[tcsoft]

Hi all! I studied the Plenue D thread and this one for a while - but I still cant decide. Is the D2 worth the extra money? 64gb instead of 32gb but half of battery life. I've read quite often that the SQ is quite the same. I can get the Plenue D for 245€ new or the Plenue D2 for 345€ (as amazon warehousedeal in very good condition only 300€). Thanks for any input that can make my decision easier.

 

[Plutopants]

Hi all! I studied the Plenue D thread and this one for a while - but I still cant decide. Is the D2 worth the extra money? 64gb instead of 32gb but half of battery life. I've read quite often that the SQ is quite the same. I can get the Plenue D for 245€ new or the Plenue D2 for 345€ (as amazon warehousedeal in very good condition only 300€). Thanks for any input that can make my decision easier.

In my view, having had both, the Plenue D is now a bargain. The difference is not huge, but at 3/4 of the price of the D2 it makes good sense.

I find the extra power of the D2 useful and the battery life is still good. However, the two models are visually almost the same. If you sum to travel with a player, then the D makes most sense.

The interface is the same as far as I know, if the D is updated to the latest version.

If you want balanced out, then D2 is worth ir. The sound is super.

I should say that both models are excellent value for their performance and feel identical to handle.

 

[tcsoft]

Just spotted the plenue j for 99$ on amazon. Guess this is a nobrainer.

 

[Plutopants]

Just spotted the plenue j for 99$ on amazon. Guess this is a nobrainer.

That's calling to you - probably too good to pass up.

Whatever Cowan you go for, you should be pleased. Enjoy.

 

[tcsoft]

Plenue J with leather case and screen-protector already ordered. It was a steal.

 

[cliffjnr]

seems impossible to find a non leather case? ive seen the official one and a few others also leather, but any alternative materials?

 

[silverfishla]

seems impossible to find a non leather case? ive seen the official one and a few others also leather, but any alternative materials?

I haven’t seen any other cases except the official one (which I have). It’s expensive though, and I probably would not have got it if I wasn’t able to get it for half price (some golf store on ebay as a 1 off). It’s nice though.

 

[aivar1988]

my dx120 died so ill give PD2 a try, used to have first Cowons D2 over 10 years ago and it rocked.

 

[Anatase]

Been looking for a new dap (currently Fiio x1 first gen, was 99$ back then )
I had a cowon D2 (the very first one, in white, loved it until the 3.5mm kind of died).

Now this Cowon plenue D2 (and the plenue D as well) seems like an excellent choice for that price. I am also considering fiio M9/ibasso dx120/dx160/Sony zx300a (but jeez proprietary cable in 2019/20??)
Portability/pocketability is quite an important factor for me.

The only thing that really prevents me from jumping the gun after reading and watching several reviews is the UI and the screen.
It almost feels like they have not updated the screen between the Cowon D2 from 10 years ago and the Cowon Plenue D2. I can't convince myself that spending 250/350€ in 2020 is worth it with such a laggy/unresponsive screen.

So simple question:
- As the UI/screen reactivity been improved through firmware updates? Cause most reviews are from 10 months ago or so, i dearly hoped this has been improved.
- Quid of the database update on start? Read some post here that it was insanely long in some cases?

Thanks for the feedback, and if anyone can comment on how the Plenue D2 compare to any of the aforementioned options that would be lovely.

 

[Plutopants]

Been looking for a new dap (currently Fiio x1 first gen, was 99$ back then )
I had a cowon D2 (the very first one, in white, loved it until the 3.5mm kind of died).

Now this Cowon plenue D2 (and the plenue D as well) seems like an excellent choice for that price. I am also considering fiio M9/ibasso dx120/dx160/Sony zx300a (but jeez proprietary cable in 2019/20??)
Portability/pocketability is quite an important factor for me.

The only thing that really prevents me from jumping the gun after reading and watching several reviews is the UI and the screen.
It almost feels like they have not updated the screen between the Cowon D2 from 10 years ago and the Cowon Plenue D2. I can't convince myself that spending 250/350€ in 2020 is worth it with such a laggy/unresponsive screen.

So simple question:
- As the UI/screen reactivity been improved through firmware updates? Cause most reviews are from 10 months ago or so, i dearly hoped this has been improved.
- Quid of the database update on start? Read some post here that it was insanely long in some cases?

Thanks for the feedback, and if anyone can comment on how the Plenue D2 compare to any of the aforementioned options that would be lovely.

Your questions are valid concerns I shall try to give you my take:
Interface/UI :
The latest firmware update that came with the D2 (which also applied to the D) seems fine to me and was an improvement on the D. As long as album covers are embedded as square jpgs I have had not found the UI to be OK. I like the darkest theme of the four on offer best.
It isn't the best in the world, but it works and I do not find it too laggy. In my experience, every UI has its drawbacks.

Database refresh:
On inserting a microSD card a Database update takes place. On my 128GB cards, it takes a couple of minutes, which I can live with. That's a lot of stuff to index.
The Plenue D2 is set to sleep rather than turn off, and this it does instantly, without rescanning, so it is ready for action straight away.

Of course, the important thing is SOUND and the Plenue D2 is marvellous and robust, despite its size. The EQ you can play will in many ways and it really is spectacular for the money.

I do not regret for one second ever buying a Plenue D or the D2 after it - both are brilliant at what they do. The portability is another great feature - I've had boxes of mints that have been more bulky.

Hope this personal perspective helps you decide.

 

[Anatase]

Your questions are valid concerns I shall try to give you my take:
Interface/UI :
The latest firmware update that came with the D2 (which also applied to the D) seems fine to me and was an improvement on the D. As long as album covers are embedded as square jpgs I have had not found the UI to be OK. I like the darkest theme of the four on offer best.
It isn't the best in the world, but it works and I do not find it too laggy. In my experience, every UI has its drawbacks.

Database refresh:
On inserting a microSD card a Database update takes place. On my 128GB cards, it takes a couple of minutes, which I can live with. That's a lot of stuff to index.
The Plenue D2 is set to sleep rather than turn off, and this it does instantly, without rescanning, so it is ready for action straight away.

Of course, the important thing is SOUND and the Plenue D2 is marvellous and robust, despite its size. The EQ you can play will in many ways and it really is spectacular for the money.

I do not regret for one second ever buying a Plenue D or the D2 after it - both are brilliant at what they do. The portability is another great feature - I've had boxes of mints that have been more bulky.

Hope this personal perspective helps you decide.

Thanks a lot for your impression, it is very useful
I have narrowed down my options to the Plenue D and the iBasso DX120.
As for the Plenue D rather than PD2: I see little improvement that would explain the EUR100 mark-up. Yes there is an balanced output now, but the sound will remain mostly the same. The extra internal space is not really a selling point to me; the interface seems to be exactly the same!

 

[taffy2207]

anyone else finding the PD2 terrible at keeping the time? after a few weeks of use the clock on mine is easily off by 15 or more minutes. there doesn't seem to be an option for turning off the clock display either. don't care for clock functionality on a DAP but if it's gonna insist on showing me the time... ^^;

My PD2 is the same. Cowon has just released new firmware for the PR2 where they correct the time issue on the PR2 so I'm guessing it will be corrected with the next PD2 update. The Plenues usually have similar issues that are corrected via Firmware updates.

 

[thesheik137]

Plenue D2 is my new favorite DAP. I have had so many DAPs this last year, most much more expensive and with android, and none of them satisfied me in terms of reference sound and fast UI, with the exception of the Lotoo PAW6K. However, for 1/3 of the price the Plenue D2 is the next best thing imo. Plenty of power, clean/neutral output, and quick/intuitive UI are some of my favorite features. The 128gb card limit is not a deal-breaker for me, although I thought it might be. The trade-off is worth it to have such a great device in such a small package. Scan time is not that fast either, but the sleep mode resolves that for daily use. Battery life is well above average and BBE effects are something you really can't find an equivalent of in other DAPs. I just wish scrolling was a little less choppy, but a pro tip is to move the scroll bar on the side rather than swiping up/down to scroll. Overall, very satisfied and also surprised that this player doesn't get more attention.

 

[viktor3000]

Hi guys. I had a chance to listen to this player. I liked him. I did not like the slowdown of the interface and the long inclusion. In this regard, the question:
1. Are there any similar players?
2. Small size dap?
3. To have a lot of equalizer settings, ideally also with bbe? I love to adjust the equalizer.

 

[akãjerovia]

Hi guys. I had a chance to listen to this player. I liked him. I did not like the slowdown of the interface and the long inclusion. In this regard, the question:
1. Are there any similar players?
2. Small size dap?
3. To have a lot of equalizer settings, ideally also with bbe? I love to adjust the equalizer.

I think the only portable players that have BBE are the Cowons