- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 22 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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13 out of 13 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"Why I chose the Z5..."
Pros: Battery Life, Aesthetics, Menu Design, Shuffle Options, Customizable Wallpaper, Excellent Build Quality
Cons: No user defined EQ, Maximum Volume could be higher, lack of third party accessories (hopefully this will change)
Summary: First things first... I love my new Z5! I've probably read every single user review and professional review on the Z5, so I'm going to try and include a different perspective for why you should buy a Z5.
Cool things the Z5 can do that the Nano cannot:
1) The Z5 is the only flash player I know of that lets you shuffle by Artist, Albums, Genres, Composers, Playlists, or All Songs. Most other MP3 players only let you shuffle ALL songs or songs within a specific folder. The variety of these shuffle options helps to offset the lack of OTG playlists.
2) The larger screen provides an enjoyable photo viewing experience (comparitively speaking) and the user can assign the image of their choice as Wallpaper!
3) The Shuffle by Composer option opens up a new user definable parameter for playing music. I decided to edit my Composer ID3 tags to represent various types of moods, eg. Melancholy, Happy, Dark, etc... Now I have the added option of shuffling my music by Mood! Genres are often very different from moods, so this is a HUGE bonus!
4) Dedicated Volume and Shuttle Controls (Play FF Rew Pause) that work no matter what mode you're in! This a great feature for people who exercise with their MP3 players... ipod volume can ONLY be adjusted if you are in a certain mode which can be very inconvenient and/or impractical. The volume on the Z5, on the other hand, can be adusted by feel without taking it out of your pocket.
5) The Z5 is DEFINITELY scratch resistant. I carry it daily in the same pocket as my keys, spare change, and/or phone and it still looks brand new. Yes the Nano is much thinner but its reputation for scratches necessitates most users to buy some sort of protective case. A Nano with a case has a near identical form factor to the Z5!
6) The Z5 is compatible with unlimited music subscription providers such as Rhapsody. I LOVE the fact that I can think of any artist (even the really obscure ones)and upload their music on a whim to my Z5 and be off and running -- I cannot think of a better way to explore new music because as long as I keep my account active (pay my bill), I have unlimited freedom to replenish my music as often as I want! Apple has yet to provide an unlimited subscription service so Ipod users are out of luck. :P
7) The user interface is very slick. Check out the Z5 video review on the CNET UK site to see what I mean.
8) When navigating your music, the corresponding album art is revealed as a helpful and ubobtrusive pop up. Check out the NY Times Z5 video review to see what I mean.
9) I know this is subjective but I think that the silver Z5 is the most beautiful flash player to date. The aluminum body does an excellent job at concealing (eliminating?) fingerprints. The Z5 images you see on the internet do not do it justice. It's much smaller than you think and its far more beautiful in person.
10) The battery life is truly extraordinary. The main benefit that most people don't realize is that fewer recharges means increased longevity for your unit.
To be fair, here are a few Z5 features that need improvement:
1) The maximum volume could be louder for my tastes. Sometimes this is necessary in places like a subway (not the sandwich joint
). I'm not sure why, but my MPIO FL300 gets much louder than the Z5. If the Maximum Volume were 20, then I wish that the Z5 volume could have maxed out at around 25 (Hope that made sense in a 'Spinal Tap' kind of way!)
2) I personally don't have a problem with the touch interface -- It took me about fifteen minutes for me to acquire the feel of the touchpad. The Apple Click Wheel, however, is still the fastest, most accurate way to navigate. If a Z5 and a Nano had a foot race to get to an Artist who started with the letter 'S,' the Nano would win hands down. The award for least amount of effort, however, goes to the Z5 because the thumb remains stationary throughout the entire scroll process. The Nano scroll speed is dictated by the speed of your thumb whereas the scroll speed on the Z5 is constant. To give you an idea how fast the Z5 scroll speed is, try pressing a key on your keyboard and see how fast the character repeats itself -- Its about the same with the Z5 which is plenty fast for me.
Here's a useful tip to remember if you want try out the controls at your local Best Buy or Circuit City: Think of the ENTIRE middle square as a button you push in if you want to select (you'll hear and feel an audible click) -- Its not necessary to press the exact center of the square! Just press a little harder wherever your finger happens to be while navigating, and youl'll get the hang of it in just a few minutes. After several days of using the Z5 touchpad, I now realize that the interface has been primarily engineered to require the LEAST amount of finger movement.
3) The Fast Forward and Rewind options are only represented visually by the elapsed time and progress bar. When you fast forward, you cannot hear the track speed up accordingly which makes it difficult to locate specific parts of a song such as the chorus.
YP-Z5 vs Sansa E260
I really wanted to hold out for the Sansa E200 series but it seems like there's way too many bugs that still need to be worked out. They had them at my local Best Buy and after they sold their inventory, they decided to stop carrying it... Hmmm. I also don't like the fact that Sandisk has already released a firmware update for a product that hasn't even been formally released! I like the fact there's FM, Voice Recording, Video capabilities, and expandable memory, but all of that is useless if the unit doesn't work properly. Aesthetically, I like the Z5 better and I've read that the Sansa has a high gloss finish that attracts fingerprints. Even though the Sansa plays video, it has been reported that a 21 minute video (the Quicktime format is mandatory)takes up 234 Megs!!! This is absolutely unacceptable IMHO. I also don't like the lanyard hole placement on the Sansa E200 because it causes the unit to dangle by it's corner, which I am sure would look very awkward! The Z5 lanyard hook is perfectly centered, well made, and concealed from the front angle. I'm still searching for the ideal carabiner to match this case so that I can attach it to my belt loop.
For all you potential buyers, take a look at the silver version and I think you'll agree that it looks more refined and professional than the black one. The silver model also helps conceal the large Samsung logo that is displayed on the front and it does a better job retaining its original appearance. The black floor model I saw at BB revealed trace amounts of fingerprints. If you're REALLY conscious about appearance, the silver model looks much better when paired up with white (which are included) or grey headphones. The black version, of course, looks much better when paired with black headphones.
There's a rumor going around that the Z5 DOES have video capabilities that have yet to be unlocked. Hopefully a future firmware update will unlock this feature but until then, I'm not going to be holding my breath. CNET Asia has also reported a new Z5 model that is coming out that will include Voice Recording and an FM radio.
As you may have noticed, I am quite obsessive when it comes to research! I take great pride in my attention to detail and after several weeks of trying to find the best Flash Non-Ipod player, I believe that the Z5 is the best choice that is currently available. I'm extremely happy with my purchase and I think you will be too!
- 6 replies to this review
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Just want to say, you sold me. This is probably the best review I have ever read on this site. Keep up the good work.
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I'm sorry but what's wrong with the SAMSUNG logo? "rolls eyes"
iPod has one too: a rotten core -
It will not support language other then English,Deutsch,Franch,and Espanol.so if you have CD is not this four languages you will not be able to see the sub title, which Ipod support most languages.
I check with Samsung, they say this is a U.S version, it will not be able to download any other laguage. It's very inconvient for people have other kind music. -
i too have the z5 (in 1 Gig) and am satisfied with it, but i do have some nags about it, but it's much better than the Na-nothing.
That was a great review!! -
Great review. Convinced me to get one. Have you found any after market accessories like docking stations, FM interfaces for auto, or portable docks with speakers etc., that are good?
Thanks for the reply! -
Awesome review, you've done your homework.
I just bought a YP-Z5, partly because of your review, and I was wondering if you could answer a couple of questions. I can't get to album art working and was wondering if you had any insights? The player is pretty cool but there's a few anoying things about getting to know the player and the instructions aren't that conprehensive. Thanks for your expertise!
Samsung YEPP YP-Z5 (4GB, silver):
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