Cowon A3

The player supports HD playback of a resolution up to 1280 x 720 pixels without any decoding. The catch is that only the FAT32 file system is supported, which makes transferring movies over 4GB (most HD movies exceed that) impossible. We checked with Cowon, and we're sorry to say there's no solution to this problem yet.

The Cowon A3 plays video better than most video players can, and without conversion too. The blacks were better accentuated than in the Creative Vision:W. Being a video player, the A3 also comes with a host of features like pan and scan that allows you to zoom into the movie and pan to the portion you wish to see. Aspect ratio can be changed on the fly without accessing setup from the menu. You can even save a snapshot of your favorite scene.

Music
The music player is one of the best in the business. Except DRM-protected WMA files, it can take on anything, even FLAC. It supports MP3/2/1, WMA, ASF, FLAC, OGG, M4A, MATROSKA (MKA), AC3, TTA, APE, MPC, WV and WAV. Another good thing is that the files are arranged into folders, so you can arrange your music the way you want, just as on the computer.

You can choose from a host of EQ presets, and a 10-band manual is also at your service. The jetEffect package includes BBE, Mach3Bass, MP3 Enhance, 3D Surround, but I'd suggest that you stay away from all this. Not because they suck, but you can't possibly use jetEffect and ignore the over-amplification.

The earphones could have been better, but they aren’t too bad either. Honestly I liked the music player, but then I tested the A3 with my Sennheiser HD415!!

The sound is very well-balanced, which means all the frequencies are leveled properly. Those looking to turn deaf can rejoice in the knowledge that cranking up the volume can get you there in just a few months – it’s really loud. The bass is very unobtrusive (for a lack of a better word), and the trebles well restrained, but clear nevertheless.

Overall, this is a great-sounding music player, if you manage to ditch those earphones. The player also comes with an FM radio that's audible via the speakers. You can save up to 20 frequencies. The reception was good, even indoors.