Quick Version: Starting at under $40, the Sansa Clip from SanDisk makes an excellent wearable MP3 player if you’re looking for something small that still has plenty of features.
Overview and Features:
- 1.35 x 2.17 x 0.65 inches (W x H x D), less than an ounce heavy
- MP3, WMA, WMA subscription services, and Audible file playback
- OLED screen
- Built-in FM tuner with 40 presets
- Built-in microphone for voice recording
- Rechargeable battery lasts about 15 hours
- Pricing: $39.99 (MSRP) for 1GB storage, $59.99 for 2GB, $79.99 for 4GB, $99.99 for 8GB. You can find them online for about $10 to $20 cheaper, though.
It’s good for…
…Windows users, people who use subscription music services, people who still listen to the radio, and people who want a small MP3 player with a screen. The Clip has been (and will continue to be) compared to the iPod Shuffle and while I don’t want to get into a whole Mac versus Windows thing here, I’m happy to report that the Clip is a perfectly capable digital audio player that can be clipped to your clothing like the Shuffle yet it has features the Shuffle doesn’t, such as an FM tuner, voice recording, subscription music compatibility, and a screen.
Setting up and using the Clip is easier than falling in love. You plug it into your computer’s USB port, it starts charging, and an explorer window pops up allowing you to drag and drop files onto it. It syncs with Windows Media Player as well.
Sound quality is excellent for such a small device (bring your own headphones) and battery life is long enough that it never seems to be an issue. I’ve used the Clip on and off for the past month or so and I think I’ve only recharged it once or twice. The little OLED screen is nice to have and navigating the UI works well enough, although the buttons on the player are a tad bit confusing at first. Nothing serious, though.
It’s not so good for…
…Mac users and/or people who don’t need any features beyond basic music playback. It’s about as simple as it can get without actually being an iPod Shuffle, but you still do have to navigate the menus to get your music playing and the Clip is a tiny bit larger than the Shuffle. Not a huge deal either way, but there you have it. On its own and without being compared to other MP3 players, though, I find the Clip to be an excellent choice for the money.
I wish it had…
…the headphone jack mounted on the top of the device instead of on the right-hand side, and a flip-out USB connection. The headphone jack isn’t a deal-breaker by any means. I just found it to be kind of awkward for some reason. I do wish the USB connection was built into the Clip, though. I think Apple had the right idea with the first-generation Shuffle’s built-in USB connection — it’d be cool if the Clip had a switchblade USB connection similar to the one found on the Flip video cameras.
Finally, I like the included voice recording feature but it would have been cool to extend it to recording the radio as well, kind of like the iRiver players. Not that I’d ever actually use that feature, but some people might. Just a thought.
Recommendation:
If you’re a Windows user looking for the best bang for your buck, the Clip is a hard player to pass up. It’s definitely a good choice for working out and for people who use subscription services. The voice recording and FM tuner are nice additions, too.
Product Page [SanDisk.com]
Cool form factor. BTW, SanDisk is firing more than 100 employees in the Israeli R@D center.
my comments at http://www.commentino.com/orim
Well, I’ve had the 2GB clip for half a year now, and I love it. It offers so much bang for the buck its ridiculous. I would like you to know that by doing a firmware update, you can have:
- FM recording
- Ogg and Flac playback
- Podcast and bookmarking support
- Audiobook support
You can DL the firmware here. Just put the file in the root of your player. http://www.anythingbutipod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22669
Mkae sure you get the right firmware for you player.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I have no problem using this player in Ubuntu 8.10 using Banshee.
how did you get it to work on ubuntu 8.10, i can open the files but nothing registers, i know it has just under 1 gig of tracks on it but it shown nothing! please tell me how
i just picked one o deez up 4 christmas n it bumps hard. cheap. cheap. cheap. headphone loosnessis whatever doesnt effect sound qaulity anyway. i use it on my mac it was easy as heck, you dont even need to install software it is so simple anyone with a mac can use it! at least for older generation macs without intel which is what alot of people use still.
Mac Users:
Enjoy the Sansa player!
I think you need to be running OSX 10.4+ (Tiger+) to use the Sansa player.
Do not use the software.
Connect Sansa to your Mac via USB.
Use Finder to find the “Music” folder on Sansa.
Drag desired MP3 files to Sasna “Music” folder.
Disconnect Sansa and listen to your music!
I have Mac OS 10.5 and when I plug the sansa clip, and use the finder to see what is in the music folder, I do not see anything! what is the problem?
I bought a 1G Sansa Clip recently and it works perfectly with itunes on Mac OS X 10.4 and even more important for me, with my old computer with OS X 10.28. That computer won’t work at all with my iPod. If I’d known about the Clip when it was introduced, I never would have bought the iPod. I listen mostly to podcasts, and the Clip is just what I need.
I’ve had my Sansa 2gb for about a month–it is a piece of crap. Sometimes it turns on–sometimes it doesn’t. Right now it is D-E-D. I am not in a place where I can get serviced–and the shipping and insurance is more than the stress is worth. When it did work it was good–but it never works
Sansas are great until they break, and they will, then try getting help with the warranty. I’ve had three sansas break in the first three months I have owned them. Stay away!
I have two iPod Shuffle’s (2nd gen, 2gb) and two Sansa Clips (1gb).
The Shuffles are about a year older than the Clips.
At first, the Shuffle was the best dang thing I’d ever bought. However, I enjoy podcasts and audiobooks, but don’t want to carry anything larger than either the Shuffle or the Clip. In my case, the Clip won due to having a screen.
That said, the Shuffle sounds a lot better to me than the Clip. I don’t know why. It’s “heavier”, with more mid/lower bass tones. Again, I use the same in-ear headphones when listening to both, so it’s just my opinion.
In the end, I really like both units. The Shuffle looks and sounds great. The Clip has better features, less cost, and is overall just easier for me to manage. They both have a place and function for me.
and yes i tried banshee, plus various others, it just shows the folder but it shows that there is nothing inside yet i listen to it nearly everyday so there is deff music on there
Why would this have problems on a mac? It’s just seen as a usb drive