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(More customer reviews)I have a Samsung YP-MT6Z that I use often, but was intrigued by the new design and the new features that this YP-U1 offered, so I opted to purchase the 512 meg model.
Since I'm a very heavy audio book listener, two new features (ones not offered in the YP-MT6Z) in particular appealed to me.
- Adjustable Search Speed
- Adjustable Skip Interval
Fellow audio book listeners can probably appreciate those two functions. Sometimes you get audio books that have tracks every 3 minutes or so, but others may have entire sections of the book divided into very large chunks, say 70 or more minutes long.
When they are in huge chunks like that (I have had one book that was provided in segments that were 240 minutes long each), you may have to do quite a bit of fast-forwarding, and depending on the configuration, that can be a pretty slow process.
Many players only offer a single, fixed fast-forward speed and only allow skipping forward on a track by track basis. The Samsung YP-U1X, however offers adjustable settings for search and skip.
Search Speeds include - 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 60 seconds
Skip Intervals include - 1 Track, 5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 seconds, as well as 3, 5 and 10 minutes
With these options, even the most demanding user should be able to find a setting that works well for them. Two fantastic additions that I wish every MP3 player had.
Another feature that I really like is the RESET button. Anyone who is familiar with Samsung MP3 players may be aware of an ongoing problem regarding corrupt SETTINGS.DAT files. The units scan the folders at startup to ensure it has a proper read of what is on the device, and frustratingly, at times, that index seems to get corrupted and cause the unit to auto-shutdown and restart when you navigate from track to track, for example.
When this happens with the YP-MT6Z, I have had to plug the unit into the PC and either delete the SETTINGS.DAT file and then allow it to recreate one from scratch after disconnecting the device and restarting it, or transfer a previously backed up SETTINGS.DAT file from the hard drive on my PC to the root folder on the YP-MT6Z. The latter method allows me to preserve the user settings and preferences, and assuming the playlist in that SETTINGS.DAT file is different enough from the file and folder structure on the device, will force a re-indexing of the content, which seems to accomplish the fix as well.
Well, with the YP-U1, all you have to do is activate the reset button (like with a pen or paper clip) and it takes care of the first method for you. That is a very sleek little solution, which I can appreciate, even if I wish they would still correct the corruption problem in firmware. Until they do, however, the reset button solves the issue nicely.
The built in USB connector (with a spiffy flip-out design) is simply genious and one of those things that can make you ask "Why doesn't EVERY manufacturer do it that way?"
One of the reasons I like Samsung players so much is because they require no drivers and no special software. They have no fancy copy protection restrictions either. You just plug the device into your USB port and it shows up as a standard, FAT-formatted (FAT-32 I think) storage device. No muss, no fuss.
I prefer the FOLDER method of storage and navigation to those that rely on MP3 tags, because I guess it seems a very logical extension of what you can do with computer hard drives. Some players (like Sandisk) seem to have issues with tags and others handle version 1 and 2 tags inconsistently.
With the Samsung, you can easily make a folder, copy your files into that folder and they are compartmentalized and stored sequentially based on the file name. If you number your tracks 01-99 or 001-999 or whatever (music or audio books) it will play them in order for each of the folders you create.
So, if you have 3 audio books on the player and are ready to listen to the trilogy, you can create a folder structure like:
\BOOK1
\BOOK2
\BOOK3
and in each of those 3 folders, you can have individual files named CHAP-01, CHAP-02, CHAP-03... etc. and they all play in order for each book.
I also appreciate that you can delete files (one at a time) directly from the MP3 player if you want. That way, after you listen to a chapter or two, you can delete them to free up room for the built-in voice recorder, for example.
You can even format the built-in storage right from the menus for those times when you just have to have the free-space for recording a lecture or something. And unlike some flakey and tempermental navigation methods like those on the Creative Labs Zen line, the Samsung relies on easy to use mechanical buttons. Not likely you'll overshoot the target menu with this method, which I do all the time with touch-sensitive units.
Bottom line is - this thing puts the iPod Shuffle to shame. It has a very easy to read 4 line display that is the same size and very similar to (though not quite as bright as) the YP-MT6Z. I can't imagine running a player without a screen, and the monochrome display (dark blueish text on a white/light-blueish background) does a great job of helping you get the most from your player.
For $69-$79 for the 512 meg version, I'd be all over this thing, cause the Shuffle just can't hold a candle to it, imo.
If you prefer a unit with a standard replaceable battery, you can snag the Samsung YP-MT6 or the newer YP-C1 lines, which get like 40+ hours from a single AA battery.
But if you don't mind an internal rechargeable battery, this thing is a fantastic choice, I believe.
Click Here to see more reviews about: SAMSUNG YP-U1X 512MB USB MP3 Player
Take your favorite tunes with you wherever you roam with the amazingly small, and lightweight Samsung YP-U1X digital audio player. The 512 MB skipless flash memory and built-in USB 2.0 connection not only enable quick download for up to 500 files, but also allow you to use the player as a data storage device. The built-in lithium-polymer battery recharges through the USB connection to your PC and offers 13 hours of playback. It's compatible with PCs running Windows operating systems.
It supports MP3, WMA, Audio ASF and OGG playback enhanced by 18mW stereo earphones and has user-defined equalizer settings. The 512 MB memory will hold approximately 8 hours of CD-quality MP3 tracks (encoded at 128 kps) or 16 hours of WMA tracks (at 64 kbps). The integrated microphone and voice recorder feature enables you to record short notes to yourself as well as important meetings and lectures. Files are recorded in the WAV format.
It has a 4-line LED screen, which offers multi-language menus in Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish or Swedish. Other features include eight EQ presets, 9-band user EQ control, and a built-in clock.
What's in the Box Samsung YP-U1X 512 MB digital audio player, earphones, installation CD-ROM, Quick Start Guide
Click here for more information about SAMSUNG YP-U1X 512MB USB MP3 Player
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