- Listen, watch, and play all day with 24 hours of battery life and room for up to 2,000 songs
- Watch your favorite video clips or share your photos on the 1.9-inch color screen
- Digital FM radio with 40 preset stations
- Voice recording with built-in microphone
- Expand your existing 8 GB memory with the microSD/microSDHC slot
The codec support is about average, not great but it satisfies my needs as 99% of my music is encoded in mp3 format.
One of my dislikes is common among all sandisk mp3 players(and most other players) is that the charging/syncing port is proprietary. Not a big issue, mini-usb would have been nice though.
Video playback was smooth(used a mp4 350MB recorded tv show) no sync problems between the audio/video and no stuttering. Too small to really be considered for video playback though.
Picture viewing is about the same as video and by that I mean it works great and the pictures look ok but the screen is so small it is not practical to show off pics with it.
Voice recording works well, don't have to hold it directly to my face to clearly record sounds...although I'm not sure what this can be used for but it is there and works well.
The radio works great, easy station browsing, easy to add stations to presets, and reception is very clear.
The sound is very accurately produced at all ranges. The included headphones fit well and sound good. The volume goes up much higher than I could ever think I would need it. For those of you who are runners, I use the earphones that come with it and they direct the sound very well into my ears so I do not have to make it too loud and can still hear some of the environmental sounds: wind noise is hardly noticeable.
The screen is easy to see in all light conditions, bright, and easy to read.
The build quality feels great. It has generous weight to it, light enough to take running and not really notice it but heavy enough to give it a solid feel. The front of the device is a bit shiny and does tend to attract fingerprints easily but not scratches so far.
Expansion port works great, currently using a 4GB microsdhc to shuttle podcasts/audiobooks between it my pc.
Navigation is a breeze and the menus are very intuitive, the scroll wheel/buttons are easy to find and press even with the player not in sight.
Syncing I very easy to do without the need for bloated software. You can add media to it via a file explorer(drag & drop) or one of several media players like WMP, winamp, and a variety of others. The datbase is auto-updating and works flawlessly. I have seen a few reviews that say the database refresh takes a while. With a completely full internal memory and half full 4gb card my refreshes only take 15-30 seconds.
A few final notes. The boot-up is about 3-5 seconds from off to playing music after pressing the power button. It will resume the music exactly where you left it when turning it off. Actual usable memory is about 7.8 GB. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars, best on the market right now but not perfect of course.
UPDATE: 2 new "cons" I have come across. Technically the device is performing as intended but I am hoping for a firmware update to "resolve" these.
1. When scrolling, the speed of scrolling does not increase. Basically takes forever if the song you want is in the second half of the alphabet. This will probably be changed in the next firmware update though.
2. The podcasts are sorted by most recent first. This kind of makes since so you dont have to scroll to the bottom to listen to the newest one but it also causes a problem if you are trying to listen to a series in order and it starts playing through them backwards. :( Probably no "fix" for this issue although being able to choose how it is sorted would be great.
Buy SanDisk Sansa Fuze 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Silver) Now
The price, capacity and design of the Fuze 8GB are great, however I have had some issues with my Fuze since picking it up a couple months ago:1) The screen is easily scratched: I have been carrying it in the front pocket of my jeans with nothing else, and the display screen has lots of little scratches on it (they showed up the first day even). Not at all scratch resistant, if you get one make sure you get a shield for the screen. Strangely enough the finish on the rest of the front of the Fuze is much more scratch resistant (though not completely so either).
2) Proprietary connector: The Fuze uses a proprietary connector to connect to your computer's USB port rather than a standard USB Mini-B plug. This means if you lose it you can't just use a standard cable, you'll have to buy a new proprietary cable you can't use anywhere else. Additionally if you want to use a wall adapter to charge your device you'll need to purchase another cable.
3) It takes too long to refresh: Each time you unplug it from your computer or plug in a MicroSD card, the Fuze goes through a process of "Refreshing your media", presumably scanning the internal and/or external memory for music. This takes about five minutes on mine, with a nearly full (7GB) internal memory and no external memory. Even if no changes are made to your music (i.e. you were just plugging it in to charge the battery), it will go through this process each time you unplug the device from your computer.
4) Playback issues: This may be an issue with my particular Fuze, but on occassion it will refuse to play particular tracks. After cycling the power it will then usually play the tracks fine.
5) Playlist problems: I have been unable to utilize playlists with much success. The Fuze recognizes standard M3U playlists, however accessing and scrolling through them on the Fuze is painfully slow (I just looked into one of my playlist, it took 15 seconds for the list to show up, and maybe 2/3 second to scroll down to each song off the bottom of the screen). Additionally, the tracks in the playlist show up with the artist's name in front, so for long artist names you can't see the song name at all, unless you wait for the name to (slowly) scroll to the right revaling the rest of the information.
6) Scrolling issues: In general, scrolling is pretty rapid (unless you're looking at a playlist). Unlike the iPod however, the speed is fixed; continuously scrolling through your music will not 'accelerate' the scroll speed after several seconds. I scrolled through my artists from A-Z, it took 39 complete rotations of the scroll wheel to reach the bottom, and again to go back, taking maybe 20 seconds. With a full 16 GB of music, or fewer songs each from more artists, this could easily double.
With the exception of the easily scratched screen and proprietary connector, I would think these issues could be resolved via a firmware update. Hopefully as the Fuze becomes more mature these issues will go away, as they mar an otherwise great device.
Read Best Reviews of SanDisk Sansa Fuze 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Silver) Here
I use Rhapsody subscription music; my Sansa e260R is frustrating too heavy, confusing controls, sluggish UI, no support for audiobooks or podcasts so I use it less often than I thought I would. I use my iPod Nano heavily, but iTunes doesn't support music subscriptions, so I've been looking for a decent replacement for the Sansa. I bought a Sansa Fuze (4Gb) for my wife last month, and liked what I saw, so I took the plunge with the silver 8Gb model.I've been pleased with the Sansa Fuze so far. It retains the e260R's strengths FM play/record, voice record, subscription music support, expandability via microSD/SDHC while improving or completely fixing my issues with the older device.
Here are my personal pros and cons of the device. (I don't mention battery life, proprietary connectors, etc., because they aren't issues to me. Battery life is fine, and I'm glad the connector is the same as the E260.)
PROS:
* The software is much more responsive than the E200. Most actions are immediate.
* The physical controls are vastly simplified and more iPod-like. The front controls have been trimmed to an iPod-like click and scroll wheel, and a separate Home button. The power control has moved to the side of the device, merged with the Hold control a good improvement.
* Support for subscription music, Rhapsody Channels, Audible (format 4), Protected WMA, WMA, MP3 and WAV files, and new support (with the October 2008 update) for OGG Vorbis and lossless FLAC.
* the October firmware update has some other bug fixes and eye candy (startup/shutdown animations) that are less useful than an indication that Sansa is very committed to this device. (The View has some expanded functionality including a larger video screen, but the Fuze seems to be their flagship.)
* The form factor of the Fuze echoes, and improves on, the iPod Nano 3G. Taller, thinner, deeper, softer curves, more (but not too much) heft. It can be one-hand controlled like the Nano, but feels better in the hand than the 3G.
* Retains the E200 series extras like FM play (20 presets), FM record, and voice record/playback that the iPod Nano lacks. (note: 4G Nano does support voice record, but it requires an optional headphone cable.)
* Support for micro SD (up to 2Gb) and micro SDHC (up to 8Gb, for now) expansion cards. (note: the expansion cards seriously drain battery life. given the choice between a 4Gb Fuze with a 4Gb expansion, and an 8Gb Fuze, get the latter.)
* The headphone jack has been moved to the bottom-right of the device, as on the Nano. I prefer this location to the top-right jack location on the E200.
* a unique addition is the ability to delete files (songs, podcasts, etc.) directly from the device. I REALLY like this feature. (you can also format the Fuze without a computer. Given the number of times I had to reformat the E200, I can see why they added that.)
* the Fuze appears to be popular enough to have a good selection of accessories, such as protective cases, armbands, etc. Why should the iPod get all the attention?
CONS:
* software limit of around 4000 songs. That may be fixed in firmware update eventually.
* integration of device content and expansion card content is not seamless. Results can be unpredictable, especially with Audible content.
* Bookmarked podcast/audiobook fails to resume after playing other music content.
* No support for (un)protected AAC files; people who used iTunes defaults for ripping/converting music will have to reconvert back to MP3 or WMA. Also, some podcasts and iTunes-friendly audiobooks are in AAC format, and cannot be played on the Fuze.
* Unlike the iPod and the Sansa E200 series, there is no "scan through song" option. This is especially aggravating for audiobooks, podcasts, and lengthy FM/voice recordings, but I even use it on songs on the iPod.
* also a step back from the E200 series, no dedicated side "record" button. And the microphone has been moved from the top to the left side, by the SD slot. my voice recordings aren't as sharp as on the E200.
* The Fuze apparently doesn't have a user-replaceable battery. This may matter more to others than to me. I've never been away from a recharge for so long that I've run out of juice.
* The screen is easily scratched. Get a screen protector or case ASAP. (the rest of the device has been less susceptible to scratching)
* the scroll wheel is a moving part, which has caused some users problems. So far, my wife's Fuze has held up fine.
* the physical wheel sticks out a little, and even minor jostling in a pocket can trigger a command. The Hold button is more needed than it was on the E200. A clear case that recesses the wheel should help.
* Audible content must be managed through Audible Manager, rather than the integrated method offered by iTunes. And with the new firmware, support for older formats (2 and 3) are being dropped, so you'll need to redownload your books in the highest quality (and largest) format. I prefer format 4, so this isn't a problem for me, but it took me a while to update my collection of 200 titles.
* The bright silver device in the picture isn't what I got. It's more of a gray titanium color. I actually prefer the color, but if you like the bright shiny silver device in the picture, be warned.
* podcasts are separated by show, but each episode within a show is treated like a song (next track begins automatically) rather than an episode (returns to menu after episode completes). The iPod Nano 3G has been inconsistent in this respect, so perhaps there's a setting that could address this on the Fuze.
* audiobooks and podcasts can be set to play at normal speed, or faster or slower. This is good, but unlike the iPod which skips past "white space" and plays voices at normal pitch, the fast/slow modes alter the voice to a distracting degree (Chipmunk mode, or Concussion Mode)
* screen size is the same as the Nano 3G/4G, but the resolution is lower. This is noticeable on videos.
* most of the videos I've tried have had to be converted. For episode-length content, this is a pain. I'd love direct support for XVID, DIVX, AVI, WMV, H.264, MP4. Granted, I won't watch a lot of video on the thing (I have watched enough video on the Nano 3G to far prefer the iPod Touch) but since it's there, it should be simpler.
Despite my laundry list of Cons, I really like this device. It's not going to replace my iPod Nano, but it's a solid complement. I'm using it more often than the E260R, so in that sense alone it's worth the upgrade to me. I confess that if Apple ever offers subscription music on iTunes/iPod, I'll likely move to 100% iPod, but until/unless that happens, the Sansa is a valuable companion.
I don't think anyone except Microsoft is likely to compete with Apple on the video side of things, where Sansa doesn't seem interested in competing; they're a device company, whereas Apple and Microsoft have their own content stores. If Sansa were getting a cut of video sales, they might give more thought to their players' video capabilities. For now, the Sansa focus is on music, and they do that very well.
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Hands down, this is the best digital media player I have purchased. After three failed attempts at buying an updated media player (Insignia Pilot 8GB terrible sound quality, Creative ZEN 8GB terrible interface software with the computer) I finally found the Sansa Fuze.This player had everything I was looking for: low price point, large memory capacity (8GB), an exandable memory port (microSDHC), FM radio capability, and small size.
The unit itself looks and feels of quality construction, the interface with the computer is simple (just drag & drop to either internal or external memory) and it has amazing battery life. I've had no problems charging the unit on my laptop or via a USB A/C adapter. The manual clearly states that some USB ports are not powerful enough to charge the unit, particularly those on the front of the computer, and in that case to try the back USB ports.
As for video quality, I can't speak to it. The Fuze has only a 1.9" screen, so if you bought it to watch videos you must have microscopes for eyes.
Overall, the Sansa Fuze is the best bang for the buck in terms of sound quality, construction, ease of use, and functionality. If you're looking for an excellent digital media player, you've found it!
It works, and the battery life is unbelievable. The major downfall is the flimsy ipod type dial for selecting and navigating your music! I work out with this everyday and over a month the dial became non-responsive and very difficult to change volume. Its more like a raised button that is suspended on a knob, which is delicate. If you are using this in an environment where it will not have contact with much around it, this will be a great purchase. If you plan on bringing it to the gym and putting it in your pocket all day, be warned. A bit of dirt or bumps on that dial and your done.
Linux support = great
Battery life = great
Proprietary USB connection = crappy
Sound = great
Design of the knob for navigation = horrible.
My conclusion = Go to the store and see this in your hand before purchasing. If you are OK with the knob, then I would recommend it.
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