[stevenswall]

Long term it does seem like the J3 is the way to go... it will only get cheaper, along with high capacity memory cards... 

 

[maverickronin]

The D2+ is a lot cheaper for a given capacity.  It's probably not worth it unless you absolutely need the most space or want the fancier screen.

 

[depichu]

I personally love the UI of the i9, but that's only because I owned an i7 prior. Candy bar operation feels way better to me than a resistive touchscreen.
 
When it comes down to it, either one you can't lose on sound. Cowon really hit the nail on the head since the X5 and hasn't let up in terms of sound quality. Choose your form factor and size, and go, done.
 
And honestly, they are the masters of eking battery for their players. To me, there's no difference between 30hrs of operation on my i9 to the 60hours+ a j3 can pull off, either way I'm not charging it every other day like my old 2g ipod.