The Datasafe oomi is in fact the new name of the Advanced MP3 Pebble which has proven so popular but it's not just a re badge the oomi has gotten bigger with 3 memory sizes, 512mb, 1gb and 2gb plus a firmware upgrade allows it to work with DRM wrapped WMA files. What is retained is the sheer style and miniscule size of the Datasafe oomi, measuring just 32 x 47 x 13mm and weighing only 20 grams it's hard to describe how small the player is.

Its design is like a small egg perhaps laid by the oomi bird? clad in reflective silver at first it all looks quite minimal with a circular set of controls on the front and two side mounted menu buttons. Power up the oomi and the section around the controls glows a deep blue and the OLED screen makes its first appearance with a smiley face logo, it's only then you realise that there is a quite decent 64×48 mono blue screen to use.

Our first task was to get some media onto the oomi with which to test, it supports MP3, WMA and ASF and we opted for some 192kbits MP3 files which needed to be transferred using the USB 2.0 connection. Unlike most players there isn't room for a mini USB jack so the headphone 3.5mm socket doubles up as the USB connection using the supplied 3.5mm to USB lead. The oomi is mounted as a USB hard disk and a PC or Mac can see the storage attached allowing your to drag and drop files or folders over the the player.

With music now on the Datasafe oomi we could test out the navigation on the unit, using the menu buttons and the 4 way pad it's possible to navigate to the top level or "root" and then drill down through folders which we have stored by artist then album to find the tracks you want to play. This isn't what iPod users will be used too as there is no search making finding that track a little more work, nonetheless it is functional.

The audio quality is surprisingly good, up there with the best of the micro MP3 players and there is plenty of oomph to drive a good set of earphones like the Shure E2C's we test and players with. The combination provided a great sound and left us wondering how the oomi is actually smaller than the Shure headphones when they are in their carry pouch!

Sadly the supplied earphones are pretty poor, with an uncomfortable fit and a lead that is too short to have the player in your trouser pocket. Also the headphones have that annoying split where one side of the earphones are inexplicably longer than the other, someone is making the assumption you have a head the size of frank sidebottom.

Perhaps given the Jean Michel Jarre style light display that we were treated to when ever the player is running you may want to clamp the Datasafe to your lapel to show the world, the package contains a little holder which can slide over a pocket but its fiddly to get the player back out of this holder.

Battery life is a bit below average, we managed just over 11 hours from a single charge of the Lithium polymer battery which is OK but not class leading, charging is performed using the USB connection saving any need to plug the tiny oomi to a large power adaptor. Datasafe have also packed the little oomi with a voice recorder and an FM tuner, the FM tuner really needs to be in a strong signal area as the reception is a little weak relying on the earphones lead as an antenna.

Priced between £79 for the 512mb and £119 for the 2gb model the Datasafe oomi may have a weird name but it does offer competitively priced MP3 playback in one of the smallest form factors you could hope for.

Published - 29/05/2006

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