Safa's SS100 skinny Korean DAP

We've seen a few Safa players over the years, but none have really managed to avoid the ugly stick until now. Safa's new SS100 is quite familiar to a certain iPod in size and shape, even coloring, but we think it's got a bit of its own retro charm, and we've always gotta give props to something that can manage a 7.4mm thickness. The player holds up to 4GB of memory, connects via USB 2.0 and has an FM radio in the 512MB to 2GB versions. Codec support is pretty slim, at MP3, AVI, JPEG and TXT (ooh, TXT), but there is a 10-band EQ and built-in mic to make up for it. Nothing really outstanding, but if Safa can offer this for a decent price, and maybe ship a few over to their friends in the States, we might have worthy player among us.

[Via dapreview]

[Scabies @ Jun 9th 2006 3:02PM]

txt? intense
I migrated all of my files to MP3 when I saw this DRM war coming, so the lack of codec support isnt really bothersome. I'm still happy with my little Zen Nano atm

(how to overcome DRM: Burn an album to a CDRW using either Windows Media Player or iTunes. Rip the same CD back to your hard drive using the other program. Delete the protected content. Rinse, and repeat.)

[PEZ @ Jun 9th 2006 3:07PM]

As long as it sounds good, I could not care if it supports more than one digital playback codec.

But... AVI? Joyzus.

[Brendan @ Jun 9th 2006 3:22PM]

"NANO NANO"

[Michael @ Jun 9th 2006 3:41PM]

I kind of agree, most people use MP3 and it's a fine format. All players like this should have at least MP3 and some type of uncompressed format for support. If you use something else and it doesn't work it's your own fault. Can't expect these little devices to support everything just because some people are really picky.

[Craig @ Jun 9th 2006 3:42PM]

Scabies yeah that seems to be the only way to beat it, I don't think that there are any decent DRM stripping programs about.

[Johnny5 @ Jun 9th 2006 5:20PM]

I forget what it was called but I have used a program to strip to wmp drm my library uses for audiobook downloads so they would play on my ipod...It worked ok but took a long time.

[Vladimir @ Jun 9th 2006 5:46PM]

"ooh, TXT" - lol

[DS @ Jun 9th 2006 6:19PM]

These guys have *A LONG* way to go before they catch up to apple design wise. Nioce try, but just like every other POS I think I'll pass!

-DS

[bazza @ Jun 9th 2006 6:42PM]

The obligatory post, eh DS? congrats.

[Ben Yu @ Jun 9th 2006 6:58PM]

The only real selling point for a device like this would have to be price. (fingers crossed) And as for burning/ripping CD-R(W) to strip DRM, it's still not the same since you're compressing a compressed file. Most ears probably don't care, but if you're paying for downloaded music, I wouldn't delete the original quite yet.

[Aaron @ Jun 9th 2006 7:23PM]

MP3 is not a fine format, it sounds awful. This would have been interesting if it had more capability and the price was low.

If you use the garbage earbuds included with all the DAP's out there, then you can't tell the difference between Pavarotti and Bob Dylan. Therefore, you are happy with MP3 or 128k AAC from Itunes. If you love your music get some new headphones(full size) and use better compression or none at all. After I made the swith I noticed sounds in my music I never heard before, I will never go back.

[Michael @ Jun 10th 2006 12:25PM]

I use a nice pair of Grado's and I think MP3's sound great. Remember MP3's are supposed to strip away the sound that the human ear can't hear anyway.

[z dogs @ Jun 10th 2006 1:20PM]

what's the whole fuss about not wanting to listen to mp3's? got me sony dj headphones (silver/black ones) and all my mp3s sound great. if you rip your cd's at 128+ you'll be fine.

[DaCheetah @ Jun 11th 2006 3:07AM]

MP3 is great, as long as you use 192kbps+ most music sounds fine, if you have something you want better you can either use a high quality variable bit rate MP3, or for the real audiophile, use FLAC or a similar lossless codec. Using good headphones the difference between a CD and a 192kbps MP3 isn't that big, and if you are traveling, good headphones are a bit big, and earphones with 192kbps MP3 is fine... (If you're say on a bus, or in a car, the ambient noise will be louder than what you're missing out on anyway...)