[Thisp]

I was checking this since I liked my Karma and the Chroma now seems like vaporware.

Is the playback with Vorbis 100% gapless, or like the MP3 playback? I can understand the MP3 playback not being gapless since it's not a gapless codec but if it's the same with Vorbis which is a gapless codec, I'll buy myself another Karma.

After two years, I want progress - not regression...

 

[KenW]

Okay, now I'm thinking I could be happy with a player other than the Karma. So where can I get this baby or should I say 'how'??

austonia...wanna sell??

 

[TheReds]

and the X5 supports flac and ogg

, this could be my next DAP....or the Rio Chroma whenever it finally comes out

check it out here: http://www.cowonamerica.com/products/iaudio/x5/

Cheers!!

 

[austonia]

note:
does not play OGG gapless, there is a gap between tracks
only supports FLAC up to compression level 2

http://www.iaudiophile.net/forums/viewtopic.php?id=1700

 

[austonia]

mini review:

http://www.dapreview.net/content.php?review.201

 

[FenderP]

The X5 looks nice, but here's my $.02 as someone who bought a silver M3 40GB and wound up getting something else. (I'm selling the M3 by the way ...)

When I was in the UK, I got my M3 because the 40GB silver was only out there and it's still that way. I really, really liked it for a month or two. Sounds quality was good, firmware updates, FLAC support, near-gapless. My initial impression was much like Austin's with the X5. I was also a previous Karma owner, and that went to DAP heaven.

Over time, the M3 started to grate on me for a few reasons:
1. Battery life was so-so (it died on the plane ride over to Japan; I used FLAC so it ate up more life than mp3s). Yes I know FLAC is more processory intensive, but getting 6 - 8 hrs isn't good. Factor in the screen that now needs to be powered ... I'd love to see real world usage test with FLAC.
2. The controls were all the remote, which is solved with the X5 - if the M3 had a proper screen and a nipple controller, I probably would have liked that aspect much better.
3. The near-gapless - even at 1/10 of a second - started to get on my nerves. It didn't bother me at first, but I actually listen to a great deal of material that needs to be gapless, and where it was less noticeable at first, it grew to be moreso. The flip side of that is iAudio updates firmware; maybe they'll eventually implement it. The negative to most about the Sony and its gapless support is that it must be ATRAC encoded. Fair enough. That's not a problem for me.

Because of this stuff, I wound up searching around and got my Vaio Pocket, which has brought enjoyment back into my trips. The X5 looks great, and the quality seems to be up there with the M3 in terms of overall build, etc.

I would get an X5 over an iPod any day, but not over my Vaio Pocket. If Sony would only support a lossless format (even their own, which is part of the OpenMG spec), the Vaio Pocket would be perfect. I've learned that DAP players on some level would be a compromise. I do a lot of flying, so critical listening wasn't my thing - and shed myself of needing lossless (although I would use it if it was an option). Gapless and sound quality are the top two for me, and the Sony as well as the iAudio sound great, but the gapless along with other things like the album art, etc., put the Sony ahead for me.

To each his own - if I was in the market again I would consider the X5 but probably look at other players like the new NW-HD5 as well.

 

[st5150]

I just read the review and I have to say I'm disapointed. It considering it came out something like 6-9 months after the iriver H320/H340, the X5 doesn't really add much over the iriver. All of its advantages over the iriver have draw backs as well, like video playback that's 4 frames per second more than the iriver (15 vs 11fps), yet the X5's display has half the number of pixels as the iriver. The X5 has a custom EQ, but the bands are weak(60hz bass) or useless (only 12Khz max for treble). X5 has FLAC support, but only level 2 compression support...... not a whole whole lot better than the WAV support on the iriver. I just fail to see what cowon truely offers over the H300 to justify its price and being 9 months behind bringing it to market

 

[Richteralan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by austonia note: does not play OGG gapless, there is a gap between tracks only supports FLAC up to compression level 2 http://www.iaudiophile.net/forums/viewtopic.php?id=1700

I remember I read somewhere that my M3 supports FLAC up to compression level 3

 

[Richteralan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FenderP The X5 looks nice, but here's my $.02 as someone who bought a silver M3 40GB and wound up getting something else. (I'm selling the M3 by the way ...) When I was in the UK, I got my M3 because the 40GB silver was only out there and it's still that way. I really, really liked it for a month or two. Sounds quality was good, firmware updates, FLAC support, near-gapless. My initial impression was much like Austin's with the X5. I was also a previous Karma owner, and that went to DAP heaven. Over time, the M3 started to grate on me for a few reasons: 1. Battery life was so-so (it died on the plane ride over to Japan; I used FLAC so it ate up more life than mp3s). Yes I know FLAC is more processory intensive, but getting 6 - 8 hrs isn't good. Factor in the screen that now needs to be powered ... I'd love to see real world usage test with FLAC. 2. The controls were all the remote, which is solved with the X5 - if the M3 had a proper screen and a nipple controller, I probably would have liked that aspect much better. 3. The near-gapless - even at 1/10 of a second - started to get on my nerves. It didn't bother me at first, but I actually listen to a great deal of material that needs to be gapless, and where it was less noticeable at first, it grew to be moreso. The flip side of that is iAudio updates firmware; maybe they'll eventually implement it. The negative to most about the Sony and its gapless support is that it must be ATRAC encoded. Fair enough. That's not a problem for me. Because of this stuff, I wound up searching around and got my Vaio Pocket, which has brought enjoyment back into my trips. The X5 looks great, and the quality seems to be up there with the M3 in terms of overall build, etc. I would get an X5 over an iPod any day, but not over my Vaio Pocket. If Sony would only support a lossless format (even their own, which is part of the OpenMG spec), the Vaio Pocket would be perfect. I've learned that DAP players on some level would be a compromise. I do a lot of flying, so critical listening wasn't my thing - and shed myself of needing lossless (although I would use it if it was an option). Gapless and sound quality are the top two for me, and the Sony as well as the iAudio sound great, but the gapless along with other things like the album art, etc., put the Sony ahead for me. To each his own - if I was in the market again I would consider the X5 but probably look at other players like the new NW-HD5 as well.

When I was deciding which M3 to buy, among 40GB or 35hr battery, I chose 35hr battery.

 

[TenaciousO]

Austonia,

Can you comment on the mids of the X5 compared to the Karma? I'm guessing from the similarities of the basic body structure b/n the M3 and the X5 that they sound exactly the same, and I'm finding that my recently-purchased M3L has inadequate mids. I'm wondering if my mind is playing tricks on me or if I should go back to the Karma. Thanks.

 

[tolsk]

do you think this will be like the iriver. and they will have us and korean firmware. us (with Id3 support) would be nice.

 

[FenderP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richteralan I remember I read somewhere that my M3 supports FLAC up to compression level 3

Correct.

 

[FenderP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tolsk do you think this will be like the iriver. and they will have us and korean firmware. us (with Id3 support) would be nice.

Cowon does that already with the M3, so I don't see why they wouldn't do it with the X5. It's usually Japanese, Korean, and English firmware.

I doubt ID3 will ever be a feature of the iAudio, as Austin states in his review, it's not big in Korea where these are designed and made.

 

[FenderP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richteralan When I was deciding which M3 to buy, among 40GB or 35hr battery, I chose 35hr battery.

I needed more space lol I looked at the M3L but I think I would have come to the same conclusion in the end as it didn't meet my overall needs.

 

[Richteralan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FenderP I needed more space lol I looked at the M3L but I think I would have come to the same conclusion in the end as it didn't meet my overall needs.

I have a lot of CDs, too. And I was thinking about large capacity at first.
But then I figured that the 14hrs is just for playing MP3s, if playing some complicated codecs such as Ogg Vorbis and FLAC(The 2 formats I only use

), It would be shorter, say, around 8~9 hrs which is too short for me.

So I picked the M3L model.