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Gadgets: Samsung YP-K5 MP3 Player – 55
Samsung has been knocking out some decent-quality MP3 players for a good while now, aiming at the ever-growing “anything but iPod” market. With the YP-K5 the company has come up with a first by integrating a sliding speaker, and might just have opened a whole new can of Apple-eating worms.
Before you dismiss the idea, as I did on first hearing the concept, the speaker is good. It isn’t going to get you to put your Wharfedales on TradeMe, but for the size of the speaker and its sheer usefulness, it is excellent. I expected a tinny output weaker than a vegetarian on a hunger strike, but it delivers a really good quality of sound, with decent bass. It won’t fill a big room, but fills a small room quite effortlessly. Even on full volume there is no distortion of the meatiest of bass lines.
The K5 uses flash memory to store your media, and comes in 2 and 4GB models. The 2 GB on review is ample for most collections. It comes with some interesting-looking earphones that sit in your ear canals. They are good quality but are a little snug unless you have ears like Dumbo.
The interface is very simple to use, and is touch sensitive, which makes the appearance of the player very minimalist with no dedicated buttons on the face of the player. The matte black finish looks very cool, but attracts smudges: definitely avoid using the K5 after eating KFC.
The display changes orientation when the speakers are opened, as do the controls; another feature to set it apart from the rest of the current offerings.
It also features an FM radio, which works very well, but has a fatal flaw. After initially trying to use this feature I was convinced that it didn’t work, as I had it in speaker mode and tryong to tune the radio got absolutely zip. After consulting the manual I found that the K5 uses the headphone chord as an aerial, so without the headphones plugged in the FM radio is as useless as a chocolate fireguard.
The battery life is excellent, and outperforms many of the competitors in its class. On saying that, I believe that the K5 is creating a new class, and am awaiting the inevitable idothatspeakerthingtoo.
The added speakers don’t add as much bulk as one might expect. It feels like a couple of Nanos strapped together after a big lunch: reassuringly heavy. Although 106g is hardly going to weigh you down, at least you will know when someone has swiped it.
On the whole I really like the K5 and, according to my better half, it features heavily in the new music video by Fergie, the shapely girl from the Black Eyed Peas. With this kind of endorsement, perhaps the iPod should be quaking in its sound dock.
WILL HAWORTH
Samsung YP-K5 MP3 Player
$269 1GB
$299 2GB
$399 4GB
Contact: samsung.com/nz ???
SPECIFICATIONS
Weight: 106g
Size: 47.5 x 98 x 18.1mm
2 GB (1 and 4GB available)
Display: 1.8” Colour touch features
MP3, WMA, JPG
• FM Radio
• In-built speaker (0.7W/Ch x 2Ch)
• 30 hours battery
• Photo viewing
PROS
Feels Solid
Looks funky
Unique design
Impressive speaker
Excellent battery life
CONS
Frail USB connector
Vanilla features
Slow file transfer
VERDICT
Very capable MP3 Player, with surprisingly good built-in speakers
Aesthetics: 89%
Performance: 91%
Features: 90%
Functionality: 88%
Price Value: 90%
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