Samsung YP-Z3 is a representative of the line of mid-range devices from the Korean company. They meet, as you know by their clothes, but in this case by design. At first glance, the device is not at all impressive, it looks very much like a simple Chinese player. However, upon closer acquaintance, this impression dissipates and we are faced with a high-quality and comfortable product. Let's take a closer look at it.
Contents of delivery
The player comes in a transparent plastic box, which allows you to evaluate its appearance without opening the package. In the box you can find:
- - MP3 player Samsung YP-Z3;
- - Headphones;
- - USB cable for PC connection;
- - Brief instruction manual;
The minimum required kit to start using, no more. Headphones included are Samsung YA-EP340 models. This is a budget solution, they are not able to reveal all the possibilities of the player in terms of sound. It is recommended to replace them with a more advanced model whenever possible. Also, if you wish, you can pick up a cover to protect the player from dust and accidental scratches.
Specifications
- The manufacturer indicates the following characteristics of his device:
- Display: TFT, diagonal 1.8 inches, resolution 128x160 pixels (QQVGA)
- Body material: plastic
- Possible colors: blue, pink, white
- Built-in memory: Flash, 4 or 8 GB
- Support for memory cards: no
- Supported audio file formats: MP3, MP3HD, WMA, OGG, AAC, FLAC, WAV, ADPCM
- Playlist support: M3U, SPL
- Supported video file formats: WMV, ASF, AVI, MPEG-4, H.264, MKV, MOV, MP4, WMV9, XviD
- Subtitle support: SMI
- Supported image formats: JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF
- Supported text formats: TXT
- FM-radio: yes, memory for 100 stations, RDS
- Radio recording function: no
- Dictaphone: yes, recording in MP3 format, 128 Kbps
- Equalizer: yes, 7-band
- Sound Effects: SoundAlive
- Interface language: multilingual
- ID3 tag support: yes
- Output power: 20 mW (at R = 16 ohms)
- Signal to noise ratio: 90dB
- Computer interface: USB2
- Battery: built-in, Li-Pol
- Music playback time: up to 30 hours
- Video playback time: up to 3 hours
- Charging time: 3 h
- Dimensions: 38.9 x 81.5 x 9.9mm
- Weight: 36g
The number of supported formats immediately attracts attention, there are a lot of them for such a miniature device. Lovers of quality music will appreciate the support for OGG, AAC and FLAC formats. Support for MP3HD is announced separately. This format was developed in 2009 by Thomson. A file recorded in this format consists of two parts. The first part is a regular MP3 with a bitrate of up to 320 Kbps, which can be played with any MP3 player. If a device compatible with the MP3HD format is used, then the second part of the file contained in the ID3 tags is read. This achieves a bitrate of 500 to 900 Kbps. The usefulness of the presence of this format in the player is in question, due to its low prevalence, the presence of other formats without loss of quality and a small amount of built-in memory without the possibility of its expansion.
There is no DivX support. This is offset to some extent by a large number of other video formats. In addition, given the small screen size, the function of watching movies and videos is not the main one for the player.
The device is available in two versions - with 4 or 8 GB of internal memory. There is no memory card slot, so when buying, you should estimate how much volume you need. If your music collection is stored in FLAC format, then it is advisable to look for a more capacious model.
Construction and design
The body of the player is made entirely of plastic. It is thin and rectangular in shape. The player measures 38.9 x 81.5 x 9.9 mm. In this case, the back cover of the case is smoothly bent in such a way that the thickness decreases upward. The front panel is glossy, and the back is corrugated, which allows you to hold the player securely in your hand without fear of slipping out. The weight of the device is small, it is only 36 g. The assembly is of high quality, there are no backlashes or squeaks.After turning the player in your hands for a while, the initial negative impression of the design goes away. Yes, the device is simple, but it has its own face.
The layout of the controls is traditional. On the front panel, at the top, there is a small rectangular screen with a diagonal of 1.8 inches. Its resolution is 128 x 160 pixels, which is not very much for this size. Some graininess of the image is noticeable, although this does not particularly affect the usability. The viewing angles are also not great, in general, we have an ordinary inexpensive screen.
In this model, the engineers abandoned the touch buttons, there are none of them. This is a big plus, because for an MP3 player, which often cannot be taken out of a pocket, touch control is simply inconvenient. Under the display, on the right and left, there are two control keys - a menu call and a return. Even below is a five-way joystick with a central button, used to navigate the menu and control playback. It has a large size and does not cause any inconvenience to work with it. All buttons are pressed clearly, with a tangible click.
At the top there is a button to turn the player on / off. It also serves to block the control (with a short press). There is also a volume rocker. For a long time in Samsung players this operation was carried out using the joystick buttons, and now we are seeing a return to the classic solution. This is encouraging, especially considering that the volume can be adjusted even when the player is locked. If you find fault with it, then it can be noted that the upper location of the rocker is not very convenient, you have to reach for it. It would be more convenient to place it on the right or left side.
On the bottom of the player there is a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a microUSB connector for connecting the player to a computer and charging, as well as a built-in microphone hole. There is no usual recessed Reset button on the case. Its function is performed by the power key, if you hold it down for 10 seconds. The side faces and the back cover do not have any functional elements.
The player is available in three colors: pink, blue and white. In all these variants, the front panel is black. The only difference is the color of the back cover.
Functionality and operation
The player menu can be presented in two versions. The first is a classic 3 x 3 cell matrix of graphic symbols. In the second option, a line of small icons is displayed at the bottom of the display, and an enlarged image of the currently selected item is displayed in the middle. There is also an alternative representation of the matrix menu in the form of drawings stylized for children. The following items are presented: Music, Video, Pictures, Texts, Now Playing, FM Radio, Voice Rec, My Files, Settings. Player controls are intuitive. All buttons are in place, their number and purpose are perfectly matched. You can get comfortable with the device in a few minutes, without even reading the instructions. There is a convenient function - if you hold down the "menu" button, the history panel is called up, with which you can quickly go to one of the four previously used modes.
In the Music section, you can sort songs by artist, album, song title, genre and rating. There is also a folder view and a separate item for the last added songs. Lists can be scrolled line by line, or by page using the joystick "right" and "left". Playlists created on a computer are supported, as well as a quick playlist (On-The-Go), in which you can add your favorite songs while listening. In playback mode, the screen displays the album art, title and author of the song, playing time, and a progress bar. The only annoying thing is that the cover image is stretched in width, turning into a rectangle. The top line displays the current time, battery level and an icon for the type of playback.
You can adjust the sound using a 7-band equalizer, as well as use one of the built-in surround sound effects SoundAlive. You cannot make bookmarks in music files, the player only remembers the place where playback was stopped. When you turn it on again, you can start listening from the same position. The joystick buttons "right" and "left" allow fast rewinding, the central button starts or pauses playback. There is a function of repeating a given part of the track, it is useful for learners of foreign languages.
Despite the small size of the screen, the player has a full-fledged video mode. It allows you to play unconverted video files at resolutions up to 720 x 576 pixels. There is support for subtitles in the SMI format, but the font size is too large, long phrases overlap the image. Rewind is also present. There is a search function by fragments, when activated, the video is divided into 16 equal segments, screenshots are generated for each of them, and displayed on the screen in the form of a 4 x 4 matrix. You can quickly jump to any area by selecting the desired fragment with the joystick. Bookmarks are supported for video files. In general, the implementation of the video function is at a good level, however, due to the small screen, it is unlikely to be in great demand. It can be used to watch short clips or video clips, nothing more.
The same can be said about the image viewer function - due to the size of the screen, it is not suitable for permanent use. Nevertheless, in this mode, all the basic features are present. You can run a slideshow, there is a display mode in the form of a matrix of reduced copies, viewing enlarged fragments and the ability to set an image as a desktop background. Pictures open quickly enough, even large photos. Simultaneously with viewing the image, you can listen to music or radio in the background.
The FM radio has a memory for 100 radio stations and supports RDS. Saved radio stations can be renamed as desired using the built-in virtual keyboard. There are manual and automatic search modes. In general - good functionality, only the function of recording radio programs is missing. The receiver's sensitivity is not bad; the headphone wire is used as an antenna.
The dictaphone is the most common one, it allows you to take audio notes in the MP3 128 Kbps format. The quality of the recording is average, the sensitivity of the microphone is also. It is better to place the player closer to the sound source.
The e-book reader, like the video and picture modes, suffers from small screen sizes. Only TXT format files are supported. Words are transferred to a new line entirely, which is why the already scarce space on the screen is not spent in the best way. But you can bookmark and change the font and background color (there are 3 themes to choose from). The function can be used to read short texts; it is of little use for large books.
The player's settings are standard, everything is logically sorted by menu items. You can change the brightness of the screen, the duration of the backlight, select a theme, set the interface language, current date and time, view information about the system. There is an auto-off mode to save battery power.
The sound quality of the Samsung YP-Z3 is excellent, according to this parameter, the player is able to satisfy almost all users, except for avid audiophiles. Of course, with the appropriate headphones. There is sufficient headroom. Someone will love the SoundAlive effects, or the ability to tweak the sound with an equalizer.
The player is connected to the computer using a standard microUSB cable. You can choose one of the modes - MTP or MSC. The first option allows you to sync with Windows Media Player.In the second mode, the device is presented in the system as a flash drive, respectively, work with its contents is carried out by conventional means - using the explorer or file manager. Samsung also provides its own software for interacting with mobile devices, but in this case it is not very necessary.
The player is charged when connected to a PC or compatible charger. A full charge from a computer takes about 3 hours. The claimed battery life of the player is 30 hours. In reality, it is somewhat less, but it is quite possible to count on a day of continuous work. Note that this data is obtained by playing MP3 files. For FLAC, OGG, and WMA formats, battery life can be significantly reduced (up to 8-10 hours). In video playback mode, the player can work up to 3 hours
conclusions
Samsung YP-Z3 is a somewhat unbalanced player from the Korean industrial giant. All functions are implemented at a good level, but the value of some of them (watching videos and images, reading texts) is leveled by the small screen size. Nevertheless, in terms of functionality, sound and thoughtfulness of the interface, the player is very good. But the price for it is somewhat overpriced, perhaps just because of the excess functionality. Its competitors are the following devices:
The Transcend T.sonic 870 is a popular model with a larger screen, support for memory cards and a lower price. It also supports a large number of formats and has a similar set of functions, however, there are problems with reliability and stability of work.
iRiver E40 is a player from a well-known manufacturer, distinguished by its compactness, long battery life and high-quality sound. There is no support for memory cards, support for photos and videos is at an embryonic level, but a more affordable price.
The iRiver E300 is another model from iRiver, more advanced than the E40. Bigger screen, support for memory cards and more formats. The cost is also slightly less than the Samsung YP-Z3.
Sony NWZ-E053 is the youngest model from Sony. There are no video and photo functions, only music and radio. But the sound is very high quality, though there is no support for FLAC and OGG. The price is comparable to our hero.
Samsung YP-Q3 - Samsung's oldest model in the line of non-touch devices is not much more expensive than YP-Z3. Bigger screen, battery life and more interesting design, but at the same time larger dimensions and weight.
As you can see, Samsung YP-Z3 has a lot of competitors, but it will find its buyer, especially if it gets a little cheaper.
You can buy the Samsung YP-Z3 MP3 player in our store at a bargain price.
