Cowon iAudio D2 - Anything But iPod Review

[dfkt]

Here's our review of the Cowon iAudio D2, for those people that don't frequent the front page too often: http://www.anythingbutipod.com/archi...-d2-review.php

[saminthehat]

Nice, just one question. How are the start up times with an SD card inserted?

[dfkt]

Same as without, less than 3 seconds with a 4GB Transcend SD card, in my case.

[neenee]

It takes quite a while here (about 20-30 seconds) to load an
inserted card while my D2 is running.

But after loading it the first time, I think it has indexed the
contents of the card and it will start quicker, though still a
second slower than without the card.

The card I have tried is a 2GB Transcend.

[rhdwave]

Can u tell me which external mic was used in the review?
thanks

[dfkt]

A cheap monophonic Sony mic.

[sounddiver]

Originally Posted by dfkt

Here's our review of the Cowon iAudio D2, for those people that don't frequent the front page too often: http://www.anythingbutipod.com/archi...-d2-review.php

hi dfkt,
i am new here to this forum, but did read allready a lot. and i think you know really anything about D2
may be you can help me with playlists on D2. i tried much but the only way witch is working for me is to add each title to the DPL, by time a bit hard.
the above mentioned review says: "Playlists are supported".
i read in serveral forum/posts, that playlists are not supported (except DPL), but the D2 menu says "playlist" (when pointing music/browser/music list/mode/music library/playlist).
questions:
- how do i work with this mode?
- how do i get playlist to this menu?
- i have a album folder structure. how do i get one komplete album (or all albums from one artist) to this playlist (even to the DPL)?

fw = 2.46

sorry for those "dummy"-questions, but i think i missed some relevant point in using playlists.

thx a lot

[Phoenix-X]

who knows how much the 8gb is going to cost? and when it will be out?

[JanBo]

One comment for the fine review of the D2:
There is a commenent around "pitching the playback..... but I really don't see much use for it."
I can tell you that I have ordered the D2 8GB (1639 DKK) just because of the 'pitch', I will use it for dance lessons, to slow down the tempo of the music while learning a new dance.
I have been looking almost "all over" for a MP3 player with 'pitch' for the last year, and "Cowon iAudio" was the first player-family I have found with pitch.
I would guess thet the pitch function is fine for an aerobic-teacher also.

[notatoad]

@janbo - all rockbox players support pitch/playback speed adjustment also.

[dfkt]

The D2 pitches only in 10% steps between 50 and 150%, so it's pretty rough. The Trekstor Vibez and all Rockboxed players have a finer tuned pitch control.

[mobilelawyer]

Originally Posted by Phoenix-X

who knows how much the 8gb is going to cost? and when it will be out?

The 8GB has been out for a while and is readily available. No one has been able to confirm any availablity of the 16 GB model other than it is listed for pre- order on a German website.

[VCVC]

Originally Posted by mobilelawyer

The 8GB has been out for a while and is readily available.

I guess you didnt noticed but that question date is september 22... and that is about the time the 8gb D2 was released and the time i bought mine.

[brsnyder]

Originally Posted by JanBo

One comment for the fine review of the D2:
There is a commenent around "pitching the playback..... but I really don't see much use for it."
I can tell you that I have ordered the D2 8GB (1639 DKK) just because of the 'pitch', I will use it for dance lessons, to slow down the tempo of the music while learning a new dance.
I have been looking almost "all over" for a MP3 player with 'pitch' for the last year, and "Cowon iAudio" was the first player-family I have found with pitch.
I would guess thet the pitch function is fine for an aerobic-teacher also.

Maybe it's a language thing, but I find that changing the playback speed does not change the pitch. Someone reading a book sounds like a chipmunk at anything over 110%. My old Creative Jukebox did adjust the pitch as speed changed. Is there really a way to do this on the D2???

-- Barbara

[WalkGood]

Originally Posted by brsnyder

Maybe it's a language thing, but I find that changing the playback speed does not change the pitch. Someone reading a book sounds like a chipmunk at anything over 110%. My old Creative Jukebox did adjust the pitch as speed changed. Is there really a way to do this on the D2???

-- Barbara

Why not just buy a Alvin & The Chipmunks CD

[dfkt]

I don't know of any current player that's able to time-stretch without pitch alteration... does one actually exist nowadays? If the old Creative Jukebox could do it, it should be no problem for today's faster processors.

The D2 certainly doesn't do it, neither does any other player I know of.

[Xenodius]

Hold a second-- the D2 has speed control? Where is this setting?

When I was considering the D2, I was told it had crossfeed as well-- but I never found that.

Where do you set that stuff up at?? Am I just retarded? xD

[dfkt]

Speed change is in the Jeteffects menu, near the bottom: "Play speed".

If you really mean "crossfeed", that would be the "Stereo Enhance" and "3D Surround" BBE settings... if you actually mean "crossfade", the D2 doesn't have that.

[Xenodius]

Oh okay-- I guess I didn't notice the Play speed setting since I have no use for it, I must have dismissed it. Thanks for the FYI!

Yeah, I did mean crossfeed... I'll have to play around 3Ds and SE once I get my HFI-780's, I admit I have abandoned my D2 for the moment since my X3i's sound too horrible now =p

[lynnux]

I'd like some clarification on the 'speed control' feature, the posts are a little confusing.

Can I or can I not slow down a music track while keeping the pitch the same? In other words, the tempo (speed) would be slower but the notes would sound the same, rather than sounding deeper or lower-pitched?

I'd find this very useful for learning music on my instrument of choice, as I learn by ear from recordings of fast-paced music. Too fast to learn from at the original speed, so I like to slow it down. There's software that will do this, but having it built into my player would be great!

Also, how's the quality of the microphone, especially using the external mic? Good enough for recording live music to learn from or share with others?