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Samsung T10 MP3 Player


Date
: 11/6/08 – 09:37:32 PM

Author
:

Category
: MP3 Players

Page 1 : Index

Today, Samsung is one of the world's leaders in the field of electronics. Founded in 1938, they have built quite a reputation and earned the trust of their followers, especially in the realms of mobile phones, displays, audio players and household appliances. We have taken a look at quite a number of Samsung products in the past, including a whole slew of MP3 players, and today we are going to take a look at another, Samsungs new T10.

The T9 was released back in 2006 and turned out to be a great audio player. Although Samsung may have made their audio players as functional as they can be, Samsung seems to have taken a further step in restyling the interface with their new line of audio players. For example, the recently reviewed S5 replaced the K5's dull and boring interface with a very stylish interface. The restyling was a double-edged sword because the processor took a hit in performance, and thus the S5 lags quite a bit. Will the T10 suffer the same fate? Read on to find out!

Page 2 : Package

The T10 comes shipped in a clear hard shell package, clearly showing all contents.

The back has all the information and specifications of the T10.

The T10 package comes with the player, earphones, installation disc, and USB cable.

The included earphones are the same headphones previously packaged with all other Samsung MP3 players with the exception of the S5. The S5's earphones have an in-ear design while the T10 has a more generic design.

Before we take a closer look at the T10, let's go over the specifications of the player.

Page 3 : Specifications

Here are some of the features listed on the Samsung website:

The T10 seems like an audio player that has all the standard functions packed into a small form. It plays video, music, records radio, and displays pictures. The advertised battery life is also impressive, as 30 hours is a very long time. Another thing to note about the T10 is Bluetooth compatibility which allows the use of wireless headphones.

Now that we have had a taste of the T10 on paper, let's take a look at the real thing.

Page 4 : Layout

In comparison to the Samsung T9, the T10 has alot more resemblance to the K3.

The front of the player consists of the 2.5 inch screen as well as the touch pad. This is pretty much the exact same configuration as the K3/K5 interface, but it is all topped off with a factory installed screen protector (which all manufacturers should start doing!). The front has a glossy finish, and is quite prone to fingerprints from greasy/sweaty hands.

The back of the T10 appears to be made of anodized aluminum, which gives the paint an almost indestructible finish. I have tried to scrape a penny across the back, only to have copper dust rubbed right off the T10, leaving no marks whatsoever. Also located on the back is a reset switch, and a small hole on the bottom to attach a lanyard.

On the right side of the player is the power/hold switch combo. It slides down to turn the T10 on/off, and slides up and locks in place to deactivate the touch pad.

The bottom of the player houses the 3.5mm jack as well as the mic and USB connector.

Now that the T10 has been thoroughly examined, let's move onto the installation.

Page 5 : Installation

Upon putting in the included CD, auto-play will automatically give you this screen.

Hitting the install button will quickly set up the media application.

After opening the application, you will see its resemblance to the system that Apple uses, iTunes. It is a hassle as you have to use this program to upload songs as the player is not a plug-and-play type device. In this program, you can add songs, organize them, and play them on the computer.

Upon plugging in the T10, the program will automatically detect it, and then it will list the contents that are currently in the player. You can then create folders, delete songs, upload songs, etc. while the player is charging. Uploading videos takes a large amount of time due to the size conversion.

Now that the T10 is set up and ready to go, let's finally turn it on and have a look.

Page 6 : Interface

Since the interface of the audio players are quite detailed, a video walk-through was prepared to fully explain the T10's interface.

Now that the T10 has been fully examined, let's give it an evaluation.

Page 7 : Field Testing and Ergonomics

Over the course of four weeks on the street, the T10 has become a key component of daily life. Whether it's on the streetcar, subway, or treadmill, playing music on the T10 is very enjoyable thanks to its clarity and ease of use. The LCD screen is nice and bright, and the buttons are clearly defined. The screen is very resistant to scratching, as after many cycles of moving in and out of a jean pocket, no marks are visible. Since controlling the player relies on a touchpad, it is very hard to control the T10 without visual confirmation, which can be inconvenient. There is a small annoyance with the T10's shuffle feature; skipping to the next song will play a random song, however, skipping to a previous song will also play a random song instead of playing the previous song that was listened to. Watching videos is quite hard on a 2.5 inch screen, and is not very enjoyable unless putting the player right up to your face. So buyers should really be buying the T10 as an audio player, and not as their main video unit.

Charging the unit takes about 4 hours to complete, and can last a very long time when only listening to audio. The Samsung website advertises the expected battery life as 30 hours, and the actual life would probably be higher. Watching videos is another story, as it takes more processor power in order to play a video. The battery life sharply diminishes to about 4 hours.

The size of the T10 is very thin, compact, and light-weight which is great for portability. This is essential for someone who goes to the gym often, and needs a player than can be easily strapped onto the arm for fitness activities. The T10 is also stylish, and can easily defer eyes away from everyone's mainstream iPods.

The sound quality that comes out of the player is up to par with onboard sound cards. Listening to music is very enjoyable with no static or distortions. The included earphones however are average. The treble is very crisp and clear, but the bass output is definitely lacking. The DNSe 2.0 sound processing technology implemented first as a firmware in the K3 is now stock on the all new Samsung audio players. This updated version of the DNSe (Digital Natural Sound engine) processor includes a very user-friendly way to customize your audio experience. There are many included pre-set equalizer settings that are all very unique, but the real beauty of this new processor is the ability to control the equalizer yourself. While many people believe that music should be listened to stock as it was meant to be out of the recording studio, but some of us like to customize our hearing experience. By controlling the amount of bass, treble, midtones, etc. the music experience can be greatly enhanced.

Page 8 : Conclusion

The Samsung T10 really delivers in a small package; it is very attractive, jam-packed with nifty features, and sports a very intuitive interface. There were very few problems when using this audio player on a daily basis, and at a fairly competitive price, it deserves serious consideration in the consumer market.

The new T10 definitely improves on the outdated T9, and stands out in the audio player market due to Samsung's traditional minimalistic styling and reliable functionality. The T10 is a great player which I would recommend to anyone.

Advantages

• Resistant to scratching, anodized body, factory installed screen protector

• Long battery life
• ID3 tag browsing
• Radio tuner
• Intuitive interface
• Great sound processor (DNSe)

Disadvantages

• Average earphones

• Skipping to previous song in shuffle will play a random song
• Video playback not enjoyable on a small screen

Overclockers Online would like to thank Samsung for making this review possible.