excellent balance of form, function and value, September 21, 2006
 

Reviewer:

L. Eaddy (Conway, SC USA) - See all my reviews

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!

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Why Sansa over iPod, September 14, 2006
 

Reviewer:

Toby Funk (Sherwood, OR United States) - See all my reviews

Why Sansa over iPod if 8GB are the same price for both?
* Sansa has FM radio
* Sansa has voice recorder, and can record from the radio
* Freedom from overpriced accessories. Apple is starting to take on the razor/blade model.
* The Sansa price will fall over time - Apple's never will.
* Replaceable battery
* Break from the crowd
Side-by-side, there are advantages ...

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Reviewer:

Mihail Mancas "El Moldovano" (Chisinau, Moldova) - See all my reviews

I was browsing Internet stores, reading reviews, checking different stores to find a good MP3 player. It took me a month to find Sansa. I was looking for megabytes, FM radio, nice design, but I found even more: it was a LOT of megabytes, RECORDABLE radio, BEAUTIFUL design, and also good screen, memory extension and an INCREDIBLE price. I thought that this is something like a joke, but for my happiness it was something real. So I bought it, I wasn't delaying a second. Now I own it for 3 months and I am still the happiest man on earth, because I love music very much, and Sansa helps me everyday too keep it close to me. This is what we need - quality, practicity and reasonable price. Bravo!

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I love this mp player, November 30, 2006
 

Reviewer:

Olga Harris (michigan) - See all my reviews

I got rhapsody when i ordered this... i put all the music i love in my library, then when the e280 came i just downloaded it as well as charged my player. Sooooo easy! I didn't want a mp3 because i thought I've got Cd's and i don't need one.... well i listen to this all the time, while i do everything! it holds tons of tracks and it plays only tracks and albums i like.... i can play by genre, artist etc and never hear the same song twice...unless i want to... wow i am very impressed!

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Looks great and works good --> recommended!, November 27, 2006
 

Reviewer:

V. Krasauskas - See all my reviews

I've got this device two weeks ago and I am very happy with it.

PROS:
+ solidly build, scratch resistant, looks great (truly "sexy")
+ great looking interface, easy and quick navigation
+ tactile navigation wheel for fast navigation (also looks great when shines blue)
+ good sound, custom EQ, also loud enough
+ sharp display; even videos are looking good
+ good tuner reception, sensivity over average, works also in Europe
+ 20 hours with one battery charge
+ the battery is replaceable: $19.99 if you need it one day... in contrast to $60+ for an iPod
+ supports MSC (Mass Storage Compliant) mode: no need for any software to transfer files, can be used for any data as USB stick
+ supports MTP (Music Transfer Protocol) and MS PlaysForSure (eg. for Napster To Go)
+ can by extended to 10GB with an microSD card
+ is not an iPod ;-)

CONTRAS:
- supports only an old QuickTime format for videos (big files)
- buttons are quite small and may be difficult to push
- upper surface is a fingerprint magnet (easy to clean, fortunately..)
- no gapless playback (very short - maybe 0.2s - breaks between live tracks)
- bad quality FM recording
- sometimes crashes during video playback
- microSD Card can only be used in MSC mode if I am right.. and can only be used for music, no photos/videos

I don't really need video, so big .MOV files is not an issue to me, and also don't care about audio recording... therefore I can easily give 4.5 stars ... or even 4 3/4. Truly great gadget!

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