SanDisk Sansa Fuze hands-on

So we've had a SanDisk Sansa Fuze hanging around the office for a few days and already we can tell you that fans of the Sansa line will find it a welcome addition to the line. The interface feels pretty snappy and it's got some of the geeky things you're after (FM radio, microSDHC), a solid 1.9-inch display, and a price $70 cheaper than the nano at the 8GB level. Plus, we know it sounds old school, but we're really into the tactile click wheel, and the Fuze has the best one we've used in a long time. Check out the photos below, including a couple side by sides with a you-know-what.

Gallery: SanDisk Sansa Fuze hands-on

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

[austin @ Mar 23rd 2008 3:13PM]

what is that crap on the top right of your nano scroll wheel?

[Ryan Block @ Mar 23rd 2008 4:06PM]

Some kind of scratch or discoloration -- can't get it off.

[Yevon @ Mar 23rd 2008 5:05PM]

Could you at least dust these things off before you take these pics? Jeeze, how unprofessional.

jk.

[Seanross @ Mar 26th 2008 3:17AM]

It's a mole and it's very self conscious about it :(

[ReggieXuk @ Mar 23rd 2008 3:15PM]

I looks so slick.

[happy_penguin @ Mar 24th 2008 12:16AM]

I like the looks of it too.

[someguy7234 @ Mar 23rd 2008 3:18PM]

Did we lose user replaceable battery? I bought flat finger screws for my Sansa so I could swap batteries on a long train or plane ride (TSA took my screwdriver first time I tried to bring it on a plane). I wish San disk would go mini USB. Otherwise the new fuse looks and feels great.

[Rafer @ Mar 23rd 2008 3:26PM]

I personally like an actual wheel too like the original ipod. Moving something is much more satisfying.

[bob e @ Mar 23rd 2008 3:27PM]

Looks like a solid piece.

Why no rant about why is isn't compatible with MAC etc. like you did with Zune? Not that I care if it works with MAC~

[helloUser @ Mar 23rd 2008 3:40PM]

MAC? You dont need to capitalize each letter, its 'Mac' aka 'Macintosh'

I'm fairly certain it is 'MAC' compatible, as the sansa's are UMS.

[Daniel D @ Mar 23rd 2008 4:52PM]

Shut the fuck up, Troll.

[ethana2 @ Mar 23rd 2008 9:43PM]

*sigh* If it doesn't use any weird drivers, then us ubuntu, mac users, etc. don't have anything to worry about. It should look just like a flash drive to a machine, unless it's also going to present itself as an audio sink and display and input de.. ugghh.

Yeah, just stick to the generic flash media, pc side.

[Zorque @ Mar 24th 2008 5:09PM]

Ethana:
STOP TURNING EVERYTHING INTO A DAMN LINUX DEBATE OR I'M GOING TO STAB YOU IN THE HEAD WITH A SCREWDRIVER

[ethana2 @ Mar 25th 2008 1:23AM]

Zorque, what? I'm afraid I don't use that dist--AAAHHH Just kidding!! I'm done! I'll try!! AAAAAAHHH!!
(But I doubt I'll succeed)

[Carl Vitullo @ Mar 23rd 2008 3:27PM]

there needs to be a standard connector for mp3 players... that would simplify everything so much.

i think i'll wait until rockbox. i've never like the standard interface, and sandisk was terrible at fixing problems.
and rockbox is open source, that too. :D

[Josh L @ Mar 23rd 2008 3:42PM]

It's called USB. Of course, that doesn't help so much when every PMP OEM feels the need to go proprietary on the device side... I don't think inventing a new standard would help that, though.

[Justin @ Mar 23rd 2008 4:29PM]

I can't agree more. I can't find my iPod dock cable... and have been stealing others when I need to put stuff on it. Luckily, I have a deck in my car that charges it (Alpine IDA-X001) but the USB cable that comes with it wont work for syncing it.

We have mini USB. Use that.

[Iain @ Mar 23rd 2008 6:44PM]

Josh, if phone manufacturers can agree on implementing a standard charger/USB connector and a standard memory card type, I don't see why DAP manufacturers can't.

[JohnTitor @ Mar 23rd 2008 11:09PM]

ugh you people are dumb, the reason they can't use standard USB is because if they did you'd complain about the lack of accessories, with the 30-pin connector they can output different signals, like audio, video, power etc with less circuitry

[Carl Vitullo @ Mar 24th 2008 12:20AM]

no one makes accessories for sansa players.

and that's why i suggested a new standard. not mini-usb, just adopt the ipod connector or something. that way accessories are universal, so long as the player could fit on/in the accessory.

[aaronbareford @ Mar 23rd 2008 3:30PM]

Is this Mac compatible? Does it show as a mass-storage device or does it use that windows media device thing that my old creative zen did?

Looks like a real nice device :) Sandisk make some pretty sweet MP3 players :)

[peshue @ Mar 23rd 2008 4:27PM]

I think all the other sansas have the option to use them as either a regular flash drive or as a music device.

[wootman @ Mar 23rd 2008 7:05PM]

correct, its MSC and MTP.
id pick this up if i didn't have a e250.

[B.S. @ Mar 23rd 2008 3:37PM]

Has some sleek design, but unfortunately in volume it appears *much* bigger than nano...

[helloUser @ Mar 23rd 2008 3:41PM]

Yes, because the nano is already so bulky.......

[Wolfticket @ Mar 23rd 2008 3:43PM]

Geeky things? I'm appalled ;)
Anyway...
Looks like a nice player for people who don't get the whole iPod thing (like me for example). Tactile feedback is massively underrated these days btw.

[1337dude @ Mar 23rd 2008 3:58PM]

Yawn..don't wake me up until can handle FLAC.

[Brent @ Mar 23rd 2008 4:07PM]

Well aren't you just so cool. Wake me up when storage capacities support FLAC.

[UKNigel @ Mar 23rd 2008 4:15PM]

FLAC is nice and small. Some people would rather carry around a few hundred really good quality songs and swap them frequently, rather than thousands of mediocre songs.

[L.Rawlins @ Mar 23rd 2008 4:14PM]

Does it also support A2DP? That would be nifty.

[Iain @ Mar 23rd 2008 6:40PM]

No Bluetooth, no A2DP.

[DrWatson @ Mar 23rd 2008 4:18PM]

The only thing stopping me from buying a Sansa like these is that propietary connector. Hey, SanDisk, you can't get away with a custom port, OK? You're not selling iPods, join the rest of the crowd on the standard USB connectors, will you?

[jeff Lorber @ Mar 23rd 2008 4:24PM]

folks at Engadget love to diss Apple and the ipod but everything else out there copies them word for word, note for note.

[LegendZ28 @ Mar 23rd 2008 6:00PM]

Engadget disses Apple and the iPod? Are you crazy?

[cDub @ Mar 23rd 2008 9:57PM]

You mean how Apple ripped off the Creative ui patent? I'm sick of people making Apple out to be anything more than an electronics company.

[jeff Lorber @ Mar 23rd 2008 10:26PM]

you know Ryan Block always talks about how he doesn't use a mac or ipod

[jeff Lorber @ Mar 23rd 2008 4:47PM]

folks at Engadget love to diss Apple and the ipod but everything else out there copies them word for word, note for note.

[karl @ Mar 23rd 2008 5:09PM]

it looks promising actually...

[Jason @ Mar 23rd 2008 5:24PM]

At $129.99 for 8GB, this thing is really looking like a great value, Sandisk's players aren't cheap at the expense of quality anymore, they seem to really have something with the Clip and now this, they really need to work on the GUI though, add some more audio formats and gapless.

[packetsniffer @ Mar 23rd 2008 6:42PM]

Looks pretty slick, although screen resolution could be better.

A 1.9-inch display is geeky?

[Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Mar 23rd 2008 6:47PM]

I own Sansa e260 and it sucks.

- Player starts up ~10-15 seconds.
- Sound quality sucks: various background noises, pressing buttons produces static.
- Player doesn't support lossless codecs nor does it support anything outside of MP3/WMA.
- Internationalization support is non-existent (non-US band/song names cannot be displayed).

I have also tried newer players - none of the problems was ever fixed. They might be cheaper - but they /cost/ their money up to the last penny.

Right now iPod and Walkman pretty much only choices for people who listen to demanding music (classics, jazz, alternative). Factoring in music management software - iPod remains only choice... :(

[wootman @ Mar 23rd 2008 7:07PM]

or iriver, creative, archos, etc, etc, etc.
i have a 250 also.
got it for 20$ refurbish.
background noise only noticeable with lowest volume.

[Jason @ Mar 23rd 2008 7:07PM]

I owned an e260 also, it did suck, but this thing is using the same sound set-up as the Sansa Clip, and ABi says it sounds the same as the Clip, and that thing is one of the best sounding MP3 players around.

[Carl Vitullo @ Mar 23rd 2008 7:54PM]

ROCKBOX
http://www.rockbox.org
startup is like

[Carl Vitullo @ Mar 23rd 2008 7:57PM]

hmm. it only posted half my comment, interestingly.

anyway, it has loads of different codecs, it supports mpg video, has a file browser, games, and like 50 different language. but it doesn't have album art, as far as i know.
and startup is 10 seconds or less.

[Carl Vitullo @ Mar 23rd 2008 8:00PM]

by the way, sandisk players scratch like a bitch. after 3 months of normal use, no case, just in my pocket, it was so scuffed up the screen was slightly distorted.

[Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Mar 23rd 2008 8:01PM]

> ROCKBOX

That's what I use the Sansa right now for - toying with RockBox.

Hardly replacement for iPod - still it is well packed with functions. Supports everything what Sansa original firmware doesn't - including piles of codecs and i18n - and most importantly it does rest better than original.

But RockBox unfortunately (being software) cannot solve sound quality problems which are in H/W. Cheap hardware is cheap hardware.

[Iain @ Mar 23rd 2008 8:06PM]

An iPod is the only choice for people who listen to 'demanding' music?

You should do yourself a favour and find out about manufacturers like iRiver and Cowon, they stomp all over Apple in terms of functionality, codec support and sound quality - pretty much precisely the criteria a 'demanding' user would judge a player on.

And the biggest plus point, you're not saddled with iTunes.

[Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Mar 23rd 2008 8:18PM]

> iRiver and Cowon

True. Didn't even tried.

Horrific quality of Creative made me stop looking further into Asian producers. Talk about bad PR...

P.S. Though I know that quality of e.g. Samsung is pretty good. My 2yo phone with rudimentary MP3 player sounds pretty good.

[Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Mar 23rd 2008 8:21PM]

Or to put it simply: I wasted too much money experimenting with /other/ players. High price of 2nd gen Nano 8GB didn't bothered me anymore since I knew what I'm paying for.

From all software used to manage and fill-up players, iTunes is pretty much one of the best. Do not get me started on Sony Connect or WMP...