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| Samsung 4.0 WiFi Player |
I have to admit that this media player has me conflicted. It may be a great device, but it should have been in my hands 4 months ago. I found one at my local BestBuy, and I've been running it through its paces to see what shakes loose.
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| Included Headphones with Mic |
In the box:
- Nice set of in-ear-monitors (IEMs) that include a microphone on the cord.
- Micro USB cable.
- AC power adapter.
- User Guide.
- Health & Safety and Warranty Guides.
- 1200mAh Battery: 36hrs Music play with WiFi and screen off. 5hrs video. Replacement batteries with greater capacity are supposedly available.
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| AC to USB Adapter |
Hardware:
- 4.0" 800x480 Super Clear LCD
- Front Camera: VGA 640 x 480
- Rear Camera: 3.2 Megapixel
- FM Radio
- GPS
- Haptic (vibration) feedback
- Bluetooth® 3.0 (added speed and power savings)
- Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n/a)
- Stereo Speakers
- MicroSD card slot (under back cover)
- Volume Rocker
- Power/Lock button
- Microphone
- USB port (under sliding cover)
- Headphone Jack
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| Back Off. Removable battery and MicroSD Slot |
Media capability:
- Music: The Music app is excellent with easy access to volume control, shuttle controls, shuffle/repeat, lyrics (if available), EQ settings (presets and 2 user settings), full-screen album art (when available), song info including artist, album, song name and track number, song position and length, etc.. There is also a LIST icon to tap to go back to the songs list. The menu icon will bring up several more options including Add to Quick List, Share Music Via, Add to Playlist, Via Bluetooth/Speakers, Set as Alarm Tone, and More. Tap "More" and you'll get a Settings and Details option. Settings include Samsung's SoundAlive, Choices for how the music is sorted, and the option for choosing a graphic to show when no Album Art is available. The Music app claims WAV, MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA (v9), WMA Lossless, and Ogg formats will play. The player also played M4A and FLAC files with no trouble. The was no left/right balance setting. The largest negative I can find is that there is no gapless playback. I'm giving music playback an A though. Just not an A+.
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| Music: Now Playing |
- FM Radio: The radio app is also well done. The first time I opened it the app started searching for stations. When done there were no active frequencies in range of me that were left out, and no frequencies logged that were nothing but static or noise. You can have it output through the headphone (required for antenna) or the onboard speakers. You can turn it OFF within the app or leave it playing in the background after leaving the app. Volume levels are separate for speakers and headphones. No RDS that I noticed. No FM output via Bluetooth. No Radio recording. That leaves Radio with a B+.
- Video: Video support is great, supporting any WMV, AVI or MP4 up to 720p that I've tried. The specs claim H.263, H.264, MPEG4, 3GP, WMV (v9), Xvid, and DivX ® formats. The Video app remembers your position in the file when you return to it. Besides the normal shuttle controls, the Menu button brings up Share Video, Details, Via Bluetooth/Speakers, Play Speed, Subtitles, and Settings options. The Settings option includes Repeat, Brightness, Colour tone, and Outdoor visibility. You can resize/stretch video to fill the screen. There is also a toggle for 5.1ch audio although I'm not sure why given the player only has stereo out. Video deserves an A+.
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| Video Player |
- Photos: The larger screens get, the better they are for photo display. This is true for the 4.0" Samsung compared to my previous 3" P2, P3, and M1 players from Samsung. The Gallery app supports JPG, PNG, GIF, and BMP files. Photos are vivid. Sliding between them is fluid. The included samples look great. You have Slideshow options, Share options, and Editing options including Crop and Rotate left or right. You can also delete photos from within the Gallery app. Photos get an A thanks to the great screen.
- Cameras: The front facing camera is worthless for anything other than video chat. Photos taken with it are low resolution (640 x 480) and grainy. The rear camera does a little better, but at 3.2mp isn't up to the images you'll get from most 5mp or 8mp phones these days. The lens is much better than that on the front, so with good light you can take some decent images. There are several settings and options in the Camera app. You have Shooting Mode choices of Single Shot, Smile Shot, Continuous, Panorama, Add me, and Action Shot. You have Scene choices of Landscape, Portrait, Sports, Night, Party/Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dawn, Fall Colour, Firework, Text, Candlelight, and Backlight. You can adjust Exposure Value from -2 to +2 in .5 steps. There is also a long list of Camera settings you might find on Samsung's best consumer cameras. Finally you have tools, which include Guidlines, Review, GPS, Shutter Sound, Storage, and Reset. You may want to check out a few photography books for information on how to use all these features. The Rear camera's highest resolution is 2048 x 1536. There is no flash. I'm giving the Camera app an A though. They don't usually come as full-featured as this one.
UI: The user interface is Typical Android Phone. I'm guessing that if you own a Samsung android phone you'll be right at home. Samsung's TouchWiz additions are nothing more than useful. They include a dock bar that hold 4 apps and is always there no matter which home page you are on. Power shortcuts (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, Sound, and Auto Rotation) also were added to the dropdown notifications list. A long press on the menu icon brings up Search, and a long press on the Home icon brings up a window showing recently used apps and a shortcut to the Task Manager. There are 7 home screens, but Edit in the home screen menu options will let you delete ones you don't use. You can add them back using the same Edit option. The UI doesn't rotate as the device rotates. For few improvements over their phone UIs,
I'll give the UI an Android average C+. Yes there are widgets and animations and such. Nothing surprising though.
Apps: In addition to the Google Android Market, this player also comes with the Samsung Apps application. You can also add the Amazon App Store with relative ease. No need to root or hack this player to gain access to all of Google's apps. Some unique apps added by Samsung include AllShare, Samsung App(store), and Thinkfree Office. Several typical android apps (usually social or media related) also appear to have been altered (improved) by Samsung.
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| Android Market |
Impressions: Light weight. Well built. Beautiful screen. Great media support. Good headphones included. The removable battery implies this player could be the last player you'll ever need. Batteries have a limited number of charge cycles, and as such will wear out eventually. Any player without a removable battery will only last as long as that battery. This player is comfortable to hold although a little slippery. This is an "everything device" you can carry in your pocket. Cameras, Radio, GPS, Skype and Google Talk phone services, in addition to the great media capabilities make this a wonderful alternative to a phone if you don't want to pay that monthly phone service fee.
Conclusions: Samsung has built a great player here. At $229 for 8gb it is higher but more capable than the $199 8gb iPod Touch. GPS, FM radio, and a larger screen may be worth the $30 difference. There are other more subtle differences that should help justify that cost. I'm rating the Samsung Galaxy 4.0 a Great Buy. Consider that 9.5 out of 10, with .5 for hoping the price drops to $199.
4D
P.S.: If you enjoy my blog, please consider clicking on an Ad or two. Thanks!
Posts
Will we see a comparison of it against the 43IT and Cowon D3?
ReplyDeleteYou won't need one. The 43 and D3 don't come with the Android Market. The 43 has a slightly larger screen, while the D3 has a slightly smaller screen.
ReplyDeleteI've got the Samsung 5.0 review in the works, and may compare it to the Latte Ice Smart 5.0 and my old Archos 5. Samsung's engineering is clearly far ahead of both companies, but the screens are comparible and media capbilities similar.
4D
So you would suggest this over the Archos 43 IT?
ReplyDeleteOver the 43, Yes. Capacative 4-point multitouch screen alone makes it better.
ReplyDelete4D
Thanks for the review! I had already bitten the bullet and bought one, but I agree with just about everythig you've written. It's my first foray into Android and I'm very impressed with the device.
ReplyDeleteIt's portable (the biggest requirement for me...needing to easily fit in a pocket), the image is incredible and the UI is very smooth and intuitive (I think a C+ is a bit harsh to be honest...but I guess I've got nothing to compare it to).
The battery life seems pretty reasonable. I'd guess that a day full of wifi use, games and movies then you'd get less than a day. But for general use you should get 1-2 days. For me, as I will be using it predominantly as an ereader (for which it is absolutely brilliant!!) I'm guessing that I'll be getting a few days use out of the battery minimum (obviously not continuous reading though!).
I'm still waiting for the upgrade to Gingerbread, but it seems like that should be coming soon.
Cheers!
Andrew.
Thanks for visiting, Andrew. That C+ comes from the fact that I've seen many android devices, and will only reward UI improvements I haven't seen before. C+ is a hair better than average compared to the rest. Not bad. Not outstanding or evolutionary either.
ReplyDelete4D
" . . . it should have been in my hands 4 months ago."
ReplyDeleteMy feelings are synonymous! I got a 16GB Archos 43 for $250 CAD + taxes and I am now filled with envy after reading your review 4D!
I'm envious of the Galaxy Player's front facing camera, GPS, FM radio, haptic feedback, dedicated buttons, and a multitouch screen. Bluetooth 3.0 might've been something interesting to play with as well. Replaceable/upgrade-able battery is certainly a major bonus! All of these, the Archos lacks! I would've purchased this instead of the Archos if Samsung had released this earlier! >8O <-- My rage face
And now, I have no cash to spare due to university (and headphones). I also can't really justify purchasing another media player seeing how my Archos is just 4 months old.
I know your pain, Vincent. Your cash is better spent on education though so that should lessen the momentary suffering. Fortunately the 43 is a great media player and should still give you everything it did before the Samsung 4.0 came out. :D
ReplyDelete4D
I was glad to finally find a review that included the function most important in this purchase, playing music. Coming from an ipod touch what differences do you think would take the longest to get used to, and how is the sync software? Itunes takes a second to add songs, make playlists, etc. How does the samsung app compare? Also, is the music player app the same as a Droid music player app?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous: You don't need to use Samsung's sync software. You can use Windows media player or even just drag and drop. Using Samsung's software you can sync over WiFi though. Transfer rates are the same no matter which software you use, except using WiFi it depends on how busy your network is.
ReplyDelete4D
Hi 4D, Thanks for the review, I am comtemplating getting one too... I am looking into the 5 inch one too but realized the battery compartment is sealed and therefore less attractive..
ReplyDeleteBy the way, does this player plays .mkv movie files ?
Thanks again
Chris
Chris: Yes, the 4.0 and 5.0 players play .MKV, but only up to 720p. The samples I have in 1080p won't play.
ReplyDelete4D
Hi 4D, when do you plan to review the SGP 5.0? I'll be going down to MA next week and I'm still on the fence between the 4.0 and the 5.0. I wonder how superior is the Super Clear LCD on the 4.0 compared to the regular LCD on the 5.0 since that and portability are its greatest selling points for me. On the other hand, the 5.0 offer a unique form factor...so tempting. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteZoro: I've started the 5.0 review but have gotten so busy with my regular job it'll be a few more days before I post it. Quick... The 5" screen is great. Battery lasts twice as long as the 4.0's but is not user-replacable. The rear camera has a flash which comes in handy. Other than that the features are essentially the same as the 4.0. I'm loving the 5.0 as it is easier for my old eyes to read without reading glasses. :)
ReplyDelete4D
I've been waiting for so long for a Android device comparable to the iPod Touch, I'm very disappointed three is so little interest in these devices. Thanks for keeping the discussion going 4D. Too bad they don't sell them north of the border. Do you say the Super Clear on the 4.0 in real life is not that much better than the 5.0? If that's the case, it makes the 4.0 much tougher sale. The non replacability of the battery on the 5.0 matters only for the duration of the warranty, and lasting twice as long would make swapping redundant.
ReplyDeleteLooking at the 4 and the 5 next to each other, the color on the 4 is more vivid and accurate. the 5 is a hair washed out (in comparison) no matter what brightness the screen is set to. The resolutions are the same. The 5 is significantly bigger in screen area. You also get twice the battery life with the 5.0. For those reasons I much prefer the 5.0. Both are far superior in utility and performance than my 4th gen iPod Touch.
ReplyDelete4D
Thanks 4D. How would you feel carrying the 5.0 around all day. For me it will be replacing an ancient iPaq PDA (circa 2003) which is in my jeans pocket all the time. By now its functions are more or less reduced to an e-book reader therefore the need for upgrade, but portability is number one on my list which I'm sure wouldn't be a problem with the 4.0. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteZoro: I do carry the 5.0 around at work. Usually in the thigh pocket of cargo slacks. I don't recommend it for a shirt pocket. Get the 4.0 of you're worried about it. Both are great devices.
ReplyDelete4D
Hey 4D how smooth do the apps run on the galaxy player? And how is gaming? I know that it's only a single core cpu and it only has like 384MB or ram so for a device that has a single core cpu and only 384MB of ram how does it do in those areas? Thanks in advance.
ReplyDeleteJonathon: How smooth? Like butter. Angry Birds levels that choke other players plays fluidly on the 4.0 and the 5.0. WaveBlazer (3D boat race)and Raging Thunder(3D auto race) that came with my Archos players do fine too. You won't be playing Tegra-specific games on them, but they are better than any other android pocket player so far.
ReplyDelete4D
Hi 4D. One reoccurring complain I've seen in online reviews is the WiFi reception and in particular the range. So me people say that where other devices would pick up signal at certain distance the SGP would fail. Have you noticed any such issues and is there a difference in reception sensitivity between the 4.0 and the 5.0 (potentially different antenna design)? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteZoro,
ReplyDeleteI haven't noticed any connection or range problems with my 4.0 or 5.0. The wifi bars will drop down to one or none occasionally when farthest away from my router, but my connection persists. The complaints you reference may be more about the bars than the actual connection. Samsung could tweak the bar display a little without changing anything else and those complaints might evaporate.
4D
4D,
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I'm about one second away from getting this to replace my iPod Touch 3g, as I've been waiting for a Touch with a better camera than the one on the Touch 4g. I like the size better on the 4.0 than the 5.0, as I want something that can fit in a shirt pocket, but I'm curious about how the lack of a flash is on the 4.0. Have you tried shooting photos inside or at night? Are the photos decent at all? I don't need this to replace my actual camera, but I'd like something that can take a decent photo in- or outside while I'm away from my real camera.
Thanks,
Mike
How do you rate sound quality compared to iPod Touch 4, or Cowon D3 or Sansa Fuse? Have you tried any sound enhancing apps (Voodoo Sound, WinPro, etc.) yet, and, if so, how effective have you found them to be?
ReplyDeleteThe Touch is a decent player (mine is a 4th gen 8gb). No "enhancing" apps, as I'll only compare players using their stock capabilities. Of the 3 I'd rate the Cowon D3 best, Samsung 4,0 2nd, and the Touch 3rd. Very close though. Hard to be scientific in judging them though, so you'll have to trust your own ears.
ReplyDelete4D
@Mike: In good light (outdoors) the camera is OK. Full of features for sure. The flash on the 5.0 comes in handy indoors, but only for close-up shots. It won't replace a decent pocket camera. No media player I have is much good for photos indoors unless you have photo floods to use. The lenses used need great light to be any good.
ReplyDelete4D
I am so conflicted between the 4 & 5 models. I don't want something that is portable and 5 inch looks too big, I mostly want the 4 but that flash for the 5 inch model is what is. Making me have second thoughts. Also how is multitasking on this?
ReplyDelete@Drake: Multitasking is the same as it is on any recent android phone. Easy enough to have music playing while you jump back and forth between your email and the browser. Not much more most would try and do on such a small screen. Head to a BestBuy and check both out. If you still aren't sure then buy one and keep your receipt. Exchange ot for the other if not completely satisfied. Better yet buy both. I did! :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome reviews, thanks for saving us time and $! My daughter wants a pod touch for her 10th bday, she has been saving to put some cash in. We are more droid people and at first I was considering the latte ice smart, but now I see this samsung.... I saw on the video that the samsung can chat with other android systems, is this true? I refuse to buy her a phone but this would be a nice way to communicate with her when she's not home. Any advice would be great. If I'm goin to spend the $ I would like something that will grow with her for a few years, thinkin samsung 4.0 since it has replaceable batt. and sd card slot.
ReplyDeleteThanks! -Brooke
Nice review, as are the rest of your previous ones.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to your review on the 5.
I am looking to get the 5.0 shortly. I have a 30gb iPod classic that I have used for a few years now as my 'beater' PMP; mowing lawns etc, but my favorite PMP has been my 30gb Cowon A2, a device I still cherish & use almost daily.
The A2 was my first Cowon product and I just fell in love with it. About 6months ago when the toggle button started getting less responsive I started looking around for a future replacement & I considered the Touch, an impressive device which we bought both of our boys last Christmas, but the smaller screen and reliance on iTunes is a turn off.
I have watched the Cowon line but really was not overly impressed with what was coming out; some were nice, just not what I was looking for.
One feature I really like about the A2 is the ability to record audio & video from a TV, DVD VCR, etc right onto the device, as opposed to the older Archos I looked at the time which needed a dock. The battery life for the A2 also couldn't be beat. If you ever see a A2 offered at a decent price check it out, you might like it; I'm always looking for a backup myself. The battery is built in, but the device is easy to crack open and replacement batteries are on eBay.
Too bad the SGP 4 or 5 doesn't allow recording like the A2, but WiFi & Android sure help make up for it cause now at least I'll be able to watch things like Netflix.
Have a Magical Day!
Kerry
@Brooke: The 4.0 and 5.0 from Samsung both have Google Talk and Skype installed, which with a wifi connection are reasonable altenatives for a phone. I personally haven't used either, so you'll have to test them out yourself.
ReplyDelete@Kerry: Thanks for the compliments. Yes, the A2 was brilliant before the rest of the world was ready for brilliance. Android on a device like the Samsung 4.0 and 5.0 is entertaining as well. The need to capture your own content is less important these days with netflix and Youtube and others accessible over WiFi. With cameras though you could still video a TV show, no cable/dock/adapter needed.
4D
I would like to ask if it is able to read .cue list of my .flac files ?
ReplyDeleteThanks alot
Chris
@Chris: As far as I can test, the 4.0 doesn't read .cue files. This is the first I've heard of them though, and all I've done is make a test .cue file for a single .FLAC file. My formatting may be completely wrong.
ReplyDelete4D
It must be powerful device, now I use Samsung Corby, but in some future i wanna by this one, think it's cool
ReplyDeleteHi 4D, I finally bought a J3 here in Lima, Perú from a mall store. I just happened to have an iPod Touch 4gen 8G from a nephew of mine. I tested both players and I did not noticed the difference in quality sound for the same mp3 (160 knps) file. Both where with both equalizer and no sound enhancing functions turned on. How woud rate sound quality and video quality between the Cowon J3 and the Samsung Galaxy Player 4? From what I read of your review I'm tempted to get the Samsung player.
ReplyDelete@Skysurfer1967: I don't notice differences comparing 160kbps songs on any two devices. Where I start to hear one sound better than the other is when I play higher bit-rate or lossless files and listen with great headphones. Meet those conditions and I give the edge to the Cowon J3. This Samsung is very close though, and should satisfy 99% of the listeners out there.
ReplyDelete4D
Hi 4d, could you please help me by making a dump of the firmware for the galaxy player?
ReplyDeletePlease take a look at this link.
forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1082288
The other day I let my friend use my player, and he was stupid and opened titanium backup and accidentally deleted a whole bunch of system apps. I had not backed them up yet, and so now my device is super buggy and many things don't work right.
Just use terminal emulator from the market and first type "su" (you need to root your device first), then copy paste those commands under system, kernel, and recovery to create three files on the root directory of your phone. Then can you upload them to a site (such as mediafire, megaupload, dropbox, etc) and post? I just need the three files; I don't need you to compile them into a ROM for me.
To root your device, look at this forum. forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1321582#
Its really easy and you can unroot later if you want.
And don't worry, dumping the ROM this way doesn't dump any user data, just the firmware.
Thanks. I would really appreciate it if you could help me.
btw, very nice review. This review helped me decide between this or an iPod touch.
Sorry, klin1344. I'm not into rooting or dumping. Prefer to keep my devices stock so they'll update as expected and run like 99% of those sold to the general public. Surely XDA has a member that'll help you.
ReplyDelete4D
Hi, Enjoying your Reviews.
ReplyDeleteI have an antique Creative Jukebox Zen 30gb that still runs and sounds like new. (I've yet to hear anything that sounds like it does) Long may it last. But if it dies, the SG5 might be a nice replacement.
Can the SG5 playback in 'Genre' mode, as my Jukebox does? Sometimes I'm just in the mood for Hawaiian music...
Thanks,
Hi I am looking to get either the cowon s9 or the j3 as my next pmp upgrade as my work place does not allow players with camera in them to be brought in. Hence could you tell me which is more worth the money ( I am favouring the s9 now just based off design virtue)
ReplyDeleteJustin: Between the two, either one should do. I also like the design of the S9 but the J3 is newer and would hold it's retail value longer if that matters. For audio quality they both sound the same to me.
ReplyDelete4D
Thanks for the advice I will go check up on the pricing for both. Retail value doesn't hold much meaning as I am planning to keep it for awhile and I don't usually sell them off after I am done with them. but its true that the S9 looks awesome
DeleteAlso I have come across a new cowon player the z2... another android but it has gotten a great review on head-fi so i was wondering if i should look at that
DeleteYes, hopefully the Z2 is everything the D3 should have been but wasn't. You'll get far more features with any android device than you will with the S9 or J3, but I suspect the Z2 may be twice as expensive as the S9 when it shows up.
ReplyDelete4D
I have a site which is selling the z2 32gb for S$400 (singapore dollars) where I am from. for the price it is quite reasonable giving that locally the j3 is being sold for about S$350. That and the supplier on that online site is based in Korea, this point is driving me towards the z2
DeleteCan you tell me the durability of the screen compared to a Cowon D3? My choice is between this or that.
ReplyDeleteEffectively the same. I don't test the screens of my devices until failure, but both screens are glass and protected somewhat by the bezels surrounding them. The D3 is relatively cheap now as Cowon has a newer android player coming out, but I'd still recommend this Samsung 4" (or the 5") over the D3.
ReplyDelete4D
Yeah, I've been looking around and I agree with you there. One more question, just to be sure; Is there significant difference between the sound quality for MP3s at 320kbps? I keep most of my music at lossless, but when I need to save space I convert to MP3, but never below 320, and I believe you stated somewhere that the sound difference shows above 128kbps.
DeleteOh, actually, one more thing too: Is the 4.0 screen size adequate to watch video on? I'm not talking is it a stunning display of light, but does the image, for lack of a better word, not look squashed?
DeleteAlright, here's basically my situation. I want a multimedia player that can range from being a portable MP3 player to being able to go on the web. My most demanding use for the thing would probably be doing some online reading (Or PDF reading) with a Music Player going in the back. Most other use will probably be as just a music player. But idealy, I want one that I wouldn't really be butting heads with the hardware's limits by watching youtube videos or the like.
ReplyDeleteI've narrowed myself, based on research and the fact that I'm going to buy from Amazon, between the Archos 43 (On sale at Amazon this week for $140 (8GB) and $189 (16GB)), the Cowon D3 ($220 / 32GB), and the Samsung Galaxy 4.0 ($179 8GB).
Now, as you're the most responsive, and dare I say most experienced, reviewer I've seen for all three, I want to know what you would do. All three are expandable.
The Archos is the cheapest, if only this week, for the 8GB model. And it's 16GB Model is only $10 more than the Samsung. I've seen plenty of people give this thing praise, but most don't have experience between two or even three of my choices. I noticed your gripe with it was primarily it's pressure based touch screen. I'm unsure if this would be a defining factor for me, but it seems like a big one to you. So, I guess the question is, is it a $40 deal?
For the Cowon, I noticed in your review that it was, for lack of a better term, a jerry rigged android player. However, you did mention that you could just install the Amazon android Market and it would work fine. Now, it's the most expensive, but it's onboard memory is also the biggest, bar none, and can be expanded to a full 64GB with current SD cards.
The Samsung seems to be your current favorite, and admittedly it's the one I'm leaning towards myself. Seemingly better hardware, 8GB of memory, and the like.
Based on your personal experience, which would you say I should go for? Would I be missing much if I went with the Cowon? Is the Archos' cheapness the deciding factor? Or is the Galaxy the leader in all respects, save simply for memory compared to the Cowon?
Thanks for your help, you're deciding my next move here. :D
Get the Samsung 4.0 if these three are your only options. Get the Samsung 5.0 for far better battery life, a larger screen, and a better web experience.
ReplyDelete4D
The 4.0's screen is fine for 16:9 videos. The 5.0's screen is better simply because it is larger. Squashing depends on the format of the video you are watching.
ReplyDelete4D
My ears are 55 years old. Not the best judge for sound quality. I'm happy listening to my music at 320kbs MP3 though, but the headphones used make the biggest different in a quality experience.
ReplyDelete4D
@Justin: I haven't had a Z2 to evaluate. If you get one, post a comment on your generalized opinion of it.
ReplyDelete4D
mine seems to have been left in the mail... I am still contacting the supplier to confirm he shipped it to the correct address
DeleteMy Z2 arrived a few days ago and I have been listening to it on my M50 and UM3X rc. On first impressions it more of the details are revealed from the songs as compared to my previous mp3(creative x-fi style). Just the roomy feel that is imparted to the m50/um3x makes they all so much more awesome. However I can't really compare the performance with other players before as I have not owned any really high end mp3s. Also compared to my friend's stock Ipod touch, it sounds quite similar, as I am only able to test .mp3 formats of songs and the difference can only be heard with the higher bit rate files. Just my 2 cents
DeleteHaving some trouble figuring out how to use the shuffle feature. Any assistance? Great review!
ReplyDeleteIn portrait view of the Now Playing screen tap on the cover art and the shuffle, A-B, and Reply (A with an arrow under it) icons should appear. Tap the crossing arrows (shuffle) and when it turns blue shuffle should be active. In Landscape view these icons only show up if they were visible before switching from Portrait.
ReplyDeleteShuffle will only shuffle the songs within the group or sort option you selected the song from.
Hope that helps.
4D
Hi friend
ReplyDeleteI read some review about Galaxy Player 4.0, and they said that the device has a very bad sound quality, but you are saying the quality is great... I'm a bit confused...
So, let's see, i want a good music player, mostly to play music, and i might wanna read some ebooks, and maybe occasionally some movies.... between Galaxy Player 4, Archos 43 and Cowon D3, which one do you suggest???
Thanks
P.S.: sorry for bad English :P
Sound quality is subjective. To me the Samsung 4.0 sounds great using my preferred headphones. The D3 sounds a little better, but disappoints me in many other ways. Adding all features up I recommend this Samsung 4.0 or the 5.0 version.
ReplyDelete4D
google talk is not basically google TALK , with galaxy palyer 4 you're not able to talk, just sms is active through '' google talk'' and that's all,
ReplyDeleteHey, where have you been? How about some updates to your site,...it'd be great to see new content.
ReplyDeleteSorry, tds101, but the state of the economy has cut off my source of income for devices. Until things improve there will be no more posts here. Thanks for visiting though.
ReplyDelete4D
Hello there,
ReplyDeleteQuestion : Does all the cowon player sound similar ?
Real situation :
You said in one of your comments that the Cowon D3 and the Galaxy 4.0 sound similar but the D3 would be a little bit better.
My archos 43 died recently (thanks for your review from tack then, really useful) and I will buy a new device. I am split between the new samsung galaxy player 4.3 and the new Cowon Z2.
IF all the cowon sound similar, and most probably the galaxy player 4.3 (being a small modification of the original) sound similar to the 4.0, then that would mean that : both player (Z2 and player 4.2) sound similar in respect to audio quality; with the cowon a little better.
User case : I listen to lossless flac files (classical music and other genre) and 320kbps mp3 with 300$ headphone (Sennheiser HD 25-1 II). I am not in the 99% of people listening shit.
In the end, the way I see it, the cowon has dedicated play/pause,next,previous button. Everything else is better in the galaxy 4.2. If the sound quality is similar, then the choise is not hard to do to the galaxy.
Thank you.
I enjoy my galaxy 4.2. I don't have the Z2 though, and won't be buying one. I'll recommend the 4.2, but can't claim it is better than the Cowon. I simply don't know.
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