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June 27, 2005

Samsung YP-F1 MP3 Player

The "Yepp" series of MP3 players from Samsung Electronics has certainly come a long way in design, dimensions, functionality and storage capacity since it was first introduced to the masses. Today, Samsung Electronics is widely regarded as one of the leading names in the business of MP3 players for build quality, industrial design and audio quality. At the recent product launch of five new models to their 2005 lineup, Samsung Electronics let loose its goal to be amongst the top three player in the portable MP3 player market, a space that is currently dominated by the likes of Apple and Creative. For now at least, Samsung Electronics leads the China market as the number one brand for MP3 players.

The most eye-catching of the lot recently launched was the YP-F1. This is an ultra light and tiny MP3 player purposefully styled for the image conscious individuals and will market in three different storage capacities of 256MB, 512MB and 1GB at going prices of US$133, S$163 and S$200 respectively. Considering its size is not much bigger than a small thumb drive and that it's after all going by the Samsung name, the recommended retail prices are actually somewhat acceptable.

The YP-F1 boasts a good many functions in spite of its relatively small mass. At only 32 grams, the glossy player is a combination of an alarm clock, an FM radio, a mass storage unit, a voice recorder, an MP3 player and a flattering accessory to your attire. Flattering in the sense that it has a stainless steel clip that allows you to safely secure the YP-F1 onto your jeans, t-shirt or haversack. The wearable theme even extends to the bundled earphone which when strung through the bend of the metal clip, it allows you to wear the player as you would with a necklace. If that's not enough, the default cover is interchangeable with six other colored faceplates, of which two are bundled with each retail pack. That should really come in handy to get your player matched to the shade of your outfit instantly.

As for performance matters, we were able to extract close to nine hours of playback time from its built-in Lithium Polymer battery. Though the battery was specified for 10 hours of playback time, nine hours is plenty enough to see you through most uses. Digital audio file formats compatible with the YP-F1 include ASF, MP3, OGG and WMA. A three-way rocker provides easy access to the underlying functions while four other buttons on either flank are responsible for track navigation and recording. The iconic interface was easy enough to master while reflecting at one glance, the purpose of the subsection.

On the note of audio quality, what we got from the YP-F1 was similar to many modern MP3 players. Bass was present albeit lacking in punch, while treble sounded warm. In most instances, the player seemed to fall short on the reproduction of the higher frequencies, though midrange was pleasantly accurate. For richer audio immersion, the player has optional sound enhancements such as SRS, WOW, TruBass and a handful of EQ settings. Reception of the FM radio was typical of such players and with the record button conveniently located on the side; it was easy to instantly capture a nice tune off the air into an MP3 file.

Our take is that the Samsung YP-F1 will be a great addition to your arsenal of audio gadgetry. Its petite size, decent audio quality, interchangeable covers, clean lines and light mass makes it ideal for everyday use and you'll look fashionable when sighted with one too.

256MB / 512MB / 1GB
ASF, MP3, OGG, WMA
FM Radio
Direct Record from FM Radio
Voice Recorder
USB Connection to PC
Mass Storage
Alarm Clock
10 Hours Battery Life
20 x 63 x 15 mm (W x H x D)
32 grams

Posted by mp3fan at June 27, 2005 11:34 AM

Comments

Go for this one if u wanna make a style statement. Plus this damn thing is a much better option than the I-Pod shuffle , which doesn't have some of the functions of this one.The Shuffle sucks in front of this one.

Posted by: Krishanu at December 17, 2005 5:32 PM

I think this one is better then Ipods...This one can do Many things then Ipods.Again..This is my opinion.

Posted by: Stacia at January 15, 2006 3:42 PM

I can not figure out how to get the music on the MP3 to stay in the order I want.

Posted by: Franky at February 19, 2006 3:50 PM

I can not figure out how to keep the music in the order I want on the Samsung YP-F1.

Posted by: Franky at February 19, 2006 3:52 PM

Not sure if others are having the same problem but the shuffle feature on this player keeps repeating the same damn songs. Am i setting it up wrong?

Posted by: 20girl at May 31, 2006 5:37 PM