juni0r
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2003
- Posts
- 185
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So my dad came home today and brought a Samsung Yepp with him. I was surprised since buying mp3 players didn't really seem like something he would do. Anyways, I decided to give this thing a test and see how it compared to what I have avalilable for listening.
A-B Setup:
Samsung YP-55 -> Sennheiser MX500
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum -> Sennheiser MX500
Song:
BT f. Tiësto, JC Chasez - Force Of Gravity (Tiësto's Remix), 320kbit mp3, House/Trance
Size
----------
Obviously, this thing is tiny. It's about 2.5 inches tall and an inch square in terms of 2D area. It's basically a lightweight stick that goes in your pocket. As a result, everything else is small...the battery (AAA), the screen, the buttons, etc. The unit plays back 15 hours per battery.
Features
----------
The Yepp comes with a FM tuner, recording, and serves as a mass storage device. The tuner isn't the best; it simply isn't strong enough. It's a nice feature though and much can't be expected at this size. It also has some sound features like SRS which creates an artificial 3D effect and TruBass which is what it is. The WOW effect combines both. Personally, I think this makes the sound better, at least on the MX500s. USB 1.1 is used, which is slow, but at 256MB space, it's not as big of a problem as it would be for a HD-based player. Being a flash player, there is no skipping.
Sound
---------
As mentioned, I think the sound is better with the 3D emulation effects. However, as a source, the Yepp really would not be enough for most Head-Fiers. There is a noticable loss of clarity that can be picked out by anyone; for example, trebles resonate and are occasionally shrill. There is also frequency roll off in the lower and higher audible frequency ranges. More obvious is the lack of fullness in sound, especially in bass. In an attempt to illustrate this concept, I believe that each bass hit sounds more like a deeper snare drum hit as opposed to a full bass drum hit. This may make the bass a little faster, but that's not necessarily a good thing in this case. The fullness probably is a result of a lack of power. The Yepp also tends to make the sound muddy where there is a lot going on. In its defense, I feel a lot of these flaws were amplified by A-B testing; comparing the Yepp to a sound card, even a mediocre one, is not fair. The player can still replicate the song at a respectable level of quality given its size and requirements and most of the flaws are slight in comparison to other flaws (refer to my post about the iBuds at full volume). Normally, I don't think the majority of people would mind the player for casual listening, but the majority of people don't belong to Head-Fi
.
Value
----------
I believe the unit is very respectable for its size and performs like a decent unit. However, at about $150, I think people are better suited for other small-sized portable DAPs, something like the Rio Carbon or iPod Mini which are more versatile, better sounding, larger in capacity, and respectably physically sized in their own right for only $100 more.
In conclusion, I plan on using this thing until I can get a Rio Carbon...it looks so tempting
.
A-B Setup:
Samsung YP-55 -> Sennheiser MX500
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum -> Sennheiser MX500
Song:
BT f. Tiësto, JC Chasez - Force Of Gravity (Tiësto's Remix), 320kbit mp3, House/Trance
Size
----------
Obviously, this thing is tiny. It's about 2.5 inches tall and an inch square in terms of 2D area. It's basically a lightweight stick that goes in your pocket. As a result, everything else is small...the battery (AAA), the screen, the buttons, etc. The unit plays back 15 hours per battery.
Features
----------
The Yepp comes with a FM tuner, recording, and serves as a mass storage device. The tuner isn't the best; it simply isn't strong enough. It's a nice feature though and much can't be expected at this size. It also has some sound features like SRS which creates an artificial 3D effect and TruBass which is what it is. The WOW effect combines both. Personally, I think this makes the sound better, at least on the MX500s. USB 1.1 is used, which is slow, but at 256MB space, it's not as big of a problem as it would be for a HD-based player. Being a flash player, there is no skipping.
Sound
---------
As mentioned, I think the sound is better with the 3D emulation effects. However, as a source, the Yepp really would not be enough for most Head-Fiers. There is a noticable loss of clarity that can be picked out by anyone; for example, trebles resonate and are occasionally shrill. There is also frequency roll off in the lower and higher audible frequency ranges. More obvious is the lack of fullness in sound, especially in bass. In an attempt to illustrate this concept, I believe that each bass hit sounds more like a deeper snare drum hit as opposed to a full bass drum hit. This may make the bass a little faster, but that's not necessarily a good thing in this case. The fullness probably is a result of a lack of power. The Yepp also tends to make the sound muddy where there is a lot going on. In its defense, I feel a lot of these flaws were amplified by A-B testing; comparing the Yepp to a sound card, even a mediocre one, is not fair. The player can still replicate the song at a respectable level of quality given its size and requirements and most of the flaws are slight in comparison to other flaws (refer to my post about the iBuds at full volume). Normally, I don't think the majority of people would mind the player for casual listening, but the majority of people don't belong to Head-Fi
Value
----------
I believe the unit is very respectable for its size and performs like a decent unit. However, at about $150, I think people are better suited for other small-sized portable DAPs, something like the Rio Carbon or iPod Mini which are more versatile, better sounding, larger in capacity, and respectably physically sized in their own right for only $100 more.
In conclusion, I plan on using this thing until I can get a Rio Carbon...it looks so tempting
