Flashdance: Tango of the shuffle clones

The EZ Tangent retains the same joypad controls of the original Super Tangent, though there is a slight difference; visually, the new Tangent is oriented on a horizontal rather than vertical plane, probably to take advantage of the new OLED screen. We got good tactile feedback out of it and the size of the compass points were large enough to be comfortable.

The YP-U1 also follows the same horizontal layout though its use of metal for the finishing of the joypad felt more expensive. However, Samsung erred in its execution by having too large a center button while the compass points were too small to pinpoint accurately while pocket rummaging.

Both MP3 players kept the audio port on the top, but for users with a larger 3.5mm headphone jack, the lanyard loop on the YP-U1 might hamper insertion.

Though aesthetic criticism largely boils down to personal taste, we were of the opinion that the YP-U1 held the edge over the Tangent. The smooth curves, color scheme (white/grey) and metallic detailing, including the gentle curve of the lanyard loop, helped in streamlining the unit's look. On the other hand, the EZ Tangent appeared clunky in comparison, with large white unused spaces. This may all be in the name of keeping things looking zen, but we thought it could be made a little smaller.

As thumbdrive MP3 players, Samsung again had the edge with a nifty flip-out USB jack that positively had us nodding sagely in approval. The EZ Tangent stuck out with the traditional removable cap design, very good if heritage is more your thing.

Samsung clearly has the lead here and when it comes down to the physical side of things, looks can be everything.

Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 EZ Tangent             YP-U1

Back to intro

Go to the bouts:
	Round 1: Getting Physical			Round 5: Just performance
	Round 2: Unraveling the features			Round 6: How long do you play?
	Round 3: Ease of use
	Round 4: Compatibility issues

In our recollection of Samsung MP3 players, there have been very few that neglect an FM tuner. This lack in the YP-U1 lost it a point to the radio-toting Tangent.

In sound tweaking, the Tangent possessed a very respectable 18 preset equalizers, though it failed to add the icing on the cake by omitting a user-defined one.

The YP-U1 instead boasted a whopping nine-band user-defined equalizer which is good news for serial audio nitpickers, though it provided a paltry three presets and one bass booster. It's a topsy-turvy situation, and for scoring purposes, it's up to the user. Manual or auto?

Both models had voice recording as a standard, though the EZ Tangent included FM recording on the side.

The YP-U1 did have one trump card over the EZ Tangent--the Samsung Media Studio. It's a music management software and a big improvement over its previous incarnations. However, despite the software advantage, the YP-U1 still relied on tree-directory navigation as did its adversary, making it more of a perk rather than an essential.

There is a fair balance of features for both sides in this bout, but the omission of the FM radio is a nagging issue which ultimately hands the round to Luxpro.

Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 EZ Tangent           YP-U1

Back to intro

Go to the bouts:
	Round 1: Getting Physical			Round 5: Just performance
	Round 2: Unraveling the features			Round 6: How long do you play?
	Round 3: Ease of use
	Round 4: Compatibility issues

We would have to dock a point from the EZ Tangent for using the archaic losable cap. Even the Sony Bean has the USB jack hidden in a secret recess of the player, thus skipping the need for a USB cover.

The vertical menu interface for the Samsung was certainly cleaner and neater. There was also a sensible arrangement of relevant functions with contextual associations, supplemented by a neat font that proved very readable and unobtrusive.

The Luxpro, though using a colored screen, failed to take advantage of this native resource by squandering it on large tacky icons and fonts. We also noticed a glitch where after going two layers deep to activate a function--Settings'EQ'Rock, the unit would revert to the first layer (Settings) instead of remaining within the second layer (EQ) where we could make further adjustments.

Both MP3 player have definitely improved on the shuffle's usability factor by including a display. However, Samsung has turned out to be the one paying attention to the details.

Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 EZ Tangent           YP-U1

Back to intro

Go to the bouts:
	Round 1: Getting Physical			Round 5: Just performance
	Round 2: Unraveling the features			Round 6: How long do you play?
	Round 3: Ease of use
	Round 4: Compatibility issues

Luxpro, however, has taken pains to make sure that any computer would recognize its little player, with OS compatibility stretching from Windows to Mac and Linux. The YP-U1 apparently wants to be friends only with Windows.

Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 EZ Tangent         YP-U1

Back to intro

Go to the bouts:
	Round 1: Getting Physical			Round 5: Just performance
	Round 2: Unraveling the features			Round 6: How long do you play?
	Round 3: Ease of use
	Round 4: Compatibility issues

Like our early examination of the EZ Tangent, there was a slight hiss that sat in the background of the left channel. Admittedly, it's very slight and detectable only when we used our Etymotic ER-4P MicroPro earphones. For most users, this should not be an issue. We felt the low end was not sufficiently punchy though the highs were crisp enough.

The YP-U1 performed adequately on the highs though we felt the mids came across as a little distant. However, tweaking the sound with the equalizer let us squeeze out a slightly brighter sound. Bass-wise, the unit was quite comfortable with Massive Attack's Angel, though we felt it was necessary to activate the bass booster for a more head-pounding low end.

The EZ Tangent edges out slightly against the YP-U1 in both transfer speed and sound, though it's still a close match for this bout.

Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 EZ Tangent         YP-U1

Back to intro

Go to the bouts:
	Round 1: Getting Physical			Round 5: Just performance
	Round 2: Unraveling the features			Round 6: How long do you play?
	Round 3: Ease of use
	Round 4: Compatibility issues

The answer was pretty obvious for this round, though the YP-U1 was not exactly spectacular, either.

Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 EZ Tangent         YP-U1

Back to intro

Go to the bouts:
	Round 1: Getting Physical			Round 5: Just performance
	Round 2: Unraveling the features			Round 6: How long do you play?
	Round 3: Ease of use			And the winner is... ?
	Round 4: Compatibility issues