Portable Media Player Reviews

CNET has reviewed the "affordable" Samsung YP-U2 (512MB, blue/black) MP3 player. 'Samsung's latest MP3 player directly challenges the iPod Shuffle. The flash-based Samsung YP-U2 offers 512MB of storage, and like the iPod Shuffle, it features an integrated USB 2.0 design. Unlike the Shuffle, it has an FM tuner, a voice recorder, WMA DRM 10 compatibility, and last but not least, an LCD. Despite mediocre battery life and an awkward headphone-jack placement, we like the overall design and sound quality of the YP-U2 (though the name is unoriginal), and there's little doubt that its retail price of $70 will appeal to many. Look for 1GB and 2GB versions to debut this summer.'

Tech Digest has reviewed the sleek-looking Samsung K5 MP3 Player. 'Samsung are selling the K5 based on the strength of the design, as well as the fact that it's got integrated speakers. And I'll admit, people do like the design - the touch sensitive keypad is lit with blue buttons (very Samsung), which is echoed on the screen with blue and green graphics, very much like the skins on Windows Media Player.The speaker is hid underneath the screen, and flicks out with a satisfying clunk. Once it's displayed the player automatically switches to playing through the speakers. It also switches the display to horizontal so that you can lean it on a desk or where ever you happen to be.'

The Samsung YP-T9 4 GB is a MP 3 Player with a 1.8" TFT LCD color screen, plays audio and video with a playback time up to 30 hours -audio and up to 6 hours -video. 'Samsung has lately been turning heads with its hip MP3 players, and the YP-T9 is no exception. This slim, sexy device, available with either 2GB ($149) or 4GB ($199) capacity, is not only user-friendly but also sounds great. Impatient users should take note, though, as the device's processor lags a bit.

Laptop Magazine has reviewed the Samsung NV3 Digital Camera which has a built-in audio and video digital media player. ‘With the NV3, Samsung has combined a seven-megapixel digital camera and a personal media player into one device. Although we had some trepidation before testing this latest experiment in convergence—remember the Kodak MC3?—the stylish NV3 performed a variety of tasks with surprisingly good results.

The Samsung YP-K5 MP3 Player is the most recent digital audio player from the company but unlike its predecessors the device comes with built-in speakers. ' The K5 offers a unique experience through its embedded speakers. The K5's built-in stereo speakers disappear behind the unit when not in use, yet when needed effortlessly slide out to create a free-standing mini-stereo system.Despite being a fraction of the size of the smallest stereo system, the K5's slide-out speaker design delivers the same great sound - no distortion, great volume, and a defined deep bass. Perfect for the active, hip and young lifestyle, the YP-K5 travels with you, allowing you to live your life in sound.'

DAP Review highlights a review of the Samsung K3 media player which was posted on the Russian gadget site, Mobile-Review. 'The player is executed in the case of the rectangular form from black plastic. On lateral panels and end faces the chromeplated metal insert is passed, it promotes increase of rigidity of the case as a whole. Plastic of the obverse panel polished also looks very brightly, on a show-window the player for certain will involve many sights. However, it is necessary to pay for beauty – while in service the panel becomes covered by prints of fingers. The same concerns also to the back panel though for it more matte plastic is used. Besides associations in occasion of touch management, the case the player reminds much iPod Nano the first generation. It is necessary to hope only, that the Korean engineers have applied in a design plastic, steadier to external influences.'

PC Magazine have published their review of the Samsung YP-T9J (2 GB) portable multimedia player which features a 1.8-inch TFT color LCD screen and plays MP3, WMA, WMA DRM, WMA DRM 10 and MPEG4 video files. 'Shorter but thicker than a nano, the T9 comes equipped with a larger screen (1.8 inches, versus the nano's 1.5-inch one), and the background display features, alternately, an animated graphic EQ, something resembling a pumping subwoofer, and flying concentric circles.

A review of the Samsung YP-T9 MP3 Player has been posted on VNU Net. 'The slimline design of this new mp3 player bears obvious similarities to Apple’s iPod Nano – even the packaging follows the simple fold-out design used by Apple. Samsung’s Media Studio software also takes its lead from iTunes, complete with its own online music store.The YP-T9 lacks the minimalist elegance of the Nano. It’s festooned with a series of buttons rather than the iPod’s simple scroll-wheel control system. However, it does boast a few extra features that the Nano lacks.'

Digital Trends have published their review of the Samsung YP-T9 4GB MP3 player. 'The T9 is Samsung’s latest nano competitor, and as such sports impressively small dimensions – approximately 1.5”x3”x.5”. Clocking in at smaller than the nano, the T9 is available in capacities from 2GB up to 8GB. But size isn’t everything - or so they say. The T9 supports video playback, picture slideshows, text file reading, music playback, and even comes with a couple, albeit poor, games. Additionally, the T9 sports voice recording, an FM tuner (with support for recording), and a file browser application. Aside from Zune-like WiFi capabilities and an FM transmitter, we can’t think of anything else you could put in a media player close to this size!

An English Language translation of a review of the Samsung K3 digital audio player has been posted on the the Korean website, Popco.net. 'Following the K5 which sported a set of luxury speakers on its back, the new K3 is trying to set the new international standard in slim line MP3 player market by removing the speakers and concentrating on the compactness factor. The product which will be looked at in this review is the Samsung K3, a MP3 player which has already stirred up the market place due to the DNSe sound enhancement and the touch-sensitive button design which stands out from the crowd.'

CNET have published their review of the Samsung YP-K3 (4GB) portable media player. 'Out of the box--which is nearly identical to that of the full-size iPod, interestingly--the K3 is simply stunning. Its glossy black front is trimmed with chrome, giving it a sleek and stylish look. When you turn the player on via the power/hold switch on the side, the touch-sensitive controls light up, reminiscent of Philips' GoGear line of players. The controls consist of four directional arrows, as well as Select, Menu, and Back keys. Like the K5, the YP-K3 takes some design cues from the LG Chocolate phone, right down to the availability of black, red, and green versions (sorry, no white).

A review of the Samsung YP-K5 digital audio player has been posted on Infosync World. 'When the screen and the touch-sensitive buttons are not lit, the Samsung YP-K5 looks like the black obelisk from "2001: A Space Odyssey" -- it's a nearly perfect, glossy black rectangle. At 0.7 inches, it is not a thin flash player, by today's standards at least, but it's still small enough for a jeans pocket.

Laptop Magazine have published their review of the Samsung YP-T9 portable media player. 'The YP-T9 is slim and flat, with elegantly curved sides to fit nicely in the palm. When active, the 1.8-inch screen dominates the front surface, with a five-way selector switch located underneath. Our YP-T9 came in Piano Black, but you can also buy one in Deep Purple. Four buttons grace the right side: Record, Back, Menu, and a dual-duty Play and Power button. The left side is decorated only by a sliding Hold switch, while the top edge features the headphone and microphone ports and a small loop presumably for connecting a lanyard.

A review of the Samsung YP-T9b portable media player has been posted over on Computer Active. 'The 1.8in screen may be small but it's incredibly bright. Providing the video source is decent, detail is sharp and the image is flipped horizontally to utilise more of the screen. Sound quality is easily comparable to an iPod nano but not as crisp as Sony's cracking NW-S706. Samsung supplies an average set of headphones, so we'd advise replacing them for an instant audible enhancement. And if Bluetooth headsets aren't your bag, a non-Bluetooth model (the K3) knocks £30 off the asking price.'

CNET Asia have published their review of the 2GB version of the Samsung YP-K3 MP3 player. 'We don't know if the speaker-less YP-K3 was a planned product, or one that was quickly designed after criticisms of the YP-K5's heft. But historically, Samsung has shown a preference to release two versions of the same product. Take the Bluetooth-enabled YP-T9B and the toothless YP-T9; the FM-equipped YP-Z5F and the radio-less YP-Z5; the camera-equipped YP-D1 and the lens-less YP-T8.

Generation MP3 have published a review the Samsung K3 MP3 player. 'Samsung K3 is a beautiful product, with a design ultra slim and a sensitive frontage, this one should make a misfortune! However, like much from apparatuses with this technology, the frontage of K3 does not escape the finger marks and that becomes quickly annoying… On the other hand side stripe, it is solid, nothing to see with a iPod nano 1G! Some small words on the color screen which is of rather dark type OLED but… Quality is not signal especially to view photographs. On the other hand, with strong light, this one remains quite readable. The walkman is thus mainly out of plastic of black color. The back is chechmate while the face is brilliant. You have also an edging out of stainless metal which makes the turn of the product.'

Laptop Magazine have published their review of the Samsung K3 MP3 player. ‘Samsung sent us a preproduction 2GB model, and after unboxing it, we were instantly impressed by the K3's new slimmed-down design. Currently available in either a glossy black or red finish (with a green model hitting select locations soon), and weighing only 1.8 ounces, the K3 stashes away nicely in even the tightest pockets. Samsung kept the same blue-and-white touch-sensitive controls that made navigating the K5 a breeze. And, like its predecessor, scrolling through menus on the 1.8-inch display is a visual treat as the animated icons warp and morph into one another as you cycle through them.

IT Reviews have published their review of the 4GB Samsung YP-K3 media player. ‘We got the 4GB version of this player to review, though there is also a 2GB version if you have less cash or simply don't need all that storage. Be warned, though, that the internal storage is your upper limit. Unlike a viable alternative to this player, SanDisk's Sansa e200 series of players, the YP-K3 does not support plug-in memory cards. The 4GB Sansa e260 comes in at around £90 online as we write, incidentally.

EverythingUSB have published their review of the Samsung YP-K5 4GB MP3 player. 'Hidden underneath the base player is a pair of 1" speakers, presumably in the 1-watt range. With minimal force applied (about the same required to open a clamshell cell phone), they slide out on rails to the right of the player and tilt up to angle themselves towards the listener when placed on a flat surface, all the while rotating both the display and the controls into landscape mode. Both drivers are covered by a fine metallic mesh surrounded by a thin chrome border that's emblazoned with Samsung's logo. It's here that we begin to leave the home theater arena and enter the realm of the late 80's traveling alarm clock. More on this later.'

InfoSync World have published their review of the Samsung YP-K3 MP3 player. 'The Samsung YP-K3 looks nice, if not very familiar. More than any similar competitor, it mimics the iPod nano, with a glossy slab front, chrome accents on the side, and the headphone and proprietary USB port on the bottom. The glossy front hides touch sensitive controls, and we usually aren't fans of these controls, but on the YP-K3, they worked fine. Still, hardware controls always feel more sensitive and responsive to us, and the touch buttons couldn't speed up the process of scrolling a long list of song titles.

A review of the Samsung YP-K3 MP3 player has been posted over at Personal Computer World. ‘Switched off, you can’t see the front-panel controls, while the screen, a 1.8in organic display (OLED) is barely visible. A flip of the dual-mode power/latch slider and its touch-sensitive icons spring to light giving access to a slick navigation system. The supplied Samsung Media Studio 5 is Windows (including Vista) only, but does an efficient job of ripping CDs to mp3 at rates of up to 320Kbps (WMA is also supported). There's also a tab that’ll bring up Samsung’s UK online music store.’

Trusted Reviews have published their review of the Samsung YP-T9 MP3 player. 'The main controls are complemented by a few more buttons on the sides of the player. There's a dedicated record button for starting and stopping the recording mode - the T9 can record FM radio using its built-in tuner or act as an impromptu dictaphone with the integrated mic. There's also a 'back' key for navigation purposes, a menu shortcut button and a play/pause button. It's slightly confusing to use a button on the right edge instead of the one in the centre of the pad for playing/pausing, and for a left click on the pad to change from a “menu back” button to a “skip track” button when in play mode, but these are niggles you'd probably get used to over time.'

A review of the Samsung YP-K3 MP3 player has been posted over at DreamWare Computers. 'Upon first glance, the K3 is nearly as thin as the ever-famous iPod Nano. The top is what draws your attention, when powered off, it's perfectly black. Not a button in sight. Infact, unless you're in the right light, even the outline of the OLED screen is hard to see! When powered on, the bright and vivid colour OLED screen comes to life. Below it, a completely illuminated touch pad. This touch pad feels no different than the entire top of the K3 though! Without the illumination under the surface of where to touch, you don't even know it exists! The only physical switch on the K3 is the hold/power switch on the right side. I liked the way Samsung chose to do this. When held downwards the switch will turn the player on and go back to the middle when released. When pushed upwards, it will latch and put the player in lock mode to disable all the touchpad functions when in use.'

Pocketables have published their review of the Samsung K3 (YP-K3) digital audio player. 'Despite weighing in at just 1.76 ounces and being a scant 0.27 inches thick, the K3 feels solid and sturdy in the hand. I never felt the need to handle it gently or even very carefully because it neither threatens to snap in half when held nor creaks and crackles when squeezed. Standing 3.78 inches tall, the K3 is longer than all of its competitors (I think) except the iriver X20, which measures 3.9 inches and is not pictured above with the Creative Zen V, iriver clix 2, and Apple iPod nano. More than any other player, Samsung's offering seems clearly intended to take on the slightly smaller and lighter iPod nano.'

A review of the Samsung YP-U3 USB stick player has been posted over at GenerationMP3. 'For two years now, Samsung has left its walkman/key USB in its range YP-UX. Here thus U3, successor of U2 which is now available more in France for a price than accessible in version 1Go, 2Go and 4Go. But which are the evolutions? The walkman is the shape of a stick. Entirely out of plastic, it embarks a small monochromic and quite luminous screen OLED. Compared to U2, U3 makes a little cheap, I do not know if it is the blue color which gave this impression to us, but it would be said that the manufacturers make economies in this moment (cf Creative and its Zen Stone Plus). Let us note how U3 is particularly light, only 22g!

PC Magazine have published a review of the Samsung YP-U3 MP3 player. ‘The U3 measures a minute 3.2 by 1.0 by 0.4 inches and weighs 0.8 ounces. By contrast, the Express clocks in at 3.1 by 1 by 0.6 inches and weighs 1.1 ounces. In other words, these players are pretty much the same shape and size, though the Express is a bit thicker. The U3 comes in a variety of gaudy colors, but my model was a smooth matte black. The biggest physical difference between the two players is the USB connector design. In the case of the Express, you pull a cap off (something that easily could get lost) to expose its connector. On the U3, a slider pops the connector out like a switchblade. It's a pretty cool-looking feature, and also protects the connection without adding any removable parts.’

Pocket-Lint have published their "First look" review of the new Samsung P2 MP3 player. 'Samsung has embraced "touch" with the announcement of a new MP3 player that like iPhone has just one button, but is this the experience a pleasurable one? Pocket-lint was given the chance to have a brief play in London.The Samsung P2 launches at the same time in the UK as new versions of the company's K5 and T9B models (the S5 and T10) and is a 3-inch touchscreen media player that has a 16:9 widescreen LCD. That touch screen dominates the entire front of the display and the screen and touch area all moulds into one rather than having a distinct screen.'

A review of the Samsung U3 MP3 player has been posted over at CNET. ‘It's hard not to see a pack of gum when first looking at the U3. At 3.2x1x0.5 inches, the thin, rectangular player looks strikingly like a six-stick pack of Doublemint; well, our green version did, anyway. The device is also available in black, blue, or pink versions (all with 2GB storage). The face of the U3 is almost entirely smooth but for the indent of the 1-inch monochrome OLED screen, which sits to the left of the touch-sensitive control pad. Here, you get track shuttle and volume keys, which alternately act as directional arrows within the menus, and a back selector. Continuing around to the right edge, you'll find a thin, retractable USB adapter, which can be popped out via a switch on the bottom side of the player. This area also houses a hold switch, a highly necessary feature in a device with touch-sensitive controls.’