Cowon iAUDIO G3
MP3 | February 1st, 2008
First impressions out of the box are often a good guide and the Cowon iAudio G3 did not exactly overwhelm us, this player is a bit more chubby that the iAudio U2 we tested a while back but overall is still the size of a lighter albeit a more Zippo like one. The most obvious impression is that of a rather cheap and plastic like construction unlike the other Cowon models this one feels decidedly cheap and a bit flimsy, we don’t just mean light, the Ipod shuffle is light but it doesn’t feel like this.
In terms of accessories, the iAudio G3 provides most of the essentials, including a case with a belt clip, a neck strap, and a 1/8-inch-to-1/8-inch cable for recording directly from sources such as a tape deck or a record player. You also get pair of eerily familiar-looking white earbuds, which actually handle high sound levels better than most we’ve heard. However, we should note that you’ll need to purchase an adapter or an additional cable if you plan to record from the 1/4-inch jacks or RCA jacks found on most consumer electronic devices. It would also be nice if the device shipped with a rechargeable battery instead of requiring a continual supply of AA cells.
Uses AA batteries rather than a built in rechargeable battery. This is very important because all rechargeable batteries have a limited life after which they need to be replaced. The problem with the built-in batteries is that you would need to go to the manufacturer to get a replacement. However, AA batteries can be got anytime/anywhere in the world. With ever increasing capacities, AA batteries are the best way to power gadgets.
Features:
Playback format MPEG 1/2/2.5 layer 3 (8Kbps ~ 320Kbps) (8kHz ~ 48kHz) and VBR
All ranges of WMA7 WMA (20Kbps ~ 192Kbps) (8kHz ~ 48kHz)
WMA9 CBR(5Kbps Mono ~ 320Kbps Stereo)
VBR(48Kbps ~ 256Kbps)
* WMA9 Pro, Lossless and Voice Codec not supported.
OGG (Currently support up to Q8)
WAV (Up to 44.1Khz Stereo)
Memory 256MB/512MB/1GB/2GB*
PC interface
USB 2.0 (Up to 20Mbps)
Battery
AA battery X 1
Power
Play up to 50 hours, based on company’s self-test
Buttons 8 buttons (Play, REC, MODE, Menu, FF, REW, VOL+, VOL-)
Switch 1 switch (Hold)
Display 128 X 64 full graphic LCD
SNR 95 dB
Max Output 16 Ohm earphone : 13mW + 13mW
Frequency Range 20Hz ~ 20KHz
Size 2.52 X 1.77 X 0.67 inch (64.0 X 45.0 X 17.10 mm)
Weight 1.27 oz (without battery)