Cowon iAudio E2

The basics

The Cowon iAudio E2 is a rival in the budget MP3 player market to the iPod Shuffle. The clip-on player is about the same size as a pack of chewing gum, screenless, and with minimal controls – so can it take on the iPod Shuffle?

The good

On first impressions, the Cowon stands a very good chance of stealing some of the iPod Shuffle's thunder. The design is certainly eye-catching, with a handy loop at the top for attaching to a keyring and unusual tiny, triangular packaging. It also comes in five colours, should the standard black not suit you.

There's eight listening modes – just make sure you hit the Menu button at least once to switch to BBE, Cowon’s boosted sound quality that brings out otherwise lost detail. It also supports Flac and Ogg formats.

The bad

The headphones are the standard cheap, plasticky versions, so add in the cost of a decent pair. It’s a shame because sound quality is actually rich and detailed once you’ve slapped in a quality pair.

The on-side controls are not quite as easy to use as the Shuffle’s controls on the headphone cord, as we had to keep checking what we were doing.

The bottom line

Sleeker than the Shuffle, with better sound, more support and a cheaper price. Move aside, Apple!