FT Chronicle

A couple of years ago we saw the beginnings of a brief but significant splurge of screenless MP3 players, most notably highlighted by the iPod shuffle. With a focus on portability and convenience, these are designed to be small and light enough to carry while exercising or on the move without having to dig out and lug around a more capable but more cumbersome player.

Cowon, makers of audiophile digital audio players like the D2 and S9, is teasing their new diminutive flash player, the E2. But what to makes of this “circle + square” slogan?

Since we don’t know anything about this keychain-esque DAP, we’re left to guess based on the interesting ad, with its repetition of the “circle + square” tag. Is it a lost-in-translation attempt at our “square peg in a round hole” idiom? A nod to the design of the gadget itself, which is, in fact, a circle combined with a square? Or a hint at the future aesthetic of Cowon’s players?

Anyway, 1.5 hours charge should get around 10 hours of playback from the E2, and this is controlled by similarly subtle buttons on the left and right. Power, volume adjustment and track search/skip controls are small, but well placed and responsive to the touch.

The E2 also includes a range of preset equalizer settings in the form of Cowon’s BBE+, accessible via a further button that doubles as a shuffle/repeat switch.

n fact the icons – which include a camera, USB thumb-drive, radio, door and coffee mug – are pretty confusing.  The most obvious explanation is that they suggest the iAudio E2 works as a USB memory stick as well as a media player, ideal for storing files and other information.

That’s all speculation, though, and we may have to wait and see exactly what Cowon have up their sleeves whenever they finally announce the curious DAP.

Sound quality, however, is very good, and though it often seems needlessly awkward to skip through a total of nine audio presets to find a setting that best suits the music being played, this gets easier with time. Provided you are prepared to replace the particularly poor pair of in-ear ‘buds supplied, the E2 is capable of performing very well. Audio aficionados will also be pleased to hear that it supports WMA, WAV, OGG and FLAC as well as MP3, and it’s available in a range of colours for those who like to coordinate.