Cowon iAudio X7

Reviews: Portable Media Players

The X7 is certainly an alternative device, as Cowon's eagerly awaited replacement for the excellent X5 is basically a portable music player with the looks and dimensions of a full-on portable media player. With its relatively old-school design, the X7 probably won't appeal to fans of cutting-edge and innovative looks. However, the rather basic approach to design has almost become a trademark for Cowon's products, and the look no doubt has its fans. The plastics are, at least, good quality, and the product feels solid and sturdy to handle, which is a good sign. On the sides of the X7 are volume controls, an on/off switch and a hold button. There are therefore no physical playback controls (although there is a way round this—see inset). Although the X7's internal software is a total revamp compared with the ageing software seen in the X5, there haven't been any major changes to the firm's in-house software since Cowon's latest portable music players were released. You therefore still have the choice between two interfaces: one with standard icons and one that's very much like Zune. The menus are easy to browse though despite the screen's low definition.