SanDisk Sansa Clip+ 4 GB MP3 Player (Red) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The title says is all:Clip +.It is really the first generation of the Clip plus a few well thought out design and firmware changes.

The volume control is now on the opposite side, the side with the usb plug rather than the headphone.With right-angle headphone plugs, you needed to swing the headphone plug out of the way to use the volume control on the old Clip.

The on/off switch is now on the top instead of the left side (where the volume control now is).I often needed to turn off my Clip while under a shirt and not looking at it.I actually turned it off only about half the time because of slide switch.Now there's simply a button on the top.The hold button, which used to be on the on/off switch, is now activated by holding down the menu button.Since I rarely used the hold button I can't say whether this is an improvement.

The clip on the back is a big design change.The clip, for better or worse, is no longer detachable.Personally, I liked being able to detach it if I was using velcro rather the clip to attach to something, like a bag.That being said the new clip is sleeker.Closer to the back of the body and a bit wider.The clip now has a ridge at the end of the clip as opposed to the circle of the old Clip.It seems to hold on just as well.

The square controls (as opposed to the former round controls) doesn't make much of a difference.If you are using the controls by feeling rather than seeing, the square may make it a bit easier to know where you are at on the controls.

Otherwise it is the same size and all.My old Clip silicone case fits it OK, but I will get a new case when they come out.

Inside there are some firmware changes.Included now is a menu item for Slot Player chips (a soon-to-be obsolete format if I've ever seen one).The menus slide rather than jump, giving it a smoother look (I guess).In the old Clip, when you pressed the center button while a track was playing, it went to a visualization, then a listing of the current track playing.Obviously a redundancy.Now, it show info on the next track to play, instead of the current one.Other changes had already been incorporated in firmware updates for the original Clip.

One new function is the replay gain function. Very useful if you shuffle songs.This allows music to play back at about the same volume without you, the listener, having to actually change the volume.It works by adding a bit of instruction to each music file with information about how loud or soft the track is and then the volume of the player adjusts accordingly.Whether your tracks have replay gain information on them depends on how you got them.Many media players, like Media Monkey, can read the tracks and add this information.

One further note on the replay gain function.It should be set to song if you are on shuffle.Also the pregain is set a bit low.If you find yourself fiddling with the volume, increase the replay gain setting to 6 or 9.

The manual says it has gapless play.I believe you need to rip your tracks as gapless for this to work.Many standard mp3 converters don't do this, but maybe it is more prevalent for AAC (iTunes).

The best for last:a micro card slot.This allows you to add capacity to the player (currently the limit is 16gb with larger cards on the horizon), well above the 4gb that it comes with.If you have gone lossless (I use FLAC) then you know that extra file space is a big plus.With only FLAC files, the 4gb player holds about nine hours of music (probably five times more with normal MP3 files).This is fine by me but if I'm going on a trip then having the expansion capacity will be a big plus.

Sound quality wise, it sounds about the same to me, compared with the old Clip.Which means it sounds great, amped or not.Some have noted a fuller, warmer, louder sound, but my old ears can't pick that out.

Why people don't use these by the droves at the gym is beyond me.I still see very few of these players down at the Y, while I see all manner of big iPods.This little machine is perfect for the gym or any on-the-go activity.

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Product Description:
The Sansa Clip+MP3 playergives you more to enjoy. Enjoy up to 2,000 songs†† with an 8GB* player, FM radio, long-life battery and voice recorder. PLUS now even more!Expand your enjoyment when you add in preloaded content cards** into the new memory card slot, including slotRadio™ and slotMusic™ cards**.Or, save your own music, podcasts, and audio books onto a microSD™/microSDHC™ memory card** to expand your play.It's brought to you by SanDisk with awesome sound to enjoy your music.Just clip it on and enjoy more music with an incredible 15 hours† battery-fueled fun.See what you're listening to with the bright, easy-to-read screen and intuitively searchable menus. Color your world in red, blue or sleek black undertones.

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