Samsung YP-W3L (512MB)

We want to stop harping on the iPod already. We already said it's time to innovate, to lay siege on the iPod MP3 kingdom. The Click Wheel wonder has already gotten the kingdom by the throat for five generations as it is. How thick is that bed of laurels anyway? Get a grip, guys. You really want the iPod rule to turn into a dynasty? Time to fire that Christmas salvo and here's Samsung with one of the first.Design
War words aside, the YP-W3L strikes us as a rather distinguished piece of equipment. The body is encased in a mixture of grey-hued plastics and a silvery metal finish. Now that's very classy stuff and we think it's certainly good enough to beat down the style maestros of B&O decisively. The same classiness is also reflected in the compact solid feel of the product; it's like comparing the luxurious heft of a Mont Blanc to a cheap plastic Pilot pen.

	Old world charm? Click for larger image

The inclusion of a small latch on top of the unit to attach the included metallic lanyard as well as the small Roman numerical etchings on the LCD's perimeter make it pretty obvious that Samsung took a pocket watch as the basis for design. It confers a touch of old world charm in a cybernetic manner, which made it really eye-catching when we flipped it out on the streets to check the time (and to show off).

To round off the luxury, Samsung has also included a custom-fitted cream-colored cowhide leather case for the unit that comes with a magnetic clasp as part of the trimmings.

Putting the aesthetics aside, it's time to talk technology. Monochrome displays are so last year and we think that Samsung designers must be stuck in some kind of retro funk. Turn on the player and you will see an analog clock display (the one with hands). And though there is an option to digitize it into numerals, we prefer the former for old time's sake.

	Just class, we say. Click for larger image

Though it's monochrome, the way the information is arranged on the display reminds one of the Casio digital watches that were all the rage in the 1980s. It's comprehensive, though because of space constraints, track information is reduced to a scrolling one-liner.

Physical controls are located on the circumference of the unit (play, record, menu and a hold switch). But the real deal here is the touch sensitive controls on the four compass points of the unit, with each one controlling volume up/down and track skip forward/backward. We initially thought that the light grey band on the edge of the display was some sort of touch-sensitive scroll wheel but, hey, one can dream. The four touch-sensitive points also made it very easy to navigate the menu which includes song browsing in a tree directory format.

Features
There's nothing really new in terms of features. There's FM and voice recording but no line-in. Like most flash-based MP3 players, playlists are limited to just the one, with the selection of the tracks for inclusion done within the player itself.

	Notice the Roman numerical engravings. Click for larger image

There is no search function, but depending on the user's familiarity, the tree directory format should be adequate for most users. However, if sorting of tracks by ID3 tags is a must, this is seriously not the player for you.

Like most Samsungs, the YP-W3L comes with an above average sound-tweaking suite. Other than normal equalizers (classic, jazz, rock) and a five-band user-defined version, there are also SRS, WOW and TruBass.

	Catch to hang off the lanyard. Click for larger image

Though there are 20 FM presets, the auto-presetting function managed to miss a few major radio stations within the spectrum. However, Samsung did include a number of FM tweaks like FM search level sensitivity to help make it a little easier.

Included in the installation CD is the Samsung Music Studio version 1.2 . It's a different version of the same program that we would have expected, but unlike the one that came with the YP-U1, which was decidedly more iTunes-ish, this music management program does have a bit of a learning curve for new MP3 users. Though for seasoned listeners, it should be a breeze to pick up. Then again, why bother? If drag-and-drop suits you just fine, it may be the more effective alternative given that there is limited flash memory.

Performance
For a tiny thing, we are impressed by its transfer speed. 6MB per second. That's a regular speed demon, but it's too bad the USB cable connection is proprietary. So no easy interchange from computer to computer.

Battery life is the YP-W3L's failing at 9 hours and 20 minutes, it certainly is not something that screams longevity here.

Sonic-wise, bass was tight and defined without giving the feeling that the low end is being hurled at your ears. On the high and mid end, performance was articulate enough without straining.