SansaFuze
Latest
SanDisk Sansa Fuze+ review
SanDisk's original Sansa Fuze may have had a solid run -- it's been a particular favorite among those looking for a good, inexpensive player that doesn't skimp on features or audio quality -- but there's no question that it was long overdue for an update, and SanDisk recently came through on that front with the completely revised Sansa Fuze+. Boasting a considerably sleeker design, the Fuze+ replaces the Fuze's venerable tactile click wheel with a capacitive touch panel (but not a touchscreen), and it hangs onto many of the features that made the original Fuze stand out, including a microSD card slot, FM radio, and support for a wide range of formats (including FLAC and AAC). Are all the changes for the better? Read on for our full review. %Gallery-103839%
Sansa Fuze+ leaks out with slotRadio support, 24 hours of battery life
And here we thought SanDisk had up and buried its once-thriving Sansa PMP line. After all -- it was this company's CEO that said "you can't out-iPod the iPod." For whatever reason, it looks as if the memory mainstay is about to try its hand once more in the saturated media player market, with a Sansa Fuze+ rumored for release in the near term. As you can clearly see above, there won't be anything too special about the Fuze+, though the 2.4-inch QVGA display, capacitive touch controls and inbuilt FM tuner are certainly appreciated. It'll ship in 4GB, 8GB and 16GB flavors, supporting the usual file formats (AAC, MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, Audible, MPEG4, H.264, WMV, etc.) and offering a rechargeable battery good for 24 hours on the audio side and 5 hours on the video side. USB 2.0 support is thrown in, as is the absolutely riveting confirmation that it'll be "ready for slotRadio and slotMusic memory cards." Knowing that, we aren't so sure if our minds can take the wait till September 12th, but we'll do our best.
Sansa Fuze updated to support Ogg and FLAC
SanDisk just released a firmware update for the Sansa Fuze -- pretty minor, except it adds in support for FLAC and Ogg, which should make fans of jam bands and lossless music encoding extremely happy. Nothing much else of note here apart from some UI tweaks and bug fixes, but Fuze owners will be appreciative, we're sure.[Via DAPreview]
How would you change SanDisk's Sansa Fuze?
Just like that obscure Burt Bacharach album, some DAPs just need a little time to grow on you. Now that SanDisk's comparatively inexpensive Sansa Fuze has been out and about for a couple of months, we're imploring you dear readers to cast out your opinions on the minuscule device. Are you satisfied with the interface? Have you been disappointed by the sound quality? Was this thing just one feature away from being perfect? 'Tis a shame SanDisk didn't phone you up before mashing the green button and sending these on their way, but here's your shot to tell all who will listen what could be done better in revision two.
SanDisk launches Sansa Sessions -- music distribution by microSD, what else
SanDisk just dipped its toe into the digital content distribution waters with the launch of Sansa Sessions. Of course, this isn't an on-line storefront, it's flash-based naturally in support of SanDisk's core business. As such, the US-based program relies upon microSD cards to distribute DRM-free tracks of unspecified quality from more than 50 "emerging artists" on more than 30 labels. At the moment, the featured artists include All Time Low, Ladytron, Magnet, Nada Surf, Of Montreal and The Coup. SanDisk has tied a free, 55 track microSD "sampler" card (of el cheapo 512MB capacity, presumably) to the purchase of its 8GB Sansa Fuze MP3 player. While the $0 cost and DRM-free aspects of Sansa Sessions are certainly appealing to us, this seems best fitted as a record / artist promotional tool than it does a replacement for web-based or over-the-air music distribution.
SanDisk's Sansa Fuze reviewed
Those of you hoping to have your mind blown can go ahead and leave quietly out the back, but for anyone else hoping for a dirt-cheap and fairly lovable DAP, the Sansa Fuze from SanDisk might just fit the bill. PC Magazine and CNET put the player through its paces and came out with a few nice things to say about it. Starting at $80 for 2GB and ramping up to $130 for 8GB, the player is certainly a good deal, and its diminutive form factor -- a compromise between the Clip and the View -- measures a mere 0.3-inches thick, while still managing a quality feel and a microSD slot. Unfortunately, the size only leaves room for a 1.9-inch screen, which CNET calls "dingy," and SanDisk's proprietary syncing port on the player isn't winning it any fans. Audio quality doesn't quite match the Sony A810 or Samsung P2, and the codec support is fairly limited, but obviously Rhapsody integration is the real draw here. These days 24 hours of audio playback isn't earth shattering either, but it's certainly commendable, and while it doesn't appear SanDisk is going to change to face of the DAP market with this unit, we're sure they've hit the sweet spot for some. Read - PC Mag (3.5 out of 5, "Good") Read - CNET (7.3 out of 10, "Very good")
SanDisk's Sansa Fuze gets official, priced
Check it -- HandStands isn't just making kit for items not yet conceived. Oh no, SanDisk's Sansa Fuze is indeed more than a figment of someone's clever imagination. Judging by a product listing at Amazon, this media player is set to ship "within one to three months" and features a 1.9-inch display, FM tuner, built-in microphone for voice recording, a battery good for 24 hours (audio) / 5 hours (video) and a microSD / microSDHC expansion slot for good measure. As of now, we know that the 4GB unit in red, pink or black will sell for $99.99, but there's no word on whether more (or less, for that matter) capacious / colorful models will eventually emerge.[Via DAPreview, thanks Nick]
SanDisk Sansa Fuze leaked?
Accessory maker HandStands appears to have a Sansa Fuze 3-in-1 accessory kit -- but SanDisk doesn't yet have a Sansa Fuze, you feeling us? We don't know much more than that at this point, but from what we can see it's either a big mix-up, a not-half-bad photoshop, or a forthcoming player that looks to take on the iPod nano. Full-size ad version after the break.[Thanks, Josh]
