Introduction
The Sansa slotMusic Player is a 'no frills' budget MP3 player that offers a new way of physically owning digital music by purchasing preloaded slotMusic cards (MicroSD) - similar to buying CDs, vinyl records, etc. SanDisk along with the record labels hope that consumers will embrace this new format in the same way as other successful formats like the compact disc. At $20, is this technophobe-friendly MP3 player destined to be the next big thing since the compact disc? Find out in our Sansa slotMusic Player review if this physical media-based player lives up to the hype.
Before You Buy
Pros:
- Simple and easy to use
- Affordable
- slotMusic cards negate the need for a computer or Internet connection
Cons:
- No battery level indication
- Handling MicroSD cards can be fiddly
- Default volume level at powerup is loud
Style & Design: The Sansa slotMusic Player measures 2.84" x 1.45" x .60" and weighs 1.7 oz. It has a clean design and is easy to hold in the hand, or slip into a pocket etc. The unit is edged in silver with black control buttons. You can change the look of the unit simply by swapping the shell for a different cover; incidentally, the shell also doubles as the battery cover that you'll need to remove every once in a while. The review unit we kindly received from SanDisk sported a bright red custom cover for Robin Thicke's Something Else album. Overall, the Sansa slotMusic Player isn't as sleek as some other devices but it is solidly constructed.
Package Contents (Robin Thicke bundled version):
- Sansa slotMusic player
- Preloaded slotMusic card and case
- MicroSD USB adapter
- AAA battery
- Earbuds
- Quick-start guide
Getting Started
Power Requirements / Playing Time: The player is powered by 1 AAA battery that gives a reported play time of up to 15 hours. This is on a par with the Sansa Clip which also has a screen; playtime for this unit is therefore slightly disappointing. There also isn't anyway to check the level of your battery so you'll need to carry around spare ones just in case the one you have suddenly dies. On the plus side, you won't have to recharge the player, but for some, keeping a supply batteries could prove a turn off.
Earbuds: The supplied earbuds are comfortable to wear and come with foam pads that add comfort and slightly boost the bass frequencies. The length of wiring provided is adequate and the 3.5mm jack plug is gold-plated. The supplied earbuds give a good level of bass, while the mid to high frequencies are reasonably detailed.
MicroSDHC Slot: SanDisk has incorporated a MicroSDHC expansion slot into their MP3 player which means that you can use both MicroSD and MicroSDHC cards; presently this gives you upto 16Gb of storage. This makes the unit very expandable but in reality having Gigabyte's of music would be a pain to manage without a display to browse through it all. That said, having the ability to carry around a significant amount of music that can be plugged into MicroSD compatible devices that have displays, like cell phones, is certainly a boon.
Using The Sansa slotMusic Player
Playing Music: The Sansa slotMusic Player makes playing music incredibly easy, all you need to do is press the play button to powerup the player and start listening. However, there is a problem that was encountered during each powerup - the default volume level is louder than it should be. The player doesn't remember a user's volume settings and so every time the unit is powered up you will have to manually adjust it to the required level. This is definitely something that SanDisk should look at to improve user-experience.
slotMusic Card: This is the same as a conventional MicroSD card but it has the 'SM' logo on it to indicate that it is preloaded. The slotMusic card that was tested had Robin Thicke's Something Else album on it encoded in the MP3 format at 320kbps. By using the supplied USB adapter, you can access additional material on the card. There are videos in .avi, .mp4, and .3gp formats and also a few images of Robin himself! The problem with MicroSD cards is they are so small that they can be fiddly to handle at times - they are not much bigger than a finger nail and so care must be taken to avoid accidental loss. That said, the great thing about slotMusic cards is that the remaining free space on them enables you to add your own DRM-free music as well. Be warned though, it is easy to delete files from slotMusic cards because they are writable (unlike music CDs), so be careful you don't delete that album you just purchased!
Device Features
Controls: Surprisingly SanDisk has done away with a power button, and instead you'll need to briefly hold down the play button to power up the MP3 player. The controls are neatly located along the edge of the unit and are easily accessible. The Sansa slotMusic Player has been designed to be as simple as possible to use and so the only controls are: play/pause, previous track, next track, and volume up/down. When used, the controls feel solid to the touch and respond well.
File Formats:
According to the FAQ on the Sansa website, the bitrate for music that is released on slotMusic cards will be no lower than 256 kbps to ensure CD quality music is maintained.Sound Quality: The quality of the sound output from the Sansa slotMusic Player is good and has plenty of bass, but lacks definition especially in the high-end frequencies. For a budget player though its not a bad little device and is a good all-rounder for listening to most music genres.
Conclusion
At only $20, there's no question that the Sansa slotMusic Player represents an ultra-affordable MP3 player that is ideal for anyone who wants simplicity and likes the idea of physically owning digital music rather than downloading it. Another advantage is that purchasing albums on slotMusic cards negates the need for a computer and Internet access - if you are a technophobe then this is the ideal solution. However, carrying spare batteries as well as a collection of slotMusic cards could be a turn off for some and may even be considered as a step backwards. Looking at the longterm cost, albums can typically be downloaded from digital music services such as AmazonMP3 for $8.99 or less and transferred to flash-based players. Contrast this with the asking price of a slotMusic card ($14.99) and you'll discover that slotMusic technology is presently the more expensive option. The bottom line is that if you fancy buying your music on physical media that you can play straight away then slotMusic is the way to go.
