Help Deciding PMP (Cowon vs. Mintpass)

holy shit, I can't decide

-both are roughly the same price
-both look the same with equally nice UI, sound quality, and video quality
-both from Korea

advantages of both PMPs:

cowon d2:
http://www.cowonglobal.com/product_wide/COWOND2PLUS/product_page_1.php
-flash player; many possibilities
-fm radio (which mintpad doesn't have)
-more active community
-trusted company with frequent firmware updates
-more customizable than mintpad
-BBE+ (sound enhancer)
-longer battery life (52 hours)


Mintpad:
http://www.mintpass.com/product/p_mp100_func.asp
-wifi with internet browser
-external loudspeaker
-windows CE 5.0 (probably obsolete by now but still many possibilities, could even install flash player on it)
-1.3 mp camera with 15fps video recording
-akin to the Nintendo DSi
-long battery life (30hours)

Your call

Mintpad, because I said so

I got the d2+. My review below.

U.S.A.:
+Massive battery life.
+Expansion slot (got a 60 gig card in there. A thing of beauty).
+Plays important formats (ogg, flac) even with standard firmware.
+Decent sound quality.
+Supports rockbox third-party firmware.
+MSC compliant

VIET CONG:
-Out-of-the-box firmware is fucking shit (4kitem limitation).
-Bit bulky; too thick. Anything thicker than 2 credit cards loses in my eyes.
-Charger doesn't come with the standard package, needs to be purchased separately.

I can recommend it if you slap rockbox on it the second you get your hands on it. It's reliable, battery lasts forever (48hrs of solid non lab-conditions playtime is my personal record), the sound is superb. Personally, loving mine with rockbox, 5/5 stars. without rockbox, the standard firmware bogs it down to 3/5.

Cowon because I've heard they make high quality products, and comparing feature to feature, the Cowon is what most users want. Who wants a camera on their PMP anyway?

Of course the other has Wifi, but with something like Windows CE, it would be a clunky let down. It has no browser like current devices (iPod, ZuneHD), so I won't expect too much from the Wifi.

I'm replacing a sansa e200 (with rockbox in it) so i know how quick the UI is in rockbox. I'm really deciding upon these 2 players based on its extra features really..

Cowon has a flash player (for games and utilities)
caveat: processor is too slow to play most games but in rockbox, it can play gameboy colour games in a snap

Mintpad has the camera, windows CE (for games and utilities), and external speaker
caveat: i think the company is already dead, never seen a firmware update in ages, while cowon just released its d2+ firmware a couple days ago

oh and btw, I hear the sound quality of both players are equal because the Mintpass company is a breakoff of iriver (another respected Korean company). Plus, I'm not that much of an audiophile either, as I usually listen to flat sound anyways (I don't fiddle with the equalizer).

Ive owned the Conwon D2. It is a very nice PMP, the UI is ok for now's standards and i would pick it over the Mintpass. But let's talk about what really counts. "Sound Quality". In my experience the Conwon D2 has great sound quality but lacks software support (reason why i sold mine) while the Mintpass is vice versa in most aspects.

TBH, if your looking for just a music player i would go with the Sansa Fuze/Clip. Otherwise if your looking for a complete PMP i would spend a tad more and buy a Microsoft Zune or a Samsung P series. The fuze has the best UI i have ever seen on any portable media player or even phone and you can't go wrong with M$ software support, the sound/video quality is also top notch with it being able to support high tier music and video formats.

you mean Microsoft Zune?

and yeah, I've looked at those high tier alternatives, though they are out of my budget.

I was about to buy the Sansa Fuze until i stumbled upon Cowon and Mintpass.
And if either of these PMPs are better than the already orgasmic Fuze, I'll be all over it :)

Yeah i got mixed up. I mean't the Zune.

ninja edit.

And no media player ATM has better sound quality and sound support than that of the Fuze/Clip, Its the top of the tops.. FYI, i sold my Conwon D2 to buy a Sansa Fuze and have never regretted it.

The only downfall is the Fuze is only adept at playing music, it's not really fit to play video's etc. A D2 would be better if you wanted to watch videos and listen to music with above average quality soundstage.

Zune HD? Just no.

The hardware is really nice, so it has a lot of possibilities but software limits it severely. Since it is the around the same price as the iPod touch, pick the iPod touch over the Zune. Why? pitiful lack of apps, no flash, only works with Windows PC's, and the sync softare could be better. Yeah, it's good if you want to play music off it, but that is all it really can do, with a little Wifi web browsing on the side. Also, the Zune HD doesn't support my university Wifi T-T. The screen is a tad smaller than the iPod touch too.

However it has some advantages,
FM radio if you like listening to the radio
Indestructible case. I have dropped it on pavement a few times, and I can't even find the point of impact. The device has one of the hardest cases for a PMP that I have seen.
OLED screen, gives good colors but kind of bad in daylight.
GUI is responsive, I really like what they did with the GUI, it is both nice looking and responsive, but it's just limited.

But yeah, the Cowon d2 looks like your best bet.

Personally I found the d2+ with a CCbox V2 to beat the living shit out of everything else in terms of audio quality. I can absolutely recommend that, especially in combination with some nice cans, like k501s, or DT880s.

D2 is good but have you ever experienced the sansa fuze/clip's sound quality? Like ive said, ive owned both and ive gotta say that the fuze is much much betetr than the D2 in terms of sound stage and quality.

and how coincidental, i have myself a pair of DT880's! But i don't know why you'd use them on a Conwon D2 or any PMP for that matter. A PMP would never be able to power the DT880's to function properly.

"Better" is a subjective quality. I liked the d2+ just fine for my drive train and taste. I've tried the fuze/clip and didn't find them any better with my setup.

On the go, I use my BDs and AKGs with the C&CBox I linked to in my post and that is perfectly usable to drive dt880s and/or 501s, I use both, religiously. I use the d2->C&CBox->DT880s combination on long train trips, and it works out smoothly.

Which DT-880s do you have? the 32 ohms, the 250ohms or the manufaktur 600 ohms? The C&C XO drives even the 600ohms and the 250o are a piece of cake for the V2.

Guys, I ended up getting the cowon d2+, i'm playing with it right now its sweet :D

GameON, I also have the sansa clip beside me and yeah, the sound quality is good in terms of flat sound, which generates clean tones, but i like the d2+ better because im a basshead and BBE+ kicks ass for me. Plus, with the built in flash player, you can't go wrong :D

Love it.

For fidelity, I suggest these settings if you're going to use the standard firmware:
-5 -5 -3 -3 -3
3DS 2
BBE 1
M3B 6

Moreover, don't forget to check out iaudiophile for ultra maximum fun (and rockbox builds)