Cowon S9 Noreve Case Review
One of the common complaints I hear about the Cowon S9 is that it feel too light and hollow. I recently found a fix for this by adding a really nice leather case, making it feel more substantial. While I don’t think that will be the main reason for someone to purchase a case for the S9, I do think the better reason is to protect your investment and keep the S9 blemish free.
Read on for pics and opinions on this case.
What I like about the S9 case, like Noreve cases for other models, is that it fits very snug in the case with no play for the player to move around. It does a good job of becoming one with the player. You will need to take the player out to charge it or sync it since it’s covered up; though, that might not be such an issue with the long battery life of the S9. Due to the design they could only leave one of the top set of button open when the flap is down. They did make the right choice in leaving the volume buttons open. The skip and pause/play buttons are coved but accessible when the flap is opened.
The flap on the front is magnetic. It’s strong so you won’t ever find it flying open. The flap also doubles as a “kick stand” to hold it up and open to watch video in landscape mode.
The case comes with a detachable belt clip accessory where you install a “button” on which the belt clip snaps on to. If you are not using the clip, a smooth button can be installed.
I was never a big fan of cases, but Noreve is slowly turning me on to them. This is my third Noreve case and first case made from the rough textured “vintage” leather. The vintage leather sells for around an $12 premium over the standard color cases and come in 4 colors: “Dark” (black), “sandy” (brown/khaki), “passion” (dark red), and “jean” (light blue). If you prefer the standard leather, with a slight gloss comparatively, there is a gambit of colors to choose from.
The standard leather sells for $51 and the vintage sells for around $63. It might be a little steep compared to your off the shelf acrylic or silicone case, but you get what you pay for. I have found that the premium price on Noreve cases always matches the quality. You can get the S9 Case directly from Noreve USA or their global site Noreve.com.
abi Features
abi Reviews
- Philips GoGear Spark SA2925R/37 Review
- eMusic Review
- Creative Zen Vision W - a Look Back
- iTunes Music Store Review
- Amazon MP3 Review
- J. River Media Jukebox 12 Review
- foobar2000 v0.9.6.9 Review
- WinAmp 5.56 Review
- Sony Walkman E340 Review
- Zune HD Review
- MediaMonkey 3.1.1 Review
- Windows Media Player 12 Review
- Sony Walkman S540 Review
- Songbird Music Player Software Review
- SanDisk Sansa Clip+ Plus Review
Headphone Reviews
abi Forums
abi Editor's Choice
-
SanDisk Sansa Clip
The Clip has a fantastic little form factor; cheap in build quality but very rugged. The interface is simple and relatively straight forward. The features on the clip are more or less average, mostly identical to the Sansa Express. However, what earns this player a spot in Editor’s Choice is the superb sound quality; you will not find another player at this size and price that can match it. Read the full review or go ahead and buy it.
-
Samsung P3
The Samsung P2 was a success and the P3 is a very welcome and substantial update. Samsung has paid close attention to users on P2 issues and made great strides in addressing and improving most of them. The best feature of the P3 is its native video support. Most content you thow at it will playback without conversion on the great looking screen. Stop by the Samsung P3 forums for more details or check out our indepth P3 review.
-
Microsoft Zune 120
Sure, many of us are not big fans of the walled garden, but there are a lot of great things going on with the Zune- sturdy hardware, ultra easy to use user interface, and a media player that is worthy of editor’s choice. The best part of the Zune is the constant firmware and software updates virtually giving you a new device at each major refresh. You can check out the latest Zune 120 & 16 review or stop by our Zune forums for the latest.
-
Cowon iAudio D2
The D2 is a fantastic sounding PMP with a very nice looking screen and a tone of features. One of the best features of the D2 is the SDHC slot allowing you to add another 32GB to this small wonder. The touch interface does not lend well to on the move operation, but it is not enough to keep it from being an editor’s choice. You can find usually find it at Amazon for the best price and before to check out the review.
Phonak Audéo PFE
Phonak Audéo PFE offer outstanding clarity and precision; natural, dynamic mids and treble, and decent bass for a single armature in-ear phone. They handle dense, complex music very well. The PFE work well with most acoustic and some electronic music genres, but bassheads might have to look at other alternatives. They're great for sports as well, since they fit very securely. Check out our review.
Comments
Binks on March 11, 2009 9:06 PM
1st comment :-)!! Looks nice, might just consider getting a case - still saving up for my S9, so i7 keeping me going till then.
alex on March 11, 2009 10:56 PM
Nice review. OT a bit, from your previous post you said that you are going to post a comparison review on S9 and P3... I sort of hope that you will wait a bit so that you can do a S9, P3 and the Sony X1000 3 way showdown. :-) Seems like they each has something that the others don't have.
EGGO on March 12, 2009 5:39 AM
Wasn't the S9 made of that Gorilla Glass that's really tough? I wonder if the device would be able to still survive without a case.
Amiram on March 12, 2009 5:45 PM
Thanks for the review.Will you review the Tuff-Luv leather case too?
Mike on May 15, 2009 12:15 AM
I dunno, it seems to me the S9 will do just fine without a case. The screen IS that gorilla glass and the rest of the player seems pretty immune to scratches and normal wear and tear. As long as you're not too reckless I don't think a case is necessary to keep the S9 in great condition.
Robby on July 20, 2009 12:20 PM
Play/pause track ff/rw/skip is covered when case is closed... in addition to the fact that this case doubles the depth of the player. Unless you are a total spaz or you need a belt clip which carries its own risks, the S9 really does not need a case.
CaseScoop on November 20, 2009 2:51 PM
Hey guys, if you like these cases and are interested in winning $100 store credit for Noreve products, check out this link: http://tinyurl.com/yg69vpk to see contest details. All you have to do is tell NoreveUSA what you think of their products, regardless of if you have a case or not! It's simple. All you need to do is express your own opinion and you could win $100 store credit for any Noreve product! Check it out! Good luck.