Full user opinion
Pros:
-Excellent Sound-Plentiful Features
-supported file formats (OGG, FLAC, etc.)
-BBE and equalizer
-FM Radio (with recording)
-Voice and Line-In Recording
-USB Host
-Video playback and picture viewer (on a nice color screen)
-Amazing battery life (I have the X5L, which the the version with the larger battery life, it is supposed to last up to 35 hours, I have yet to see the battery drop below 50%)
-Looks Nice, feels solid
-Simple Controls, easy to navigate menus
-Can be used as a USB Mass Storage Device
-Reasonable Price (especially when considering how many features it has and compared to the iPod, Why would you even consider an iPod now?)
Cons:
-Lack of ID3 music mangement (shows ID3 tags when playing song, but cannot sort by tags to view a single artist, album, etc like other mp3 players do. But this may be addressed in future firmware updates, and you can always organize your music the way you want it on the computer before then transfer it to the X5 and it will remain that way)
-Not sold in stores (only available on Amazon.com, direct from the manufacturer, and a few other internet sites. This may change in the future, but for now it is a minor inconvenience of not being able to physical see before you buy, and if there were ever any problems it would take longer to ship it back and wait for repair than to just take it into the local Best Buy).
Other notes about the X5:
-some people don't like the subpack (this is a little attachment that plugs into the X5, it is for audio in/out USB, and AC adaptor), but I do. It gives the X5 a cleaner look and as long as your careful like I am it will not get lost.
-While it does play video, you have to realize that it is an mp3 player, and that the video is just a neat feature. If you are planning to watch a lot of video, I would recommend spending an extra $100 or 2 and getting a portable media player (Cowon is actually coming out with one "soon" which should be very good, called the A2). The video quality and screen is decent, but for heavy viewing purposes the screen is a bit small.
Bottom Line: If you want a top quality hardrive mp3 player for a reasonable price, that happens to have a color screen, play video, support various file types, and has many more options than the ipod and other players, then consider the Cowon iAudio X5(L). I did. I read all of these reviews before choosing the X5, and I am very satified with my decision.
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