Samsung Yepp Hip-Hop 32MB Digital Audio Player (Blue) Description
Technical Details
32 MB built-in memory with SmartMedia memory expansion slot
Backlit LCD screen
Compact and light--only 1.7 ounces
USB connectivity for fast downloading from PC
4-mode equalizer with classic, jazz, rock, and normal presets
Product Description
Review
The Samsung Yepp Hip Hop is one of the coolest-looking digital audio players
around, and we found ourselves offering it up like an excited kid at show and
tell. The player's small size and its shiny silver color never failed to impress
coworkers and friends, while its excellent sound also drew raves.
The most outstanding feature of the Yepp Hip Hop is its size--only 3.2 by 2.4
by 0.97 inches and 1.7 ounces. It's the size a deck of cards (and just a bit
lighter) and fits neatly into a plastic pouch for wearing around the neck. We
weren't sure how comfortable the neck cord would be, but a trip to the
laundromat with the Hip Hop went off without a hitch. The player was barely
noticeable and so light it didn't get in the way of fluffing and folding. Yet
the controls were easily reached, and the great sound made the hours of drudgery
fly by. Better yet, it never skipped a beat even when it was inadvertently
slammed against a dryer a few times.
Of course, with its small size, you're paying a price in memory. This Hip Hop
holds only 32 MB of music (another version holds 64 MB), or about 15 tracks at
the lowest compression setting. That's plenty for laundromat trips and commutes,
but not enough for longer outings. That's where the Hip Hop's SmartMedia slot
comes in, with room for flash memory cards for another 64 MB. Anything more than
that and you have to turn to another type of player. Sound quality was very good
even with the included cheapo earphones--the dynamic range was crisp and had
clean tones at high and low ends.
To download music to the Hip Hop, use the included USB cable to access the
player's flash memory, format it, and transfer songs. You will need a USB port
on your PC and Windows 98 or 2000 (Windows 95 and NT are not USB-compatible); it
is also compatible with Mac OS 7.0 and above. Follow the directions in the
manual for adding a USB driver to your system.
The Yepp Hip Hop comes with RealJukebox software for ripping CDs, which took
quite a bit of tinkering to get it to work right. (Make sure to check security
and encoding settings.) The Hip Hop's manual didn't help much and unless you log
on to the Internet, you won't have access to RealJukebox help. But once the
software was all set up, it took us only about 30 seconds to encode a track into
MP3 format, and then another minute or two to move it to the Hip Hop.
Controls on the Hip Hop are basic. The buttons are the size of BBs, which
made them difficult to operate at times. The included remote control with
backlit LCD adds a few more features, like reverse, hold, and four equalizer
settings, but search functions are primitive.
Ultimately, its software and hardware limitations might not make it the best
MP3 player deal on the market. But with its cool design, sound quality, and
portability, the Yepp Hip Hop more than holds its own as an entry-level MP3
player. --L.E. Klein
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