SanDisk Sansa e280 8 GB MP3 Player (Black)
by SanDisk
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List Price: Our Price: $40.00 You Save: $209.99 (84%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of SanDisk Sansa e280 8 GB MP3 Player (Black)
Customer Review: Elegant MP3 player which works great with Rhapsody
Summary: 4 Stars
The Sansa e280 is a stylish product that does exactly what it promises. I did not want to buy an iPod because I consider them to be overpriced and do not like Apple's monopolistic ambitions. The Sansa is a perfect alternative. It is relatively easy to use, compact, esthetically pleasing and moderately priced (at least here on Amazon). Moreover it works with Rhapsody To Go which I consider to be the best way to access digital music, since you rent it for a small monthly fee, instead of paying a buck to download a single song. Why pay to fill up your hard drive with songs when you can just access them from a remote server whenever you want and for a lot less money?
I have long been a user of Rhapsody on my home stereo which gives me access to millions of songs for a modest fixed monthly price. Up until now when I wanted to take music with me I would purchase songs or albums for a dollar or 10 dollars respectively and then transfer them to an SD card on my PDA or burn them on to Cd's to play on my car's MP3 player. This process always annoyed me because it was both expensive and time consuming.
Now, however, all I do is hook my Sansa up to my laptop and download nearly any song from the Rhapsody catalog onto the player. I can then listen to the songs on the Sansa or hook it up to my car stereo's auxiliary MP3 port and listen through the car stereo. When I get tired of the songs on the player I just erase them and download something different without paying a penny extra just as I do on my stereo system at home. The only time I have to pay a per item cost is if I wish to burn a song but I can't see any reason to do that unless I wish to give someone a gift.
Unlike what another reviewer says below, there is no need to buy the Rhapsody version of the player. I have the generic version that Amazon sells and it works flawlessly with Rhapsody. The Rhapsody version is more expensive and comes preloaded with songs most of which you probably don't want. One note about using Rhapsody To Go with the Sansa which I initially found a bit confusing (Rhapsody is a good product but Real often rushes software to market before it's quite finished leaving the user frustrated while they work the bugs out and, finally, Real has bad customer service with poorly trained service personal with questionable English skills. I really think that if they fixed this area of their business they'd be as successful as Apple and the iPod): Rhapsody says that with Rhapsody To Go you can transfer nearly any subscription track to your Sansa, which is true, but first you have to DOWNLOAD the track to your PC before you can transfer it to the Sansa. It would be nice if you could just drag and drop from the Rhapsody catalog directly to the Sansa icon, (which I could do with Rhapsody 3.1, but cannot with Rhapsody 4.0); unfortunately it's now a two-step process in which you download to your PC first and then drag and drop to the Sansa.
The disadvantage of this is that you start filling up your computer's hard drive with songs that you can already stream just so you can put them on the Sansa E280. I usually delete the downloads from my hard drive after I've transferred them to the Sansa, particularly when I'm using my laptop which has a smaller hard drive than my desktop machines.
(The new wireless Sansa should connect directly to the Rhapsody service allowing you to access the entire 3 million song catalog directly anytime you have a wireless connection and without the need of a PC).
All in all the Sansa is a very good product, particularly in conjunction with the Rhapsody To Go service. I like that fact that it has an FM radio and a voice recorder. The photo and video players work fine although I don't use those features much because who wants to view images or video on a 2 inch screen? I think that's one of those things that people do just because it's cool that you CAN do it. But it's not comfortable, so I'll watch video on my big screen TV if I'm at home or my laptop if I'm traveling.
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: Great player. Not for Beginners.
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this MP3 player to replace my Creative Zen Micro that died on me. I was leaning towards the Creative Zen V plus, which is comparable to the SanDisk Sansa e280; however, there are several reasons why I chose this player. I figured a review was in order after working with the player over a 3 month period.
Note: This review is based off of the "older" model of the Sansa e280.
Pluses
-Long battery life! (20+ Hours, depending on usage and settings)
-Vivid color LCD screen
-Sleek design
-Solid Construction
-Expandable Memory
-Excellent Radio
-Voice Recording
-Video/Image Playback
-Great Audio
-Easy Firmware Updating
Inconveniences
-Wheel feels loose
-Screen goes completely dark without Backlight
-Hiccups or hesitations between tracks in albums
-Buttons can be difficult to press
-Lengthy Boot time
-Volume resets after booting (edit)
Cons
-NO Organization Software!
-No AC charger
This player really offers a lot to users who are looking for a decent player, even though it has a few extra frills. I only wanted to use my player for music. I am not one for burning my eyes out on a tiny screen. The radio receiver is great, even picks up stations my car cannot get. The player's sleek, small, and well built design makes it ready to go anywhere, but the buttons take some time to get used to until you find the "sweet spot." The hiccups between tracks in albums are annoying, yet are nothing too serious.
After seeing this player and the Creative Zen V Plus sitting next to each other, I was so happy I chose the Sansa e280. The Zen Vs are way too small, in my opinion, and the Sansa e280 fits well into the palm, especially if you have larger hands. Some people may be turned off about the stiff wheel, but I find it nice, since I will not skip over the track I am looking for as easily.
The real down fall of this product is the lack of a media organizer. Some people may find this terribly aggravating, especially if you have never owned an MP3 player before. I tried coping and pasting my music library into the device, which works, but everything was jumbled up. I read in a previous review on this product that mentioned a media organizer called Media Monkey. I tested it out and I really like it. The program is free and even has an itunes feel to it. There are other media organizers and I highly suggest downloading one once you get this player. The only software it comes with is the media converter for images and video clips.
Overall, I think this is a great player that provides most of the essentials, even though it lacks a crucial element for MP3 players. This player delivers and is less expensive than similar devices; definitely better than an ipod nano.
[EDIT]
I forgot a few things.
Every time you boot the player, whether from an auto shut down or not, the volume level automatically resets to a specific default setting, 50%. It's just an inconvenience.
Tips when using the Sansa e280
-Regardless of what others might have said, you can save your place in a long track, album, or playlist. Just pause the track and shut down the player with the power button or let the player go into auto shut down. Then simply reboot the player and it picks up where you left off. Just remember to recalibrate your volume.
-In case the device does not boot properly, hold the power button until the player shuts off. Then try again.
-Firmware updates come out about every other month. You should at least attempt an update once a month. Follow the simple instructions to do so.
-How do I go back to the music list while I'm still listening? Simply press the "Submenu" button, the one with 4 bars on it, and select "Back to music list."
Customer Review: Great on paper -- but I just sent it back after trying it for two days
Summary: 2 Stars
This thing looks great but sounds and works poorly. I did a lot of research before purchasing and I thought this was the player to get (I wouldn't touch Apple, especially since radio is important to me). It had everything I wanted plus 8 gigs of (expandable) memory. But after learning how to use it, loading it up with music, pics and videos, and trying it for two days I sent it back. Pros and cons:
PROS:
- Great (expandable) capacity at a great price. Comparable Samsung and Creative products don't come close to holding this much music, video, etc. There's a reason after all why memory is the number one selling point for MP3 players.
- Good screen. Not as nice as the Samsung T9 (which is amazing), but still pretty nice. Video and photos look good as long as you're looking from straight ahead.
- Good tactile control. I really like the scroll wheel, which makes it easy to quickly cycle through menus and hundreds of songs. With the Creative Zen V Plus and the Samsung T9 you're at the mercy of the joystick or button.
- FM radio that's recordable. This is important to me. I passed on the Creative because it doesn't record radio. I wouldn't even consider an iPod because it has no radio at all (!!!).
- User-replacable battery.
- User interface is fast. That's important. A big strike against the Samsung is that it takes 3-4 seconds just to skip to the next song. When it comes right down to it, usability is key.
CONS:
- FM reception is bad. I live in a large city with lots of powerful FM stations that come in clear as day on every radio I've ever used. But not with this thing. Listening to FM is like listening to someone crumple a plastic bag.
- Recording functions are lame. The FM record level is so low that even at full playback volume it's hard to hear the recording while on the train(which is OK because it just records lots of static anyway). The voice recording lacks sensitivity.
- Scratches easily. I was as careful as I could be with my new toy, and my first day taking it out of the house it still got 4 or 5 small scratches on the front before I even got to work in the morning. Those little scratches are clearly visible and distort the light. I can only imagine what it would look like after a few months.
- User interface is just adequate. Wanna make a playlist on the fly? Good luck, because you have to play each song first in order to add it to the list. Wanna cue up the next song while listening to something else? Good luck, because I couldn't find any way to do that very basic function (if it's there it's not readily apparent). There are plenty of other quirks. All in all, it looks cool but isn't that easy to use.
- The four outside buttons are a pain. Control wheel is great. Buttons around the control wheel? Not so great.
- It's not large, but it is larger than its competitors. The Samsung T9 is 1/2 inch shorter and about 35% thinner. The Creative Zen V Plus is thicker but also much shorter. The iPod nano is of course much, much thinner and lighter.
- Volume is lacking. Even with MP3s that I know have high volume, the e280 can sometimes require turning up the volume very high to get the sound you want.
- Editing MP3 tag information does no good once your files are loaded onto the machine.
So........overall I was disappointed and I thank Amazon for taking it back and refunding my money. The e280 is much better to talk about than to actually use. If FM and recording performance isn't important to you then you should add one star to this review.
And here's a tip if you do buy the e280 -- make sure the ID tag info on your MP3s is in order BEFORE you load up the machine. Because changing the tag info once the machine is loaded up won't make the album, artist and song menus any better. Do it first.
Customer Review: not bad at all.... although with some issues
Summary: 3 Stars
After my second ipod died on me in less than a year after it was purchased/replaced, I decided I had enough of apple products and became determined to find the best player for my needs. After some research, I discovered that Sansa 8gb has a good combination of features/price and memory capacity of the device is about what I need (I love to shuffle through my music, but I don't need all my collection with me 24/7)
The good things I love about my Sansa:
-ability to drag/n/drop files from PC to the player. No more syncing!
-user-friendly interface
-one mighty battery life - it indeed lasts for quite some while.
-the idea of actually being able to replace the battery without going to the store and paying a lot of money seems to be very appealing
-price price price - I got mine for 125$ in September, now it's even cheaper! A great value indeed.
-expandable memory. I don't need that yet, but I might
However, there are some small issues that bother me as well:
-the screen is simply not bright enough. Even on it's highest brightness, it fades in Californian sunlight (Ipod didn't). Ironically, a scroll wheel is considerably brighter
-some of the buttons are very small and placed way too close to the scroll wheel, which makes them kind of uncomfortable to use at first
-Scanning through songs is very tedious - I love listening to seamless DJ mixes that can be an hour or longer, so looking for a certain song within a set can be quite painful. Ipod, I have to admit, had a very efficient way of scanning through songs.
-Atrocious syncing with Windows media player. Not that you need it anyways, but still - in that I will give apple props, Itunes syncing was gazillion times more clear and efficient
And last but not least, there are some quite serious issues:
-very often files dragged onto the player are not being played or even recognized by the device itself. Another words, you can see them when you open the explorer window, but you can't see them in your player at all
-weird formatting glitch. You can format the crap out of your player, but it will still display and play files that you just formatted. Or vice versa - your player doesn't display any files and yet when you open it on your computer, it still sees all your collection that you just formatted. Very annoying
-My player crashed twice on me. First time I had to get it into recovery mode and reinstall the firmware which was successful and brought the device back to life (although it took me several hours of googling various forums in order to find the right firmware - the one on the official website didn't do anything).A couple of months later it froze completely and any kind of healing methods couldn't help it. Currently I'm waiting on sansa's decision on whether I am to get my player (that i sent out) fixed or to receive a brand new one, since it's been less than a year. From what I heard, my problem could have been in having too many folders within folders on the device which causes hard drive issues. In my opinion it is not a legitimate issue and if it were, it had to be mentioned in the device manual.
Bottom line: I really like the player as it is - it's design, functionality, memory capacity and a great price. However, as you can see, I ran into some serious issues that make me question my decision of switching to sansa in the first place. I love Amazon price on the item but remember, in case of problems with the device several months after the purcase, you have to contact sansa directly and take care of shipping yourself (they give you the UPS label though). There is not such thing as a perfect mp3 player yet, but I would be completely happy with my Sansa if it wasn't for all those issues that I had with it.