SanDisk Sansa e280 8 GB MP3 Player (Black)
by SanDisk
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List Price: Our Price: $50.00 You Save: $199.99 (80%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of SanDisk Sansa e280 8 GB MP3 Player (Black)
Customer Review: A great, affordable first MP3 for the techno-impaired (and everybody else)
Summary: 5 Stars
After some research, I chose this unit as my first MP3 - chiefly because the price was right, the consumer reviews were favorable, and because the size of the screen was the biggest I could find. This unit is very easy to operate and the sound quality and function are terrific. I intend to use it only for music, but it has video and recording capability as well. It also records sound files, but beware of this function - the "record" button is entirely too easy to turn on, so you may find yourself recording accidentally and then having to delete this useless file. I have a fairly big music collection and went for the 8GB memory rather than the 4GB, and I'm glad because I used 4GB of the space in no time. Be aware that the unit comes with some material already on it, which takes up some space - you can delete it. The e-series players also have a user-replaceable battery, which was another selling point for me.
My one gripe is that for those of us of the analog generation, there is no "stop" feature, which I'm told the iPod does have. I get it; there are no moving parts and therefore nothing to "stop", but when one has a playlist five albums long and you want to quit 1/3 of the way into it, it is frustrating to have to either zoom all the way to the end or select another album and then cancel out of that one. I contacted Sansa Tech Support and they confirmed that these are basically the only options, which is ridiculous. (Turning the unit off for a spell doesn't help either; the player simply starts up again where you left off, the next time you turn it on.)
I strongly recommend that you also order the Sansa e-Series AC Charger, so you can just charge your unit from a wall outlet rather than your PC. The postage will cost more than the charger but it is completely worth having for the convenience. I also have (and highly recommend) the Altec Lansing speaker/docking/charging unit that is compatible with the Sansa e-Series players, as I use the unit almost exclusively with speakers rather than with the ear buds.
A quick note for first-time and techno-impaired users: I will spare you the pile of research and feeling foolish that I went through, with some basic tips, as none of this is mentioned in the downloadable User's manual. This manual erroneously assumes that everyone already knows the basic theory behind how MP3 players work.
First, you MUST have Windows Media Player 11 on your PC, and not an earlier version. Countless forums online have mentioned this as the solution to problems of getting their players to interface with their PCs. I made sure I had MP11 up front and have not had any problems.
Second, the basic concept of using an MP3 is as follows. Your computer is going to serve as the master storage library for all of your MP3 music - your music will have to stay on there for as long as you want it on your MP3. You put your music cd into your cdr drive and bring up Windows Media Player; you must tell Media Player to "rip" the music to your library (which means it makes a sort of low-res version of the music file - it sounds fine, don't worry). You can opt to uncheck the one song that you don't like on a CD, and it will be left out. When you have done this to all of the cd's you want to add for the time being, you then plug your MP3 into the USB port of your PC (the Sansa MP3 player comes with a plug thingy for this) and you must tell Media Player to "Synch" (i.e. synchronize) the library's contents to your MP3 player. It will copy everything over as it is on the library. NOTE: If you remove something from the library, the next time you synch, it will be removed from your MP3 player as well. You can add to the library and re-synch over time. You should also map out in advance what, if any, Playlists you want to make up. These are very handy things - you can select and string albums or songs together in any order and give it a name, and the player will store and follow it; however, you have to create the playlist in Media Player before you Synch your MP3. It will synch over with the rest of the material.
I recommend downloading the full Users manual from the Sansa site. Their Tech Support folk are also very helpful. Enjoy your unit!
Customer Review: i LOVE my sansa! can't live without it. but...
Summary: 5 Stars
...as at least one reviewer noted, I've also had the problem where midway through a song, the player seems to grind to a halt. If I hold down fast-forward, I can still hear the track (at increased speed, of course)...but nothing seems to be able to make the player "wake up" and play the remainder of the track.
However, this peculiar playback problem seems to be file-specific, and has occurred fewer than 10 times. So far, I've transferred about 4,000 songs to the Sansa (at one time or another). So it's not a disastrous failing, merely a rare nuisance.
Strangest of all: the halted playback occurs on more than half of the .MP3s (or .WMAs) ripped from different CDs by the same artist! It's as if there's something about his music the Sansa doesn't like. I've tried using different programs to rip the tracks, and it doesn't help. Very odd.
Another complaint: when playing CDs which run continuously, with no silence between tracks (Sgt. Pepper being an obvious example), the Sansa hiccups; you hear a brief, glitchy-sounding silence before the next track begins.
With recordings which are supposed to have silence between songs, it isn't noticeable. And you can work around it: but only by ripping an entire CD as a single file, thus losing the ability to skip tracks.
To me, this is important. I enjoy many genres of music in which it's common for a CD to have a small number of long tracks, all running together.
I have some problems with crackling or dropouts when I'm walking -- but I suspect my particular player is getting a bit worn, such that the headphone jack doesn't always make good contact. Mostly I listen while riding the bus, or sitting at my desk: and in those instances, it's not an issue. (Some headphone cables seem less prone to these kinds of problems.)
But enough complaining...
Apple has put an incredible effort into developing an aura of "cool" around the iPod, making it seem an essential purchase for absolutely everyone. They've been remarkably successful. Especially when you consider how limited all iPods are: both in terms of features, and the fact that you're absolutely forced to use iTunes.
The folks at SanDisk haven't insulted my intelligence by assuming I need hand-holding at every little step. And they give me options: drag-and-drop, or Windows Media Player.
Apple, Inc. insist they know what's best, and accordingly give their users extremely limited choices...often, no choice at all.
So I never gave serious thought to buying an iPod.
And why should I? Not when I can have a player which is both flexible and easy to use, comes in a wide variety of models, has expandable memory...and good sound quality. Oh yes, and it isn't a fragile little thing (my Sansa has survived more than one drop to the pavement...still playing when I picked it up).
[update]
Headphone jack crackling-noise problem solved. I spoke with a clerk at a store which sells used audiophile gear, asking whether this sounded like a permanent hardware problem. We tried using a bit of "contact cleaner" type solvent on the jack. After a few seconds of letting the stuff work its way into the unit, no more noise whatsoever. More than a week later, still working perfectly (regardless of which headphones used).
The solvent BTW is called "DeoxIT Gold". There is also a "DeoxIT" product--from the same company, minus "Gold" in the name--used primarily to clean and remove oxidation. The Gold solution is for improving contact and performance (with connections which are already clean). I've been pleased with the effectiveness of both products: not just with the Sansa, but with all kinds of electronic gear (audio and video, digital cameras, NiMH batteries and chargers; might be helpful with PCs and peripherals but haven't tried).
Yes, this sounds like an advertisement. No, I don't work for them!
Customer Review: excellent balance of form, function and value
Summary: 5 Stars
the inevitable comparisons to the iPod nano notwithstanding, the Sandisk Sansa e200 series is an excellent choice for a digital audio and video player that meets most mp3 player owners' requirements in portability and styling, feature sets, ease-of-use, and price. The Sandisk Sansa is a winner out of the box, and a serious competitor to the iPod Nano....
You get more capacity (8GB flash + up to 2GB with the microSD slot), more features that the iPod doesn't have (larger screen, video playback, FM tuner + recorder, voice recorder, user customizable EQ, on-the-go playlisting), for the same price.
And that's the MSRP price: Apple rarely lowers it's iPod prices unless a new generation model is ready for release. Sandisk has and will continue to lower it's prices as the market allows, so even now, 9 days after the release of the new Nano, you can find some e280 Sansa's online that are selling for $20-$30 less than the 8GB Nano.
The Sansa no longer has that clear-cut superior build quality over the Nano, now that it's in annodized aluminum. But the Sansa's liquid metal alloy titanium back plate is far more durable and scratch-resistant than the Nano's aluminum. And, you can remove and replace the rechargeable lithium-ion battery yourself, for $20, while the Nano has to be sent back to Apple for the replacement, at a cost of $50 (the Nano's battery is soldered to the motherboard). It's the same size as the Nano, although it's almost twice as thick (0.5" vs. 0.3") - probably due to the removable battery.
The new Nano still is uncomfortable-feeling in my hand as the 1G nano was, due to it's thinness, even tho it now has rounded sides. The Sansa's 0.5" thickness is still very thin, yet it feels substantial in my hand, and more of my hand's skin is gripping it's body, which makes me feel like I'm going to hang on to it, and not drop it, like it always feels like with the Nano.
Both the Sansa and the Nano have a similar sound presentation. The Sansa DID have a clearer, crisper reproduction compared to the 1G Nano, but the 2G Nano appears to be improved slightly in this area, and has caught up neck-to-neck with the Sansa. The Nano is a tick or two louder in volume....both have meek results in the low (bass) frequencies flat, but the user EQ for the Sansa helps in this regard quite a bit, while the only bass-editing feature for the Nano - bass booster - distorts quite a bit. Overall, the Nano has a slight edge in volume, but the improvements in bass for the Sansa in my opinion make it the winner in overall audio quality. Opinions of audio quality is subjective, and may depend on if you are a "basshead" or not.
so overall, in regards to build quality, styling, features, and price, the Sandisk Sansa is a very solid competitor to the iPod Nano, and will be looking eye-to-eye with the Nano, and maybe even down on the Nano, for quite some time to come. In my opinion, it's the clear winner over the Nano, and what I'd recommend first to anyone. It's why I sold my first generation 4GB nano, and bought my e260 Sansa. And now with the 2nd gen. nano, there's no reason for me to go back. The styling of the iPod is getting old to me: it's basically un-changed since 2001, with the exception of 4 buttons being under the screen for the 4G iPod, and the Mini's and Nano's colors.
If you want to "think different", get the Sansa!
Customer Review: Better than the Ipod? YES.
Summary: 5 Stars
When I was in the market for an MP3 player, I did tons of research and finally settled on this little beauty. I MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE! I have had my Sansa for over a year now and I have been so impressed with just about everything. Let me begin with a few pros...
1. It has radio! I don't use it that often, but there are times when I can't decide what to listen to and I turn on my favorite station. Oh, and you can also record stuff from the radio, so if a really awesome song I don't own comes on, I can record it!
2. Voice recording. I am a teenager, so my friends and I often goof off a lot and it is tons of fun to record our silliness. I also use it once in a while for reminders.
3. Color, color, color! All of my friends have ipods and boy are they boring! The Sansa has slick icons for a menu and blue backgrounds and all that jazz. Very cool.
4. The Sansa is a really good size. To be honest, the ipod feels like I could break it in a moment, being so skinny and all. Not with this. The Sansa actually has some body and shape and it doesn't feel like a piece of glass in my hand.
5. Price! This thing is WAY cheaper than almost anything else you can buy and in my opinion, it is just as good.
6. The expansion slot is a really nice feature. My dad got me a micro SD card that holds 2GB of music, so with that I have space for 10GB! Since I am a serious music guru, that is SWEET. Oh, and I just love little bits of technology, so that gives me something to brag about...:)
Now for the cons...they are all very minor and almost all based on my personal preferences, nothing majorly wrong with the thing...
1. The time display has an issue, as far as I'm concerned. It doesn't display the time when you are playing music from your library, which bothers me. You have to go all the way back into the settings section and look. What a pain.
2. Ghost songs. Creepy...no, I'm kidding. But seriously, I loaded some music on my player, they stopped playing about two weeks later with the message that they are bad tracks. Okay, I can handle that. I go in and take them off, restart the player, and try to put them back on. It won't let me because it says that they are already on there. Well, you go on the player and there is nothing there with that title. Wierd...
3. The lack of cases and accessories for this baby is pretty pathetic. No company worth looking at makes cases for the Sansas. SanDisk itself does, but those are lame...so because this is a less well known player, it is very difficult to find sweet stuff for it. That is probably one of the major bummers.
4. The final con is another personal preference deal...I don't really like the fact that it only comes in black. I like the blue scroll wheel thingy, but the black case is a little blah. It is sleek, I'll give it that, but boring for those of us who like a little color in our life. And with the fact that there are no fun cases for this baby, you can't really make it more exciting...
Overall, I would VERY highly recommend this player to you. It holds a lot, has a cooler interface, and is cheaper than some of the other players. Go with this one - it is the best I've found!
Customer Review: Amazing player that kills the iPod Nano.
Summary: 5 Stars
I just got my player today, and it is incredible! I love it, and the iPod Nano can't hold a candle to it. The iPod Nano(2nd Gen) has four things better than the e280: It has four games, it's smaller, it has a search feature, and it has a better display. First off, the pros of the e280.
Provided lanyard
Video playback
Photo viewer with slideshow
FM radio with custom presets and FM recorder
Voice recorder
MicroSD expansion slot
1.8" LCD TFT screen
User-replaceable battery
And it has Lil' Monsta stickers. How cool is that?
All this for less than the Nano. Yes, the Nano does also have a stopwatch and slightly better battery life, but I still think the Sansa is a better player.
I cannot get enough of my player. Because I encode my music at 48kbps, I can fit 4146 songs and a couple photos on it and it's not full yet. It has the same shape as the Nano, but it's a bit thicker and heavier. Any photos or videos have to go through the Sansa Media Converter, which I think is good, because yes, it does take a while to convert videos, but it beats the alternative of not being able to watch a movie because your player doesn't read that file type. The player has the video feature, but I don't see why you would watch more than a couple music videos on such a tiny screen. If you want to watch movies, get a PVP, such as the Archos 604 or the Cowon D2. Now to the downsides.
Smudges really easily
Videos aren't as amazing as they could be
Buttons outside the center ring can be difficult to press
Record button can screw up whatever you were doing
Takes a long time to refresh the database whenever you put a lot of music, or any number of photos or videos.
Center ring isn't as good as the iPod's scroll wheel (fine, one more thing the iPod has over the Sansa)
No included AC adapter
What's in the box:
Player
USB connector
Sansa Media Converter disc
Earbuds
Lanyard
Velvet pouch
Stickers
Manual
The provided pouch is almost identical to the pouch that comes with an iPod Video. The earbuds have fuzzy covers on them, and an extra pair, in case you lose the ones you have. The earbuds are mediocre, but for provided earphones, they're bumped up to average. The MicroSD slot is a neat touch, especially that now those cards are very cheap (not much more than a flash drive of the same memory is).
My biggest problem about it, is that it takes FOREVER to refresh after you put pictures, videos, or a lot of songs on it. I put 15 pictures on it, and it took about 10 minutes to refresh the database. But it's outweighed by the awesome-osity of the rest of the player.
Added note: I got the e280R from Best Buy, so my player came with extra things (possibly the stickers) such as Rhapsody Channels that have a handful of songs in 13 genres and sample music from artists such as Stroke 9 and Umphrey's McGee.