S1 MP3 player

S1 MP3 players are a type of digital audio players based on many different kinds of chipsets. The popular ones include Actions and ALi chipsets. They are sold under dozens of different other brand names and in a variety of case designs. The players were very widespread around 2005–2006 and have since been superseded by more advanced models.

S1 MP3 player
A typical S1 MP3 player.
ManufacturerVarious[lower-alpha 1]
TypePortable MP3/WMA Player
CPUZ80 compatible + 24-bit DSP
Storage64 MB to 4 GB
Display128 x 32 pixels
Sound20 Hz to 20 kHz
ConnectivityUSB 2.0/1.1
PowerAAA battery/Rechargeable battery on some models

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 made after 2005, though this is not typically listed on the player's packaging and may come with drawbacks (such as lower maximum volume, decreased battery life or an inability to read ID tags).
  • Acts as a USB flash drive when connected to a computer, and works without battery charge when connected to a computer or another USB host (the player requires changing the active setting from 'file transfer' to 'player')
  • Memory capacities between 64 MB and 32 GB. Some higher capacity versions may have a smaller flash memory chip with an edited FAT master table or modified hardware to appear higher in capacity than it really is by writing over previous sectors.[1]
  • Around 8 hours of battery life on models using a AAA battery (Alkaline or NiMH). Others have a rechargeable battery which charges via USB host connection. Many turn off automatically when idle for even 30 seconds. Charge duration varies widely between playback and recording modes.

Common specifications
The below information varies by chipset version and manufacturer.
  • 24-bit DSP with on-chip DSU
  • 8-bit Z80 CPU core[2] with on-chip DSU (runs 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
  • Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz
  • Earphone impedance 32 Ω (wasn't tested yet)
  • Output power: 5 mW × 5 mW (16 Ω) (wasn't tested yet)
  • S/N (signal to noise ratio) around 70 dB [quoted as up to 85 dB 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 the FM frequencies of both the US and Japanese commercial FM bands).
  • Graphic equalizer presets
  • Recording via built-in microphone or FM radio in ADPCM WAV (32 kbit/s mono or 64k bps stereo; using FFmpeg codec named adpcm_ima_wav), ACT (8 kbit/s) or VOR (32 or 8 kbit/s) formats, and ability to play back these files locally or via Windows Media Player when connected as an MSC device.
  • Basic telephone number list viewer[3]
  • ID3 tag display
  • Ability to display lyrics in files with extension .lrc[4]

Software

Hardware
  • Built using Hynix or Samsung solid-state NAND flash memory.
  • Philips TEA5756 low-power FM tuner chip.
  • ATJ2085 or ATJ2035L as the processor, RAM and the ROM.
  • Some newer players have a slot for SD/MMC cards of capacities from 32 MB to 4 GB.

Models

There are also several models which carry no brand name or model number on the device or packaging, and a few sold under counterfeit trademarks such as Sony, Samsung, iPod, and others that use the same spelling in their brand name yet different brand styling, with inverse effect to established brands that offer similar or unrelated products.

Generic name
  • MP4 — Typically denotes a more advanced player

Linked brands

The following are brand names in alphabetical order that have related relevant articles in Wikipedia.

  • Coby
  • Daewoo International MP3 Players
  • LG UP3# (also styled as UP3-SHARP)[5] — Uses the FAT32 filesystem, supports MP3, WMA (including MS-DRM), ASF and OGG audio formats. Has a built-in USB-rechargeable battery. The detailed FAQ also refers to firmware updates from the LG website.[6]
  • Medion
  • TEVION 1GB Sports MP3 player - (Smart Group) Identifies as "Productor Wilson Co. Ltd." - Version 3.5.35. (Supports Ogg Vorbis)
  • TEVION 1GB/2GB MP4 player - (fascin8) - Firmware Version 9.1.51.0005
  • MPMan MP-F62, MP-F63 and many other models[7]
  • Mustek (Taiwan) (model V100C) — While various areas of Mustek's website do show that Mustek has had MP3 players in its lineup,[8][9][10] then the V100C model cannot be found there.
  • SanDisk

Others
Due to common mold specifications of the player type, this list will never be complete.

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.

There are also tools developed by individuals under the Open-Source license, such as s1res ans s1clone[11] that allow the consumer to modify its device by changing bitmaps and text. By using decompilers, it is possible to add and replace features of the device, steps that were described on the s1mp3.org wiki page.

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 damage the players almost permanently. However, a 'dead' player can sometimes be recovered by opening it, shorting some pins and uploading a full firmware from the PC.[12]

Guides on recovering the players were available on a unofficial website s1mp3.org that is offline since 2019, but there is another website s1mp3.22web.org that has reuploaded the information, software and firmware for these devices.

See also

Notes
  1. This product is what is referred to as a 'common mold' which means many different suppliers can produce this same model. The manufacturers are almost exclusively located in China.

References
  1. KittyFireFlash (2008-09-02). "H2testw 1.4 – Gold Standard In Detecting USB Counterfeit Drives". SOSFakeFlash. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  2. Sepchat, Alexis; Descarpentries, Simon; Monmarché, Nicolas; Slimane, Mohamed (2008). Miesenberger, Klaus (ed.). An Alternative to Portable Video Games Console for Visually Impaired Players. ICCHP. Berlin: Springer. p. 556. ISBN 978-3-540-70539-0. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  3. "10. Creating and viewing the phone book". S1MP3 Support, Firmware and Utilities.
  4. "12. How to set up lyrics". S1MP3 Support, Firmware and Utilities.
  5. http://www.lg.com/au/it-accessories/lg-UP3-SHARP
  6. "FAQs". LG. Archived from the original on 2012-06-21. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  7. "MP3/MP4". MPMAN Europe. 2016. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  8. http://www.mustek.com/mustek/Support.php
  9. http://www.mustek.com/onlinestore/mp3-media-players.html
  10. http://www.mustek.de/en/service-a-drivers-3/product-archive/203-me1801e/109-me1801e.html
  11. ":: S1MP3.de - S1 MP3 Player Firmware Tools". s1mp3.w1r3.de. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  12. "Dead recovery guide". S1mp3.org. Archived from the original on 2007-01-06. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
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