[lgreen666]

  Is there any consensus (maybe on the Korean forums, which I can't read), about whether the Plenue series are better for cans or for CIEMs?

I use the P1 with both Shure se846 when commuting and with LCD-X when home... no amp just straight from the P1. It is very good with both but obviously the LCD-X have much greater scale and presence and really allow great listening sessions... I am hopeful that the enhanced amp in the S will give the LCD-X even greater weight etc.
 
Currently this is with stock cables for both but I do have a Toxic SW on order for the LCD-X and the S dock thing will allow me to use the Audeze balanced cable
 
Like you I am eager to hear the reactions from those who have already got in Korea etc.

 

[cranesky]

Now is AK380
And had D50, DX100, AK240

 

[cranesky]

Which daps do you have and had?

Now is AK380
And had D50, DX100, AK240

 

[jmills8]

Now is AK380
And had D50, DX100, AK240

I see and you eere not happy with the 380 or 240?

 

[junz415]

 

Cowon Plenue S is released in HK, so when we can see this in the U.S market?

 

[sandalaudio]

I was able to listen to the Plenue S fairly extensively thanks to a helpful shop (Minidisc), and I did enjoy the sound, though the price is bit beyond my reach.
 
It sounds "nice" with good vibrant focus on the main instruments, without being too monitor-like or full bodied. Imaging is a bit more focused and not as thick as AK240, while not as airy as the X7. I really enjoyed listening to it.
 
I think it would be silly to say which one is "better" since they all have character, so it's best to audition them and pick the one that has the most enjoyable personality (it's like buying a supercar).
 
I thought the major issue is the price. Fundamentally it's a no-frills Plenue 1 with balanced out and native DSD, so this should have been a direct update of Plenue 1 at a similar price point (considering Plenue 1 is getting a bit old). I'd hate to think that the "2nd Gen" Plenue 1 (if it ever comes out) will have cut-down specs just to differentiate it from Plenue S (Just like how AK320 removed native DSD simply to differentiate from AK380).
 
I did a quick measurement and the output was definitely more powerful than the Plenue 1, and agrees exactly with the spec 3Vrms = 8.5Vp-p. Turning the "Headphone Mode" off in the menu simply capped the max volume to 1.9Vrms.
 
Unfortunately I couldn't try the balanced out, since it was a 3.5mm 4-pin arrangement. Manual says it's (starting from the tip) [L+ R+ L- R-], so I guess any Oppo or Sony "ground separation" 3.5mm cable would work, but it's totally different to the AK's 2.5mm pin arrangement.
 
One strange thing I noticed was that the USB DAC mode was a bit dodgy. Somehow 88.2 and 176.4kHz were grayed out (on Mac) and Audirvana or JRiver often lost connection or downsampled to 44.1kHz. Maybe later firmware will fix this. Optical out could do 192kHz but DSD was silent. Playing 352.8kHz file would downsample to 176.4kHz so that worked fine.
 

 

 

 

[cranesky]

I see and you eere not happy with the 380 or 240?

 
240 is just so so, was suddenly dead one day, froze at the start-up screen. Don't think it is better than D50 or DX100, but much more expensive.
 
380 is good, kind of big, and one day I dropped it from 3rd floor so the WIFI and BT functions are gone now. 
 
I am tired of chasing after AK now (too expensive and lack of dignity), want to try something new. I did some study, seems Plenue S is better than 320 and comparable with 380.

 

[Mython]

  I thought the major issue is the price. Fundamentally it's a no-frills Plenue 1 with balanced out and native DSD, so this should have been a direct update of Plenue 1 at a similar price point (considering Plenue 1 is getting a bit old). I'd hate to think that the "2nd Gen" Plenue 1 (if it ever comes out) will have cut-down specs just to differentiate it from Plenue S (Just like how AK320 removed native DSD simply to differentiate from AK380).

 
Yes, one could be forgiven for wondering if Cowon's recent eagerness to follow iRiver's business model might even be more than mere coincidence - it's almost as though iRiver might have secretly bought shares in Cowon, bought Cowon entirely, or if some parent group of investors had secretly bought both iRiver and Cowon.
 
It'd be interesting to know if SK Telecom have made any acquisitions (or asset sales) or stock purchases during the past 18 months

 

 

[audionewbi]

Problem is if they price their product lower certain portion of the community will judge them as the lesser quality product.

Pricing does influence peoples perception.

 

[Mython]

Problem is if they price their product lower certain portion of the community will judge them as the lesser quality product.

Pricing does influence peoples perception.

 
 
Tell that to Chord and all you'll see is a silent smile...

 

[audionewbi]

Tell that to Chord and all you'll see is a silent smile...

The Dave buyers tend to say "chord mojo, how cute"

I still love my chord Hugo, I will love my mojo once the accessory bundle is released.

 

[Whitigir]

It is true as I am still very curious about how ak380 sound like , but since I wouldn't pay for it new, and couldn't afford to buy it used and turn around to re-sell if it doesn't sound good...so I would think that ak380 is the best of the best in the top of the world.

Plenue S however is not....lol, no wifi, no Bluetooth = enough proof that Cowon can't properly design a DAP when there is interferences....my apologies if I offend anyone

 

[Mimouille]

It is true as I am still very curious about how ak380 sound like

, but since I wouldn't pay for it new, and couldn't afford to buy it used and turn around to re-sell if it doesn't sound good...so I would think that ak380 is the best of the best in the top of the world.

Plenue S however is not....lol, no wifi, no Bluetooth = enough proof that Cowon can't properly design a DAP when there is interferences....my apologies if I offend anyone

First of all on the AK380, it sounds delicious. As well it should, the mrsp is 3.5k! Barely 3-4 years ago, the most expensive DAP on the market was around 300USD. At 3.5k, it better sound good. And it is not even that powerful, it needs to add an amp for more power hungry headphones.
 
Not everyone is interesting in WIFI and bluetooth. I for one, do not care a bit.

 

[cranesky]

  First of all on the AK380, it sounds delicious. As well it should, the mrsp is 3.5k! Barely 3-4 years ago, the most expensive DAP on the market was around 300USD. At 3.5k, it better sound good. And it is not even that powerful, it needs to add an amp for more power hungry headphones.
 
Not everyone is interesting in WIFI and bluetooth. I for one, do not care a bit.

 
Agree. I also have no interest in WIFI or Bluetooth at all. I have a Bluetooth speaker but I always use it with cable.
My WIFI on 380 is broken, seems I even cannot update the firmware through cable now.

 

[sandalaudio]

Problem is if they price their product lower certain portion of the community will judge them as the lesser quality product.

Pricing does influence peoples perception.

 
I guess I didn't mean to say that the Plenue S is too expensive, but what I meant was that it doesn't have the flashy "wow factor" that AK has accomplished in the market.
 
I think many of the AK320/380 customers are non-Head-Fi'ers (i.e. not headphone geeks), so the design has to appeal to those market.
Plenue S feels too similar to the Plenue 1, with square boxy aluminium design, simple music player app, and nothing more.
 
I think everyone would have been happy if this was the "Plenue 1 Second Generation", but I sort of expected something more flamboyant and exotic for the asking price. (e.g. chrome plating, complex geometry shapes, etc).