks to all contributing folks so far!
 
I purchased the Z2 recently.
 
This is my short review on the Cowon Z2 Portable Media Player (PMP). I was using Cowon's J3 player and was pretty enthusiastic with it. The only drawback was that the J3 could not handle HD video files thus forcing me to convert most of my videos. This was the reason for me to check out the Cowon Z2.
 
(01) Android
The Cowon Z2 runs under Android 2.3 "Gingerbread", which is a quite outdated version. No indications of OS upgrades in the future. 
Was the switch to Android a good choice? I don't think so. It makes the operating system vulnerable while depending solely on Google's platform. Yes, I do know that Android offers a quite popular interface for A/V streaming/downloading, and wifi connectivity is a convenient gate to music/video transfer. But if the issue is audio/video quality - and that's what Cowon is known for! - it appears to me that trying to compete with smart phone facilities is just a lost race. Why then? In fact, I do NOT use any of these facilities/features, since I use them on my smart phone instead. Thus, my power savings provide me with longer play times (I read recently that Cowon's next player generation will NOT use Android any longer).
 
(02) Design
I purchased the white model. It is quite handy, not too heavy-weight. The display is good to very good, however I am using a display protection shield. Thus, color brilliance and brightness may be compromised a bit, but that does not matter a lot. Of note (I did not find a manual's description on it): If you want to adjust video size or dimension ratio, you have to place a finger's tip onto the screen and let it rest there for a moment. Now, the screen resolution is depicted, and you may now browse the options by trying your choices.
 
(03) Usability
The menu's are pretty clear and self-explanatory. However: I did NOT find an option for gapless playing. And I do miss a display of the bit rates in kbps of the respective audio files. It is recommended to clear the audio/video storage cache befor shutting down the player!
 
(04) Formats
There isn't hardly to be found a file format that is NOT supported by the Z2. This is a great feature! Even some (not all!) flash videos could be played.
 
(05) Audio Quality
Superb and breath-taking! This is Cowon's Uniqueness!
However: I had several unforeseeable system crashes ("unknown error") while playing music files using JetEffect settings. The system did not crash in total, however it changed the audible setting while still displaying the chosen one. For instance: I chose user setting #1, the file played for some seconds, then the crash happened. Resuming the file play still displayed setting #1, while audio was set to "normal" (which, of course, can be heard!). So, the JetEffect settings had to be adjusted again by chosing a different one, and then going back to the (wanted) setting #1. Cowon's folks should work on that...
 
Below are my personal adjustments. Audio File is "Reckoning Plan" by Austin Plaine (www.austinplainemusic.com).
 
Cowon Z2 32GB 
 
JETEFFECT 5
Settings
 
Earphones: Creative EP 630 In-Ear-Earphones
EarBuds: Comply T-500 big/black
 
EQ
80 Hz (WIDE):      12
220 Hz (WIDE):      5
1.4 KHz (WIDE):      0 
30 KHz (WIDE):   12
13.0 KHz (WIDE): 12
 
BBE+
BBE: 10
Mach3Bass: 8
3D Surround: 0
MP Enhance: On
 
SE
Stereo Enhance:  6
Reverb Level:    0
Reverb Mode:  Hall
 
 
 
HTH,
Holger (mwebnet)

 
I know i'm late to reply but Congratulations on the purchase!
 
I think that the Z2 has been the best purchase that I've made for music players and I have zero regrets. I'm so happy about the sound quality.

As for the errors, it doesn't seem like you've mentioned about doing any of the updates. They can be found on Cowon's website. It's a little cumbersome to learn to do, but it isn't a hard process by any means. What you'll need to do (forgive me if you already know this) is:

Download the update onto your system, via USB cord.
Go to Cowon and click update (choose the option that says you have the file on the system)
Let it update for a bit.
 
But after that's all done, it really becomes a damn near flawless device.
 
 
 
I've noticed that you're using Creative's EP630. They're an okay pair of earphones to start, but now that you have a premium quality eardevice, you should consider looking into an upgrade. I don't mean to sound like a pretentious person; the sound is ridiculously good on the Z2, especially with superior earphones. It unlocks the potential of it.

 

[Jon420]

Just got my z2 in the mail a couple of hours ago. Been listening to it steady since. First listened for a bit with my Sennheiser Momentum on ears. Now listening with Grado SR225i's. My first impressions are, sounds much better than from my Samsung s2x, which I've been using as my music player. Clearly a better dac, and much better amp as well. Hate the cover/kickstand on the ports, but I was expecting that. It would have been nice if the volume and the track skip buttons were on opposite sides, but I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually. Also would be nice if when I clicked on an artist I could see a list of albums instead of every song all together. Seems a little silly that their jetaudio app for android has a much nicer interface than their expensive, android based music player. Would also be nice if I didn't have to fiddle around to try to get play store on it.and I'm not sure why such an old version of android, double the ram, and a bit faster processor. It would make it a much nicer experience, and would barely drive the price up at all. Most of the built in eq settings suck. bbe mach3bass setting only adds distortion. Same with x-bass setting. Pretty much only plain bbe setting is any good out of the built in settings. It's nice to be able to tweak bbe settings yourself though and make custom settings, although even with that I wish it had more than a 5 band equalizer. I think I will be happy with it though, it really is an improvement over my phone (sound quality and sound power wise). Gonna play around and see if I can get some other apps on it. Will be disappointed if I can't use my Google all access music with it. Will update further thoughts after I get some more time spent with it

 

[Toniblade]

I downloaded Play Market and now I can download and install all kinds of apps. Main app I use is PowerAmp, which has that first click on artist name shows albums, and also an all songs button. But just download and install Play Market and you should be fine. 

 

[Jon420]

Well, I've now spent almost 3 weeks of fairly heavy usage with it. only one real gripe, no line out. I feel some of my headphones could use a little more push, and my Sony v6 I think are the highest impedance I have, which is only like 60 ohm or something like that. I got the play store on there, put the jetaudio player on, and a couple of streaming apps, a torrent downloader, projectM, Swype typing, and UC browser. I don't find much lag at all, Bluetooth world fine, Wi-Fi works fine. I've gotten used to using the Mic app to fix the sound glitch on 3rd party apps. I did have to get a floating widget app for the streaming apps, as opening Mic caused them to stop playing, but if you flat a widget over the Mic app, you can press play again and it will continue playing. This player is less forgiving on lower quality tracks, I need to update much of my library. Although I do find it strange that 320 seems to almost sound a little better than the few flac albums I have.. I'm wondering if my flac tracks were upconverted to that. Love that it uses android, love the sound, sometimes too much bbe will cause distortion, but that's fine, just turn it down till you find the right balance. Oh how I long for a line out on this. I think I will get a fiio e12 or jds c5 and try it with this anyway. If an amp doesn't go well with it,I might sell it for a fiio x3 or something, and get a computer for my microstreamer and just do my streaming from that. If this pairs well with an amp,I will love it and keep it. This is a great entry level as my first player, great improvement over any other source I've owned.