Sansa Clip+ is awesome regardless
I've gotta hand it to SanDisk. The company doesn't shy away from honesty. Recently, a handful of Sansa Clip users reactivated a forum topic having to do with apparent pitch issues on the device whereby music plays back ever-so-slightly slower than normal. The concern was that the problem may have carried over to the new Clip+. (Incidentally, based on my testing, it hasn't. If anything, it plays tracks a fraction faster when stacked up against my sound card and Sony Walkman.)
The interesting part, however, is not the existence of some exceptionally discerning listeners--neither CNET testers nor our Audio Precision ATS-2 Audio Analyzer noted anything particularly egregious--but SanDisk's response, which was essentially that in the battle between value and sound quality, value wins. And if you are unsatisfied by the audio offered by a Sansa player, you are more than welcome to look elsewhere for your MP3 player needs. Or, the company's own words:
"Over the last few days there have been several meetings with Engineering, Marketing, and Product Management regarding the pitch issue some users have seen. Please see below a statement regarding the decision that was reached as a result of these meetings. At SanDisk, our goal with our Sansa MP3 product line is to provide products which deliver a quality consumer experience at price points which are accessible to the majority of the population. Our 'value' positioning has served us well historically, although we acknowledge that occasionally our products do not live up to some users' expectations.The issues raised on this Forum regarding sound fidelity are important to us however due to trade-off decisions that were made in engineering these products to deliver superior consumer value at what we believe are extremely attractive price points, our sound fidelity isn't perfect. We have re-evaluated the possibility of reducing the pitch variation and due to the engineering trade-offs the decision was made to stay with the current design. Very few listeners, however, have noticed or complained about it as an issue in actual practice. For those who can detect sound differences with their naked ears during actual use and not via frequency analysis, our products may not be the best choice for them," per slotmonsta, SanDisk Forums Admin
Maybe this comes off a slight to some, but rarely have I seen a company lay it on the line so directly. SanDisk could have just as easily danced around the topic with circular language or brushed it off entirely, and I have to applaud it for taking the direct approach instead. Maybe I'm giving the company too much credit? Feel free to add your own thoughts below.
As first reported by Paul Thurott of SuperSite for Windows, Microsoft is discontinuing the current generation of Zunes.
So long, Zune 8, we hardly knew you.
(Credit: Microsoft)Leaving aside all the easy insults--yes, we all know Microsoft never sold many of the things--and the possibility that your candy-apple red Zune 80 may someday be a collector's item, this means Microsoft has basically ceded the low end of the MP3 player market.
While the current Zunes start at $80, the Zune HD, which becomes available on September 15, will run you at least $220. This is great news for competitors such as SanDisk, whose Sansa Clip+ suddenly looks like the best deal around for folks on limited budgets.
On the other end, eliminating the 80GB and 120GB models means that folks with huge digital collections and no interest in touch screens will probably just stick with the iPod Classic, which is pretty much what was happening anyway.
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Once again, Donald and Jasmine promise a "short one" and fail to deliver. How is it that just us talking about two devices manage to stretch on for the standard 30 minutes? We'll tell you: one of them inspires a lovefest that's saccharine enough to make your teeth throb, while the other throws Jasmine into a tizzy dripping with disappointment. This discussion on two new players--the Sansa Clip+ and the S-Series Walkman--is not to be missed. Also, the MP3 Insiders touch once again on the possibility of subscription music on the iPhone and iPod Touch.
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Flash memory and device manufacturer SanDisk clearly has a thorough understanding of the saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." And we sure are pleased about that, because when the company decided to update its extremely popular Sansa Clip, it could have mangled a perfectly peachy player. Luckily, SanDisk knew a good thing when it saw one and created the Sansa Clip+, a fantastic follow-up that builds upon the great foundation of its predecessor. The player continues to offer an ultracompact design complemented by useful features and solid sound quality--and all at an unbeatable price. The Clip+ is available in 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB options for $39.99, $49.99, and $69.99, respectively.
On Sale Now: $40.69 - $49.95
View the latest prices for SanDisk Sansa Clip+ (4GB, red)
On Sale Now: $34.98 - $38.99
View the latest prices for SanDisk Sansa Clip+ (2GB, black)
On Sale Now: $40.99 - $44.99
View the latest prices for SanDisk Sansa Clip+ (4GB, black)
On Sale Now: $59.00 - $69.95
View the latest prices for SanDisk Sansa Clip+ (8GB, black)
On Sale Now: $41.09 - $48.92
View the latest prices for SanDisk Sansa Clip+ (4GB, blue)
This week's winner will receive a red 2GB Clip.
(Credit: CBS Interactive/Corinne Schulze)On deck for this week's Crave blog giveaway is the fantastically fitness-friendly SanDisk Sansa Clip. Sure, it may not be as luxurious as last week's prize, but this little MP3 player can hold its own against media players three times its size (and price). It features a plethora of handy extras, such as a built-in, removable belt-clip; an FM radio; support for multiple audio formats, including FLAC, Audible, and subscription WMA; and great sound quality. What's not to love?
So, how do you try to win yourself a free Sansa Clip? Let me reiterate the basic rules. Please pay close attention to all the legal mumbo-jumbo; there will be a test.
- Register as a CNET user. Go to the top of this page and hit the "Join CNET" link to start the registration process. If you're already registered, no need to register again.
- Leave a comment below. You can leave whatever comment you want. If it's funny or insightful it won't help you win, but we're trying to have fun here, so anything entertaining is appreciated.
- Leave only one comment. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter more than one comment, you will be automatically disqualified.
- Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) SanDisk Sansa Clip (2GB, red). Approximate retail value is $50.
- If you are chosen, you will be notified via e-mail. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
- Entries can be submitted until Monday, June 1, at 12 p.m. EDT.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENT OF ONE OF THE 50 UNITED STATES OR D.C., 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AT DATE OF ENTRY INTO SWEEPSTAKES. VOID IN PUERTO RICO, ALL U.S. TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Sweepstakes ends at 12 p.m EDT on June 1, 2009. See official rules for details.
Note: A bug in our comments system is preventing all of the comments from showing, but those entries remain viewable to CNET administrators and still count as valid entries.
Good luck!
The third-gen Apple iPod Shuffle and the SanDisk Sansa Clip are two of the smallest, least expensive, and most-talked-about MP3 players on CNET. Both devices share a clip-on design, but otherwise, Apple and SanDisk take very different approaches to their MP3 players, demonstrating a tug of war between form and function.
You may already know which MP3 player you'd choose, but when push comes to shove, which of these minuscule MP3 players is preferred by our CNET editors? Find out in our iPod Shuffle vs. Sansa Clip CNET Prizefight.
The Sansa SlotRadio, SanDisk's experiment in preloaded portable audio players, is now officially available through its dedicated online storefront. As we reported during the product's announcement in January, the portable, clip-on music player sells for $99, and includes an FM radio, a 1.5-inch screen, and a basic digital audio player that pulls content from removable microSD memory cards. The included memory card is loaded with 1,000 songs that have been cherry-picked from top Billboard recording artists and grouped into selectable genres such as R&B/hip-hop, rock, contemporary, country, alternative, workout, and chillout.
The Sansa SlotRadio is a $99 portable audio player that comes preloaded with 1,000 handpicked songs.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CBS Interactive)Unlike previous portable audio efforts from SanDisk, the SlotRadio player isn't aimed at the iPod crowd. The allure of SlotRadio is it can play popular music right out of the box, with no computer required (just like a radio). In fact, a computer-shunning power outlet adapter is included as an accessory.
The SlotRadio is SanDisk's bet on a seemingly untapped market of people who want the convenience and portability of digital audio, without the fuss of downloading and transferring music using a computer. As with any music service, SanDisk faces a separate hurdle when it comes to selecting the 1,000 songs that are included with the player. To the company's credit, SanDisk has been working closely with Billboard to pull in hit songs from artists such as Akon, Brad Paisley, Coldplay, Fall Out Boy, Maroon 5, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Soundgarden, The Killers, T-Pain, Kanye West, No Doubt, Kenny Chesney, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and U2. SanDisk is also selling additional 1,000-song Billboard music compilations based around different genres and decades, each priced at $39.99.
Of course, getting 1,000 songs for $40 (or $99, in the case of the SlotRadio player) doesn't come without some limitations. The songs included on SlotRadio microSD cards cannot be transferred to a computer, and each song is wrapped with DRM-protection that's only compatible with the SlotRadio player or the SanDisk Sansa Fuze line of MP3 players. Still, with the price coming out to 4 cents per song, it's a decent value proposition for people who just want to flip a switch and hear some commercial-free hits. Who knows? Maybe this could be just the thing to drag mom and dad into the 21st century.
(Credit:
Corinne Schulze/CBS Interactive)
What can I say? I'm a big fan of gadgets that play into my inherent laziness. You may have figured this out while reading my various accounts of Slacker's Internet radio service and MP3 player. Now, SanDisk is following Slacker's line of thinking, albeit with a much more basic premise that involves simplicity and a low-cost device, rather than fancy wireless technology ...
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
Falling somewhere between the Discman and most standard MP3 players is SanDisk's $20 Sansa slotMusic Player, an extremely basic device that works much like the original Walkman. The music media is strictly removable, songs play in album order, the battery is alkaline, and no computer is required to use it--but the player is much smaller and music playback requires no moving parts.
Following the announcement that SanDisk will attempt a renaissance of physical music media in the form of slotMusic MicroSD cards, the company is set to release an ultracheap Sansa MP3 player made specifically for the new album format. Dubbed the SanDisk Sansa slotMusic Player (creative, eh?), the device will sell for $19.99 and is possibly the simplest MP3 player I've laid hands on. There are virtually no features, no screen, and no internal memory. Simply pop a slotMusic card into the MicroSD slot on the left edge of the unit, plug the included headphones into the standard jack on the right edge, and hit play. Songs play in album order; you can pause playback and skip through tracks using buttons on the bottom of the device, and, of course, there are volume controls (by the headphone jack), but that about sums up the player's capabilities.
The Sansa slotMusic Player will come in white originally, with different faceplates available going forward.
(Credit: SanDisk)In fact, you don't even need a computer to use the Sansa slotMusic Player, and the package doesn't include a USB cable--there's no syncing port on the device anyway. Instead, SanDisk includes a USB adapter that can be plugged into the computer for transferring content directly to and from the card, and rather than having a built-in rechargeable cell, the unit is powered by a single AAA battery (rated for 15 hours), which is concealed beneath a removable faceplate that wraps around the player. (SanDisk plans to sell a variety of these "shells" in the future.) Although the device has a hefty and durable feel, it's relatively compact at 2.7 inches wide, 1.4 inches tall, and 0.6 inch deep. Put simply, this is SanDisk's digital answer to the original Walkman or the more recent Discman, without the heft or the skipping. And while the product model doesn't appeal to me or many other tech-savvy MP3 player owners, it could be just the transitional device needed to push feet-dragging friends or family into the MP3 age. (It's only 20 bucks, after all.)
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