CNET editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Excellent
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 09/16/2003
With understated styling and a sleek, silver casing of plastic and aluminum, the YP-55 looks more like an executive accessory than an MP3 player. Measuring 1.02 by 3.2 by 1.02 inches and tipping the scales at 2 ounces to come in as the bulkiest and heaviest plug-in model we've seen to date, this device is an awkward addition to your key ring.
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| You can use this dongle or the cable for a direct USB connection. | The carrying case surrounds the YP-55 completely--great for protecting your investment but not for operating the device. |
For the most part, the YP-55's control layout is smooth and intuitive. We love the way you twist the end of the player to skip forward and backward or scan within a track. But the Mode button, which also provides menu access, is tiny and annoyingly activates the A-B Repeat mode if you press it too quickly. A slider on the front adjusts the volume, and a relatively small, backlit two-line LCD shows you song, battery, and mode information.
The YP-55 looks good dangling from the included neck strap, but that gets tangled with the earbud cables. We prefer to carry the player in a pocket or its sturdy nylon case, which can hang onto a bag strap with its Velcro loop or attach to a belt.
This Yepp plugs into USB ports--barely. Direct connection requires the included adapter. Another accessory you don't want to misplace is the provided line-in cable; the jack on one end is a minuscule 1/16 of an inch to fit the player's tiny input, while the other is for external sources, so it's the standard 1/8-inch variety.
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 Here's how the YP-55 looks with the USB dongle attached. |
At the touch of a button, the YP-55 starts recording voice input in the WAV format. What's more, you can encode MP3 files from external analog sources such as turntables, cassette decks, and sound cards. Both operations occur at one of five bit rates, ranging from 32Kbps to 128Kbps. The player's FM tuner comes with a generous 20 presets, programmed manually or automatically, and you can encode its streams directly to MP3.
Once you've installed the appropriate drivers, you can use Windows Explorer or the Apple OS X Finder to drag and drop MP3, WMA, and data files onto the player. But the YP-55 doesn't support playlists; if you don't want to hear your songs in alphabetical order, you have to number your filenames or listen in shuffle mode.
We're also nonplussed by the Yepp's sleep timer, which shuts off the player if you don't press any keys within 10 to 25 seconds of hitting Pause. We wish we could disable the function or stretch the time limit to at least a minute. We'd also like playback to resume exactly where we left off in a song, rather than at its beginning.
The YP-55's audio was crisp and punchy, with an 88dB signal-to-noise ratio. Our tunes sounded even better when we combined the equalizer with the DBB. The simulated-surround effects of SRS and TruBass aren't for everyone; purists scorn such processing, but it did increase the presence of some MP3 files. Putting out 10mW per channel at 16 ohms, the YP-55 definitely came across loudly enough through our Sony MDR-V600 test headset. The bundled earbuds cranked out clear music without sacrificing bass, but as with most included 'phones, audiophiles should consider upgrading them.
Though we'd prefer a rechargeable cell, the Yepp's AAA battery did last impressively long, meeting Samsung's rated 15 hours of music.
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