Samsung Yepp Hip-Hop 32MB Digital Audio Player (Silver) 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 easily 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 groovy translucent color never
failed to impress coworkers and friends, while its excellent sound also brought
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 of a deck of cards (and just a bit
lighter), and it fits neatly into a plastic pouch for wearing around the neck.
We were a little dubious about 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.
Samsung has packed 64 MB of onboard memory into the Hip Hop, enough for 60
minutes of music without fiddling with cards or paying for more memory. But if
you want more playback the player's SmartMedia slot has room for flash memory
cards for another 64 MB, enough for another hour of music, an impressive
capacity for an MP3 player at this price. Sound quality was very good, even with
the included cheapo earphones--the dynamic range was crisp and had clean tones
at both 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, 2000, or Me (Windows 95 and NT are not USB
compatible); it is also compatible with Mac OS 7.0 to 9.2.1. 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 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. Figure on 45
minutes to fill up the full 64 MB memory.
Controls on the Hip Hop are basic. The buttons are the size of BBs, which
were sometimes difficult to operate. 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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