2. Samsung Yepp YP-T5

This device is certainly nice to look at, but don't get too worked up about this color. This is a limited series you'll not see much of on the shelves. Don't worry, the other two colors are just as sassy, maybe even more so. My preference goes to the twin-tone silver model (T5H), but others may like the metallic blue (T5V) better. With its glossy metal housing and fun shape, you really want to hold it, touch it and play around with it. And it certainly won't weigh you down. But the most amazing thing is the weight of just 24 grams, though you do have to add in the AAA battery (that in itself weighs about 12 grams), making a total of 36, although I can promise you that is still light. In spite of being so tiny (53 x 23 x 23mm), Samsung didn't skimp on the finish of the device. The buttons inspire confidence, and so does the battery cover. Even the USB input is concealed by a rubber flap. Obviously, the USB interface itself cannot be built in, so it has to be plugged in.

Functions Galore

In spite of its Lilliputian size, the Yepp has all the functions you could expect in a player, with either 128 MB or 256 MB of RAM. Depending on which you choose, it costs either $150 or $200. It has an FM tuner, can record from analog sources with MP3 encoding and has a built-in microphone to use it as a Dictaphone.

It can encode MP3 up to 128kbps, the statutory minimum. For playback, the Yepp accepts MP3 (320kbps), WMA (192kbps) and ASF formats. It is of course detected as a removable drive without the need for a driver, so can be used as a USB key. Samsung has given this little gem all the trendy sound gadgets: bass boosters, presets and spatialization. However, its TruBass or WOW SRS features are more or less worthless. There is no custom setting for frequency bands, so you'll have to make do with the bass and treble settings only.