Cowon S9 died so need replacement -&- Samsung Galaxy S2 Audio Advice please?

[Word-Weaver]

Hello everyone

A few years back i got advice from you guys in buying my beloved Cowon S9 and it was one of the best decisions i've ever made. Unfortunately after a good two years of use it's completely died (has been slowly dying for months now but power/hold switch broke as well as general wear and tear). I have toyed with getting it fixed and or replaced but as it's out of warranty, will cost a fortune and is rather aged now i don't think it would be worth it.

So i'm on the market for a new device. Money is not an issue, I just want/need the best device money can buy and soon. Coincidentally my old phone (which i've had for six years now) and camera have just broken too. So i've been thinking of getting a smartphone to combine them all together. Instead of getting multiple gadgets get an all-in-one and i've had my eye on the Samsung Galaxy S2...like only the best smartphone in the world, apparently. I think I'm in love with it. XD

However, music is the most important thing to me in a media device and that is what i would like to concentrate on most. I've heard that the Galaxy S2's sound quality and music in general is um...crap? below average? Is this true? Because it's the only thing holding me back from getting it. I've heard you can get apps and root it to kind of fix it though?

I'm used to Cowon BBE+ and iaudio beautiful sounds and i really don't want to be let down or lower my standards. I also understand smartphone batteries generally only last a day and i'm used to my S9 lasting 4+ days so no idea how i'll get used to that...

Could anyone recommend a device to me? I've also being looking at Cowon D3 and X7 but some things are holding me back. It appears to me that the smartphone market is more fancy and complex than the mp3/4 which annoys me. I really want to stay away from apple products if it can be helped. Should I get a dedicated music player and if so what? What are your thoughts on the Galaxy S2 and it's audio quality?

Basically what i currently want/need in a device:
- Music sound quality
- 32GB+ storage
- Decent sized (3.7inch+) AMOLED touch screen (as i watch loads of stuff on my devices)
- Internet browser and app support would be nice. (i loove random extra widgets etc.)
- I also read a lot on my device so ebook or .doc support would be nice.
- Some tactile buttons would be good too.
- Personalisation/Customisation

Thank-you so much, Rhi

[CrowdAds]

[DragonBottles]

Perhaps the Cowon D3 is up your alley? It doesn't perform as well as a lot of Android devices but the features are there, if not optimized well, with all the sound quality enhancements you're used to on the S9. 32GB flash storage.

[Syndrome]

I can't suggest any phone devices that would meet your criteria, as I'm a person who wouldn't like to put my MP3 player and my phone into one device. Unless it had a battery life of about 2 months. That being said, I would go with the cowon J3 as my new DAP. Its very similar to the S9 but is more square in shape and has a microSD slot. They also moved the location of the buttons, which i think was a step backwards but wasn't a deal killer.

[darkinsomnian]

Hi there, i am interested opinions on this topic also as i've been considering an s2.... from what I've managed to research about the the galaxy s2 it sounds a bit substandard out the box but there is a mixer program called voodoo that significantly improves the sonic quality by unlocking some extra ability of the s2's sound chip; i've heard the s2 is actually pretty good once voodooed in this way but id love to hear some users opinions.

While i'm here one player i do have good knowledge of is the cowon D3 that DragonBottles mentioned, and yeah on paper it is impressive and truly it does sound fantastic. Ultimately however the lack of processing grunt will likely really piss you off in the long run, sadly mine goes unresponsive frequently when playing flac or anything that uses alot of resources. Personally i would also avoid this player for the reason that the after sales service stinks, it took them about 5/6 months to repair my screen after it cracked on holiday and then charged me about £110. Ive since noticed that there seems to be an awful lot of flexing in this screen compared to any similarly large screen mobile i've ever held.... i wouldn't make the same purchase again, just saying

EDIT... actually ive just read voodoo is only for the galaxy s1 and that the s2 has a worse chip, perhaps this isn't the way to go then