Introduction
The SanDisk Sansa Clip 1GB is a digital audio player that in some ways is similar to the iPod Shuffle. What sets it apart from Apple’s micro-gadget is its feature set and lower cost (around $40). It comes in a variety of storage configurations, colors, and is very small. A handy clip is included enabling you to wear it almost anywhere.
Sandisk’s Sansa Clip may resemble an iPod Shuffle but how does it fair in the budget MP3 player category? Read this Sansa Clip 1GB MP3 player review for the answers.
Pros:
- Excellent sound quality.
- Good feature set.
- Very good value for money.
Cons:
- Very short USB cable.
SanDisk Sansa Clip 1GB – Before You Buy
System Requirements:
- Windows XP SP2 or later.
- Windows Media Player 10+.
- USB 2.0 port.
- CD-ROM drive.
Style & Design: The Sandisk Sansa Clip comes in a range of colors and storage capacities:
- 1GB Version (black).
- 2GB Version (red, pink, blue, and black).
- 4GB version (silver).
The unit is very compact and the included clip on the rear of the MP3 player makes the Sansa Clip a cool fashion accessory. If you like to exercise or travel with music, then the Sansa Clip is the ideal gadget to wear.
Package Contents:
- Sansa Clip 1GB player.
- Earphones.
- Earphone foam covers.
- USB 2.0 cable.
- Quick start guide.
- Free audiobook download card for Audible.com.
The package contents are reasonable for a MP3 player at this price point but the supplied USB cable is extremely short (approximately 8.5 inches in length). If you haven’t got USB ports located at the front of your PC or a USB hub then you could find yourself fiddling around the back of your computer in the dark.
SanDisk Sansa Clip 1GB – Getting Started
Charging The Battery: The SanDisk Sansa Clip has a rechargeable battery that makes using the unit hassle-free. The battery is charged using the supplied USB cable and on the test took approximately 3.5 hours to fully charge. You can expect to get up to 15 hours from a fully charged battery.
Earphones: The earphones are comfortable to wear and also come with optional foam covers. A gold-plated 3.5mm plug is fitted to the earphone wiring which is unshielded to act as the aerial for the built-in FM radio.
Transferring Music: The Sansa Clip is an MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) device and so no drivers have to be installed beforehand. Simply plug the device into a USB port using the provided cable and Windows XP SP2/Visa will detect it automatically. You can then use Windows Media Player for example to organize your music and synchronize with the Sansa Clip.
SanDisk Sansa Clip 1GB – Device Features
Controls: The main user interface is a 4-way control pad that is situated on the face of the unit. Every time the control pad is pressed, it illuminates to give you visual feedback. Near to the control pad is the main menu button which gets you straight to the main options screen where you can access all functions. The power/lock slider button is located on the edge of the unit and on the opposite edge of the device is the volume control. All the controls on the SanDisk Sansa Clip feel positive to the touch and are well positioned.
Menu System: The interface is user-friendly and easy to use. Each of the menu items have icons and a description; Music, FM radio, voice, and settings are easily navigated to by pressing the down button on the control pad. While playing a music track, the screen displays battery level, album, track title, and artist. Other useful information includes, track playing time, playlist number, and progress bar. If you press the select button (located in the center of the control pad) you get a visually stunning real-time 16-band graphics equalizer. This is essentially eye candy rather than a frequency analysis tool – but it looks super-cool and is sure to impress. SanDisk have done a great job on making the menu system intuitive and fun to use.
Screen Display: A backlit 0.9 inch color OLED screen displays text and graphics that are crystal clear and easy on the eyes. Screen brightness levels and backlighting can be configured in the settings menu to suit your preferences.
FM Radio: The built-in FM radio is a feature that is not found on the Apple iPod Shuffle. It has options to scan for radio stations automatically or manually. There are 40 presets for you to store your favorite radio stations and the best bit is that you can record them. Reception is reasonable and the sound quality is good.
Built-in Microphone: This is an excellent feature that is also not found on the iPod Shuffle. You can record your voice with the built-in microphone in WAV format which you can either keep on the unit or copy back to your PC. The quality of the voice recording is excellent considering you can’t even see the microphone.
File Formats:The SanDisk Sansa Clip is compatible with the following formats:
Sound Quality: The quality of the sound is very impressive for such a small (and inexpensive) device. The bass is tight and responsive and the high-end frequencies are crisp and reasonably detailed.
Conclusion
Is it Worth Buying?
The SanDisk Sansa Clip 1GB is presently one of the best budget MP3 players on the market. If you don’t mind the extremely short USB cable then there’s not much you can find at fault with this little gem. Considering its features, superb audio quality, and price, the Sansa Clip is highly recommend.
