SanDisk Sansa Clip MP3 player

Can this challenge Creative and Apple?

Reviewer: Stephen Patrick
Review Date: 28 January 2008
Manufacturer: SanDisk
Price as reviewed: £35
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Our score

8/10

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Full Review

28 January 2008 - SanDisk may be better known for its wide range of memory keys but it’s increasingly getting involved with MP3 players through its Sansa line.

This small and palm-sized player is aimed as a direct rival to the iPod Shuffle and the Creative Zen Stone but tries to bring a little flair of its own.

Coming in 2GB and now 4GB sizes it isn’t going to compete against larger devices but like the shuffle or the Stone, if you just want something for the gym or for the commute, it’s great.

It’s a tiny device and measures 56 x 36 x 13mm, but still manages to cram in a 25mm screen. True, this is only an LED display but it packs a lot more information than the one on the Zen.

The build is solid and as the name implies, there’s a clip on the back of the unit so you can attach to your collar. There's a dedicated volume on the right-hand side and a lock so the controls can’t be nudged in your pocket.

We particularly like the Home key, which as you’d expect gets you straight back to the start menu, which saves scrolling through when you want to change tunes.

When it comes to volume, we found it louder than we expected and while the quality isn’t anything exceptional, we found it acceptable for the price.

Charged via using USB whenever you plug it into your notebook or PC, the software is easy to use and it easily synchronises users Windows Media Player.

Verdict

The SanDisk Sansa Clip is a great little player that deserves to be as widely recognised as the shuffle or Zen Stone. If you don’t want to get tied down to iTunes, it makes a great choice.

Comments

i try to get music on my mp3 player Posted by oscar, u.s
What are the dimensions? I can't even find them on Sandisk's own site...
Thanks for the review! Posted by nick, Denmark
Your site answered the question in a news item. The size of a matchbox. Thanks ;-) Posted by nick, Denmark
Since it's not even clear from the packaging I thought it worth highlighting that the Clip includes an FM radio (with surprisingly good reception) and is compatible with Audible talking-book downloads. Having used one on my daily commute for a few months I absolutely love it. Posted by Sue, UK
Brought one for my wife's birthday, and am very tempted to pinch it for myself (but I won't!). I'm very impressed with the look & sound quality, if anything my only criticism is that it might be too small - I wonder how many MP3 players get put into a back pocket & then end up in the washing machine!

The price was excellent (the 8gb version for under £50) - and I can't fault it's sound quality. The only thing we'll want to get for it is the adapter so we can recharge it in the car for when we go on holiday.

Posted by Simon, UK

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SanDisk Sansa Clip (2 GB) MP3 Player
(2 GB (Built-in Memory), 500 Songs, 0.95 oz., Audio Files: MP3, WAV, WMA, Audible, WMA (DRM). Display Size: 1 inch)