| Cowon iAudio U2 |
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The Cowon iAudio U2 really made our day when we got our hands on it. The previous model, the iAudio 4, was similar to the new U2 version, but it looked a little different. What is nice about the iAudio U2 is its size, you can slip it right into your pocket and forget that it is even in there. The device measures 3in x 1in x 1in and weighs only about an ounce. Therefore, the U2 is very portable. The U2's 120x64 pixel LCD screen may sound small, but it can display lots of information right at your fingertips. Things such as the song name, time remaining, and battery-life status easily fit onto the screen without cramping. The navigation of the U2 using the control is surprisingly simple. The simple 5-way navigation control, soft buttons, and a play/stop/hold button are very easy to use. The iAudio U2 was very easy to setup and use. Just plug in the device and a Windows Explorer window pops-up giving you access to the device's 1GB flash-memory. All you do is drag music files onto the window and it's instantly transferred onto the device. The U2 supports MP3, WAV, ASF, protected WMA, and even OGG files! JetShell, a music transfer program, also comes with the device, but we decided to just stick with the Windows Explorer drag-and-drop method the add/remove files from the device. The device's built-in FM tuner has 24 presets and an autoscan feature that looks for local stations for you. The U2's ability to record audio is nice, but the quality and features are a little slim. Although, you can record directly in MP3 format, your quality only ranges from 96Kbps to 128Kbps, which is quite low. The Cowon iAudio U2's sound quality is quite good as well. It has a very "boomy" bass and there was no sound quality loss on any music that we played, so therefore it is an excellent quality for almost anyone. The included ear-headphones are like the Apple iPod's, but they are not as good, Overall the Cowon iAudio U2 did well, we didn't notice too many flaws in it. It would make a great gift for any music lover, an enthusiast or casual listener. It would also make a good gift too, since we all know that the holiday shopping season is right around the corner.  Pros: Good sound quality, good design, impressive display, FM radio, USB 2.0 support without drivers on Windows XP Cons: Pricey and poor recording qualities Editors' Rating: 
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