Pros * Great Sound Quality * Capacitive touch screen * Great AMOLED screen * Native Xvid Support * BBE on video Cons * No H.264 support * No expansion slot * Not so standard 20-pin connection * Audio in and Video out cables sold separately * No multi-touch

At $240 for 16GB, maybe you thought that the Cowon S9 would be a tempting device to play your Bittorrent collection of movies without conversions. But given limitations with resolutions/format, a disappointing UI and the subpar build, it's hard to know why the S9 makes a solid alternative to the iPod touch.

The S9 has a lot of things going for it -- the 2+ day battery life, gorgeous AMOLED screen, impeccable audio quality and featherlight design (just to name a few) -- but ..., we simply expected more. ...we're not entirely sure the small bump in overall sound quality is enough to warrant a purchase over more fully-featured rivals. Is Cowon's S9 worth a look if you're in the market? Unquestionably so. But unless its unique characteristics are exactly what you're after, we'd hold off until the price slips or the interface gets a makeover.

The Cowon S9 is a sexy-looking gadget with exceptional audio and video quality, but its construction quality and user interface pale in comparison to the competition.

The S9 is designed to resemble the iPod touch—with a touch screen and its own version of Cover Flow—but the player lacks the grace and Wi-Fi connectivity necessary to be a true rival.