S9 Has Died - Is The J3 The Best Replacement?

[rockphantom]

Howdy gang,

My S9 died unexpectedly last night after 37 months of heavy use, as the power switch is stuck in neutral.

http://www.iaudiophile.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=35287

Oh well, I've gottten my $200 investment out of it.

I've had my eye on the 32GB J3 for years.
A few weeks ago, I'd learned that the J3 has been discontinued.
Upon hearing this news, I decided to hold onto my S9 until the J3's successor is released.

However, now that my S9 has bit the dust, I must get a new flash based FLAC player, ASAP!

Is the J3 still the best player on the market for audio quality and capacity?

I don't care about watching videos on my FLAC player (didn't watch a single video on my S9).

If I you were going to buy a portable FLASH based FLAC player today, would you...

1. Buy the J3 now, from Amazon?
2. Buy a non-Cowon FLAC playing PMP from a reputable manufacturer?
3. Buy something cheap simply to play low fidelity MP3s, to tide yourself over until the J3's successor is released?

I'd appreciate as much feedback as possible.
I need something comparable or better than the S9, as I listened to my S9 for 2-3 hours per day (especially during the summertime).
I'm going to go kerrraaazzyyyy without my S9.

Thank You!

Milan

[DSperber]

I have very limited experience, since the J3 is the one and only PMP I've ever owned.

But I bought a 32GB+32GB J3 a few years ago, because my music collection required a 64GB player. About 6700 total files, with 24GB of FLAC (1100 files) and 37GB of -V0 MP3 (5600 files).

About four months ago I upgraded my 32GB external card to a 64GB external card (as my music collection had just about maxed out the 64GB capacity of FAT32 (which is actually just under 60GB after FAT32 formatting). So now I have a 32GB+64GB=96GB J3. Seems future-proof.

I play only my 1100 FLAC files 100% of the time, set as one "genre-playlist" (all my FLAC files have "FLAC" as their "genre" in the FLAC tag), with playback set to "random". That way I never know what's going to play next, out of my 1100 FLAC files. I know I have another 5600 MP3 files but my "favorite favorites" are in FLAC, and I just never listen to anything else.

I only listen through headphones (my Shure SRH-940) when I'm traveling on a plane. Otherwise, I'm listening through my car's audio system AUX input. It's a terrific sound system, and FLAC from the J3 sounds ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!! Sounds exactly like CD-original... as it should, of course.

When using the J3 to play FLAC in the car I select "flat" (i.e. "normal") on the EQ/BBE, because I've got the car's sound system to use for "tone control". I don't want two EQ systems fighting each other. So the J3 is "flat" and volume set at 39 (essentially "max") and I use the car's volume control and own EQ to manage the sound of playback from the J3.

On a plane through the SRH-940, I use an EQ/BBE setup that provides just a small amount of "punch" (with volume typically at 35-39). The SRH-940 is a very accurate, neutral and revealing headphone, and it actually sounds best with just a very modest amount of EQ adjustment from "flat". So again... FLAC sounds fantastic. The high volume setting is because I am not adding "gain" through the EQ/BBE.


Anyway, I can't offer any input about other players, because I have none.

But for me the J3 was everything I was looking for in a PMP:

(a) 64GB+ capacity

(b) FLAC capability

(c) SOUNDS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC IN MY CAR, and also on my SRH-940!

[rockphantom]

DSperber, thank you very much for your advice!

I am very close to ordering, just need a little more encouragement before forking over $300 for the J3 and accessories.

Which brand and model of 64GB flash card do you recommend for the J3?

I can't believe 64GB micro SDHC cards cost sooo much more than their 32GB counterparts.

Thank you again!

Milan

[DSperber]

I think SanDisk is the only one currently making the 64GB microSDXC cards, but I may be wrong. Prices have come down dramatically.

Here's one on Amazon for only $68.

Anyway, the one I bought is this one through Amazon for $92, which comes with the SD Adapter and most critically, also comes with an external USB SDXC Card Reader that works. Others have reported success with old existing external USB card readers costing just a few dollars, so if you have one already you might shop accordingly.

However what is CRUCIAL is that while the 32GB cards can be inserted into the J3 and then you have full READ/WRITE capability that works perfectly, the same is not true with the 64GB cards. You will have problems because there appears to be some problem (in my opinion) with the J3 firmware not really expecting to see a FAT32 card > 32GB for read/write when connected to Windows. But it WILL read the 64GB card perfectly when disconnected from Windows and just playing music off of the external 64GB card.

So you MUST use the external SD card reader to FORMAT and READ/WRITE (i.e. maintain the contents of the card), outside of the J3. Then you "safely remove hardware", disconnect the card reader from the PC, remove the card from the card reader, insert it into the J3, and it will now work perfectly in the J3.

[mutescream]

Originally Posted by DSperber

I think SanDisk is the only one currently making the 64GB microSDXC cards, but I may be wrong. Prices have come down dramatically.

Here's one on Amazon for only $68.

There are others... I chose this $72 one, b/c I get free 2 day shipping with it (Amazon Prime) and the same reader you got with your package ($5 more, still free 2 day shipping for prime members). Still sitting in my cart right now, but wanted to show there are other options out there.

Anyway, the one I bought is this one through Amazon for $92, which comes with the SD Adapter and most critically, also comes with an external USB SDXC Card Reader that works. Others have reported success with old existing external USB card readers costing just a few dollars, so if you have one already you might shop accordingly.

[DSperber]

Originally Posted by mutescream

There are others... I chose this $72 one, b/c I get free 2 day shipping with it (Amazon Prime) and the same reader you got with your package ($5 more, still free 2 day shipping for prime members). Still sitting in my cart right now, but wanted to show there are other options out there.

That's not a SanDisk card, so obviously other manufacturers make it now.

Interestingly it's the same seller as mine, from whom I bought the SanDisk card packaged with the reader. So he sells lots of stuff. Strangely, he's now selling that card reader for $5, when he used to have it priced at $60!! Maybe that old price was a mistake (seems clearly way out of line). Anyway, at $5 nobody can pass it up.

NOTE: it's always a right thing to do no matter what brand you buy and no matter who you buy it from, to verify your brand new card is legitimate and genuine and not a counterfeit by running H2Testw when you first take it out of the package.

[mutescream]

Yeah, I've noticed a good number of people selling through Amazon don't adjust their pricing regularly enough. Asking $60 for that reader is clearly a bit nutty. Thanks for the verification prog, that is something very useful (that I was not aware of).

[rockphantom]

I've decided to bite the bullet and purchase the J3 along with the 32GB Sandisk Mobile SDHC card featured on the J3 Amazon page, and the Rearth Ringke J3 case.

I will probably buy a 64GB card once the prices drop.

However, my S9 only had 16GB of ram.
I'll be in rock n roll heaven with 64GB of storage space on my new J3!
I just hope Amazon will deliver everything before Memorial Day Weekend begins.

Do you all have any crucial advice for a new J3 owner?

Thank you again for the guidance and information!!

Milan

[DSperber]

Originally Posted by rockphantom

Do you all have any crucial advice for a new J3 owner?

The stock factory J3 user interface is a bit stodgy and under-engineered.

You should investigate a UCI replacement (which is just the user-interface software, does no damage or harm to the J3, and can be uninstalled if you want just by deleting the very same folders/files you placed into the \System\Flash UI folder on J3 internal storage to install the UCI in the first place).

I highly recommend the latest versions of all existing "production" Kizune UCI download files:

(a) Lynx, for main menu desktop. Download from here.

(b) Leaf, for browser. Download from here.

(c) Sense, for music. Download from here.

(d) Vision, for pictures. Download from here.


Also, you should double-check your newly arrived microSDHC card using H2Testw as previously mentioned. This will guarantee that you have a legitimate card and not a counterfeit fake.

Also, you should do a FORMAT of both internal and external J3 storage using either GuiFORMAT or SD Association Format Utility, both of which will work perfectly with your 32GB external card inserted into the J3. Just point either program to the proper Windows drive letter. When using 64GB cards, you need to do the FORMAT and WRITE with the card removed from the J3 and inserted into an external SDXC-capable card reader.

After formatting the J3's internal storage, all of the "factory" contents from Cowon will of course be erased. That's fine. When you the "safely remove hardware", disconnect the J3 from the PC, and boot the J3, the firmware in the J3 will instantly recreate all of the required folders/files from scratch. You will simply no longer have the "demo" stuff from Cowon, which is worthless anyway. You'll be in a truly initial "empty" state with a fully functional J3.

Highly recommended to leave the J3 in its default USB-connection setting of MSC. This supports dynamic Windows drive letter assignment when you plug in the J3 to your PC, and also supports 100% of Windows and 3rd-party software programs to view the J3 contents and DRAG/DROP copy files to the J3 and also to maintain its contents with Windows Explorer or similar programs.

Don't forget to always "safely remove hardware" before disconnecting the J3 from the PC. Don't pull the USB cable out until you get the "it is now safe to remove hardware" message from Windows.


Once you copy music to the J3, you can then browse your music files on the J3 either "physically" or "logically", and this is a very important distinction.

(a) "Physical" browsing (i.e. Library -> [Folders] and lower) is exactly like Windows Explorer. You'll start by selecting [J3] or [J3 Ext] and then navigate down from there through the folder/file structure on internal or external storage. Everything you see is alphabetical by external folder/file name. You are looking at things physically, on either internal or external storage specifically.

(b) "Logical" browsing (i.e. Library -> [Artists], [Albums], [Songs], [Genres], or [Years]) is NOT by internal or external storage uniquely, but rather includes music files from BOTH internal and external storage combined. You don't know or care where the music files live, because the J3 is presenting a list to you that is produced by analyzing BOTH internal and external storage. Everything you see is from the internal tag field values (i.e. from the "tags database" built by the J3 at each power-on boot), and is NOT necessarily the same as the external folder/file name... although they obviously can be the same value if your internal tag data and external folder/file values are the same. But if you're not well organized they can also be different based on whatever you've done to your tags vs. external folder/file names). So to avoid confusion, it's recommended that internal tag field values match external folder/file names, if that is consistent with your music file organization structure.

So just be advised that there is a difference between "physical" browsing and "logical" browsing.

The J3 and Mac are NOT very compatible.

[rockphantom]

Wow!

Thank you very much DSperber, for providing me with all of this useful information.

Last night I was contemplating which UCI themes to use.

However, you've laid everything out for me perfectly.
As soon as my J3 arrives, this my plan of action...

1. Fully charge the J3.
2. Wipe the internal memory and SD card.
3. Disconnect J3 from my Windows 7 PC to allow J3 software reinstall
3. Reconnect to PC to Install FW 2.29
4. Install all 4 Kizune UCI themes
5. Load up 64GB of FLAC Files!!!
6. Configure my favorite S9 audio EQ settings
8. Configure the UCI Kizune themes
7. Rock out!!

I plan to go with Logical Browsing.
I have used the very useful piece of freeware known as MP3 Tag to properly tag all of my FLAC albums for use with my S9.
I am assuming that these tagged FLAC files will be fully compatible with my new J3, with no further alterations required.

My FLAC albums are housed in individual folders tagged like this:
Van Halen - 1984
Van Halen - A Different Kind Of Truth 2012
Van Halen - Fair Warning 1981
Guns N Roses - Use Your Illusion I MFSL 1991
Guns N Roses - Use Your Illusion II MFSL 1991
Judas Priest - Metal Works 73-93 1993 2CD
The Police - Message In A Box The Complete Recordings 1993 4CD
and so on...

Will the J3 be able to distinguish that each folder houses an individual album? I'd hate to have to alter the directories of 300+ albums.

Also, I know the J3 screen is constructed from Gorilla Glass, just like my 3 year old S9 which never got a scratch on it.
Is the J3 screen protector from Rearth worthy of the money?

Personally, I think it would be pointless to purchase a screen protector for my S9 considering how durable the screen is.
Is there any benefit to purchasing a screen protecting film for the J3?

Thank you once again for all of your help, DSperber!

I am hoping to have to my J3 in hand by Thursday night, so that I can put it through its paces during the Memorial Day Weekend.

Milan

[DSperber]

Originally Posted by rockphantom

As soon as my J3 arrives, this my plan of action...

1. Fully charge the J3.
2. Wipe the internal memory and SD card.
3. Disconnect J3 from my Windows 7 PC to allow J3 software reinstall
3. Reconnect to PC to Install FW 2.29
4. Install all 4 Kizune UCI themes
5. Load up 64GB of FLAC Files!!!
6. Configure my favorite S9 audio EQ settings
8. Configure the UCI Kizune themes
7. Rock out!!

Sounds like a good plan!

I'm still using firmware 2.26, which is stable and provides excellent performance. No anomalies or issues or problems.

The "fixes" from Cowon with 2.28 were [minimally] described as:

Fixed the file system error after transfer files to J3 by Mac OS or Linux.
Fixed the error while playing mp3 files with some abnormal ID3 TAG.
Fixed the display error in certain situation in Video browser.

And the "fixes" from 2.29 were:

Fixed the error of firmware version 2.29 that the last folder wasn't displayed in alphabetical order.

But some users have reported reduced responsiveness with 2.29, and I didn't even want to deal with that possibility. I have no issues with battery life and my periodic re-charging regimen, so getting another possible 1 hour of life is not of any value to me.

I plan to go with Logical Browsing.

I do as well, because my 61GB of music is split across internal and external storage, and I have many "compilations" that contain tracks from multiple artists. I want tracks from any album to appear when I browse by Library -> [Artists] which is the only real way I browse, if it's not Library -> [Genres] -> [FLAC] since all of my FLAC files have "FLAC" stored as their "genre" value.

I don't want to be bothered about what physical folder a music file is in on either internal or external storage. I only want to browse by [Artists] or [Genres], and have it present ALL of that music to me.

I have used the very useful piece of freeware known as MP3 Tag to properly tag all of my FLAC albums for use with my S9.

Certainly. Pretty much all of us (including me) use that fine program.

I am assuming that these tagged FLAC files will be fully compatible with my new J3, with no further alterations required.

Absolutely.

My FLAC albums are housed in individual folders tagged like this:
Van Halen - 1984
Van Halen - A Different Kind Of Truth 2012
Van Halen - Fair Warning 1981
Guns N Roses - Use Your Illusion I MFSL 1991
Guns N Roses - Use Your Illusion II MFSL 1991
Judas Priest - Metal Works 73-93 1993 2CD
The Police - Message In A Box The Complete Recordings 1993 4CD
and so on...

It's not clear what you're describing here, or whether you're talking "physical" or "logical".

In my case, BOTH are identical so there's no problem or ambiguity or confusion. In other words, the physical structure of my collection is \Music\Artist\Album. And similarly, the tags for every music file reflect the exact same "artist" value that is my physical \Artist folder name. The tags for every music file reflect the exact same "album" value that is my physical \Album folder name. I also have a proper "track number" in each music file tag.

I use no hyphens concatenating artist and album, anywhere. I use no track number prefix or suffix in the external file name or internal "song title" tag field, anywhere. Artist is artist. Album is album. Track number is track number. Period.

So when I browse "logically" (say coming down from [Artists]) it's exactly the same as if I were to browse "physically" (say coming down the \Music\Artist folder structure, since every external folder under \Music is an external \Artist folder and contains one or more physical \Album folders holding the music files for that album for that artist).

That's just me, and my collection.

Remember, a "logical album folder" isn't really a "folder" (in the physical sense), although we can think of it that way. It's simply the collection of all music files whose internal "album" tag field values are identical. The J3 will present them together when browsing "logically", but they can be collected from many different physical folders (which may or may not even correspond to an actual album, depending on how your physical collection is organized) and from both internal and external storage. They're simply shown as a "logical album" because they all have the identical "album" tag field value.

Will the J3 be able to distinguish that each folder houses an individual album? I'd hate to have to alter the directories of 300+ albums.

As I said earlier, there is a totally different concept for "physical" browsing vs. "logical" browsing. One has nothing to do with they other, at all. You can have all of your music in the root of internal and external storage, with no physical folders at all, and the J3 will still present "logical album folders" to you when you browse "logically" based on internal tag field "album" values. If two music files have the identical "album" tag field values, then no matter where they are located on the J3 they will be shown to you as being in the "same logical album folder" if you browse "logically" (e.g. Library -> [Albums], or Library -> [Artists] -> list of logical albums by that artist -> [specific logical album]).

You need to dissociate physical folders corresponding to albums and holding physical tracks from that album, if that's how you've built your folder/file physical structure, vs. logical albums which are built strictly from internal tag fields... through the J3's tags database that gets rebuilt at each power-on.

If you have radically different external folder/file structure than your internal tag field values reflect, then you're going to have to assume full responsibility for understanding what you're seeing when you browse. You just need to understand what "logical browsing" means.. i.e. it is strictly on the basis of internal tag field values, having ZERO to do with the physical folder/file external names for those music files nor whether they're on internal or external storage.

Also, I know the J3 screen is constructed from Gorilla Glass, just like my 3 year old S9 which never got a scratch on it.
Is the J3 screen protector from Rearth worthy of the money?

No idea. I have the official Cowon plastic screen sheet applied over my J3's glass, just to keep my fingerprints off the glass and permit easy cleaning.

And I have the official Cowon leather case, which provides excellent "touch" for me and protection for the J3.

I don't abuse my J3, and it's either on the passenger seat of my car or it's on my tray table on an airplane. It's not going to fall, and it's not going to get scratched or be handled roughly.

Is there any benefit to purchasing a screen protecting film for the J3?

I feel so. As I said, I use the official Cowon plastic sheet.

[Enzyme]

The j3 is the direct replacement, I feel much better will appear within the year.

[WalkGood]

$67.99 Class 6 Sandisk 64GB SDXC w/adapter on amazon http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Mobile.../dp/B005V7WIA2

[Enzyme]

Dammit I missed that one :[
just ordered another 32gig class10 from amazon, didn't even look for the 64 due to the silly prices.
It was $35 with a brand name reader which in planning to use for some readyboost type tweaks along with an old 16gb card.
Hoping to get at least 4-8 32gig cards together for that card switching mod if life allows.
I can only pray that the prices plummet soon.
good to see the prices dropping slowly though.
I have a hard time spending that cash on something so tiny even though that's not really logical

[DSperber]

Originally Posted by Enzyme

Dammit I missed that one

I provided the link to that very Amazon item in post #4 above:

Here's one on Amazon for only $68.]