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Product:
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Samsung YP-T7 Z Digital Audio Player |
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Price:
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$259 (CAN) / $198 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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Samsung Canada
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Author:
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Hi-TEK
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Date:
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May 3rd, 2005
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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One of the key features of the Samsung Yepp YP-T7 Z Digital Audio Player is the colour LCD display that
is responsible for providing current information at a glance. Upon powering of the unit, consumers will
be greeted with a small-animated Yepp splash screen which switches to the main player display menu.
Consumers can toggle between the music mode, navigation, FM radio, play list, image viewer, text viewer,
and system settings. The backlit LCD feature lasts approximately 35 seconds after which it’s turned off
until a button is pressed. In the main player mode, consumers can also adjust volume levels to their
own personal preference.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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In the FM tuner mode, I was able to randomly scan for active FM channels or create a custom selection
of my own personal favourite radio stations. Consumers have up to 20 presets that can be configured for
this particular unit. Access to the preset menu is very easy and can be toggled by the push of a button.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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To emphasize on the storage capabilities of the YP-T7 Z Digital Audio Player, Samsung has included both
an image viewer and text reader option. Consumers can easily transfer their favourite JPEG images or
text documents to the YP-T7 Z. The image viewer supports JPEG files no larger than 800x600 and images
must be transferred to the YP-T7 Z using an application called the Multimedia Studio. The text reader
option supports standard .txt documents that were created on a PC.
In the Settings Menu, there are a wide variety of options that can be configured from display settings, play speed,
time scheduling, voice recording, and SRS WOW Surround Sound. The SRS (Sound Retrieval System) provides
different options for adding sound altering effects to your music. When SRS is selected, you will hear
3D stereo sound. The TruBass option adds a bass boost which adds to the fullness of the sound. The SRS
WOW feature allows you to combine SRS and Trubass simultaneously. Lastly, the EQ option will play the
last equalizer settings from either custom set, Rock, Jazz, Classical or Normal modes.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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While the YP-T7 Z does represent a solid state drive it is unlike traditional USB flash drives and
requires the installation of a software application in order to transfer files back and forth to the
unit. Included on the installation CD is a useful application called Samsung Music Studio. In order to
use the Samsung Music Studio, you must first proceed with the installation of the supported USB driver
for the YP-T7 Z if required. Once the USB driver installation is complete, the second step is to
proceed with the installation of the Samsung Music Studio package. The Samsung Music Studio package is
quite useful and allows you to move, format, encode, create, and delete files with the click of a
button. Consumers will appreciate the built-in 2xMP3 support which is a compression feature that allows
you to adjust the bit rate selection of your music files. Lowering the bit rate allows you to store
more files but at a loss in overall sound quality.
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Conclusion:
The Samsung Yepp YP-T7 Z Display Audio Player is a well well-implemented design that is both versatile
and portable. The small form factor allows for easy travel and can be put in just about anywhere
including a belt and around the neck thanks to the included accessories. The MP3, OGG, WMA and WAV
formats combined with the file and image viewer makes this unit a complete all-in-one multimedia
solution. The overall ease of use is excellent requiring a simple drag and drop to transfer music. The
Colour LCD is ideal for low-lit environments and displays a wealth of information on a single screen.
Music buffs will appreciate the ability to switch between their favourite songs and radio stations.
While the YP-T7 Z Digital Audio Player excels, there were a few negative aspects that I will
comment on. The bundled ear phones pail in comparison to real high quality headphones that can be
purchased elsewhere. I would recommend swapping out the headsets if you plan on using this unit on a
daily basis. The overall battery life of 10 hours before a recharge is required is very poor compared
to rival units that are currently on the market. Finally, the Samsung Yepp YP-T7 Z Display Audio Player
carries a retail price range of $259 CDN which is slightly under the current retail price for Creative's
NOMAD Muvo2 4GB and Apple's IPOD Mini. For a few dollars more consumers can invest in a more robust
player that offers more storage capacity. Overall, I really enjoyed using the Samsung Yepp
YP-T7 Z Digital Audio Player and award a final rating of 8 out of 10.
If you have any questions regarding this review be sure to visit the
Samsung Canada website for more information or
discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Size
- 1GB Flash Memory
- Colour LCD
- Personal voice recorder
- Built-in FM tuner
- Text and image viewer
- SRS 3-D, TruBass and SRS WOW technologies
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Cons:
- Weak battery life (10 hours)
- Very fragile unit
- No support ID3-tagged album art
- Solid state supports requires software application
- Poor quality ear phones
- Price
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