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Cowon iAudio A3 (60GB)

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By Donald Bell, CNET.com
Feb 5, 2008

Cosmetically indistinguishable from the Cowon A2 portable video player we adored last year, the Cowon A3 is a subtle evolution of a great product. While the complaints we had about last year's model still persist (frustrating joystick navigation and lack of DRM support), the improvements Cowon has made internally to the A3 make its shortcomings forgivable. The Cowon A3 comes in either 30GB or 60GB models.

Editors' note:

This review is based on tests done by our sister site CNET.com. As such, please note that there may be slight differences in the testing procedure and ratings system. For more information on the actual tests conducted on the product, please inquire directly at the site where the article was originally published. References made to some of other products in this review may not be available or applicable in Asia.

The 60GB version is available in Singapore for S$749. Check with a local distributor for availability in your own country.

Design

The Cowon A3 isn't the slimmest or lightest portable video player we've seen, considering that it weighs in at 281g and measures 132 x 23 x 79mm. Fortunately, it's got it where it counts--the screen. The A3's 4-inch, 800 x 480 LCD is sharp and gorgeous. The tradeoff, of course, is that the Cowon A3's glossy plastic screen is a magnet for both fingerprints and scratches.


The Cowon A3 comes with a bevy of cables as well as a power adapter, a pair of earbuds, and wrist strap (the USB flash drive in the picture is not included). Don't let the power adapter fool you, the Cowon A3 can also charge over USB.

Unlike competitors such as the Archos 605 WiFi or the iPod touch, the Cowon A3 does not use a touchscreen interface for navigating through files and menus. Instead, this Cowon employs a small joystick located in the top right corner of the A3's face, along with a series of four well-spaced buttons below it that serve multiple functions. The advantage of staying clear of touchscreen navigation is that it keeps your fingers off the screen. Unfortunately, Cowon's miniature joystick navigation was so haphazard, it had us screaming for mercy. More times than we cared to recall, the A3's joystick would accidentally shift up or down when we needed to push down on it to make a selection, requiring several careful attempts. Over time we became more skillful at using the joystick, but those of you with sausage fingers should stay away.

Like its predecessor, the Cowon A3 includes two stereo speakers and a mono microphone on its top edge, a power button on its right, a hold switch that doubles as a video-out switch on the bottom, and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top left edge. Below the A3's headphone jack is tethered a plastic door that conceals a 3.5mm composite AV output, a 3.5mm composite AV input, a proprietary jack made for connecting an included S-video and component-video output cable, and a USB jack for transferring files from your computer or hosting devices, such as digital cameras or USB memory sticks. Finally, at the very bottom of the A3's left edge is a power adapter input, offering a charging method aside from doing so over USB from your computer.

 
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