Wednesday, February 12, 2014

SanDisk Sansa e250 2 GB MP3 Player with microSD Expansion Slot (Black)

SanDisk Sansa e250 2 GB MP3 Player with microSD Expansion Slot
  • Sleek, ultra-thin digital audio/image/video player with 2 GB of flash memory
  • Compatible with MP3, WMA, and WMA-DRM10 music files (PlaysForSure)
  • FM tuner with record capability and voice recorder; bright 1.8-inch color TFT LCD
  • Convert most popular video formats (MPEG-4, WMV) to play on device
  • User-replaceable rechargeable lithium-ion battery for up to 20 hours of life

Since I have most of my music files ripped in WMA format, I've been looking for a flash MP3 player to compete with the IPOD Nano. After much research, I decided to take a chance on this newly released player.

I'm very impressed to start. The player is small (just a bit thicker than the Nano), and fairly light. The screen shows excellent colorbased on the menus. I'm not planning to use it much for video or photos, so I'm not very concerned with the screen size, which is expectedly small. The player in general is very easy to use. I looked over the quick reference guide and didn't even bother with the user guide (user guide is in PDF format on the cd-rom.) The overall appearance is excellent.

You can load music by dragging and dropping, or using Windows Media Player 10. I prefer to use WMP10 to sync, since I have my music organized well. Syncing in this manner was very simple. I didn't encounter any issues with the first two syncs I've performed. If you have your id3 tags correct, the Sansa will display your music by Artist, Album, Songs, or Genere. There's also a "To Go playlist". The Sansa sorted my music just fine. The display is informative when playing music. The sound so far is excellent. I've used a few different headsets to test it and have no complaints.

The center dial/wheel rotates and glows in a bright blue. It allows you to scroll through menu items and to increase/decrease the volume. The directional buttons around the wheel are a little difficult to use with only one hand. Because the center dial is raised so much, you end up needing to use the tips of your fingers to press the buttons that surround it. I suppose it will take a little getting used tobut it's not a dealbreaker for me.

Following the precedent set by other companies. The USB connector is of course proprietary. This is currently the only way to charge the Sansa, so don't lose it. I don't see any wall/travel charges offered yeteven at the Sandisk Website. Since it's newthere aren't really any accessories offered. This isn't a concern to me personallyso I bought it anyway. I definitely would like a separate charging apparatus, rather than having to charge via USBso I hope Sandisk offers such an item, sooner rather than later.

It comes with a small velvet pouch. I'll be searching for some sort of "skin" to protect the player, instead of relying on the pouch. It's just not efficient if you want to protect and use the player at the same time.

Pros:

It looks beautiful.

Plays WMA Files.

Easy to sync.

Drag & Drop available.

Sounds great.

Flash memoryso no need to wory about hard drive skipping.

2GB of memory with models that go up to 6GB.

Expansion slot for miniSD cards for more memory.

Lots of features: Music, Video, Pics, FM, Voice Recording, etc.

Price $159.

Cons:

Buttons can be hard to use.

Charging via USB only (at this time.)

Not many accessories offered (yet.)

Doesn't support many file types.

Again, please understand when reading this, that my primary use is for music. All the other features are merely a bonus for me. So if you're looking for something to use regularly to play video, pics, etcplease do your homework to see if the player is a good fit for your needs. Most of the time when I read negative reviews, it's because the reviewer bought something that did not fit their needs. Companies are in business to sell their productsdo your own research to determine if the product is right for you.

Buy SanDisk Sansa e250 2 GB MP3 Player with microSD Expansion Slot (Black) Now

When I finally decided to give in to the iPod craze, I went looking at Best Buy for them. At first I planned on getting a ipod nano, but then I noticed this little guy. My friend has a nano and honestly I think this SanDisk is way better. FM tuner, can accept pictures and videos. The record (voice or radio) feature is sweet and it will know what order to put songs in when you transfer an album into it (as well as give you the cover artwork). The menus and LCD screen are top notch as well.

It can only be charged in a USB slot.. which might bug some people. I usually charge it in my Xbox 360 USB slot while i'm playing games.

A really good MP3 player and great alternative to the ipod nano

Read Best Reviews of SanDisk Sansa e250 2 GB MP3 Player with microSD Expansion Slot (Black) Here

PROS: Fantastic quality, functionality, and price. Durable

CONS: Lack of accessories

In the world of MP3 players, it seems there exists two categories; I-Pod and everyone else. As an employee of a major retail electronics outlet, the sheer volume of customers coming in requesting I-Pods (for no other reason than they saw it on TV), is a testament to Apple's overwhelming marketing success in the industry. However, while I-Pods account for about 60% of all sales of MP3 players, they constitute a larger than average share of our MP3 repairs and service. Additionally, the sheer over saturation coupled with the fact that consumers are forced to use I-tunes to interface their songs encouraged me to think outside of the I-Pod empire, and research various competitor models.

After comparing several models of MP3 players I decided to purchase the Scandisk e250, it has proven to be a great choice. The design is slightly similar to an I-Pod, however its' dark colors and sophisticated design distinguished it from other run of the mill handhelds on the market. The most impressive feature on this unit is its' display screen. While similar in size to some of its competitors, the vibrant display is bright, clear, easy to read, and is advertised as scratch resistant. Best of all, a 2GB model (about 500 songs) cost twenty dollars less than a comparable I-pod.

In terms of overall functionality, I can't praise the e250 enough. A very easy interface by way of USB will load any file format of music and mpeg video for easy organization and storage. The FM tuner provided, delivers a strong signal for radio fans, and the unit also stores digital photos and movie clips. The menu is very well organized and easy to navigate when you're on the go.

In terms of durability, I've owned this player for about a month and it has shown almost no sign of wear and tear, it has gone with me virtually everywhere in various conditions indoors and outdoors. I tend to take care of my gear, but as a 21 year old college student, the e250's durability is tested daily, and has surpassed any MP3 player I have previously owned. Perhaps the only drawback to the e250 is the sparse selection of cases and other accessories for this unit. However, as popularity of the brand increases (which it hopefully will when others learn of its quality value) availability of accessories should follow suit. Overall, the e250 delivers outstanding quality and value for the money.

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If you use your MP3 player for music only, my one-star review is very harsh. For the money, it is a decent player if you never listen to anything over five minutes long. However, if you listen to audiobooks or podcasts, do not buy this player. I have used about a dozen different players over the past few years and I have never ever seen one so ill suited for playing lengthy files. There is no bookmarking feature and the fast forward is so slow that it is completely useless. You cannot start and the end of a track and rewind back to your spot either. Worse yet, it seems like the designers almost were determined to make it impossible for someone to maintain their spot on a long track. The record button has a hair trigger and is very difficult not to accidentally touch, and you had better manage to listen to that audiobook on one battery charge, because recharging will also cause you to loose your spot.

I bought this for my wife. She doesn't listen to a lot of music, so I went with the 2GB. She loves it and uses it everyday at the office. And if she does need more room, it has the slot for a card. She also has an IPOD, and doesn't use it anymore after getting this.

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