Cowon iAudio T2 (2GB)

By Edvarcl Heng, CNET Asia
Aug 11, 2006

In Korean MP3 player circles, it's mostly all about size, in fact, the smaller the better. And it's not because there's a need for the unit to be inconspicuous. It's about making it tiny enough to look flash when you hang it around your jugular. Sort of like a hi-tech pendant. iPod nanos need not apply here.

Design
For pendant MP3 players, the neck strap is the important thing. It needs to be comfortable, easy to adjust (no messy tangle of wires) and, hopefully, enables the swapping of the bundled earphones for your own. The T2 scores on the first two points, but not the third. Earphones can be secured via the snap-on catches on the strap when not in use, and the necklace itself is light enough not to cause discomfort. The cord length is fully adjustable and very easy to maneuver without any cable snags.

	Good lanyard design. Works for us.

However, the Cowon penalizes the user if he tries to use the T2 with another pair of earbuds. The bundled earphones are tightly sewn onto the lanyard and cannot be replaced without ripping them apart. In order to listen with an alternate pair of earbuds, the lanyard has to be removed entirely as the securing clasp for the necklace plugs into the 3.5mm audio jack. But one thing we like about the clasp is that the locking mechanism is very tight. No worries of your T2 falling off while you are running after the bus.

Miniscule and blocky, the T2 is eminently pocketable. So much so, it fits into a jeans' watch pocket with change to spare. Button layout is symmetrical with neat button arrays on each side. Still, it's no Click Wheel, but it fits in with the intentional minimalist look of the T2.

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