[yaewoneee]

So I want a new player (previous one was Samsung Yp-p2). I personally am not a huge fan of Ipod because their audio quality sucks but I really really like the UI and the Wifi on it. They've nearly perfected the UI in my opinoina and it has wifi in a goodlooking player. But...I also like the Cowon S9 because of the AMOLED screen and amazing video and audio quality. The problem with Cowon S9 is that it's UI lacks a little bit but I don't really mind too much. Also, it doesn't have Wifi. Which do you think is better? Should I get the Itouch with wifi, but with bad audio? or should i just get the Cowon S9 with amazing screen and audio quality? What would YOU do? I know this depends on personal preference but I just want to know what others might think of doing.




Cowon S9:
File type support: MP3, MPEG1 Layer 1/2/3, WMA, FLAC, OGG Vorbis, AVI, WMV, MP4, MPEG-4 SP, WMV9 SP, H.264 BP, WAV, APE, JPEG, GIF, PNG, TXT
Display type: 3.3" AMOLED touch screen, 480x272, 16 million colors the type of display that the unit has (i.e. LCD) RAM
Voice recording with Integrated Microphone.
FM tuner
Equalizer
Battery type Lithium polymer rechargeable what type of battery does the player use?
Max. playtime 40 hours the maximum amount of time the device will play with fresh batteries.
Charge time 3.5 hours
Dimensions (HxWxD) 10.5x5.7x1.2 cm the size of the unit.
Weight (with battery) (lb) 0.22 lb


ITouch
Display Type: 3.5-inch (diagonal) LED touch screen, 480x320-pixel resolution at 163 pixels per inch
Dimensions: (HxWxD) 4.3x2.4x.33 inches.
Weight: 4.05 ounces (115 grams)
Audio formats supported: AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
Wifi
TV and Video

[twist]

if you don't really need the wifi, then cowon s9 hands down.

[fiery4hand]

...mmm wait for the samsung yp p3??? =P

[orphannies]

I was in a similar situation when the S9 first came out. I own a couple Cowon players, iAudio 7 and the D2. The AMOLED screen is what attracted me to it. But in the end, I opted for the 2nd gen Ipod Touch. The Touch actually sounds pretty good, at least to my ears (I'm no audiophile). I believe its one of the better sounding Ipods Apple came out with. I use Westone UM2's with the Touch and I hear no hiss at all, which is the total opposite when I would use it with my Cowon players. I just like the fact that the Touch is more than just a DAP, it doubles as a PDA for me. I'm able to sync my contacts, calendar and Outlook to the Touch. I've downloaded a few apps to where now I don't have to carry around my TI-89. I listen to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks, and I like to switch back and forth from music to audiobooks. With the Touch, the audiobook resumes where I left off, unlike my Cowon players where I would have to manually bookmark to save my place. So for me, the Touch was the best choice. I sacrificed the better screen and maybe a slight disadvantage to sound, but gained a lot more: a better UI (seeing the video of the S9 in action made me cringe at times), versatility (different apps for more functions/productivity out of the unit), variety of accessories readily available, a more stable firmware, ect..

It all boils down to what is important to you: sound quality, the ability to use EQ (the Touch's EQ is a joke, unlike the Cowon's which let you tweak it as much as you want), screen quality, battery life, transferring files (Cowon lets you drag n drop while Itunes is necessary for the Touch), customization (S9 allows you to change our themes while there still isn't a jailbreak for the 2nd gen ipod), Wi-fi, ect. Good luck and let us know what you decide on.

[crystaleeee]

its a tough decision because theyre similar yet have different specs. The itouch and its wifi is actually not that great tho because you have to constantly zoom in and stuff...but i would say to go for the cowon s9

[Kiribati]

The Cowon S9 doesn't support MP3 format?

[yaewoneee]

The Cowon S9 doesn't support MP3 format?

oops :] my mistake...it does support mp3 format..hahha

[z0mghii]

...mmm wait for the samsung yp p3??? =P

haha i'm waiting for that also.

[NJSK.]

How about you get both, and give the S9 to me?

-js

[Goombi]

Comes down to whether you want the superior audio quality from the Cowon, or the multifunctionality of the iTouch

[chicanerist]

what was wrong with the p2 that made you decide to switch?

[orphannies]

Comes down to whether you want the superior audio quality from the Cowon, or the multifunctionality of the iTouch

I tend to think SQ is subjective and differs from person to person. But if you are going to judge the Ipod Touch based on performance look here. SQ is also going to depend on the type of headphones you are going to use (how well it pairs up with your source) and how you've encoded your music. In my opinion I wouldn't call Cowon's audio quality "superior" to the Touch's. The big advantage Cowon does have over the Ipod in general is the EQ. If the S9 is anything like the D2, you can tweak that sucker to your hearts desire!

Another thing to consider (if you are really picky about keeping your stuff looking nice and new), I read over at another forum that the S9's glass is very scratch resistant. You should check out the video. If only ALL mp3's and PMP screens were made from "gorilla glass"....