Samsung U3 (2GB, blue)

The good: The Samsung U3 features a cool design and a built-in USB interface. It's inexpensive and easy to use, yet still offers some handy features such as an FM tuner and a voice recorder. It also supports OGG and WMA subscriptions, and the package includes a snap-on belt clip and a headphone cable wrap.

The bad: The Samsung U3 doesn't offer the best sound quality, and the touch-sensitive controls won't appeal to everyone. It has a small, monochrome display.

The bottom line: The Samsung U3 is the proof that a basic MP3 player doesn't have to be ugly and featureless; it's simple, inexpensive, cool-looking, and perfect for the gym.

A basic MP3 player needn't be ugly or featureless to fall into the "simple and inexpensive" category, and Samsung's sticklike U3 provides the proof to that statement. The 2GB flash MP3 player offers a cute design, a simple user interface, and a handy plug-in design. And it will only set you back $80. Sure, it may not have a color screen or video support, but it has the best of basic music playback in spades.

It's hard not to see a pack of gum when first looking at the U3. At 3.2x1x0.5 inches, the thin, rectangular player looks strikingly like a six-stick pack of Doublemint; well, our green version did, anyway. The device is also available in black, blue, or pink versions (all with 2GB storage). The face of the U3 is almost entirely smooth but for the indent of the 1-inch monochrome OLED screen, which sits to the left of the touch-sensitive control pad. Here, you get track shuttle and volume keys, which alternately act as directional arrows within the menus, and a back selector. Continuing around to the right edge, you'll find a thin, retractable USB adapter, which can be popped out via a switch on the bottom side of the player. This area also houses a hold switch, a highly necessary feature in a device with touch-sensitive controls.

Other notable physical features line the edges of the U3. On the top side, there's a play/pause/power button and a record/user-defined key. The left edge comprises a standard 3.5mm headphone jack surrounded completely in opaque plastic, which houses a blue LED that indicates if the player is on or syncing. This combined with the brightly colored, texturized body gives the U3 a cool, designer look--it may not appeal to everyone, but it's certainly not ugly.

The Samsung U3 is predictably light on features, given its price and body style, but it does offer some handy ones. It supports MP3, OGG, ASF, and WMA files, including DRM 10 for subscription music. Music is arranged handily by artist, album, genre, and so on. You get standard shuffle and repeat options, a nine-band user equalizer (EQ), and DSNe sound effects, which consist of 13 preset EQs. There's also a built-in mic for making voice recordings and an FM tuner with autoscan and at least 15 preset slots.

If the Samsung U3 disappoints in one area, it's sound quality. Although the sound settings help to fill in the low end and tailor tunes more to your taste, we found that music came across a bit flat, even through our Shure SE310 test headphones. It didn't have the richness or warmth we like, and we noticed some odd feedback during quiet moments on a couple of tracks. That said, the U3's sound is certainly passable; the clarity was quite good overall, and it gets plenty loud--it really is a great player for the gym. The rated 15-hour battery life ain't bad, either, but the actual battery life of 11.8 hours is a bit of a letdown.

(Originally posted on CNET Reviews)

General Width 1 in Depth 0.4 in Product type Digital player / radio Height 3.1 in PC interface(s) supported Hi-Speed USB Weight 0.8 oz Color Blue Digital player signal-to-noise ratio 90 dB Available body colors Pink, Gray, Blue, Black Flash memory installed 2 GB Integrated Digital storage None Dimensions (W x D x H) 1 in x 0.4 in x 3.1 in Voice recording capable Yes Included accessories Clothing clip Packaged quantity 1 Software type Drivers & Utilities, Samsung Media Studio Digital storage media type None Radio Tuner frequency range FM: 87.5 - 108 MHz Radio signal-to-noise ratio 55 dB Tuner type Digital Radio tuner Station preset qty 20 Auto preset memory Yes Tuner bands FM Antenna form factor Headphone cord FM Tuning display OLED display Digital Player / Recorder Digital player supported digital audio standards WMA, ASF, Protected WMA (DRM), Ogg Vorbis, MP3 Digital player response bandwidth 20 - 20000 Hz Digital player playback modes Repeat folder, Playlist, Repeat all, One track repeat, Resume play, Random play / shuffle Digital player ID3 tags support Yes Battery Rechargeable Battery Rechargeable Technology Lithium polymer Battery Lithium polymer Rechargeable Player battery Mfr estimated battery life 15 hour(s) Battery Life Details MP3 playback Lithium polymer 15 hour(s) Audio System Sound output mode Stereo Additional features Auto power off, Playback speed control System Requirements Peripheral / Interface devices USB port, CD-ROM Min Operating system Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows Vista Connections Connector type 1 x Headphones Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x USB 4 pin USB Type A Built-in Display Audio system built-in display OLED Diagonal size 1 in Resolution 128 x 64 Backlight display Yes Features Adjustable contrast

Power Power Supply / Device None Audio Features Built-in clock Sleep timer CD System Digital audio standards supported WMA, WMA DRM10, MP3 Equalizer Equalizer factory preset qty 12 Equalizer user preset qty 2 Microphone Microphone type Built-in Headphones Headphones type Binaural Ear-bud Sound output mode Stereo Connectivity technology Wired Battery / Power Power device type None

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