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Cowon iAudio U3 specs revealed
comment: 48 | Friday, October 14 (2005) 01:10PM | Posted by Martinp
The iAudio U3 specs have popped up on the Korean iAudio.com site.

Supported Codecs:
MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC (Level 0,1 &2), Xvid Mpeg4 with 160x128 @ 15 fps

File Viewing:
JPG, PNG, BMP & TXT

Screen:
1.2'' 160 x 128 pixels, 260,000 color TFT-LCD

Battery Life:
20 Hours for Audio, ?? for Video

Output:
30+30mW @ 16 Ohm with a 95 dB s/n Ratio

Size:
31.5 X 72.0 X 18.0 mm

Weight:
32.5g

USB 2.0:
35 Mbps Upload, 40 Mbps download

Special Features:
GUI Skin Colors are interchangable

Other standard Features (for Cowon Players):
Line-In Recording, FM Radio, Voice Recording, Integrated Clock, 5 Band EQ, BBE ...
Everything you can find on the U2 as well really.

It looks like Cowon has created the worlds first Flash Memory mp3 player that also plays FLAC files.

Source
via iAudiophile.net
Comments

Lone

Comments: 973
 		Oct 14 (2005) 01:33PM  

Eh, looks bigger and fatter. Color screen seems to be an okay size though.



Michael
Location: New York City
Comments: 2786
 		Oct 14 (2005) 01:37PM  

Wow, this is much nicer than I thought. It's like a mini X5 now! I don't know about video on such a small screen, but it sounds amazingly feature packed. I like the interchangeable GUI.



h0p3l355is4

Comments: 46
 		Oct 14 (2005) 01:48PM  

Very nice indeed. What is wrong with you iRiver! iAudio was behind you and now they're on the same level or higher than you! The pearl white is ugly. The screen resolution seems to be nice and the video playback is a plus. Now if only iRiver would raise the memory capacity of the U10 it's sold. U10 5GB would be enough. Hopefully iAudio changed the way you navigate? The H10 through icon/database and still allow file-tree was brilliant.



Martinp

Comments: 299
 		Oct 14 (2005) 01:50PM  

U2 Size: 73.8 X 25.0 X 18.0mm Weight: 34g
U3 Size: 72.0 X 31.5 X 18.0mm Weight: 32.5g
iPod Nano: 89.0 x 41.0 x 6.9mm Weight: 42 g

The U3 is 6.5 mm wider than the U2, but considering that the U3 has a much larger screen I guess that is acceptable. Also I don't know how they managed to keep it lighter than the Nano with 20 times more features and longer battery life.



watergrave

Comments: 287
 		Oct 14 (2005) 01:53PM  

i agree with ssjmichael.. the interchangeable GUI is cool...


Michael
Location: New York City
Comments: 2786
 		Oct 14 (2005) 01:56PM  

Why compare it to the width to the Nano?, that's just dumb in my opinion. The Nano has not become the standard (or ever will be) as far as flash players is concerned so there is absolutely no reason to say such and such player is acceptable or not based on that.



Robert Sinke

Comments: 1221
 		Oct 14 (2005) 01:57PM  

pretty sure I'll upgrade from U2 to the U3 . 512MB/1G/2G, I'll take the 2GB please.



watergrave

Comments: 287
 		Oct 14 (2005) 02:01PM  

i just wish it did have about 4GB not so it could be compared to Nano but just so it could be strengthened more to kick Nano's butt...


Michael
Location: New York City
Comments: 2786
 		Oct 14 (2005) 02:03PM  

Definitely. Maybe one day Samsung will hook other companies up with a sweet flash memory deal.



shiftis
Location: Canada
Comments: 369
 		Oct 14 (2005) 02:58PM  

That thing looks sweet.



WhoCares

Comments: 62
 		Oct 14 (2005) 03:07PM  

Ya, I'll take one (2GB). BTW, what type of battery does it have- lithium ion?



Magnetic Ganesh

Comments: 5
 		Oct 14 (2005) 03:19PM  

Everybody, is it me or the output of this thing is 30mW+30mW, IIRC the U2 topped 13mW+13mW, which is doubled in the U3???, if I'm not the dumbest it seems our tympans will feel air passing through them...

or, it's just a typo (which happens to be site-wide )



Allen
Location: Dub Vee Ooo
Comments: 1511
 		Oct 14 (2005) 03:53PM  

Hmm.... I do wish they had more then a 2 gig.... but this is an amazing player... flac on it?!!? kudos... very very cool... granted I dont think its very pratical with only having at most only 2 gigs...



jet_fighter00
Location: California
Comments: 148
 		Oct 14 (2005) 04:12PM  

That thing is just plain cool! Who wants a Nano when you got this?



undesign

Comments: 786
 		Oct 14 (2005) 04:18PM  

Why not OLED?



TrickyBuddha

Comments: 14
 		Oct 14 (2005) 04:47PM  

Hmm! If we went from U2 to U3, maybe we'll go from X5 to X6! Those look perfect - except I want at least 40, preferably 60 gig.



WhoCares

Comments: 62
 		Oct 14 (2005) 04:49PM  

Magnetic Ganesh, it is 60mW
http://mp3.iaudio.com/product/product_U3_feature.php



WhoCares

Comments: 62
 		Oct 14 (2005) 04:50PM  

Oops
[Linky]



Michael
Location: New York City
Comments: 2786
 		Oct 14 (2005) 05:00PM  

Guess what! Unless i'm blind, I don't see any "Color Sound" logo.



Magnetic Ganesh

Comments: 5
 		Oct 14 (2005) 06:30PM  

Alright WhoCares, but don't you think it's also a first in DAP's ?, I don't recall any other DAP bearing these figures.
On another side, This player AFAIK is the only one which can read PNG, and among the few able to read BMP, this little thing rocks!!



Warhol

Comments: 29
 		Oct 14 (2005) 06:31PM  

damn. this makes my decision for a flash player a lot harder. i was just going to buy the nano, but i think i might wait and see what the price is like for this. if i can get double the memory with the nano for the same price, then ill probably just get the nano.



WhoCares

Comments: 62
 		Oct 14 (2005) 07:13PM  

Ya, I think so, too. No wonder its website has all those little speakers everywhere!
Omg, screw the iRiver U10, I'm sooo getting this hot-looking thing! Well, the iRiver U10 is also hot... but those fingerprints... therefore, iAudio U3 it is! (so far :B) I well, we'll have to wait!



Michael
Location: New York City
Comments: 2786
 		Oct 14 (2005) 07:15PM  

I don't think I can resist either. Even though I have an X5 already, this thing is too awesome. It might influence me to get active or something.


WhoCares

Comments: 62
 		Oct 14 (2005) 07:54PM  

"I well, we'll have to wait!" ---> Make that "I guess, we'll...."



n00b

Comments: 62
 		Oct 14 (2005) 07:55PM  

Please review this? This looks awesome!



Magnetic Ganesh

Comments: 5
 		Oct 14 (2005) 08:16PM  

WhoCares: funny I too, wanted the u10 badly, but now I'll just sit there, shut my mouth and...
"I guess I'll have to wait"



Steve

Comments: 1197
 		Oct 14 (2005) 08:18PM  

Nice but a card slot would make it twice as nice.



Lone

Comments: 973
 		Oct 14 (2005) 10:56PM  

Good eye ssjmichael, no "Color Sound" logo to be seen. Cowon seems to listen...



watergrave

Comments: 287
 		Oct 14 (2005) 11:18PM  

Exactly Lone... Cowon listens...



Robert Sinke

Comments: 1221
 		Oct 14 (2005) 11:28PM  

ironically, it *does* come with a color screen this time



chanamasala

Comments: 3
 		Oct 14 (2005) 11:38PM  

Hopefully the FM reception will be better than the G3.



Melker63

Comments: 26
 		Oct 15 (2005) 03:26AM  

Very nice player. I dont favour 5-way joysticks though since they are mecanically less durable. Now I can hardly wait an upcoming "Iaudio 6", since I prefer on-fly replaceable standard-batterys. I agree with the top-third commenter about Irivers lost momentum. I currently own the IFP-795 but the recent radio-disabled line-up havent convinced me at all.



Allen
Location: Dub Vee Ooo
Comments: 1511
 		Oct 15 (2005) 04:40AM  

I also am a fan of the missing Sound Colour... kudos for cowon



dfkt

Comments: 21
 		Oct 15 (2005) 04:41AM  

Gawd... who needs to watch videos on a device like that? They'd better concentrate on useful features instead of glitzy gimmicks.

I guess people fall easily for stuff like that.



Martinp

Comments: 299
 		Oct 15 (2005) 04:53AM  

Uh, they have already integrated all the (hardware) features you could wish in their previous DAPs ...

Now if they could only start creating some kick-ass firmware with id3 databasing, DRM WMA10 and saving the dynamic playlists on the go then this player would be unstoppable.



Dominic
Location: Ireland.
Comments: 2396
 		Oct 15 (2005) 06:59AM  

Veery nice, they deserve a bigger market share for all the work they're putting in....too bad they wont get it



watergrave

Comments: 287
 		Oct 15 (2005) 09:33AM  

yeah too bad... they won't get it... not with all this hype with the new ipod...
i have to say this is the best flash DAP yet...

the only thing nano has above this is the 4GB memory... nothing more... that's IMO..



BoSox

Comments: 44
 		Oct 15 (2005) 10:28AM  

This thing looks Great!
I would buy it if it weren't for the "me having no money to spend" issue.:(



Allen
Location: Dub Vee Ooo
Comments: 1511
 		Oct 15 (2005) 01:06PM  

I wonder if it does gapless... either way... Definately a nice looking player... I'd buy it if the price was right... (cheap, which it probably wont be)



user

Comments: 9
 		Oct 15 (2005) 10:11PM  

i dont know about you guys but im thinking they should have made it cheaper by making this a movie-less player...
i mean... it'd be like watching a gif animation... the screen's waaaay too small for that



Michael
Location: New York City
Comments: 2786
 		Oct 15 (2005) 11:58PM  

Who knows how cheap it will be anyway.



Martinp

Comments: 299
 		Oct 16 (2005) 01:39AM  

Uh, if they can include movie playback - why not? I have the suspicion that they are using a similar chip to the X5, so movie playback is kinda standard.



ItaloDancer

Comments: 8
 		Oct 16 (2005) 08:52AM  

The black one looks awesome!

Unfortunately it got that joystick once again, I just hate it.



Dominic
Location: Ireland.
Comments: 2396
 		Oct 16 (2005) 09:33AM  

yes the evil joystick that toys so badly with the inept



Michael
Location: New York City
Comments: 2786
 		Oct 16 (2005) 02:44PM  

I think you'd really have to be mentally retarded to not be able to work the joystick in a matter of seconds.



Sweet Spot

Comments: 27
 		Oct 16 (2005) 06:00PM  

On the spec page, it lists dynamic playlists. What exactly does that entail ? And does that mean having to use software to take advantage of that feature ? Or is it the same type that the iPod offers ? Looks sweet ass though....



Michael
Location: New York City
Comments: 2786
 		Oct 16 (2005) 06:13PM  

Dynamic playlists mean you can make playlists on the go. If you like the song you're playing press the button and it's added to your D-Playlist folder. It's a pretty cool feature that's available on most if not all Cowon products.



Matt Random

Comments: 16
 		Dec 05 (2005) 11:04AM  

Any idea what the price will be? The video on a device like this seems well suited for showing the short videos you can take with many digital cameras.



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