MP3 Player SanDisk Sansa Clip | Review

For : Easy to use, bright and crisp display, sensitive microphone.

Against : Poor FM signal reception.

SMALL YET SIMPLE

While Apple continues to rule the world of digital music, their prices allow budget players to sweep in with less expensive products which almost match up to the performance of the iPods. This is where the Sansa Clip fits in. About the size of a matchbox, the Sansa Clip is one of the most compact players around.

The Sansa Clip comes with a detachable belt clip which makes it ideal for the gym. The Sansa Clip is made up of a plastic body with slight metallic finish. True to its form the Clip is pretty light with good button tolerances apart from the power switch that is a bit shaky. The rectangular one inch OLED screen is crisp and vibrant and is easy to navigate as compared to the Creative Zen Stone Plus. Below the screen is a circular, five-way click pad which helps you to scroll through songs, artists, playlists and various other features. Although the controls are arranged in a wheel pattern, they are actually buttons. The wheel does not spin at all. The player also has an independent ‘Home’ button which takes you directly to the player’s navigation panel. Towards the left of the player you’ll find the power and hold switch while the right side of the player has the volume control. While it may seem like a lot for such a small player, the controls are neatly laid out with a good overall feel.

Don’t let the player’s size fool you. The Sansa Clip comes with several desirable features such as the built-in microphone for voice recording (WAV format only) and an FM tuner with forty preset stations, with the ability to record as well, that are notably absent on the iPods. As with any decent MP3 player the Clip offers repeat and playback modes and an adjustable five band equalizer. You can add songs to the on-the-go playlist, rate and also delete songs directly from the player. You can also drag and drop songs or files into the Sansa Clip or use Windows Media Player to manage your playlists.  The player also features an auto resume function, which begins playing from where you left off, even if you paused before shutdown. Another neat feature we really liked was the player’s ability to display the amount of charge left via the properties menu when plugged into the computer.

The included earphones were passable, so investing in better quality earphones would really improve the overall sound quality. The Clip’s voice recorder worked fine and has a good range while the FM reception was about average. The battery life on this little player is pretty impressive with approximately eleven hours of playback time.

VERDICT: For those who are looking for a player that’s not only feature rich but also easy to use should really take a look at the Sansa Clip. It might not be an iPod killer but surely gives the ZEN Stone Plus some serious competition. The only drawback is the included USB cable which is just too short. So if you want a Shuffle alternative, the Sansa Clip is worth buying, just remember to upgrade the earphones.