As humans, we sometimes tend to personify our gadgets. Having witnessed the phenomenon in others, I'm happy to see I'm not the only one (a psychologist could explain it better, but it probably stems from our post-toddler, invisible friend/stuffed animal days, but no matter). So if this little MP3 player could speak, I reckon it would probably say something like, "Hi there! I know I'm not as full-blooded as an iPod Touch or as sleekly designed as an iPod Nano, but I'll work real hard to make you happy. Honest!"
First, a bit of history: I've owned iPods since late 2003 when I bought a spanking new 15 GB third generation iPod. Back then, smart phones had yet to come of age and if you wanted a high-capacity MP3 player, Apple were just about the only game in town. It helped matters immensely that my iPod was so well constructed since I used it day in, day out for five years until it finally died and I replaced it with a fourth generation iPod Nano. That Nano sure *seemed* solid enough (what with its sleek, anodized aluminum body and all) but a mere year-and-a-half later it fell apart faster than Joan Crawford in a wire hanger factory (see "Mommie Dearest" for an explanation of that analogy). With hopes held high for an amazing sixth generation Nano, I balked at the rather stripped-down feature set and the tiny, nigh-unusable touch screen.
So, off a-shopping I did go.
Since Sony didn't appear to make a Mac-friendly Walkman, I opted to punt, snapping up the newly released Sansa Fuze+ (black, 8BG capacity). I'd known about -- and respected -- Sansa players for years as affordable and worthy iPod competitors, so this seemed the best available option. Whether consciously or not, SanDisk are filling a huge void in the marketplace right now caused by the absence of last year's multi-purpose fifth generation Nano (and as a student, I really, really needed its now long-gone voice recorder feature badly).
To define the negatives of this particular player: as many reviewers have pointed out, the Fuze+'s touch-sensitive interface can be a bit unresponsive at times and over-responsive at others. The GUI isn't anywhere near as intuitive as anything Apple could have designed. Furthermore, the industrial design is rather plain and the plastic is easily scratched (HINT: rub any scratches that appear on plastic with Brasso and a clean, lint-free cloth; after several minutes, it clears them right up -- promise!). That said...
Onto the positives: the sound quality from this thing is amazing -- rich and full! I've run battery tests only to have my jaw hit the floor when power usage on my unit clocked in at a WHOPPING 53 hours for 128 kbps MP3s and 30 hours for 256 kbps AAC files. This in itself is an astonishing discovery, particularly having come from the notoriously power-hungry iPod realm. This little fellow plays video beautifully, although the screen's visual "sweet spot" is at a slightly off-centre angle when watching a movie in Landscape mode. Also, it's got a voice recorder -- a good one -- that uses the unit's incredibly wee, shockingly responsive built-in microphone. While the Fuze+ won't win any beauty contests, it is enough for me to say that it *is* solidly constructed, having already dropped it several times without so much as scratching it (Brasso time!).
I give this player a solid recommendation -- especially (way) over the current iPod Nano -- keeping in mind that it is still quite new and there *are* flaws. However, SanDisk seems to really care about their customers, listening to their concerns and working hard to iron out the kinks. Their Website support forums are a good place to go for advice, especially considering that by buying any new first-generation product, you're essentially signing up to be a Beta tester.
It just comes with the territory, folks. Sansa Fuze+ 4 GB MP3 Player (Black)
I understand that many people are not great when it comes to touch controls. With that said, this product will not be for everyone. For me personally, I have no issues with touch control. When I bought this mp3 player, I immediately upgraded the firmware via Sansa Updater (which I highly recommend you do). They are constantly releasing updates for their mp3 players to make them better. Their latest firmware update improves the responsiveness of the touch controls. So if you are having problems with it, make sure you update your firmware to see if that will help.
Audio wise, this mp3 player is a beast! Way better than my original Sansa Fuze. It can get very loud. I mainly use Rhapsody with it and there are absolutely no problems with it. The only thing that slightly bothers me is that it puts a white border around the album art if its not big enough. But thats easy to get used to. The radio player on here is amazing also. You can even record broadcasts. I have yet to use the voice recorder, but I may try it out today for a class lecture.
I do not use the Sansa Fuze+ for videos, photos, or podcasts so I cannot comment on those aspects. But I assume that if they are like any of the other features, it is pretty good.
Overall, I give this a 8/10.
Pros:
-Audio is a beast!
-Painless Rhapsody sync
-Great radio player
-microSD expansion slot
Cons:
-Touch controls takes a little time to get used to
-Cheap, plastic feel
-White border around album art that is too small - Sandisk - Ipod Killer - Blueproton - Sansa'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
