A couple of weeks back, like angels bearing gifts for an early Christmas, Samsung, in collaboration with Ripplevox, revealed gifts from the heavens - the Samsung YP-T10 and the SBH-500. Stick to the end of the review and you too stand to receive a thing or two! It’s never wasted to read fingersdontfing.com, I say :)

<< Design : 8/10 >>

The Samsung YP-T10 definitely got the right formula in the aesthetics division; super slim and lightweight with sleek touchpads. The one I got with a black matte finish gave it the high end electronics feel which I personally love, but to varying tastes, Samsung has on offer many other colors; white for an example.

The whole of the player is pretty much scratch resistant, and I personally know as I keep keys and Mp3 players in one compartment :) Thumbs up to Samsung too, for providing a factory installed screen protector. One thing I found rather cumbersome was that the black became an invitation to a fingerprint party, thus needing me to wipe it clean with my sleeves every few touches or so.

<< User Interface : 9/10 >>

Display wise, the moving animation of ‘Sammy’ coupled with wide viewing angles and a sharp, fast, bright and colorful screen (above video does NO justice hahaha) was enough to create an eyegasm and sets the Mp3 player apart from its competitors. If you’re not a fan of the cutesy display which I so adore, there are other ’sleek’ skins to choose from and you can even use your own photo as a wallpaper.

As mentioned earlier, the T10 used a touchpad as controls, which has its pros and cons. The touchpad of course adds on to the whole aesthetic of the player, but at times it can just be a tad infuriating due to its sensitivity. Many times I find the tracks change with accidental brushes, so the ‘Hold’ button is a definite must use. Ironically, there are also times when the pad refuses to cooperate but these are rare and can be ‘repaired’ with a simple restart.

<< Functions >>

As the main use of an Mp3 player, the T10 plays it up in this department rather well. Audio wise, I love the use of the DNSe which allowed for sound effects like ‘concert hall’ or ‘jazz’, as well as the real good EQ with added bass function (which was more then enough, actually).

Playlists are also very user friendly and songs can be added on at any time during usage, unlike previous models. There is also a choice for editing play speeds, which gives birth to hilarious sounds, but would proof to be useful in the usage of audio books.

Video looks superb on the screen I was raving about, but transferring over requires a tad more effort as uploading is strict and most files I tried had to be converted first into those compliant of the player. However, it is worth the wait, trust me :)

Pictures look bloody good on the screen, again. The functions are standard; rotate, zoom and configurable slide show. Here you can choose to set one of your uploaded photos as the wallpaper.

Radio reception was nothing amazing. Although the T10 did manage to pick up all the stations I listen to, like Ria 89.7FM or 98.7FM, static could be heard. Also, like its predecessors, the earpiece is needed for the radio to work. The good news is that an option for recording to mp3 format is also available.

Basically, RSS feeds. Disappointingly, I have trouble in installing this component properly. However, I would like to mention that the potential is high and if only the sync could be an automatic procedure and not manual, it would be much less of a hassle.

Under Prime Pack, you’ll find a function called ‘Text’ and ‘Voice Recording’.

The text viewer gets a thumbs up for allowing one to bookmark long files, allowing font changes as well as the option of listening to music whilst reading texts. Voice recording quality was good, although microphonic noises (like your fingers brushing against the player) is rather loud, so try to avoid touching the player much when recording.

And THIS function is what made me fall in love with the T10. Coupled with the Samsung SBH-500, I was immersed into a world free from wires and could finally listen to my music without the hassle of untangling wires, tripping over them, having them caught on edges and whatnot… I AM FREEEEE!

The first initial linkage took quite a bit of tries, but once the two devices have been paired up, I received no problem at all in linking up subsequently as it is automatic. With the bluetooth function, I was really, really free to move around as much as I liked and the control buttons on the headset allowed for changing of tracks, volume and pause control without having to fish out the player itself. Heh, not to mention I feel so damn cool :P

My only muse is that the radio can’t be heard over the headset due to the bluetooth limitations and that at times connection isn’t stable when the player is kept in ‘tight’ places. Other then that, the bluetooth connection holds for around 7 metres before cutting off. Sound quality isn’t as good as hearing through earphones but it is nothing I would complain about :)

And what’s really syiok is that the boyfriend and I can listen to the same player without having to sit next to each other! I can connect my headset using the bluetooth capability whilst the boyfriend plugged in the ear piece :) Sounds like a nothing affair, but I swear him and I shared a lot of laughs over that function.

In conclusion, I would recommend the Samsung YP-T10 to you guys :) The price is rather cheap relative to its functions and in comparison to other players in the market. The SBH-500 I love, but I think its suited more for the men reading this. For the ladies, I’d recommend other wireless models as this design doesn’t really complement some people. If you don’t give a flying fish like me, then get it of course!

And as promised, the goodies :-

Alternatively, click here! Print the coupon (be sure to read the T&Cs) to enjoy the fabulous discounts. Spread the joy, ey? Perfect for belated Christmas gifts or early birthday presents for the upcoming year. Not to mention, the bonusesssss.

And to those who are asking how the hell I managed to bag the mp3 player and headset, for the bazillionth time, sign up with Ripplevox dey!

P/s. I do miss my Samsung K5’s speakers, so if you have more cash, then I suggest you could get the bluetoothed version of that, the S5. Now THAT’S the best mp3 one can ever get.