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Cowon

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Cowon Systems, Inc.
코원시스템
Company typePublic
KOSDAQ: 056000[1]
IndustryConsumer electronics
Computer software
Online services
Cell phone accessories
FoundedApril 1995[1]
FounderPark Namkyu
Jung Jaewook
HeadquartersSeoul, South Korea[1]
Area served
South Korea, United States, Japan, India
Key people
Park Namkyu (president)[1]
Products
MP3 players
PMP
  • Cowon G7 (Korea only)
  • T5 (Korea only)
  • A5 Plenue
  • R7 (Korea only)
  • V5S (Korea only)
  • 3D (Korea only)
  • V5W (Korea only)
  • V5
  • O2 (Korea only; discontinued in the West)
  • P5 Study (Korea only)
  • P5 (Korea only; discontinued in the West)
Software
Other products
  • Q7 Plenue
  • AD1 (Korea only)
  • AC1
  • W2
  • L3
  • N3 (Korea only)
Services
Services list
  • Cowon Contents
  • Cowon Mobile
  • Cowon Shop
  • JetToy
RevenueKRW 121.2 billion (2010)[2]
KRW 9.1 billion (2010)[2]
KRW 7.4 billion (2010)[2]
Total assetsKRW 72.4 billion (2010)[2]
Number of employees
193[1]
SubsidiariesJetAudio, Inc.
LIAAIL idea & art
WebsiteCOWONGLOBAL.com
www.jetaudio.com
eng.liaail.com
Cowon
Hangul
코원시스템
Revised RomanizationKowon Siseutem
McCune–ReischauerK'owŏn Sisŭt'em

Cowon Systems, Inc. (simply known as Cowon) is a South Korean consumer electronics and software corporation. The company’s initial focus was software development and microelectronics, specializing in speech synthesis and speech recognition technology.[3] In 2000, with the introduction of the iAUDIO CW100, Cowon expanded into the portable media player industry, which is now the core of their business.[3]

In 2010, Cowon was ranked number one in the PMP category of Japanese Management Association Consultants’ Global Customer Satisfaction Competency Index, and in 2011, it was ranked number one in the same organization’s Global & Great Brand Competency Index.[4][5]

In the west, Cowon is most well known for its iAUDIO range of portable media players, which has resulted in many people incorrectly referring to the company as “Cowon iAUDIO” or simply “iAUDIO.” Outside the domestic market, Cowon iAUDIO's sales and market share have always been minuscule - however, it gained a certain niche market and retains a loyal following from fans and enthusiasts.[6][7]

Products

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Main article: List of Cowon products

In its marketing, Cowon distinguishes between "MP3 players" and "portable media players," where the latter are larger and have a greater focus on video playback. The categories differ slightly between the Korean and the global homepage.

All Cowon products are produced domestically in South Korea.

MP3 players

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LIAAIL products

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Cowon’s LIAAIL division, founded in 2011, focuses on personal audio and cell phone accessories. Among its products can be found:

  • Earphones
  • Cell phone cases
    • Bird Case
    • Tree Case
    • Leather Case
    • Jelly Case
  • Cell phone screen protectors

Other products

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Discontinued products

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Portable media players

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JetEffect

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Each Cowon player is equipped with a set of software sound enhancement technologies collectively referred to as JetEffect. The latest version of JetEffect, JetEffect 5, was introduced with the release of the Cowon Z2 Plenue.

JetEffect competes with products such as Sony's DSEE, Samsung's DNSe, and the SRS technologies found in products by iriver and Samsung and in products by HTC and HP, where they are branded as "Beats Audio".

Features

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In its latest iteration, JetEffect contains the following sound effects and enhancements:

  • Five-band equalizer
  • BBE+
    • BBE+
    • BBE Mach3Bass
    • BBE 3D Surround
    • BBE MP Enhance
  • Special Effects

In JetAudio

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History

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  • JetEffect 2.0
  • JetEffect 3.0
  • JetEffect 5

Software

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Computer software

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Main article: JetAudio

Android apps

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  • JetAudio for Android
  • JetVD

JetVD is an Android application for downloading videos from YouTube in a wide selection of formats. It was first introduced to users of the Cowon D3 Plenue with the upgrade to firmware version x.55. An online version of JetVD, called JetToy, exists in beta stage.

Other software

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Other software developed by Cowon includes the iAUDIO LDB Manager, a small application for tagging music files with timecoded lyrics displayable on Cowon media players as well as in JetAudio.

Cowon also offers a number of freeware utilities, including JetCast, JetMailMonitor and JetToolBar. All of the above are available for free download from the JetAudio website.[8]

Cowon’s ultra-mobile PCs W2 and W2 SSD come with JetToolbar pre-installed.[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "COWON SYSTEMS, Inc". Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d "COWON SYSTEMS, Inc". Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  3. ^ a b "COWON SYSTEMS, Inc". Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  4. ^ "COWON SYSTEMS, Inc". Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  5. ^ "COWON SYSTEMS, Inc". Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  6. ^ "Mobile-review.com MP3-players – Global markets". mobile-review.com. Archived from the original on 25 November 2006. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Cowon iAudio 9 first impressions".
  8. ^ http://www.jetaudio.com/download/ JetAudio Download page
  9. ^ Cowon W2 product page Archived 2012-01-07 at the Wayback Machine
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cowon.
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