MP3 Players > Cowon MP3 Players

Advantages: almost everything (read the review)
Disadvantages: slightly clumsy interface, some may dislike the big touch screen

great sound quality, capable of outputting at a higher power than my previous ipod (which means if you plug it in to speakers, it can play louder), great battery life, supports loads of file types (eg OGG and FLAC as well as the usuals), supports an SDHC slot so you'll be able to stick a theoretical extra 32gigs in (currently I believe 8gig SDHC cards are available), so plenty of future-proofing there. Also supports video playback (a whopping 10 ...
...great contrast/brightness, support for custom skins to change the layout (on newer firmwares), hard buttons on top which can control basic track forward/back/pause as well as volume (useful when its in the pocket), lots of good sound enhancement tools (a coupla bass tools, mp3 enhancement, equaliser (optional on/off and different freq ranges are adjustable)... The list is endless. I owned a first gen ipod nano before this, whch was 4 gigs and cost ... Read review

Advantages: all its features
Disadvantages: could have a bigger screen

Forget your usual mp3 player, nowadays people are looking for more than something to play music on, that why apple ipods changed and started being able to play videos and that’s why so much more of these mp4 players are now popping out all over the place. So far creative and specialist in portable media archos have taken the lead in the world of combining protability and the ability to watch movies on the go. But now this cowan brand are starting ...
...one looks very cool too, it has a sleek silver and reflective, glass like black covering, and is only 22 mm think. That just over 2 cm’s. The screen is big in comparison to the player size too and this is great as on some players have huge bodies but there screens are tiny little things situated on them, but this is not the case to this one and it looks fantastic. Its high resolution 4 inch screen is fantastic. a lot of people might think ... Read review

Advantages: Sound quality, battery life, radio, microphone, ease of use
Disadvantages: Only a screen on the remote

I love this little mp3 player. Really sleek and the main body is made from high grade metal which is a lot more scratch proof than plastic. What makes this device special is it's separate remote control that can clip on to your clothes while the main body sits in your pocket and still gives you full control of the main device. It's price vs capacity is excellent and as well as playing music, it can display .txt files and be used as a portable hard ...
...This player also comes with several in built must have features like FM radio, radio record and in built microphone. Battery life is also second to none and the player has generally never given me any problems...consider this option carefully as an incredibly competitive player with a load of features and great value for money to offer. ... Read review

Advantages: Amazing sound, good codec support, small in size
Disadvantages: Lack of included accessories

...DRM in any form, but Cowon have released a firmware upgrade that's compatible with Windows Media DRM and it's likely they'll add more soon. My only real bugbears are: 1) Very few accessories included - no case (essential if you want to keep it safe from scratches and low impact knocks), no dock and no remote. All are available, but at hefty additional costs. 2) The buttons on the side don't feel like they could withstand a year or two of heavy use ...
...of various accidental tugs. Even though I quite like the joystick, I think recessed buttons on the fascia would have been more beneficial. Otherwise, the X5 is the closest iPod rival (and perhaps confirmed killer, for me at least) yet and, if you ask me, it beats the iPod hands down. Many "professional" reviews I've seen heavily understate the qualities of the X5 and way overstate the minor downsides, almost as if they are afraid of/biased against ... Read review

Advantages: Plays Videos, Looks great, Good quality all round
Disadvantages: Takes a little while getting used to menus

Got this about 2 weeks ago just before going on holiday and it has been fantastic! The screen on it is very good quality and the picture can be turn horizontally so you can show a widescreen picture larger.Even when it was quite bright it was quite clear. I have also found it hasn't scratched at all,even though its had a fair amount of wear and tear. The audio from the headphones has been quite good quality and can play quite loudly. There re different ...
...own. There is also a clear bass feature that helps to eliminate rattly bass on some tracks. I haven't used the radio an awful lot, but it has picked up all the channels I would expect, and would be better than most radios in MP3 players/phones An excellent MP3 player, Which in my opinion easily beats an ipod nano! ... Read review