Various Ways to Listen to Music
Music has become an integral part of our life. It is what we look for when we feel down, excited or angry or simply long for calmness or excitement. Music has an indescribable attraction, as its intangible waves can completely overturn our states of moods. Perhaps reflecting this nature of music, MP3 players, which enable the users to listen to music whenever and wherever they want, have become necessities of our lives. We always keep our MP3 players by our side ? when we take a walk, go on a trip, read a book, or even when we study. These MP3 players that we have come to cherish so much as our friends and that have captured the wonders of technological advancements over the years have yet to achieve another goal we wish they could: that is, to connect not only ourselves, but also our close friends to the same world of enchanting music at the same time. However, attempts at achieving this goal have failed so far in various ways: to attach additional speakers to an MP3 means that its design would become less than attractive; to make an MP3 smaller and cuter means that it would have no space for speakers and that its sound would not be as pleasant. Is it really impossible for our MP3 players to entertain all of us and our friends at the same time? Not so, according to Samsung, which has launched its ambitious new product named Samsung YP-K5 (to which we will refer as K5 from the following paragraph). This new product from Samsung will present to us the conclusion of various ways with which we can enjoy music on our MP3 players.
Simple Structure, Unique Earphones
Given the complexity of its multi-functions in addition to its built-in speakers, K5 has a surprisingly simple structure although it offers all the functions we need. Inside the external package surrounding K5, decorated with colorful, graphic work of art representing the versatility of the MP3 player, is a black-box, which houses some of the essential components. The most attention-drawing feature about this MP3 player is its set of the earphones. K5 is the first of any electronic music-playing devices to introduce these low-sound-intensifying earphones with the model name of EP-100 that the users of ordinary earphones may find refreshingly unique at first. The earphones combine kernel-shaped parts that are to be placed safely inside the ears and open parts of wide diameters. The parts that go into the ears are covered in a soft, slippery material that protects the ears. EP-100 earphones are not like other wide-diameter earphones that tend to fall out of the ears easily. Samsung has chosen EP-100 in order to reinforce the rich low-to-mid-pitched sound that one may expect from a home-theater system. EP-100 earphones do amplify the texture of low-pitched sound on both ears, aptly fulfilling their purposes. This function of EP-100 earphones becomes clear when they are contrasted to other earphones that play significantly less low-pitched sound. EP-100 earphones, however, may not give the high resolution you want when you listen to mid-to-high-pitched sound. EP-100 earphones are quite charming for users who prefer to listen to low-pitched sound, but may not be as enchanting for users who tend to value the balance of sound or listen to high-pitched sound.

Original and Masculine Design
You may ask three questions when you first encounter K5: Where are the buttons? How do I work this thing? Where is the sound coming from? Those three questions are exactly what the designers of this innovative device meant to make you ask. The conventional, chunky MP3 players we are used to are hardly associated with such words as convenience and portability, as they were built around the function of speakers. K5, on the other hand, looks like our ideal of MP3 players. Although it does not look as slim or compact as other popular MP3 players on the market these days, its masculine black color, overall matte finish and highly glossy front definitely make much more sophisticated and mature. Moreover, the luxurious texture and round-finished corners also suggest that K5 is a result of pursuing perfectionism in terms of quality.

K5 has the display screen in the upper front part (or, depending on how you look at it, on the left side). Grab K5 in your hand, and you will feel no different from holding an MP3 player or a cellular phone. The shiny, highly glossy material covering the front part of the MP3 player adds to the overall sophistication already emboldened by the masculine black color. Surrounding this sophisticated external finish is a lining made of a matte material. This lining, slightly curved inward, gives the device that more finished, decorative look.

As we will discuss in more details later, the only button or switch of K5 is the power or hold switch you can find on the upper corner of the device. Then, where are the other buttons? You can find the buttons arranged on the lower corner of the basic desk-top setting, displayed on the screen on the front part of the device. This display screen of K5 looks like a matte-finished, black panel when the device is off. However, once you turn the device on, you will see various icons emerging from the deep black on your screen. You can operate these icons by simply and lightly touching on them. Thanks to these icons that serve as buttons, the designers of K5 were able to make the sophisticated, simplistic device as K5 is.

The original design of K5 makes it a bit difficult to name the parts (front, back, sides, etc.). For the sake of convenience, we will refer to the long side with the display screen front from now on. K5 looks most like an ordinary MP3 player when it is placed with its display screen facing up. It is when K5 is placed like this that we can say the Power and Hold switch is located in the upper corner of the device. This type of switch that functions both as power and hold switches at once has become quite a trend among similar devices. To turn the device on, you can lightly slide the switch and wait for a few seconds. To place the device on the hold mode, you can slide the switch back in the opposite direction. This switch is perhaps the most analogue feature about K5, as in the sense of being non-digital. The switch, however, is also very convenient at the same time.

Both the left and the rights sides of the device are simply finished. Hold the device in your hand, and you will feel the luxurious texture of the non-shiny surface surrounding all the sides. This matte, simplistic touch was achieved by putting all the buttons inside the device as icons. The sides are a bit slanted. This slight slant adds to the sense of security when you grab the device, while also emphasizing its overall stylishness. The slant may be a minor touch, but it emboldens the originality of the overall design of K5.

The lower side of K5 houses terminals for the earphones and data storing and charging device. The earphone terminal is an ordinary, 3.5 plug into which any other types of earphones or headsets may be plugged. The charger terminal on the right has 24-pin connectors so that K5 can be charged by any cellular-phone adapter. This charger terminal may look like not much, but it definitely enables the device to be charged without any hassle in todays world where many people have cellular phones. When K5 is not charging, a separate plastic cover protects this connector terminal from outside. When you need to use this connector, this separate cover is automatically slipped back so that you can connect other devices to K5.

The back also has the same matte finish as the sides. You will not find various certificate logos, marks, or serial numbers on K5 you normally found on other MP3 players, except the silk-screened logo of SAMSUNG in the middle. K5 is utterly simplistic and sophisticated in its design. The two small rectangles in the lower part of the device are actually covers for two screws. The black material covering the back and the sides of K5 may look like plastic, but it is actually not. I, for one, could not even believe that the material was not plastic, until I read the product specifications and touched the device myself. But when you touch the device, you can feel the inherent coldness and strength of a metallic material. The external case of K5 is made of not plastic, but magnesium. Magnesium is a material commonly used in high-end digital products to maintain their solidarity while reducing their weights. Magnesium is also highly resistant to scratches. Considering the relatively high cost of processing and producing magnesium cases, you will understand better the consumer price of K5.

The picture above is the overall view of K5 when it is turned off. Where, then, is the highly talked about speaker? To find the much publicized speaker, you need to pull down the front part of the device lightly. Grab the device just like you would a harmonica, and gently pull the front part down. Then you will see the device surprisingly break apart. K5 feels smooth when its front part is pulled down. It feels similar to using Samsungs Anycall Slide cellular phones. This sleek, gentle feeling of slide feels quite different from the semi-automated slide of another cellular phone. Try not to get too addicted to this feeling of gentle and smooth slide, or you will find yourself playing with this device even when you are not listening to music.

What makes the front slide down so smoothly and gently is hiding in the back. Here, you will find the various certificate logos and serial numbers you had expected to see on the outer side of the device. The back of the front that slides open is the best hidden feature of K5. Covered in a sleek, smooth material that allows for the sliding, this part also features two bars that move up and down on the hinges installed on the other inner side of the device. Looking to reset the device? You will find the RESET button not on the outer side (as you would with other conventional MP3 players), but on this hidden part of K5 which reveals itself only after you have slid it open.



Slide the device open, and you will find a perforated metallic panel. Yes, you are right: this perforated metallic piece is the much talked-about speaker. Now that you have slid the device open, you will also realize that this position of the speaker is the best when it comes to playing music aloud. This metallic speaker, with the pretty YEPP logo in its upper-middle part, is what makes K5 look like an audio device, not merely an MP3 player.

Simply, Convenient, and Versatile Functionality
Now, we will turn K5 on. While the bluish icons gracefully flash in the center of the touchpad, the SAMSUNG logo makes its wavy appearance on the display screen. The blue icons especially go well with the overall black color of the device. Be careful not to get too taken away by the magic of the screen, even when all those touchpad buttons are sparkling and an eye-catching display appears. The screen is a 1.71-inch, full-color OLED LCD. The OLED is known for its vivid and bright colors. It is a perfect match for K5 covered in black.

Listen to music for a while through your earphones. Then, while the music is still on, gently pull the slide down, and you will be surprised by the clear quality of the sound coming out of the speaker. Without having to go through a separate process of setting, the screen will automatically change from the vertical to the horizontal mode and the device will automatically stop the earphone function. The Back button is also re-located so that it becomes easier to operate on the horizontal mode. This makes K5 very user-friendly. The sound coming out of the speaker also does not blaze out at once: the volume is at first low, and automatically adjusts itself to become louder. Conventionally, the size of the speaker matches the quality of the sound it plays. Samsung, a well-established maker of various electronic voice and music devices, is well-aware of that fact. The small speaker of K5, however, does not easily fit that conventional description: It may be small, but it conveys the full dimensionality and quality of the sound it plays. These two small speakers play the kind of sound one might expect not from a 98mm-speaker, but from a 50cm-speaker. In other words, K5 plays music with a full stereo effect. Music Space, which often accompanies various devices from Samsung, has interesting sound effects that convey full dimensionality. K5 ultimately confirms the skills and experiences Samsung has acquired in electronic sound area. Play a moving car sound on your K5, placed right on your desk, and you will actually feel like a car has just moved from your left to your right. Now is time to turn the volume up. Even at its highest, the sound K5 plays has the same quality: in fact, at higher volumes, the sound coming out of K5 sounds even nearer to you. The sound does not turn unstable in a wide range of volumes. K5, overall, plays sound with quite a pleasant quality. This quality of sound assures that K5, as it promises on its product description, can be used as an alarm and a portable mini-audio player, while it can also be carried with you to anywhere you go. Now is your chance to actually confirm whether all my compliments are true.

Forgive me for being carried away too far by the sound of K5, and not having explained its functions. Now, let us have a look at each of the various functions of K5. The menus of functions K5 offers is largely divided into five categories: Music, FM Radio, Photo, Alarm, and Settings. ?These menus are expressed by the sparkly, water-drop-like icons that subtly shine like diamonds. As you move up and down the menus, the water-drop-like icons re-arrange themselves, forming different shapes. Underneath each shape you can see a brief description of each icon. You need to pay attention to the number of the water-drops: the numbers of the water-drops on the left and right sides indicate the order of the menu you are currently on. If you move a step in the right direction, one water-drop appears on the left side. Move two steps in the right direction, and two water drops appear on the left side, while one water-drop on the right side disappears. For instance, if you are currently on the Photo menu, which is the third of the five menus, you will see two water-drops on each side.

Select the Music menu and a water-drop on the left side will drop down, showing you the list of music you have. Select the piece you would like to play, and the screen will automatically turn into a simplistic Play mode. Unlike the past, the variety and fluorescence of colors no longer matters when it comes to MP3 players. K5 is an illustration of this: its screen is very simply structured, mixing only the blue and white colors. In particular, the graphic equalizer placed in the center, dances like a fish in a river, thanks to the accurate and vivid OLED display function. Turn this equalizer off, and you will see enchanting graphic effects. Below the effects are indicated basic types of information about the music being played.

Click the icon in the lower right corner while your music is playing to see the submenu. The submenu contains such functions as sound effects, equalizer activation, and so forth. This submenu is not so difficult to master, since it is structured simply and easily.

The second on the big menu list is FM Radio. This FM radio function makes K5 much more interesting and usable, since K5 has stereo speakers. Select the FM Radio function, and you will see a large frequency sign and a level meter. The red indicating line in the middle is also visually impressive. While you are holding K5, slide the device open and turn the radio on. You will see the screen automatically adjusting itself to the horizontal mode, filling up with sparkly lights. The only thing I did not like about using K5 as a radio was that the radio frequencies are caught only when the earphones are connected to the device.

Connect the earphones that serve as an antenna and move the frequency. The red pole in the center looks as if it were moving, but what is moving in fact is the level meters behind the red pole. These level meters move both in the left and the right directions so that you get the feel of an actual radio. Overall, K5 receives radio signals well. If you cannot receive a signal well, set the Signal Receiving Sensitivity under the submenu at high. The user can either move the frequencies himself, or have the frequencies preset. Of course you can listen to the radio through the earphones, but what makes K5 so valuable is listening to the radio using its speakers. It may not sound as clear as other music files saved in your MP3 storage, but the FM radio function of K5 is amply attractive by itself. Put this little device on your desk while youre working, and you can access your favorite radio station without any hassle.

Now, lets move to the Photo menu. You can view your photos under this menu. At first, I had K5 display four thumbnail images. The line gradually growing above the thumbnail images indicates how much of the music that is being played now has been played. This may not look significant, but what makes K5 truly interesting and original is these little touches that people tend to neglect. Thanks to the full-color display function of K5, all the photos being displayed appear clearly and vividly. While you are viewing these images, press the button in the center of the touchpad in order to have the images automatically slide. Store the photos of your loved ones, and watch them on the automatic slide mode with your favorite tune in the background. Are you looking forward to proposing to the girl you have had your crush on forever, but have not had guts to express your feelings toward? Have her photos stored in K5, and show her with that special song you have prepared along. You will sweep her off her feet. Find this little tip of mine cheesy? Well, then, find your own ways to enjoy this additional function of your K5.

While you are viewing the images, press the Menu button to see two simple additional menus. Some users may not find these little menus as attractive as I find them, but for those who hate reading the complicated printed manuals as much as I do, these menus make K5 all the more likable, because they really make it easier to use the device. The two menus you have just opened include Background Music and Screensaver functions. Under the Background Music, you can either turn on or turn off the background music. The Screensaver menu enables you to designate the image you are viewing right now as the screensaver that will appear when you are not using K5.

The next on the menu is the Alarm function. Other MP3 players that offer alarm often have the alarm function under the Settings menu. However, K5 takes its alarm function seriously, because K5 is specially designed to stand upright and equipped with a speaker that plays high-quality sound. The Alarm menu lists only the functions related to setting the alarm. You can set separate times for alarm for Monday through Friday, and Saturday to Sunday. You can also select the sound of alarm (alarm signal) and alarm recurrence. You might find the line indicating time a bit odd at first. That line actually makes the alarm clock stored in K5 look like a flip clock when you change the time. This little graphic touch makes K5 look all the more like a conventional, real alarm. After setting your alarm, return to the original Menu page, and you will find all the alarms you have set appearing on the list. You can set up to six different times at which your alarm should go off. If you would like to cancel one of those alarms, move your water-drop to select it and just press the Menu button.

For the alarm signal, you can choose from the three types of sounds offered specifically for alarm. Or, you can also select your favorite tune as your alarm by clicking the Submenu button while you are listening to music. K5 offers a variety of ways with which the device can be enjoyed. Did you turn K5 off after setting alarm? Do not worry: K5 will automatically turn on and send off alarm at the time you have set. Its alarm sounds loud enough. As the alarm goes off, the screen of K5 starts rapidly changing between the blue and the red tones, prompting the user to get up. Did you close the device because it was too loud? Do not worry: K5 will automatically active its submenu, under which the alarm will continue to ring until you press the Cancel button. Are you worried that you might turn all the things off even after the loud alarm goes off? Then, put K5 as far away from you as possible. You will still hear its sound.

Now, we will look into the last on our menu: Settings. The Setting menu is as simple as other menus. Its simplicity notwithstanding, the Settings offers all the functions you need, including the screensaver, display-off time, and so forth. You can also set the time for K5 to shut down its function or turn off automatically, while setting the date and the time. The Settings menu also offers the language and other system-related functions.

The most intriguing feature you will find under the Settings menu is probably the screensaver. If you leave K5 idle for a specific period of time, K5 will automatically activate the screensaver you have previously selected. It can display the analogue clock, Animation 1, Animation 2, Animation 3, or other sets of photos you have set before. Although the Animations are attractive screensavers as well, I like the analogue clock the best, since it is the screensaver that displays the characteristics of K5 best, when K5 is put on a desk or bedside table and I have to watch it.

The More You See It, the More You Use It, the More You Will be Charmed by It.
At first, you might think of K5 just as an MP3 player that is heavier and blacker than other MP3 players on the market. It will not take you long, however, to realize how sophisticated and luxurious K5 is once you start using it. Just touch the device once, and you will be surprised by its high-end finish and texture. Slide the device open, and you will be naturally drawn to the speaker. The advanced displays and sparkling icons also attract your attention. Its sound will truly enchant your heart. K5 may not stand out at first sight, compared to other fluorescent-colored MP3 players. However, it combines only the essential and necessary functions and attracts users with its understated charm and magic. K5 will truly become your music mate and morning mate that you will cherish all the time.