Here's our weekly roundup of the new products CNET reviewers liked best.
1. Cowon iAudio 7 (8GB)
Editors' rating: 8.3
The good: The Cowon iAudio 7 is one of the most versatile MP3 players available. It plays music, video and photos; has unbeatable sound quality; records line-in, voice and FM; supports OGG and FLAC file formats, plus DRM-protected WMA; works in MTP and MSC connection modes for use on both Mac and PC; and has an unmatched rechargeable battery life.
The bad: As tiny as the iAudio 7 is, it's still about three times the width of an iPod Nano. The reflective, glossy plastic found on the front and back of the player is prone to smudges and glare. There's a learning curve to the Swing Touch interface, and we would like to have seen support for Audible audiobooks, as well as a memory expansion slot.
The bottom line: The Cowon iAudio 7 beats the industry heavyweight iPod Nano in price, features, battery life and sound quality. The user interface could use some refinement, but, all in all, this is a very impressive MP3 player.
Photo by CNET Networks
