Customer Reviews:
 +A Good Choice October 12, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This was my first venture into the mp3 world, and as a 70+ type I had certain reservations. However I'm happy to say I'm well satisfied with my purchase. The seller provided exactly the product I wanted in a timely matter. The quality is excellant and easy to use, and I listen to the music I want at an affordable price.
 Clarifications Regarding Fuze Video October 12, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
First of all, I love the little Fuze overall. However there were a couple of items in the Amazon writeup and first comment that I wanted to clarify.
1. You can not simply plug the Fuze in and start dragging video files to it. Well, you can, but if you are interested in viewing them on the device the procedure is a bit more involved. You must use a converter - SanDisk provides for free the Sansa Media Converter. So, getting video files to the Fuze isn't much more difficult than drag and drop, but the conversion step is slow. I've been running about 10 minutes to move a 30 minute video.
Also, SMC is one case where you get what you pay for, which brings me to ...
2. Video and audio being out of synch during video playback is a widespread problem with the Fuze. Google it to get a sense of how common this is. Personally, again with a 30 minute video, my playback has been noticeably out of synch right off the bat. Others report that it starts out ok, but the gap between video and audio increases over the duration of the playback.
That said, let me say again that I love my Fuze. Video is a nice feature but in a device this size it certainly isn't the deal-breaker. I can live with the minor defect.
A solid upgrade from the E260R or companion to iPod Nano October 10, 2008
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
I use Rhapsody subscription music; my Sansa e260R is frustrating - too heavy, confusing controls, sluggish UI, no support for audiobooks or podcasts - so I use it less often than I thought I would. I use my iPod Nano heavily, but iTunes doesn't support music subscriptions, so I've been looking for a decent replacement for the Sansa. I bought a Sansa Fuze (4Gb) for my wife last month, and liked what I saw, so I took the plunge with the silver 8Gb model.
I've been pleased with the Sansa Fuze so far. It retains the e260R's strengths - FM play/record, voice record, subscription music support, expandability via microSD/SDHC - while improving or completely fixing my issues with the older device.
Here are my personal pros and cons of the device. (I don't mention battery life, proprietary connectors, etc., because they aren't issues to me. Battery life is fine, and I'm glad the connector is the same as the E260.)
PROS:
* The software is much more responsive than the E200. Most actions are immediate.
* The physical controls are vastly simplified and more iPod-like. The front controls have been trimmed to an iPod-like click and scroll wheel, and a separate Home button. The power control has moved to the side of the device, merged with the Hold control - a good improvement.
* Support for subscription music, Rhapsody Channels, Audible (format 4), Protected WMA, WMA, MP3 and WAV files, and new support (with the October 2008 update) for OGG Vorbis and lossless FLAC.
* the October firmware update has some other bug fixes and eye candy (startup/shutdown animations) that are less useful than an indication that Sansa is very committed to this device. (The View has some expanded functionality including a larger video screen, but the Fuze seems to be their flagship.)
* The form factor of the Fuze echoes, and improves on, the iPod Nano 3G. Taller, thinner, deeper, softer curves, more (but not too much) heft. It can be one-hand controlled like the Nano, but feels better in the hand than the 3G.
* Retains the E200 series extras like FM play (20 presets), FM record, and voice record/playback that the iPod Nano lacks. (note: 4G Nano does support voice record, but it requires an optional headphone cable.)
* Support for micro SD (up to 2Gb) and micro SDHC (up to 8Gb, for now) expansion cards. (note: the expansion cards seriously drain battery life. given the choice between a 4Gb Fuze with a 4Gb expansion, and an 8Gb Fuze, get the latter.)
* The headphone jack has been moved to the bottom-right of the device, as on the Nano. I prefer this location to the top-right jack location on the E200.
* a unique addition is the ability to delete files (songs, podcasts, etc.) directly from the device. I REALLY like this feature. (you can also format the Fuze without a computer. Given the number of times I had to reformat the E200, I can see why they added that.)
* the Fuze appears to be popular enough to have a good selection of accessories, such as protective cases, armbands, etc. Why should the iPod get all the attention?
CONS:
* software limit of around 4000 songs. That may be fixed in firmware update eventually.
* integration of device content and expansion card content is not seamless. Results can be unpredictable, especially with Audible content.
* Bookmarked podcast/audiobook fails to resume after playing other music content.
* No support for (un)protected AAC files; people who used iTunes defaults for ripping/converting music will have to reconvert back to MP3 or WMA. Also, some podcasts and iTunes-friendly audiobooks are in AAC format, and cannot be played on the Fuze.
* Unlike the iPod and the Sansa E200 series, there is no "scan through song" option. This is especially aggravating for audiobooks, podcasts, and lengthy FM/voice recordings, but I even use it on songs on the iPod.
* also a step back from the E200 series, no dedicated side "record" button. And the microphone has been moved from the top to the left side, by the SD slot. my voice recordings aren't as sharp as on the E200.
* The Fuze apparently doesn't have a user-replaceable battery. This may matter more to others than to me. I've never been away from a recharge for so long that I've run out of juice.
* The screen is easily scratched. Get a screen protector or case ASAP. (the rest of the device has been less susceptible to scratching)
* the scroll wheel is a moving part, which has caused some users problems. So far, my wife's Fuze has held up fine.
* the physical wheel sticks out a little, and even minor jostling in a pocket can trigger a command. The Hold button is more needed than it was on the E200. A clear case that recesses the wheel should help.
* Audible content must be managed through Audible Manager, rather than the integrated method offered by iTunes. And with the new firmware, support for older formats (2 and 3) are being dropped, so you'll need to redownload your books in the highest quality (and largest) format. I prefer format 4, so this isn't a problem for me, but it took me a while to update my collection of 200 titles.
* The bright silver device in the picture isn't what I got. It's more of a gray titanium color. I actually prefer the color, but if you like the bright shiny silver device in the picture, be warned.
* podcasts are separated by show, but each episode within a show is treated like a song (next track begins automatically) rather than an episode (returns to menu after episode completes). The iPod Nano 3G has been inconsistent in this respect, so perhaps there's a setting that could address this on the Fuze.
* audiobooks and podcasts can be set to play at normal speed, or faster or slower. This is good, but unlike the iPod which skips past "white space" and plays voices at normal pitch, the fast/slow modes alter the voice to a distracting degree (Chipmunk mode, or Concussion Mode)
* screen size is the same as the Nano 3G/4G, but the resolution is lower. This is noticeable on videos.
* most of the videos I've tried have had to be converted. For episode-length content, this is a pain. I'd love direct support for XVID, DIVX, AVI, WMV, H.264, MP4. Granted, I won't watch a lot of video on the thing (I have watched enough video on the Nano 3G to far prefer the iPod Touch) but since it's there, it should be simpler.
Despite my laundry list of Cons, I really like this device. It's not going to replace my iPod Nano, but it's a solid complement. I'm using it more often than the E260R, so in that sense alone it's worth the upgrade to me. I confess that if Apple ever offers subscription music on iTunes/iPod, I'll likely move to 100% iPod, but until/unless that happens, the Sansa is a valuable companion.
I don't think anyone except Microsoft is likely to compete with Apple on the video side of things, where Sansa doesn't seem interested in competing; they're a device company, whereas Apple and Microsoft have their own content stores. If Sansa were getting a cut of video sales, they might give more thought to their players' video capabilities. For now, the Sansa focus is on music, and they do that very well.
Great Deal, Great Device October 7, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I've had my Fuze for 1 month and I use it almost every day for working out or listening to music in my car. So far I've really enjoyed using it. I had a 40GB 2nd Gen Ipod and an Ipod Nano before purchasing my Fuze and I would say that Fuze's user interface is just as good as the Ipod's. It was a little odd at first realizing that I could use the left and right clicks on the scroll wheel to move forward and backward through menus but now I love it. Here's a rundown of pros, neutral points, and cons:
Pros:
+MicroSD card slot has given me a total of 16GB of memory (8 internal + 8 on the card)
+Sound quality is good (I'm no audiophile, but I at least would have been able to tell if the sound was bad)
+Scroll wheel and buttons are sturdy
+Interface reacts rapidly to user input (i.e. if you click the center button to enter into the 'Settings' menu it goes immediately; I have seen no sluggishness at all)
+Device powers up and down extremely fast (a few seconds compared with 20 or more to start up my nano)
+More settings available to adjust than the Ipod
+Device is sized properly, weighs what you would expect, and feels high quality in your hand (I really like the thin layer of rubber covering the back, plus it comes with a little soft, black protective sleeve)
+No required software for loading music onto the device. The Fuze has a drag-and-drop mode you can enable so you can just select the files you want to add and copy them into the MUSIC folder on the device.
+I haven't done a precise battery life test, but as far as I can tell the player seems to last close to the claimed 24 hours when playing music
+Unbeatable on price, memory expansion and features
Neutral (things I'm not particularly knowledgeable about or haven't tested out yet):
.The earbuds that came with the Fuze look terrible, but I have my own set of Sony earbuds that I use anyway; don't expect any MP3 player to come with a decent set of headphones (even the Ipod ones are awful)
.The video playback seems perfectly adequate to me. Some have claimed the Ipod playback is better, but I can't say one way or the other. If you're looking for something to play video you might want to check out the Sansa View which has a larger screen than the Fuze.
Cons:
-The "Sansa Media Converter" (required for putting videos on your sansa player, so they claim) does not appear to always do its job. The Fuze is picky about what file extensions it accepts, so even if you use the Converter, if the extension is wrong the Fuze will not play the video. There are no options in the software, you just load files into it, add them to the Fuze, and then the converter starts converting the video. I've had more luck using other conversion software to convert to the Fuze's resolution (220x176) and then using the drag-and-drop feature to put the video on the player.
Again, you just can't beat the Fuze at it's price point. You can have a 16GB player (and 32GB cards will hopefully be out in the next year making this player expandable to a total of 40GB!), loaded with features, that works really well for around $125. If I find anything else that is great or something that goes wrong I will update my review, but for now I am a very happy customer.
Sansa Fuze October 4, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I have had the Sansa Fuze 8 gig for a little while now... and am fairly impressed. My only previous experience with an mp3 player was an ipod video, which died on me after almost two years. For $100 I wasn't expecting to be overly impressed by this device, but it turned out to be a great deal. I wasn't a fan of the silver color at first, but the overall design and the light up scroll wheel have won me over. With 8 gigs and the expandability that comes with the microSD slot (I expanded with an 8 gig card), its perfect for me. The photo and video viewers are adequate, but I won't be using them much. The FM radio is a nice feature and the reception and sound quality are surprisingly good.
The headphones that came with this player are passable but don't allow for the full potential of the sound quality that the fuze is capable of, and I would recommend replacing them. My only other problem really is that the UI isn't the greatest, but it gets the job done with no problems and doesn't crash like my ipod did (although it took a little while to get used to).
Overall I got more than I was expecting and am very happy with this purchase.
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