Do you think it is worth to switch from S9 to J3?

[lutscher]

Answer to the poll!

I'm curious to see what people think. =)

[Sinny]

I'm still toying with the idea, but having an expansion slot and external speaker really appeals to me because I'm often removing content from my 16gb S9, I want to know if it's integrated though like the D2, because my SD slot on my old Creative Zen wasn't and it never got used :\.

[Kizune]

Sinny, you should read the last few pages of the J3 news thread carefully. The answer is there: The J3 integrates the microSD card completely in its library as if the sd card and the J3's memory were one unit.

I'm going to switch to the J3, but that will be later when the prices drop and I have enough money. External speaker and microSD are very nice features, but it's sad that Cowon didn't add more reasons for S9 owners to switch to the J3 - there is still Flash 7 installed (one of the main reasons why the picture viewer sucks for example), and the display resolution stayed the same (480x272.. that's low-res).

[WAI]

idk what i will do now. i have a bricked S9 and idk if i should even bother with either and just waiting for the next best thing from COWON to come around. i am moving soon into a apartment and of course i will have to save save save! probably, i may get the J3 when it's out for a few months or... i could get the V5.

[JunglePimp]

I'm going to switch to the J3, but that will be later when the prices drop and I have enough money.

Pretty much the same here. It's worth upgrading if you don't have the S9 or if you have enough money or if the upgraded features are of high importance to you.

[El Mono]

For some reason I like to have two players - to alternate every couple of weeks. That's my goofy reasoning (rationale) for spending money I shouldn't be on gadgets. But to the point: I decided to get the J3 to partner with my S9. It is a great player. It is basically the 'upgraded' S9 isn't it. I'm crazy about it, just like my S9. My point is that if you are fond of the S9 I think you'll be pleased with the J3 too (I know that is a no-brainer of a statement).
I love the display but a higher resolution AMOLED display certainly wouldn't hurt my feelings. Samsung does have a 3.3 inch virtual wvga display (like their 3.7 inch virtual wvga display in the Nexus One) that probably would have been really nice. (Aside: "virtual" wvga refers to a couple of amoled displays that Samsung produces employing the PenTile subpixle redering - it's actually kind of interesting but also somewhat controversial to some - but that's a topic for another thread, forgive me).
El Mono

[Uphaillife]

i want to...

an upgrade to the J3 won't only be multi touch, speakers, and an SD slot, but it'd also be a huge capacity bump for me from 16 to 32.

[NeedMusic]

Other.

I already have an i9, which does everything on the music side. Don't really have the details fleshed out to warrant the J3 a purchase. I'm willing to give Apple a chance though, since I need a video/app player for college.

[Tommifier]

Once my S9 dies, this will likely be my next MP3 player. The only way it won't be is if the Viliv P3 turns out to have good enough sound quality and then has a different build of the Android music player.

[Peaceful1]

Most users use cowon for video and audio output quality
So when S9 and J3 are the same in the main stuff why change your player? !

[Bodhi]

I second that peaceful1!

For those who want a second player, why not buy something more complementary to the S9 like a Sansa Clip+ (great product) for exmple or an E2 if you don't mind no screen.

S9 + J3 doesn't look too reasonable to me since the differences between them two aren't enough to justify buying both, it's my opinion.

[PhilK]

Don't have an S9. Have an O2, A2 (knackered) X5 (mislaid somewhere at work), and a D2.
Quite fancy a J3.
Well, don't drink much and don't gamble, and am not a night club goer, or out every night. Buying some tech stuff like this and upgrading my comp every two years is my thing !

[Some_Solucti]

I agree that the upgrade isnt enourmous, but the fact is that Im stuck at 16 gigs. Thats not enough by far, so I need a new player. I loved the S9, so why not go with an upgraded version of that? I just wasnt able to find anything that had a good screen (I sit in the train for about an hour everyday, at least, so watching movies in good quality is a must), good audio quality and enough memory.
I buy a new media player every year, and I think its fully justified to make this my next investment.

[caz]

who do you try to convince? us or yourself? xD

no honestly, the j3 is doubtless a really nice device. but i think i'll also wait until the hype's over and buy one as soon as the prices drop down.. :)

[DAPmagic]

I want the long battery life, which I'm currently not getting from my S9. [unsure]

I like the idea of an expansion slot. Extra storage = more videos. :D

No other player appeals to me right now. And I'm not about to jump (the Cowon) ship, so I'd like to check out the J3.

[Some_Solucti]

The biggest problem is that I feel like I cant go back to anything not Cowon after the AMOLED screen and the great SQ. So still trying to convince myself since its an expensive upgrade :P

[RoloJam]

I'll get one when they up the memory to 64GB. But, I probably would have gotten a 64GB S9 if the J3 wasn't announced. Buying a 32GB (when it comes out) + a 32 GB card isn't likely with the cost of the just released 32GB being way to high right now.

I personally would have preferred a standard size SD card over the micro. That way I could have used some of the cards I have laying around for my camera.

[tirim4]

^But many people have micro SD cards for their mobile phones as its pretty much the standard.

[stevenswall]

Most sought after feature: BBE & Jet 3.0 for RADIO, might make FM sound more like HD radio (plus some static)?

I will upgrade when the price comes down & my S9 breaks, or is given away... I paid $215 for the 32gb S9, and don't think I will be able to score such a deal with the J3 anytime soon.

[drutort]

you forgot a No, dont think its worth it, not big of a difference from s9 to J3

thats how i feel, im sorry but speaker, hd radio and a built in camera should be a norm :P those features already exist in other devices... cowon has failed IMO not to put a camera, I want a multi device, that isnt a phone, what is the point of browsing videos and pictures if you cant take pictures or record video? obviously the hardware is more then capable of video capture... i would have wished even a 3mp but 5mp seems to be norm in a lot of devices

i also would pay $50-100 for hd radio and camera
tv tunner i could care less, i dont know why they care so much in the other countries about the digital tv, IMO hd radio and a camera are far more useful

IF the j3 had hd radio and a camera, you would see my s9 up for sale already :P


i havent even used the s9 that i got for myself and for my mom since last Christmas LOL just busy, and everything around me is PC based and i have access to media

i will say i was really disappointed with the lack of speaker in s9, that im more then sure they could have shoved in there, i can show off the screen all day long but without sound, it takes a lot from the experience IMO

[Kizune]

Cowon is focused on their "home country" only, so I don't think they're ever going to add HD radio support (which only exists in the US) - except Korea gets HD radio, too, but I don't think so.


"tv tunner i could care less, i dont know why they care so much in the other countries about the digital tv, IMO hd radio and a camera are far more useful"

DMB includes DAB, which is some kind of Korean HD radio (I know, the UK has DAB, too, but it's different than Korean DAB).

[snuffed]

Having a camera on your MP3 player is kinda overkill in this day and age, when pretty much everyone has a mobile phone with decent lens or even one of those credit card-sized cameras in their bags.
I just wish they could've increased the screen size a bit, not like the face of the player is running out of space ...

[tirim4]

Allso, if cowon (a company that havent made ANY cameras EVER, correct me if Im wrong) would put a camera in this thing it would make it just like all of those chinese players with awfull cameras with crappy quality.

[NFS-974]

A camera ? err... no, thanks.

[joe75]

Since i currently have both a Cowon S9 32 Go & D2 16 go,
I am really not sure.

The sole appeal of the J3 is the µSD slot and the speaker for alarm.
which the S9 should have had in the first place.
Audio & video Codec are still unchanged(very limited .mp4 or acc codec).and 720p or 1080p impossible out of the box.

Alson J3 has only (16Go) at the moment which is rather weak in my opinion.
Moreover Cowon fails to appeal to the european market, if they could add a tnt (DVB -T) for channels and a rds radio.
I will rather wait for a next generation device which the J3 is sadly not.

A nice toy would be something à la " archos 5 IT "with capacitive amoled screen and android or W7 on it.

Frankly having a connect enabled device for streaming and internet radio is really nice.

So my next purchase will probably a nice and handy smartphone which will be a jack of all trades (& hopefully not master of none :) .

[FreeFrag]

Why no option to see poll outcome? I don't have an S9, but I'd like to see how other people think... Ie I chose the third option.

[JunglePimp]

Why no option to see poll outcome? I don't have an S9, but I'd like to see how other people think... Ie I chose the third option.

You can see the outcome after making your vote.

[Mr. Black]

Why no option to see poll outcome? I don't have an S9, but I'd like to see how other people think... Ie I chose the third option.

You can.

Click the "view poll results" link under the poll.

[alanselo]

Since my eyes aren't what they used to be I will upgrade to the J3. I currently have a D2 16 gb and have trouble reading the screen. I also have an IPOd 60gb that I don't use. After Cowon it is hard going to anything else, though I did consider the Zune HD. External memory capability also has an impact on my decision.

I might still get the S9 so the wait for the 32gb J3 won't be so unbearable.

Just waiting......, barely......, impatiently!

alanselo

[34.50]

No, the J3 is what the S9 should've been. Time has passed, and it's time for a device that can do more, Cowon is falling behind here with competitors stepping up the game.

[Mr. Black]

Cowon is falling behind here with competitors stepping up the game.

I'm unsure of which competitors are "stepping up the game"?

[Drakonian]

I´ll Buy one, once my beloved S9 has died[no][no].....
hopefully this takes a while:D:D

[dfkt]

I love me a player with a non-wobbly back plate. Makes sticking an amp to it much easier.

[TheDarkSide]

Personally, the simple fact this is now capable of a total of 64gb makes it a sweet deal IMO. I think people should be off-loading their S9's and saving till we can all get 1, since this is the S9 as it should have been - HOTT!!!

[JunglePimp]

Indeed. The memory expansion is one of the strongest points of the J3. Imagine.. 2 S9s in my pocket.. tempting... [unsure]

[deadpanmike]

I wonder of the J3 will have buggy firmware off the bat, maybe the same ogg tag problem that will now probably never be dealt with on the S9. Seeing as I have over 60 gb of ogg files, that might be a deal breaker....once my S9 goes to the great electronic dump in the sky....

[bdroc]

it would be nice for them to release the 4gb version in the US...its a really expensive player for how little it is upgraded...but since i already have all my music on one 16gb micro sd card...i wouldnt have to spend a TON of money on a new player..since my s9 is all sorts of messed up

it would be nice to see cowon use a more powerful media chip in exchange for battery life...52 was awesome. but 64 is just unnecessary...especially since itll be the newest mp3 player with a screen of that size that cant support 720p

i too am awaiting to see what the viliv p3 has in store...but its probably vaporware by now...and if its not...itll probably sport an old version of android

[JunglePimp]

Such large amounts of resources going into the production of a 4 gig model.. doesn't sound like a very efficient idea to be honest. I think cowon would be better off devoting that time into coming out with a 64 gig version. Of course, it's really expensive, I mean, 16 gig J3 = 32 gig S9.. but then quite a few people consider it worth.. and quite a few are rich ;)

[ninjaboy]

Though I personally own an S9 (and X5L) I'll go for the J3 but I won't jump onto the bandwagon that quickly... usually there will be issues with firmwares and functionality. I'll just let it 'mature' a fair bit - maybe more than a year later after it's launch in my neck of the woods.. and perhaps by then my S9 will be badly used.. and I'll get the J3.

[dfkt]

Since the J3 is only an S9 with different housing and SD slot, I would hope Cowon's code monkeys were able to reuse most of the code from the S9, and they didn't reinvent the wheel again (as they usually do for all their players). Meaning, the J3 is hopefully more mature from the get-go.

[JunglePimp]

They really need to justify the high pricing.. so yeah, hopefully it doesn't turn out to be an S9 in a different skin.

[gorgi]

Is there a possibility of using the wifi-function from this sd card?
http://www.eye.fi/
Just found that card and in case there will be a micro-sd card will it be possible to scrobble music via J3?

[DAPmagic]

Though I personally own an S9 (and X5L) I'll go for the J3 but I won't jump onto the bandwagon that quickly... usually there will be issues with firmwares and functionality. I'll just let it 'mature' a fair bit - maybe more than a year later after it's launch in my neck of the woods.. and perhaps by then my S9 will be badly used.. and I'll get the J3.

By then there'll be a K7 or something. ;)

[knoia]

I'm unsure of which competitors are "stepping up the game"?

Actually, I agree with 34.50. The J3 does very little different from the S9. The bottom line is that companies like Apple and Microsoft really innovate and drive the market. The S9 and J3 have their strong points, but if Cowon wants to expand their market, they have to do more.

[Mr. Black]

I wasn't disagreeing with him, so don't take it that way. I'm genuinely unsure of what competitors are upping their game relative to this release?

It's nonsense to say that X competitor is upping it's game because Cowon's J3 is too similar to it's previous S9 model, Cowon is not in competition with itself (although it does seems like that at times). So, what DAP/PMP do we have out now that's in competition with the S9/J3 that has upped it's game relative to the S9/J3? I'm going to jump in and eliminate the ZuneHD as it's availability is strictly limited to northern america, and that's the only one I can think of that one could put side by side with the S9/J3 thanks to it's recent FW update.

[Scrapz]

I wasn't disagreeing with him, so don't take it that way. I'm genuinely unsure of what competitors are upping their game relative to this release?

It's nonsense to say that X competitor is upping it's game because Cowon's J3 is too similar to it's previous S9 model, Cowon is not in competition with itself (although it does seems like that at times). So, what DAP/PMP do we have out now that's in competition with the S9/J3 that has upped it's game relative to the S9/J3? I'm going to jump in and eliminate the ZuneHD as it's availability is strictly limited to northern america, and that's the only one I can think of that one could put side by side with the S9/J3 thanks to it's recent FW update.

Yep, all the other players don't really match up with the Cowon S9/J3 imo, still, I do believe there was more room for improvement. I feel like they worked too much on the design instead of other stuff like more codecs, higher resolution, more features(less important, except for higher Flash version, which of course, could still be added.)

Though, I'm definitely getting a J3, my S9 is kinda falling apart(usability and physically). And the speaker and micro SD is actually a big plus, and the design is really nice. Hopefully, they don't bring out a better player after I get one(my s9 is still less than a year old and the J3 comes out)

[WAI]

hmm... i still say the J3 doesn't have a "Wow!" to it. just a simple everyday old candy Bar shape Cell Phone design. i really liked the S9's Curve Design. Cowon really took a step down if you ask me but the overall added Micro-SD and Speak was indeed a plus'

[dfkt]

I always hated the cheesy, cheap S9 form factor. Not to mention the awful colors and the fake-metal plastic stuff. I'd switch it for the decent, no-nonsense design of the J3 without a second thought.

[TheDarkSide]

It's hitting the net now, and I'm anxiously awaiting the 32GB model's release,...... [yes]

[sunset754]

I always liked the fact that my s9(32gb) looked different to other pmp's...the curve, the materials used(making it quite durable in my use) the quirkiness of it, and it's got character!
The thing is, the J3 is calling and i will not resist buying one. Even if it has improved a little bit from the S9 it will be more than worthy of purchase!a little bit of progression is good.[thumbsup]
DFKT, black or silver?

[JunglePimp]

I wish J3 had more aluminium/steel content though. After seeing numerous pics I feel Cowon missed out on an opportunity to create an externally-solid player again.

[knoia]

I wish J3 had more aluminium/steel content though. After seeing numerous pics I feel Cowon missed out on an opportunity to create an externally-solid player again.

I agree. The back (at least from the pics I've seen) seems to be plastic. Would have been great to see an all/majority aluminum body!

[JunglePimp]

Hell yeah! Like the err.....iPod [unsure] (The only thing that I like about the iPlayers...)
But look at the prices.. even with the current body the J3 is pretty expensive.. with a better body the prices would have shot up even further.

[sunset754]

I'm relatively new to Cowon products( though i do own e2,d2+,i9 and the s9). which was the the last "solid" Cowon? I think that the j3 will have a certain feel about it due to its slimness and trim especially if the quality and finish is good. Elegance? Or is that lame?[unsure]

[JunglePimp]

I'm relatively new to Cowon products( though i do own e2,d2+,i9 and the s9). which was the the last "solid" Cowon? I think that the j3 will have a certain feel about it due to its slimness and trim especially if the quality and finish is good. Elegance? Or is that lame?[unsure]

No.. I do agree.. it will have a relatively better feel as compared to the S9.. but that's still not as good as holding something totally metallic in your hands. That's just completely different for a feel...

[sunset754]

Jungle Pimp...I would agree with you on that to a point (though Sony x's feel is better than Samsung yp p3's feel i reckon, them both having metalic cases).
How many feel that the J3 is expensive though? I must admit that i expected it to be that sort of price, or it may be i've got used to paying Canadian taxes! I pre-ordered a 16gb j3 yesterday for 279 Canadian.[blink]

[JunglePimp]

Jungle Pimp...I would agree with you on that to a point (though Sony x's feel is better than Samsung yp p3's feel i reckon, them both having metalic cases).
How many feel that the J3 is expensive though? I must admit that i expected it to be that sort of price, or it may be i've got used to paying Canadian taxes! I pre-ordered a 16gb j3 yesterday for 279 Canadian.[blink]

Well, you can have a 32 gig S9 for that price :P So compared to that, yes I find it a little expensive. But then that is also a matter of opinion.

Also, I think the price that you bought it at looks okay to me.. amazon prices are pretty much similar..

[noblesilkfairy]

I must admit that i expected it to be that sort of price, or it may be i've got used to paying Canadian taxes! I pre-ordered a 16gb j3 yesterday for 279 Canadian.[blink]


Yeah, that's about what I paid for my pre-order after taxes, shipping...
When you start spending close to 300, even just the 5% GST starts getting pretty noticeable.

[Ryoma-Echizen]

852x480", better flash for picture viewing. I think I'll wait another year.

[bdroc]

they shouldve had done a lot of things...the s9 came out a million years ago (in mp3 player years)

what have R&D been doing all this time?? considering most s9 firmware was bug updates

by this time i couldve seen a player with these specs but also with
-800x480 screen -720p playback+tv out - 64gb version -mkv/h.264 support -flash 8 or higher support -wi-fi (dont care about but still)

oh wait...didnt i already see a player with most of these specs somewhere on the web? the best part is that itll probably cost the same as the J3 also...its just too bad the Viliv p3 wont have as good sound quality...but i cannot justify the "improvement:price" ratio of the j3 no matter how hard i try

[sunset754]

I don't know with Cowon. I wonder what the agenda was for the J3. Just do enough to keep up with Samsung's YP M1 (i think thats what it is called)and just iron out some more bugs to keep it up there as one of the top PMPs 'cos despite how the current S9 is, it is a great player!
So i'm waiting to see whether the S9 standard has been raised. I hope so.
That Viliv P3......[confused]

[razputin]

I own an S9 and would have purchased the J3 if it had WiFi or a larger display.

[gee frizz]

I only purchased my D2+ just a few weeks ago, however I am seriously contemplating selling it and going for the J3. The simple reason behind this is the D2+'s horribly miniscule font size (for those who don't know I am legally blind).

I have a couple of questions for those who have purchased a J3 who also had an S9 (I also had one of these):

- The S9 featured a font magnification tool located in its music, video and settings menus (a slider at the bottom of the screen). Does the J3 also feature this, or another means by which to increase the font size? If not, how large is it (I struggle with anything lesser than 10pt font)?
- What is it like interacting with EQ and BBE settings? Is it fairly user friendly?
- What is user friendliness like as a whole? Some people didn't like the original firmware/UI of the S9 but I quite liked it. On the other hand, the user friendliness of the D2+ is the worst I have experienced of any PMP or smartphone in my entire life! :D

Thanks in advance.

[JunglePimp]

What is it like interacting with EQ and BBE settings? Is it fairly user friendly?

I think I might be able to answer that one. Yes it is quite user friendly. At first it might look like the most complex EQ screen you've seen, but it doesn't take long to get familiar. Of course as the time passes by, you understand what each bar/value does and how it works, better. There is also a tutorial that helps you do the same and a lot of EQ settings posted in the EQ thread as well. I'd say worry not about this one.

[gee frizz]

^ Thanks mate. :) Understanding what each bar does is/was the least of my worries with the S9, however I was never quite sure what narrow, wide, normal meant so far as sound goes. As I recall there were separate screens for customising BBE and such, I found myself a little confused hence I relied mainly on the presets.

The EQ settings screen on the D2 on the other hand is easily the most user-friendly aspect of that particular player. I have managed to find myself a nice bell shaped curve that works well with my IE8s (-3, -3, -6, -1, -2).

Heh, I really should have been patient and held out for the J3. :D

[Benzy]

I'll play the waiting game until the FW pleases me.

[JunglePimp]

^ Thanks mate. :) Understanding what each bar does is/was the least of my worries with the S9, however I was never quite sure what narrow, wide, normal meant so far as sound goes. As I recall there were separate screens for customising BBE and such, I found myself a little confused hence I relied mainly on the presets.



You'll lose out on a lot if you rely on the presets in the S9 unless you use really high quality IEMs. Lane32x Or Uphaillife (I forget who exactly) was planning to
do a hypothesis on the various aspects and features of Jet Effects 3.0 but has apparently not had enough time to do the same. It seems like I'd have to give him a bit of a push from my side.

But not relying on that, the best advice I can give you is to play around with the settings. Try to first get as close as possible to your favorite preset, then try to enhance what you think is lacking. Trial and error is the only possible way out. Narrow and wide are useful for sort of, flattening or bass-ing up the song from the end, if you get what I mean. But that is just one aspect of Jet Effects 3.0.

Also there is the sticky thread full of about 20 pages of EQs, a lot of them are also meant for specific headphones. You could check those out and see which ones suit your preference.

[gee frizz]

^ Yah, I'll definitely have a good read through the S9 JetEffect settings thread (assuming that the J3 features a similar BBE/Jet Effect setup).

I am the proud owner of a pair of IE8s and using the S9's presets, I found a couple of them to be great for boosting trance and techno, but my word, I am regretting not delving in deeper to the customisable EQs.

If the J3 allows its user to store several EQ settings (either this feature is not present or is impossible to find - with my poor eyesight - within the D2+), I'll be ordering mine on Friday! :D

[JunglePimp]

J3 allows only 4 custom presets, similar to the s9. Sad.

[gee frizz]

It's a shame, but it's better than iNothing.

[Angry Machine]

I'm waiting for D3, but I may be tempted by the J3 when it comes in 32Gb...

[t_tanhayam2010]

capacitive screen and sd card slot and design and long battry life (bit more)
maybe more interesting anyone like me
while compare j3 with s9
but stay tuned

[Blade]

I bought my S9 from a little over two months ago. Honestly, a external speaker and expandable memory (Which is a great add-on), really won't tempt me to sell my S9.

The way I see it, the J3 is like a S9+ in most ways. Nothing too fresh. [unsure]