iriver P7 vs Cowon O2 - The cream of the portable media crop

Korean portable media player (PMP) manufacturer iriver initially demonstrated their highly anticipated P7 at CES 2009, but now it’s finally listed on iriver’s website, with glorious photos and a full spec list. Seen as a direct competitor to Cowon’s O2 player (released last year), the iriver capitalizes on its late-entry advantage to offer some marked improvements over its rival - let’s take a closer look!

As you can see, the P7 compares favorably with the O2 in the usability aspects, with a thinner, lighter, aluminum-encased body, and better battery life. Where the O2 shines is in its file format support - with extra audio support for not-so-rare formats ac3, ape, mpc, video support for mkv (the format of choice for fan-subtitled anime) and ogm, as well as better image support which includes png (very poplar), tif, and raw (high quality images). Cowon has always been an industry leader in this area and the O2 makes no excuses; the P7 has support for most commonly-used formats, with the addition of real media and flv (YouTube) support, but audiophiles / quality snobs may give the nod to the O2 in this case.

One thing can be clearly stated about both devices - both iriver and Cowon consistently rank among the top in audio quality (iPods usually rank at the bottom of the pack) due to their use of high-quality audio chips.

One last point of contention is the user interface, in which both iriver and Cowon have spent considerable time developing. The P7 utilizes a unique new interface, described to be similar to a magazine or newsletter layout, which has the mp3 player, radio, movie player, image viewer, and text reader laid out on the home screen - definitely an interesting prospect for those who use all those features. The O2 takes a more traditional approach with an interface reminiscent of Sony’s XMB interface found on the PSP and PlayStation 3, with a row of icon groups that expands into more icons. Both interfaces look pretty slick, but the loading time can get a little maddening:

 
So which one is right for you? While the P7 is newer and seemingly more user-friendly with its aluminum body, better battery life, and flv support, the O2’s high-end format support may appeal to those power users with a more particular ear for quality. Just remember - neither player has wifi built in (oh how I wish it so) ala the iPod Touch, but if you’re in the market for a high-performance portable media machine, either one of these will serve you well.

No word yet on release date or pricing on the P7, but the O2 is currently available at Amazon.com for $209.99.

[link] - iriver corporate site
[link] - cowon O2