Cowon is a Korean company that has produced, in the A2 Portable Media Player, a fine gift option for most technically minded users. Cowon are known for their commitment to firmware updates, which add new features and fix problems present in current firmware versions. A problem such as this hindered PAL television recording in older firmware versions of what is an excellent portable media player.

The usual array of features is boosted by some unique additions that make the Cowon A2 shine. The 4-inch widescreen display can be used to watch a wide variety of video formats, with 10 hours video playback, or users can connect the A2 to a television to watch their video files. On the audio side of things the Cowon features an equaliser, bass boost and 3D surround sound effect, as well a high-quality audio recorder. The ability to act as a USB host to other devices means the Cowon A2 can access photos from digital cameras or just files on a USB flash drive.

Cowon’s A2 portable media player is a good all-round choice, and suits technical users who have perhaps never had a media player that focuses on more than just music, as it conforms to many of the standards users have come to expect from media players.