Although it’s not an iPod, Cowon is no stranger to MP3 players. They have been manufacturing top-of-the line music devices for years that are a good alternative to an iPod and the iAudio 7 is a good start. The battery life is among the best and the sound quality is phenomenal. In fact, if it weren’t for the depth, almost three times the size of the iPod Nano, the iAudio7 would be a good contender as an iPod killer. For now, Cowon is content with making it a good alternative to an iPod.

Standout Features

• 60-hour battery life
• 1.3-inch screen
• Photo, video and audio capabilities
• Smaller than a credit card

Features

Although Cowon made some significant improvements from the iAudio6, the iAudio7 is still looks very similar and is still chunky compared to other MP3 players out there. But the extra thickness makes up for itself with a higher-capacity battery. The Cowon iAudio 7 includes 16GB of integrated flash memory and touts a 60 hour battery life.

The iAudo7 is also one of the most versatile MP3 players on the market supporting a slew of formats including ASF, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, MPEG2 audio as well as the usual MP3, WMA and WMV. However, the Cowon iAudio7 does not support any AAC formats.

It has a 1.3-inch screen, which is a little small, but its large storage capacity and battery life make up for this shortcoming. The smaller screen makes it harder to view video, but the excellent sound quality more than blows Apple out of the water. The iAudio7 also has the ability to view photos on the screen while still listening to music. It also has a FM radio tuner and voice recorder. The iAudio7’s most unique feature is the diagonal, touch-sensitive navigation pad.

Summary of Reviews from Across the Internet

Critics like the versatility of the Cowon iAudio7, and while it will support video files, the screen is just too small to really get any use from the feature. Additionally, with a 95dB signal-to-noise ratio, the sound is excellent. But the width of the iAudio7 is quite a bit wider than an iPod.

Users liked the features included with the iAudio7. They thought the sound quality and the files it supported were great. However, many users had problems with the user interface of the player and the software included with the player.

Summary

Although the Cowon iAudio7 is a little bulkier than some from the competition, its versatility and durability make it a good choice for those looking to break away from the shackles of Apple.

Check out how the iAudio7 rates next to other flash based MP3 players with TopTenREVIEWS side-by-side comparison of the best MP3 players out there. At TopTenREVIEWS, we do the research, so you don't have to.