Hey dude, sorry for the late reply. I'd get the i9 without any hesitation. It's a slicker player than the Creative, sounds heaps better when paired with decent earphones too, plus it has an EQ and tuning features the Creative just can't match, and battery life is also superior. I bought my i9 from www.minidisc.com.au Very good service from these guys.

You can up the bass more in the i9 with the EQ, a good set of earphones will also make a difference. Hope this helps mate.

Hey!
I am stuck between the creative x-fi2 and the cowon i9.
I'm also from Australia ))
My samsung p2 died so I am currently using my 512mb creative stick(first mp3 player) and I fiddled around with the eq and I am really happy with the sound and was looking into another creative product. But then I am also interested in the Cowon i9 as well.
What I am happy with the creative is the bass as I listen to electro and rock.
Do you think the i9 could do better? I am looking for a full rich bassy sound.
And where did you get your i9 from and how much was it?
I am leaning more on the i9 because I have read that the x-fi2 has lots of potential but it has flaws such as ui, touch responsiveness etc.
And I would recommend a samsung player in the future, but I want to try something new.
Thanks heaps and I hope to hear from you soon