[Love Music]

On paper the V has better specs:
Signal to noise ratio: 126 dB for V, 123 dB for J
Stereo crosstalk: -124 dB for V, -105 dB for J
Total harmonic distortion: 0.0004% for V, 0.003% for J
Output voltage: 1.7 Vrms for V, 1.0 Vrms for J
The V also has DSD support if you want that (although there’s not much music available in DSD yet)

With anything in this hobby it’s quite subjective as to which is better, depending on your tastes and the sound signature you want. I’ve never tried the J but the DAC chip and specs are exactly the same as the D. I used to have a D a few years ago, and can’t provide a direct A-B comparison, but from memory the D had a slightly smooth, warm sound, quite characteristic of the Wolfson DAC chip (WM8998 from memory).

The V has the best detail retrieval I’ve heard out of a DAP (previously owned X3 2nd gen, DX80, DX90, and Plenue M, P1, R and D). It’s very immersive and controlled on complex passages. The only downside I’ve come across is the treble can tend towards the hot side, so could be a bit harsh depending on JetEffect setting, recording and IEM/headphone pairing. I think of the V as like a live performance - engaging and exciting, but might end up a bit harsh depending on the performance. On paper the Vs specs are right up near the P2 and S in terms of SNR, THD etc.

Personally I’m a huge fan of what the V can deliver for the price and love the sound signature. I do think the J has a more svelte, dapper look to it and you can see in the D forum people love the sound (which I’m assuming is exactly the same on the J). The V does have 70% more output power, so depending on the headphones/IEMs you’re intending on using with it, that is something to keep in mind.

@Tz2000 sorry I’ve never heard the Supermini so can’t comment

I see. Thanks for your reply. Actually I already have the D. I have also tried the R but thought it was kind of under powered and too neutral for my tastes as I want something that has more bass .

 

[someyoungguy]

I see. Thanks for your reply. Actually I already have the D. I have also tried the R but thought it was kind of under powered and too neutral for my tastes as I want something that has more bass .

Interesting, I found the R didn’t quite satisfy in the bass as well, and hadn’t seen anyone else mention it so was wondering if I was just a freak I found the bass improved on the R on balanced out once I got some headphones and cables that could do balanced.

But the V felt like a step up in the bass department to a sound more similar to the M and the larger Plenue players.

 

[Love Music]

Interesting, I found the R didn’t quite satisfy in the bass as well, and hadn’t seen anyone else mention it so was wondering if I was just a freak I found the bass improved on the R on balanced out once I got some headphones and cables that could do balanced.

But the V felt like a step up in the bass department to a sound more similar to the M and the larger Plenue players.

Yeah, which is why I preferred the sound of the m2 more than the r. Maybe it's just me as I always buy players with a warmer sound like Sony, ak etc

 

[someyoungguy]

Yeah, which is why I preferred the sound of the m2 more than the r. Maybe it's just me as I always buy players with a warmer sound like Sony, ak etc

I’ve never heard the M2 but had the M, which I was planning on upgrading to the R, but then the R left me wanting more in the bass hence I ended up trying the V out of curiosity. I don’t know if you saw the review I put up here https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/cowon-plenue-v.23203/reviews but I made some direct comparisons with the R and indirectly with the M (as I’d owned the M and R at the same time for a few months so directly compared M & R, then later R & V after I’d sold the M). I think the V’s bass might suit you; I certainly don’t feel it’s lacking.

 

[Love Music]

I’ve never heard the M2 but had the M, which I was planning on upgrading to the R, but then the R left me wanting more in the bass hence I ended up trying the V out of curiosity. I don’t know if you saw the review I put up here https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/cowon-plenue-v.23203/reviews but I made some direct comparisons with the R and indirectly with the M (as I’d owned the M and R at the same time for a few months so directly compared M & R, then later R & V after I’d sold the M). I think the V’s bass might suit you; I certainly don’t feel it’s lacking.

Yeah, I've read it before . It's the only review of the v I could find guess the new cowon players aren't very popular around here as I couldn't find much on the j either. Do you think it's better than the dx80 as I also have that player along with dx90.

 

[someyoungguy]

Yeah, I've read it before . It's the only review of the v I could find guess the new cowon players aren't very popular around here as I couldn't find much on the j either. Do you think it's better than the dx80 as I also have that player along with dx90.

Nice collection of DAPs you have there! I owned the DX80, sold it, then rebought a 2nd hand one about a year later. I loved the sound of it and the DAC function worked without a hitch. But I found that once you turned on the EQ the magic of the sound was lost, so it was like a non-EQ player, and I guess from there I ended up going back to Cowon players. I also owned a 2nd hand DX90 which I used mainly as a source for a Mojo so didn’t clock up much time listening to the DX90 straight.

I don’t have the DX80 to compare directly to the V and don’t trust my memory well enough to offer much suggestion. But I guess with the V you get JetEffect DSP whereas the EQ on the DX80 I felt detracted from the sound quality.

 

[Love Music]

Nice collection of DAPs you have there! I owned the DX80, sold it, then rebought a 2nd hand one about a year later. I loved the sound of it and the DAC function worked without a hitch. But I found that once you turned on the EQ the magic of the sound was lost, so it was like a non-EQ player, and I guess from there I ended up going back to Cowon players. I also owned a 2nd hand DX90 which I used mainly as a source for a Mojo so didn’t clock up much time listening to the DX90 straight.

I don’t have the DX80 to compare directly to the V and don’t trust my memory well enough to offer much suggestion. But I guess with the V you get JetEffect DSP whereas the EQ on the DX80 I felt detracted from the sound quality.

II see. Thanks for your help. It was ok for me as I thought the sound of the dx80 was good without any eq needed . But it just won't read all of the songs in my sd card. That's why I have so many players as there is always some flaws

 

[dsrk]

Nice collection of DAPs you have there! I owned the DX80, sold it, then rebought a 2nd hand one about a year later. I loved the sound of it and the DAC function worked without a hitch. But I found that once you turned on the EQ the magic of the sound was lost, so it was like a non-EQ player, and I guess from there I ended up going back to Cowon players. I also owned a 2nd hand DX90 which I used mainly as a source for a Mojo so didn’t clock up much time listening to the DX90 straight.

I don’t have the DX80 to compare directly to the V and don’t trust my memory well enough to offer much suggestion. But I guess with the V you get JetEffect DSP whereas the EQ on the DX80 I felt detracted from the sound quality.

You are right, all these DAPs from iBasso and FiiO reduce volume as soon as EQ is enbled to prevent clipping which I don't like at all. That's why I use third party APPs if I want to use the EQ on my X5 III, it was same with my X7. No other manufacturer is implementing a DSP like Cowon which I love.
I used Plenue D for a while and it's UI was far better than my X7 or X5 III.

 

[Blackberry Jack]

I've got my PR for already like a month, and i can not say that it lacks in the bass dapartment, even if comparing it to my x5-3, which is quite smooth and bassy. PR delievers some delicious bass , but I understand why certain people dont like it or find it lacking - it is very well controlled and a fast bass, which gives a perception like there is not enough rumble in it. But my bassy earphones like JVC fx-1100 or RHA T20 prove thats wrong.

 

[someyoungguy]

I've got my PR for already like a month, and i can not say that it lacks in the bass dapartment, even if comparing it to my x5-3, which is quite smooth and bassy. PR delievers some delicious bass , but I understand why certain people dont like it or find it lacking - it is very well controlled and a fast bass, which gives a perception like there is not enough rumble in it. But my bassy earphones like JVC fx-1100 or RHA T20 prove thats wrong.

Yeah I felt like the bass was there, but just didn’t hit me hard enough. That was mainly on the single-ended output, it felt more natural out of the balanced.

 

[aaDee]

Unfortunately Cowon has stopped their operations in India . Wanted to buy V, now I'll have to wait till someone from the US visits India.

 

[taffy2207]

Firmware Update V1.11 (Including How to Install Guide) is on :-

http://www.cowonglobal.com/zeroboard/zboard.php?id=C08&no=611


Warning/Caution

• The battery must be fully charged before firmware upgrade.
• Do not reset PLENUE V during firmware upgrade.
• Backup any important files in PLENUE V to your PC before firmware upgrade.
• Please use firmware that COWON authorizes only.
• JetEffect values might be initialized after firmware upgrade. Please record any important values.

New features

• Changed to playing the next track when playback error occurs.
• DSD file channel setting error correction.

 

[ElKabong]

You are right, all these DAPs from iBasso and FiiO reduce volume as soon as EQ is enbled to prevent clipping which I don't like at all. That's why I use third party APPs if I want to use the EQ on my X5 III, it was same with my X7. No other manufacturer is implementing a DSP like Cowon which I love.
I used Plenue D for a while and it's UI was far better than my X7 or X5 III.

I didn't see a lot of love here for the Plenue R, i recently bought one on ebay for a decent price, i always liked jet effects. I use the PD from time to time as well as the Fiio X5iii, the thing i like about the x5iii is the jet audio app, has some nice settings to fiddle with, one such setting, is a headphone emulator, plenty of choices to pick from, i use the LZ A4 iems with balanced cable, they work really well with any one of my daps, minus the PD as it does not have balanced out.
I am a fan of Cowon i must say.

 

[fourkidsco]

Can anyone say for sure that M3U playlists will work on the V?

 

[Love Music]

So little reviews on this player. .. .