 Audiophile and Book Lovers DREAM!!! |
| Review Date: December 3, 2008 |
| Reviewer: D. Logan, SLC, UT |
About this reviewer: I listen to Lossless music (Flac) and tons of books (200/year) a lot. I use this SanDisk 8GB Clip player about 20 hours a week.
PRO:
1. Sound quality. Not only does this support MP3, OGG, FLAC (the lossless format of choice) WMV, secure WMA, podscasts, & Audible files, it plays them with perfection. Now this is objective, not a "whatever ***I*** buy and review sounds better than what you have" crap. The sound quality is scientifically top notch. I don't know if the URL I put in this review will get killed, but go to the reviews section on cnet.com or Google the article entitled "Audiophile MP3 players, by the numbers."
Let me summarize the article: they found out that Sandisk *did* put an expensive sound processor in this one (apparently unlike the other Sandisks) and used actual scientific hardware measuring frequency response deviation, and signal to noise ratios, etc. the SanDisk Clip beat out everything that Creative, Apple (iPod), Insignia, Sony, Microsoft (Zune) makes.
reviews.cnet.com/8301-12519_7-9968448-49.html
I know it's an odd thing to talk about lossy (Mp3s) quality, but for the sound quality peeps, you will have zero complaints here.
2. Flash based: Meaning no HDD spinning around thousands of times a minute, movable parts=easily breakable or they wear down. Meaning you can also jog with it. I'm from the computer world, and us cats know that all HDD's fail, period. *Especially* if you're moving it all the time. We, who want something that lasts, universally stick to solid state; ie FLASH based mp3 players.
3. Connectivity: No stupid proprietary cable. Standard Mini-USB cable, I'm sure most people have at least a half dozen from various cameras, etc.
4. Physical Size: This thing is small, there are various pictures here, but this one is about the height of an AA Battery and about 3/4 as thick, one inch wide. This is great for jogging, it's weightless. Clip it anywhere without any huge bulge or weight. It weighs less than an ounce.
5. Compatibility. You DO NOT have to use some weird 3rd party DRM CRAP software like iTunes or Windows Media crap (like you do with Ipod's or IRivers) just drag, drop & GO! If you want some of your friends' songs, you don't have to load up itunes, then some hack, or your mp3 player's proprietary software cluttering up your friends computer to get his or her songs. I recall a conversation I had with a friend trying to get the songs of another mp3 player, "FREAK, it took me 40 minutes to find the right software that world work to get the songs off" -- and that's not some newbie. All the software to use this mp3 player is on every computer (with a USB port) and operating system on earth. Also, I didn't install any of the included software. No need.
6. Non music Storage: You plug it in you not only drop any of your mp3s/FLACs on it, you can throw some pictures, some huge files, documents, anything, and use it just like a thumb drive. And still listen to your music, it just skips the non-audio files, etc.
7. Mic. The mic is great for recording class, or conversations; just throw it on your desk or shirt pocket and there you go.
8. Fast listen mode - KILLER AWESOME if you listen to books, you can turn it to fast mode which speeds up the audio a bit. This means you can listen to books a good bit faster without it sounding like chipmunks. There is only one mode though, (also a slower mode too) but it's so cool if you want to listen to books faster. Your brain can easily understand, so why not save yourself 1/3 of the time -eh? Awesomeness.
9. Radio: And you can record the radio. Built-in FM tuner with 40 presets - Awesome.
10. USB 2.0, it transfers mp3s at a rate of 5.67MB/second per my own rough stopwatch method. Mathematically, this would take about 23 minutes to fill up the thing full.
Have you noticed all of creative labs MP3 players also claim to have USB 2.0 but really transfer at speeds at 1.1 speeds. The Creative flash based stuff transfers at less than 500K/sec, usually 120K-400K averaging at 230K. 230K!!! Do you realize this is slower than download speeds at broadband? 4.83 hours to fill up a 4GB Creative Labs mp3 player? forget that.
11. Memory Size, 8GB (They make a 1/2/4GB version too) this holds:
Books at 64Kbit/sec/mono equals about 266 (~11 days non stop) hours of books.
MP3's @ 128kbits/44.1/Stereo about 128 hours (5.33 days non stop) of music (maybe +/- 1,900 4 min songs).
Flac's (Lossless) ~21 hours (non-stop) ~315 songs or 20-25 Full CD Albums.
That's quite a lot of listening before you need to get to a computer again. 8GB is plenty for music on the go.
12. Screen, the screen is great, mono color, has some graphics, I don't need nor want some huge stupid color screen sucking down my battery. Which is cool because this MP3 Player does go blank after a minute of inactivity, which is PERFECT! Just what one wants. Touch a button again, it comes back up.
13. Yeah it has other features I don't use much, WMA playback, Audible playback support, graphic equalizer, nifty navigation scroll, blah, blah, blah.
14. Updating firmware is super easy, (and you may have to to get FLAC support) just load the Sandisk auto updater, it figures out which mp3 player you have plugged in, checks for firmware, any updates, then updates them and then restarts. Super easy.
Up in the Air: (Pro or Con depending on how you look at it)
-Comes in cool colors, silver & black, but it is a fingerprint magnet as most electronics with a shiny screen are now-a-days. Finally an mp3 that isn't in "I'm-a-lemming" stupid trendy "ipod white". Other colors are probably coming.
-Proprietary battery. It'll do 15-20 hours of books, take in mind books are less "demanding" on a a battery. But you really can't have anything this small and use any standard battery for any usable time. But it may be a con or a pro. I just don't like the fact I can never easily replace this one and we all know how integrated batteries after a few years start to slowly lose their charge. The Pro is that you can use any old mini-USB wall/car charger that if you have bought a few cell phones in the past few years, you'll have one kicking around your junk drawer somewhere.
Con:
-No Bookmark feature. I listen to books for 20 hours a week. This would be nice, as I could have used it a few times. This is just a software item, Sandisk - program it up!
I have no comment on the included earbuds. I'm 6'6" and figure that's why no earbuds bundled in mp3 players did anything but hurt my ears and/or seemed to fall out randomly due to poor fit and rotation of the earth. I have my own headphones as most people who are serious listeners do. Earphones are a matter of personal physiology and audio-snob preference. :)
I don't hate ipods, they are really sessy, but they are just not for me. I could list reasons why I can't like ipods but they are just too freaking expensive for too few bells and whistles. I mean, if you look at my "pro" list, the ipod shuffle is small and flash based, but that's it. I don't want to use some crap software, crap dock/cable, expensive battery, short battery life span, can't store anything else, why should I pay twice as much more for an ipod, when it doesn't even get close to HALF the features?
So, I will give it a 9.5/10. But in reality, nothing else touches it. Nothing has the sound quality, space, battery life, size, & FLAC support on the market for any price.
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Hands down, one of the best mp3 devices out there for the money
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| Review Date: December 8, 2008 |
| Reviewer: DiggitySkitty, USA |
Hands down the best mp3 device for the money out there.
With 8 gigs at roughly 80 bucks, how can you not get this? I agree with the other reviewer. This device is an audiophiles dream. For me, personally, this is also a dream for Audiobook lovers. For once, a device gets bookmarking perfect. Sansa really knocked it out of the park with this one. Plays Audible files perfectly, with bookmarking and chapters. Additionally, if you don't go through Audible or have your own Audiobooks, just drop the mp3's in the bookmark folder, and they are bookmarkable. I previously owned the e280, and it did not have bookmarking at all. With the help of Rockbox ([...]), I was able to get bookmarks and a ton of added features, but even then, I was not happy with the bookmarking implementation. I am happy now with Sansa's own Firmware. Additionally, in the past, people like me would opt to install Rockbox because the original firmware was junk, or lacked something like bookmarking. This is the best bookmarking implementation I have seen aside from Apple's Ipod (which is pretty good in my opinion for Audible and m4b files). For once, I do not have to tinker with a device, although Rockbox should be portable to this device soon from what I hear. I think the firmware that comes with it does everything you need for such a small device, and does it awesome. I would recommend this to anyone, and since they are so cheap, have already bought several. I own the 8gb, the 4gb, and the 1gb. This is also the perfect workout device. If you are on the edge about getting something like the Shuffle for working out, skip it and get this. It has more features, more space, and has the clip that you can clip on to your shirt or wherever you want. The Shuffle does have a good build quality, but it is way overpriced, and it terms of features -- this blows it out of the water. Like the shuffle, it is perfect for working out.
Pros:
For me -- Top One -- Very Workout Friendly, On The go, friendly.
For Me -- Top one -- Bookmarking feature.
I know I go on about this a lot, but for years and years and years, the device makers, aside from Apple's Ipod, never really put much attention into a good bookmarking feature. Even Sansa's e280 was complete garbage. For audiobook lovers, this was a critical feature, espescially if you have a large library from a site like Audible. Sansa got it right with this device.
(Note: The Old Rio Players had it from the start and did it well, but I think the company went bust and they are no longer being made ... I think.)
Supports Audible, Rhapsody, Overdrive, and I think a a couple of other services
Multiple file formats (mp3, flac, ogg, wav ... I think a couple others, but not sure?)
Built in Radio ... not that I use it a lot, but it is nice from time to time. One can also record songs from the radio and then copy them to the computer.
Built in recorder ... Don't use it often, but is great when my digital audio recorder runs low on battery or if I am in a bind.
Clip ... the clip allows you to clip it to a shirt or pants while working out or wherever
Sound Quality ... Awesome. Literally. I am not an audiophile, so I am not an expert, but this is a good sounding player
Screen ... yes, it has a screen, and when you compare it to its chief rival, the Apple Shuffle, this is a big plus
Space ... 8 gigs for such a tiny thing ... what are you waiting for?
Adapater ... mini USB ... no strange connector.
Charger ... usb or a usb outlet charger. I just use my GPS charger, works fine.
MTP or MSC support ... big plus -- you can you a program like Rhapsody or just drag and drop like a Flash drive. I hate Itunes, although I live with it for my Ipod 120 gb, because I haven't seen anything as good, aside from this, at bookmarking. This is great if your on the go, deal with a mac at work, a PC at home, and other computers at friends or girlfriends houses. Plug it in anywhere.
Support ... Sansa has thrown a lot of support and updates to this device, I'm guessing, due to its popularity. There are numerous software updates that fix problems with the device. You would think this would be a given for all devices, but for some makers it takes forever to update a critical problem.
Cons ...
Control ... pretty simple, but people with bigger fingers may find it a little more difficult
Build ... the build overall is good, and I have dropped mine a ton of times, and they are still kicking, but it does feel fragile. But what can you expect for so many features and such a lot price? I've handled the new Nano from Apple, and that is probably a lot more fragile than this.
No video, but really, is this a con? Who is a going to watch on such a small screen.
In sum, perfect workout device, or on the go device where you don't want bulk. Has all the features one could want for an on the go device and does them great.
Five stars.
Note: the USB cable that comes included isn't that great for some reason. Don't bother using it. Use a cable that you probably already have or get one for 5-10 bucks. In my experience, it seemed to have problems connecting sometimes, and then at other times, it wouldn't show up at all. Most likely you already have a spare one, but if not, most stores carry them now.
Note: I usually don't write reviews, but I felt compelled to provide a little bit more detail because this is such an awesome device and some of the questions I had when I first bought one were out there but not in as much detail as I would have hoped. So hopefully this is helpful. This review is coming from a person who primarily cares about audiobooks/podcasts/spoken word content. I care that my music sounds good, but it does not have to be perfect. This device sounds great to me.
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Great Exercise MP3 Player
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| Review Date: December 19, 2008 |
| Reviewer: J. M. Taylor, Omaha, Nebraska United States |
I needed a new MP3 player. I had originally used a 1st gen iPod Shuffle, but really disliked not having a screen to help navigate the device. I decided against another iPod because I dislike how Apple doesn't support older iPod accessories whenever they come out with a new model. So my search began for my first Windows Media Player MP3 device.
I looked at multiple devices, including the Creative Zen, Sony Walkmans, and even the Sansa Fuze. All are excellent players and deserving of hard consideration if you want a non-Apple player. The Creatives and Walkman boast a reputation for excellent audio quality out of the box, as well as intuitive GUI's. And the Fuze is a lot of player for not a lot of money.
However, I chose the 8gb Clip. The player works perfectly as an exercise companion: it's lightweight, holds quite a few songs, and sports surprising audio depth with the right aftermarket headphones (I bought Koss KE295 noise cancellation earbuds, and they sound wonderful).
I decided against the Creative products upon reading that their music-loading software is difficult to use. With the Clip, its either Windows Media Player 11, or even simpler, dragging and dropping through Windows Explorer. The only reason I nixed the Fuze was that I didn't think I'd ever want to watch videos on a portable device (one big point in the Fuze's favor, however, is the port for a MicroSD card, making it a tough choice for me).
Anyways, the Clip's GUI is a blue and yellow OLED, and quite bright in low light levels. It's a bit small, but still legible and reasonably attractive. Getting to your music, FM radio, microphone, etc., is easy and intuitive. If you ever get into some weird submenu, simply hit the 'Home' button to return to the main screen. Great feature. The clip on back is removable, and has a strong spring hinge. Clipped to a waistband, it feels like nothing at all, which is great when wearing lightweight exercise shorts. The dedicated volume rocker on the side of the player is quite handy as well.
The Sansa Clip can be summed up for me in one word: surprising. The amount of features you get for the price point is quite impressive. The unit seems fairly sturdy overall, BUT this is my second 8gb Clip. I returned the first to the big box store I bought it from when I discovered that both the power and volume buttons on either side of the unit were quite loose and rattled with little motion. Fearing a hardware failure, I got a new one and it seems to be much tighter than the first.
I still wonder if my choosing the Clip over the Fuze was a prudent one; if the Clip had expandable memory than there would be no contest. But all in all, this is a fairly inexpensive model that gives you quite a few options to fool around with. Its a solid choice for joggers, bikers, anybody who exercises. And its so small and discreet, it would never be in the way tucked in a pant's pocket for everyday use. Plus the sound quality cannot be overemphasized. Check one out and see what the Clip can do for you. |
Throw your iPod shuffle out the window.
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| Review Date: December 30, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Obviously, PA |
It's hard to say anything that hasn't already been said. This little player offers 8 gigabytes of memory, supports tons of formats including .OGG, a superbly readable OLED screen, an FM tuner/recorder, a voice recorder, it's about the size of two postage stamps, and it has excellent sound quality with the built in equalizer.
Basically it fixes everything that's wrong with the iPod shuffle and it's cheaper. |
Best ultra-portable player there is
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| Review Date: January 5, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Dankoni, |
| I'll spare you a long review. The other reviewers here have done a fine job of letting you know everything necessary to make an informed purchase... I just want to add to the list of HIGHLY satisfied customers. This is a great MP3 player. Best for the price, best for the size, and probably the best sound on any MP3 (not to mention OGG and FLAC) player available. This Sansa sounds AMAZING on my Sennheiser earbuds or my Audio-Technica ATH-A700s. If you are on the fence, buy it. |
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