A Closer Look at the Samsung YP-S5


The YP-S5’s design is highly reminiscent of that of the Samsung YP-K3 which won numerous international design awards. However, where this player differs is in the fact that it is more than twice the thickness of its sibling due to the built-in speakers and other feature changes. Also unlike the K3 which comes in many different colors, the S5 is only available in the gloss black finish we see here. This means it is quite susceptible to scratches and the appearance of fingerprints but it looks nothing short of stunning when it is clean.

The upper portion of the S5 holds the somewhat small 1.8” TFT display while the lower area houses touch-sensitive buttons which glow white once the unit is turned on.


The bottom of the S5 holds the USB connection port as well as the earphone connection jack while the top houses the power / hold switch. This switch must be pushed to the right (in relation to the picture above) in order to turn on and off the unit while pushing it to the left will lock the front-panel button functions.


As you may recall, we said there were built-in speakers and up until now you were probably wondering where the heck they were hiding. Samsung has actually developed an ingenious sliding mechanism which allows the rear portion of the S5 to glide out to an angle in order to expose the speakers. Not only does this mechanism secure the speakers in place well enough that you don’t have to worry about it opening of is own accord but it can also be opened with the flip of a finger.


This mechanism basically consists of a pair of rails and which slide the upper portion of the S5 forwards and backwards but hardly take up any space due to the fact that they are recessed within the player.


The reflective silver coating on the speaker housing is protected by a thin plastic film which is extremely easy to miss when you first open the YP-S5. Make sure you remove this if you will be using the speakers since it seriously muffles their directional sound.


The back of the player has an opening for the microphone and the obligatory reset button. As you will see later, the microphone can be used for anything from making or receiving a phone call to recording voice memos.