S1 MP3 Player

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There are other concepts named S1.

An unbranded flash-based S1 MP3 Player

S1 MP3 players are a type of Chinese-made digital audio player. The original equipment manufacturer is GEMBIRD (GMB Tech) but they are sold under at least two dozen different other brand names and in a variety of case designs. Some versions that can play videos are referred to as an MP4 Player.

1 Capabilities
2 Design
3 Operation
4 Models
5 Battery life
6 Software utilities
7 Firmware update issues
8 References
9 See also
10 External links

[edit] Capabilities

MP1, MP2, MP3 and WMA playback
WMA DRM support on a small number of models
Ogg Vorbis support on a small number of models (mostly the newer ones)
USB Mass Storage device - works with Windows XP, Linux and Mac OS X, acts as USB key drive
Memory capacities of 64 MB to 4 GB
MTV/ATV/AMV video support on some models

[edit] Specifications

24-bits DSP with on-chip DSU
8-bit Z80 CPU core with on-chip DSU (run at 24.576 MHz(TYP), up to 60 MHz - software controlled)
USB 2.0 Full speed (not Hi-Speed), with transfer rates up to 8 Mbit/s, or 1 MB/s
Works as a generic USB storage disk (USB Mass Storage)
Supports MPEG1/2/2.5 Audio Layer 1, 2, 3 (MP3) and WMA.
Frequency response : 20 Hz to 20 kHz
Earphone impedance 32 Ω [wasn't tested yet]
Output power: 5 mW x 5 mW (16 Ω) [wasn't tested yet]
S/N (signal to noise ratio) around 70 dB (quoted as up to 85dB by some vendors, known to be noisier at low volumes]
FM radio (depends on the presence of the Philips TEA5756 radio chip, this chip can handle FM frequency from 87Khz to 108Khz, including US and Japanese radio).
Graphic equalizer presets
Record from built-in microphone or radio in ADPCM WAV (32 kbit/s), ACT (8 kbit/s) or VOR (32 or 8 kbit/s) formats, and play back these files
Basic telephone number list viewer
ID3 tag display

[edit] Software

Supports most operating systems that have USB Mass Storage support.
Firmware upgrade tool for Windows.
Logo customization via Chinese-language software or firmware hacks.

[edit] Hardware

Built using Hynix or Samsung solid-state NAND Flash Memory.
Philips TEA5756 Low Power FM Tuner Chip.
ATJ2085 as the processor, RAM and the ROM.
Some newer players have a slot for SD/MMC cards of capacites from 32MB to 4 GB.

[edit] Design

[edit] Operation

[edit] Models

DIGIQuest DMTF17
InnoAX iMX-120
Orb A3188
Sumvision M18 (256MB/512MG/1GB/2GB models in different colors)
SupportPlus
Tamashi KXB256 / KXB512 / KXB1024
Tamashi KSB256 / KSB512
Tamashi MKB256 / MKB512
Mach Trio 2 GB
Z6 Zeutronics (Digital M3/MP4 Player)
JFF Nano (Digital MP3/4 Player)
Mithus (Digital MP3 Player)
NEO

There are also several models which carry no brand name or model number on the device or packing, and a few sold under counterfeit trademarks such as Sony or iPod.

[edit] Battery life

Around 8 hours on models using a AAA battery (Alkaline or NiMH).

[edit] Software utilities

Available utilities for Microsoft Windows include an ACT to WAV file converter (for files recorded on the device), a basic desktop editor to enter contact details for the device's phone book function and device drivers for Windows 98. An 8 cm CD-ROM containing some or all of these is included with some versions of the device.

[edit] Firmware update issues

The firmware used in various S1 MP3 players differs significantly, but this is not widely understood. Problems have arisen as consumers have attempted to upgrade their players using incompatible firmware with a higher version number. This can permanently damage the players.