Tastier than an Apple (Sandisk Sansa Fuze 8 GB)

Member Name: Doomii

Product:	Sandisk Sansa Fuze 8 GB
Date:	11/04/09 (474 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Amazing audio playback, external memory slot, good battery life

Disadvantages: Proprietary cable, non-replaceable battery

Before you even think about it, no this is not Apple Ipod Nano, though it bears a slight resemblance to it. This is a MP3 player from SD memory card manufacturer, Sandisk, so there is no surprise that this player comes with a MicroSD slot to add an extra 16GB or even 32GB when that becomes available in the future.

---Specifications---
The 0.3" thin Sandisk Sansa Fuze comes in 2GB, 4GB and 8GB and in this particular review I will be focusing on the 8GB though there is no difference in the features except for its storage capabilities. It has a 1.9" color screen and comes in 5 different colors: black, red, blue, silver, pink. Everything you need in a media player is available in this small player, as it can play music, videos, pictures and even has a built in FM radio and voice recorder. Sandisk boasts a 24 hours battery life for its player.

---Packaging---
My Sansa Fuze 8GB + 4GB MicroSD card package came in a plastic box which you will have to tear to open up which means there is no use in keeping the box. Inside the box you can find the player, a pair of earbuds which I thought was fine but replaced with my own, and the proprietary USB cable to connect to your PC.

---User Interface and usability---
The user interface is very easy to use and also pleasant looking, so you won't find any fault with it. You basically slide a switch to turn on the player, which also functions as the hold switch. To control the player, you mainly use a scrolling wheel similar to the one in a Apple Nano but this goes *click**click**click* instead of smooth scrolling. Once you are in, you have 6 options which are Voice, FM Radio, Photos, Videos, Music and Settings. There is also a setting to change your wallpaper so that you can add a personal touch to it. Transfering files to your player is as simple as drag-and-drop (MSC mode), and transfer speed was very quick. Alternatively, you can sync with Windows Media Player or other compatible programs (Itunes is not possible) using MTP mode which can be found in the settings.

---Music---
As for the music playing capabilities, it uses the same chip as the acclaimed Sansa Clip therefore you can expect it to have the finest, crispiest sound a player can have. I have put in multiple songs into the player ranging from classical to RnB, and they all sound heavenly when paired with my Phonak Audeo earphones. It can accept most common audio formats such as MP3, WMA, WAV and also the lossless FLAC. You also have the options of putting the player into repeat or shuffle, and there is also an Equalizer which you can play with but I find that the player is excellent without it. Music is sorted like an Ipod, with the normal selection of Artists, Albums, Songs, Genres, Top Rated, Rcently Added, Podcasts and Audiobooks (you can play by chapters and adjust the speed if they are available). You can also create your own playlist either through a computer, or using the 'On-The-Go' feature, or you can even play all of your music.

---Video & Photo---
As for its video playback, I have only watched the sample and it looks decent in my opinion, but with such a small screen, I doubt you'll enjoy watching movies on it no matter how good it is. The player accepts a special .avi container file, therefore you will most likely have to convert all your videos using the included software. Battery life for video playback is rated at about 5 hours. Photos on the other hand are very vibrant and lively on the screen. You get to create a slideshow and add background music to it but I have it pointless and power consuming.

--- Radio& Voice Recorder---
There is nothing much to say about the Radio, as the receiver works like most others. Presets are given in 12 slots, which you can either tune manually, or let it do automatically. You can also record radio in .wav for which you can set the duration. As for the voice recording, I have only tried it once in lecture and it's quite clear and not too soft when I playback.

---Practicability---
It is small and lightweight, making it very pocketable in my opinion. From personal usage, I can say that it has around 21 hours of audio playback which is enough for a week of tube commuting before the next recharge. Speaking of recharge, what I do find annoying with the player is its proprietary slot which requires its own cable for charging through USB, and not the common mini USB connection. I would prefer not to carry so many different cables for my gadgets when I travel. Another thing to note, as the battery is non replaceable and it uses Lithium-Ion, when it dies in 5 years, there is nothing else you can do but recycle it.

---Pros & Cons---
Pros:
Nice design - light and portable
Amazing audio playback
Huge memory capacity
Pleasant UI
Good battery life

Cons:
Decent video playback
Non replacable battery
Requires a proprietary cable

---Summary---
To sum up the review, if you are after an award winning player in terms of audio, then you are on the right track with the Sansa Fuze. Though it does not offer the atheistic of the Apple Ipod Nano, it is much cheaper at ~£59 (I bought mine for £47.99 only) and has an external memory slot for more music storage. Also, if you ever find out why Sandisk named their player Fuze, do let me know as I am very curious.

Summary: Affordable player with amazing audio playback

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