Samsung YP-U3JQB 2GB Touch Control MP3 Player (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was in the market for an mp3 player, but I didn't really want to shell out a whole lot of money for an iPod or its comparable competitors. Not only am I terribly tight, but I knew I wouldn't need a lot of the features: video, pictures, a huge screen, and so on.

I also knew I wanted an mp3 player that had enough space for what I planned on listening to: currently, I'm listening to a year's Bible study on mp3, and I needed enough space for at least the final 25 of 52 (I'd already listened to most of them while cleaning house and traveling). That is to say, I needed enough space for at least 25 hours of audio.

Of course, the young man selling me this item couldn't tell me how many hours of audio the mp3 player would hold, because that all depends on the audio compression. I tried to tally in my head how many megabytes each audio file was, but couldn't. I liked the Samsung best out of all the mp3 players, so off I went.

Likes:
--Two gigabytes is more than enough for my purposes (saying that makes me sound like I'm going to take over the world, but don't worry, I'm not like that). My entire study of 52 hours of audio at 32 kbps takes up about 690 megabytes of space on my hard drive itself, so I have plenty of space left. I cannot recommend purchasing any less than 2 gigabytes of space, no matter what mp3 player you buy.

--It doesn't have buttons on the front to get jammed or broken; you just touch the volume up/down track forward/back. (The power, pause, and hold buttons are actually buttons or sliders, though, and placed on the sides.)

--Its screen gives you a clear readout, mine in a very stylish blue. (I did not want a Shuffle with no way to see what I was listening to, especially when listening to a sequential study or perhaps in the future, an audiobook.)

--The voice recorder is pretty cool -- records in mp3 audio. I can't speak to how clearly it would record in a crowded place: I tried it at home, in a quiet environment. Of course, I didn't buy the thing so I could hear myself talking, so this is just a nice bonus.

--The radio was a feature I completely forgot about until I returned to the main menu. Works pretty well, at one point clearly picking up a station 50 miles away. Not so well in my building where I work (still got local stations, though), but that's okay. I didn't buy it for the radio. It's just a bonus.

--Easy to put music on it. Mine came with an installation disk for the Music Studio, but I didn't need it. (I'm one of those people who hates installing things on my hard drive.) I use Windows Media Player, which is compatible.

--No battery to change.

--The battery lasts ages. I was a bit peeved when it suddenly said, "Low Battery!"; I didn't realize that I'd already listened to almost 17 hours on it: more than I'd expected.

Dislikes:
--I would have liked more of a warning that the battery was going to die. Of course, I say that and then I think maybe it had already told me: I turned off the "beep" that came with each button push/pad touch, and I am uncertain whether or not that turned off any battery warning.

--"My mp3 player" is more time-consuming to say than "my iPod." So I named my mp3 player Troy. I'm just kidding.

--It's more lightweight than I thought it would be; a bit more heft would psychologically inspire me not to toss it around as much as I do. (I have a case for it; I'm just clumsy.)

--I was a bit perturbed with the USB connector. It doesn't rest as snugly in the USB port as I would like; it feels quite loose. Even as I write this, it's charging in the port, and I can visibly lift and lower the player. I'm just afraid it will break off.All told, I'm very pleased with this purchase. Its ease of use and excellent audio quality far outweigh its shortcomings.

Recommendation: If you're prone to breaking things, this is probably not the mp3 player for you. However, if you're careful, and if you don't need bells and whistles, I really do recommend this mp3 player.

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Product Description:
Samsung's thin and sleek U3 digital audio features a retractable USB connector, eliminating the need for cables, cords, or docks. Simply slide a button to reveal the USB connector, and plug directly into any PC USB port to drag and drop your files. Available in five vivid colors with matching earphones, the device features an FM radio, voice recording, a customizable shortcut key, and 2 GB of flash memory for your music and file transfer needs.

Plug the U3 directly into your USB port for file transfer.
Available in five vivid colors.
Retractable USB connector.
The easy to use U3 works right out of the box with no need for cables, cords or docks and no need to install any programs.
Digital Audio Player with Built-In USB
The easy to use U3 works right out of the box with no need for cables, cords or docks and no need to install any programs. Simply slide a button and a slim USB connector will pop out. You may then plug it into any PC USB port and drag and drop your music files. While connected, the battery is charged, allowing up to 15 hours of playtime on a single charge. The U3 plays MP3, WMA, and WMA-DRM10 formats. The 4-line OLED display shows ID3 tag information such as Artist and Song, and combined with the quick touch navigation means you can serve up the song you want quickly.
FM Radio and Voice Recording
The U3 features an FM radio, utilizing the headphones as antenna. You can also record your own voice, speeches, lectures, and other outside sounds with your mp3 player, and can even adjust the quality of the recording by selecting a different bit rate.
Convenient File Transfer
The U3 also functions as a flash drive. You can use it to transfer files from one computer or USB device to another. With a 2GB capacity, the U3 has plenty of room to store your music while still accommodating all of your file transfer needs.
Customizable Hot Key
The U3 boasts a customizable shortcut key. Choose from one of the following:

Repeat A-B:

DNSe:

Play Speed:

Play Mode:

DNSe Sound Engine
SAMSUNG's proprietary DNSe is a revolutionary sound technology, providing rich, more natural effects and a true-to-life surround sound experience. Even headphone users can experience simulated surround effects.
Samsung Media Studio
The included Samsung Media Studio is the easy-to-use software application that helps you organize your files on your PC. With your files already sorted and organized in Media Studio, you can quickly transfer them to your mp3 without searching your entire hard drive for the right file. This software is not required--users may choose to use different software (such as Windows Media Player) or simply drag and drop files to the device.
What's in the Box?
YP-U3JQB, earphones, cable winder, clip, and installation CD.