Home > Consumer Reviews > Samsung YP-U3JQW 2GB USB Digital Audio player with FM Radio (White)

The YP-U3 is a device that's advertised to be a usb memory card that doubles as a mp3 player and although that's not entirely false, it's not a standard removable storage device.

You need to install the software they give you on the disc or have Windows Media Player 10 on your PC to be able to connect it to your PC and use it so don't think you'll be able to drag and drop your songs on it for easy to use interface. So beware Mac users and others who want to get it for that purpose.

However, there are various methods to get the YP-U3 to roll back to being a removal storage device/mp3 player that it used to be but it's a bit of a process that might require a bit of internet searching and tutorial reading.

If you do go through the process and make it just that though, the player is fantastic. The sound is terrific, and the player itself is lightweight and slick looking.

Pros:

Great Sound.
Slick style.
AM/FM radio playback.
Clip on for use while you're on the go.
Extensive settings for sound and functional player usage.
Voice recording.

Cons:

Takes work to get it to become a standard removable storage device.
No AM/FM recording.

I bought this product and had to return it right away. There was nothing wrong with it, technically speaking, but I was very unhappy with several things. First of all, the look is cheap--plastic, very fragile looking, the battery stick-out is very rickety, you're always afraid it will break. Second, the pad is extremely sensitive, you can fast forward when you want to increase volume, skip songs when you want to check menu, etc. You need really skinny fingers and a lot of attention when manipulating it. Third, the pad is flat, so you need to pull the mp3 out of your pocket and look at it every time you want to change a song or change volume. You cannot run with it because of this. Fourth, every time you are done adjusting something, there is an annoying beep sound in the headphones that goes away only a minute after you stopped touching the pad (the automatic lock) and, with a pad so sensitive that any touch of your inner pocket makes it beep, this can take a while. I walked down to the store with it and it beeped me into a rage for about half an hour. Fifth, this MP3 player does not recognize folders, so for people who listen to rock, jazz, or album-based music, there is a mess. Imagine your songs played in the order in which the device recognizes them and not in that of the folders where they belong. Sixth, the inner battery lasts only about 6 hours, and not 12 as they advertise. On the plus side, the sound is great, as it is with all Samsung products. Such a pitty they don't make old models, such as YP-MT 6, one of the best MP3s ever made. I owned one and was in love with it!