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6.2 out of 10

Cowon Q5W

 

Information found in: from 35 sources in 11 countries

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  • User Score (25)
    7.2 7.2 from 25 reviewers
  • Expert Score (16)
    7.2 7.2 from 16 reviewers
  • Design (3)
    6.2 6.2 from 3 reviewers
  • Features (3)
    7.0 7.0 from 3 reviewers
  • Performance (2)
    5.4 5.4 from 2 reviewers
  • Overall quality (2)
    5.4 5.4 from 2 reviewers
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  • Score Distribution

Experts:
9-10
(3)
7-8
(8)
5-6
(3)
3-4
(2)
1-2
(0)
Users:
9-10
(10)
7-8
(5)
5-6
(5)
3-4
(3)
1-2
(2)

  • Expert Reviews

  1. Digitaltrends

    Digitaltrends
    6.0/10
    28 January 2008

    Cowon proves that making a media player more like a handheld computer isn Jamming a Web browser, Bluetooth, a text editor, and a zillion other features into a PMP is a solid idea, but the interface must be done right. Unfortunately for the Cowon Q5W, running a dated-looking minimally functional version of Windows doesn’t cut it. Read more

    • Plenty of features; excellent audio and video quality
    • Sluggish response; heavy and clunky; poor interface

  2. PC Magazine

    PC Magazine
    4.0/10
    12 December 2007

    At best, the Cowon Q5W is a so-so media player hidden within a would-be PDA's awful user interface. Read more

    • Sharp touch-screen display. Good-looking graphics. Excellent EQ function. Adequate audio- and video-file support.
    • Unintuitive user interface. Video playback freezes. Dismal battery life. Can't charge via PC.

  3. Wired

    Wired
    22 August 2008

    With a Windows CE OS, an AMD 600MHz processor, and Wi-Fi web browsing, Cowon’s newest media player seems more like an Ultra Mobile PC than a PMP. And like the poorly received UMPC, the Q5W doesn’t quite deliver on its abundance of promised functionality. The unit’s gorgeous 5-inch, 800 x 480 LCD touch-screen and built-in DivX and XviD codec support make watching flicks on the go the Q5W’s forte, with 40GB or 60GB to store plenty of compressed video. Read more

    • Fantastic audio quality and video playback. Loud, built-in stereo speakers for group viewing parties/rocking out. Support for DivX, XviD, MPEG4, WMV 7/8/9 video files....
    • Poor UI coupled with Windows CE 5.0 gives the Q5W the feeling of a shoddily constructed homebrewed device. We got only 4.8 hours of video playback; significantly lower...

  4. PC World

    PC World
    5.0/10
    22 January 2008

    This touch-screen Read more

    • Beautiful 5-inch touch-screen, Wireless networking
    • Could use much more than 40GB for video, Advanced features can be complicated

  5. What Hi-Fi?

    What Hi-Fi?
    8.0/10
    24 August 2008

    Apologies if this review ends up a bit like a list of features, but this chunky Cowon Q5 has so many of them, it's the only way to cover everything. Read more

    • Hugely versatile player with a vast feature list; brilliant pictures and decent sound; solid build
    • Need to invest time to work it out and get the best from it

  • User Reviews

  1. "Superb sound and video - but Windows CE5 lets it down"

    CNET
    8.0/10
    Reviewer: Philski2006, CNET
    26 May 2008

    I am a committed Cowon aficionado - I appreciate the best in sound reproduction and this model hits all expectations. Video playback is of the highest order too. However, some of the applications I wanted to use with it are let down with the somewhat dated Windows CE5 operation system. This flaw is brought into very sharp focus when used next to my iPod Touch, acquired a few months afterwards, whose user interface and internet performance is little short of spectacular. Read more

    • Spectacular sound and video reply
    • Windows interface is dated and quite clunky

  2. Big bang in a little package

    B&H Photo
    8.0/10
    Reviewer: Mike, B&H Photo
    15 October 2008

    If you travel this is a must for portable enjoyment with those delayed flights, long wait for those supposed to be in and out appointments, and just need a mental break. With the 80 gb storage I can get in over 10 movies and more than enough MP3 to watch and listen to. The screen resolution is what got me sold while I was watching a few of my favorite movies this was far better then the others that I have looked at for around the same price. Read more

    • Easy To Set Up, Great Sound, Lots of Storage, Reliable Performance, Simple Controls, Sleek/Compact, Tough
    • Battery life

  3. GOOD AND BAD

    Newegg
    10/10
    Reviewer: NEGAMI_2000, Newegg
    21 January 2008

    Quite honestly if they can fix the size of the buttons on the screen to be a bit bigger as well as to ADD more file formats, and the Remote control, this Would be the Ultimate PMP!!!!! Read more

    • Great for on the go Photographers, able to connect compact flash on it and offloading memory unto it.
    • Buttons are still a bit small, even when setup to use with fingers, stylus works well, but a hazzle (at least for me).

  4. CNET

    CNET
    8.0/10
    Reviewer: Batteryhq, CNET
    12 February 2008

    Read more

    • Everything included in the box
    • The price

  • WikiFreak Description

Cowon Q5W

The Cowon Q5W is a portable media player that functions as a digital audio player, a voice recorder, a digital video player, and a digital photo viewer. It measures 5.5 x 3.5 x 0.5 inches (W x H x D) and weighs 0.84 pounds. The player connects to computers via Hi-Speed USB, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, and Bluetooth.

Display

The Q5W features a 5-inch touch screen TFT LCD that supports 16,700,000 colors. It has a native resolution of 800 x 480 (WVGA), a contrast ratio of 500:1, and a …

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Cowon Q5W

The Cowon Q5W is a portable media player that functions as a digital audio player, a voice recorder, a digital video player, and a digital photo viewer. It measures 5.5 x 3.5 x 0.5 inches (W x H x D) and weighs 0.84 pounds. The player connects to computers via Hi-Speed USB, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, and Bluetooth.

Display

The Q5W features a 5-inch touch screen TFT LCD that supports 16,700,000 colors. It has a native resolution of 800 x 480 (WVGA), a contrast ratio of 500:1, and a brightness range of 200cd/m2.

Memory

The player comes with a built-in 1.8” HDD with capacity of 60 gigabyte and 12 megabytes of DDR2 SDRAM.

Playback

The Cowon Q5W supports playback of APE, WMA, FLAC, ASF, AC-3, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, MPEG 1 Audio, MPEG 2.5 Audio, MPEG 2 Audio, MPC and MP3 audio files. It outputs audio through built-in stereo speakers that have a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 95 dBA. The player also has a built-in microphone for digital voice recording.

For videos, the Q5W supports XviD, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, ASF, AVI, OGM (Ogg Media), WMV, DivX formats. It also features support for subtitles.

For displaying still images, the player supports JPEG, BMP, PNG, and RAW.

Connectivity

Apart from the player’s Hi-Speed USB, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, and Bluetooth connections, it features an AV output, and a 3.5 mm Mini-phone stereo headphone jack.

Power

The Cowon Q5W is equipped with a built-in 6500mAh-capacity lithium polymer battery that takes about 5.5 hours to charge. When fully charged, the rechargeable battery can last up to 7 hours of continuous video playback or 13 hours of audio playback.

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  • Manufacturer's Description

  • Usage: Music Video Recording Photo Viewing
  • Screen Size: 5 inch
  • Storage Capacity: 60 GB
  • Number of Songs: 15000
  • Main Storage Type: Hard Drive
  • Interface: USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Bluetooth

Specifications

  • Alternative names
    iAudio Q5, Q5 60GB

Release Date

  • First seen
    7 September 2007

Ask the community

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Questions asked: 2 Answers: 0

Previous questions about this product

  • cowon q5w or cowon mp3 player?

    So basically, what I want is excellent audio quality, internet browsing and games. Is Q5W audio quality same as the cowon mp3 player? Can it fulfill my needs?

    (No answers yet. Write an answer!) 2010-10-03

  • How do I become a Techie!?!?

    I purchased the Q5W for audio and can't begin to explain the quality. Now, no I am not a techie, which it seems you should be for anything Cowon. I just want to know how to download text. PS, Cown's support is non-existant.

    (No answers yet. Write an answer!) 2009-07-02

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