CNET Editor's rating: 6.3 out of 10
Reviewed by
Jasmine France
Review date: 11/15/06
The good: The SanDisk Sansa c200 series player is an exceptional value, considering its assortment of features. It comes with a FM radio, a voice recorder, photo viewer, a built-in MicroSD slot for adding memory, and even a user-replaceable, rechargeable battery. Navigating menus is a breeze.
The bad: The menu interface is boring and screen quality subpar. Sound quality is far from impressive; there's no video support. The player uses a proprietary USB port. And, there's no 4GB version.
The bottom line: Thanks to its exceptional value and user-friendly features, the SanDisk Sansa c200 is an acceptable choice for youngsters and first-timers--but more sophisticated users would be better off shelling out a bit more for a better player.
Editors' note: The rating of this review has been updated to reflect the inclusion of album art support, a feature previously thought to be absent from this player.
SanDisk knows how to produce affordable MP3 players, which is probably why value-conscious music lovers have made Sansa the second most-popular device in the U.S. market (behind the Apple iPod). The company's latest release is the Sansa c200 series, successor to the c100. At $79 for the 1GB version and $99 for the 2GB version, the c200 is SanDisk's cheapest player series to date. However, although the player is easy to use and packed with features, it's not a high-quality device.
The physical design of the Sansa c200 is nothing special, but it works. It's almost identical to the c100, except controls (Fast-forward, Reverse, Play/Pause, Menu/Power, and a center Select key) are laid out in a square rather than a circle. The c200 measures 3.1x1.4x0.6 inches, so it's not the most compact device on the block, but it can fit in a pocket. Around the edges of the player you'll find a well-placed dedicated volume toggle, a microSD slot, a proprietary USB connector, a record button, a hold switch, and a standard headphone jack. The drab, 1.5-inch screen sits on the front of the c200, just left of the control pad.
The Sansa c200 has one of the simplest interfaces we've ever used, yet it's also extremely boring. Text font is uninspired and displayed on a dull blue background--we get depressed just looking at it. At least the top menu is icon-driven, with images representing various selections. You can also view photos (while listening to music) on the c200, but we don't recommend it: photo color appears washed-out. You can adjust the screen's brightness, but resolution and contrast is poor. The FM tuner, however, is pretty decent, and includes a recorder, an auto-scanner, and up to 20 (oddly unnumbered) presets. A pin hole microphone lets you record voice.
To transfer music to the Sansa c200, use the included USB cable to connect the player to either a Windows or Mac PC. Note that you'll need to first select the mode--MTP or MSC, respectively--in the settings menu. Mac users can simply use the drag-and-drop method in Finder to transfer artist or album folders to the player's music folder. Windows users have a choice of transfer methods: use drag-and-drop or a WMA jukebox such as Windows Media Player or Rhapsody. The Sansa c200 is compatible with MP3s and both protected and unprotected WMA files. The player supports playlists as well.
SanDisk isn't known for its stellar audio quality, and the c200 keeps up the tradition. Sound quality is fair to poor; music sounded flat, bass-deficient, and slightly tinny when listening with the included earbuds. Swapping in a set of Shure E4cs improved quality slightly, offering more on the low end, but songs still lacked warmth and depth. Most music sounded fairly hollow, although down-tempo, minimal rock (Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, for example), and dub music sounded passable to pretty good, depending on the track. The rechargeable battery, which is user-replaceable, is rated for an unexceptional (but acceptable) 15 hours; CNET Labs tests beat that rating by about an hour.
10 out of 10 - Perfect CNET Opinion Wayyyyyyyy off the mark!
Sorry CNET, you missed the target on your review. I am an audio technician/sound engineer, so I hope my ...
Sorry CNET, you missed the target on your review. I am an audio technician/sound engineer, so I hope my opinion helps those looking for the most bang for the buck.
First off, through the included headphones out the window, they are worthless. Not uncommon in this price range. Grab a decent pair right from the start. I recomnemd JVC HA-FX33. The have soft foam rubber inserts that fit and stay put. The sound competes with Bose earbuds, which I have in my studio, and cost more than they were worth.
The features of this little player are fantastic. YES, it does support album art. Seems many reviewers don't realize this for some strange reason. The EQ has presets, but better yet, it has a custom setting for getting the sound just right. Perfect for serious listeners.
Playlist support, listing by groups, such as artist, song, etc, make it simple to use. The screen is plenty bright and easy to read. Let's face it, screens this small are not good for viewing photos, I don't care what brand you buy. What it is good for, is easy to read menus and album art.
The FM radio works well, and has presets. It records from the radio if desired. The built in mike records voice. The built in rechargable battery charges when it is connectred to a USB port. Works for 15 hours on a single charge. There is an external memory card slot for mini SD cards.
I love this little player, and use it often. I own a music studio with over 200,000 dollars of audio equipment, and I chose this little player for personal iistening, after trying about 20 different players, from the cheapest to the most expensive. This is my recommended player.
10 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular useless review
cnet's review is useless. This is a small mp3-player, that you put in your pocket and listen to the ...
cnet's review is useless. This is a small mp3-player, that you put in your pocket and listen to the music. Talking about how boring the display is, is stupid, since this is something you only look at while changin song or settings. Then it goes to your pocket and with this tiny screen, who would want to use it for watching pictures anyways. What a completely useless review!
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by soupphysics (see profile) -
December 3, 2006
7 out of 10 - Very good nice size, lots of features and great price
This is my first MP3 and I wanted something to take on planes or trips. It would be nice to ...
This is my first MP3 and I wanted something to take on planes or trips. It would be nice to have large high quatlity pictures but then you need to spend over a hundred $ and they get pretty big. This unit is very small, light and seems to be very well made. I got the 1 GB unit (the c250 is 2 GB) but since I won't need more than 500 songs and since the screen is pretty small I won't be viewing movies or pictures. The unit has added slot for a micro chip if I need more songs. The back slides off to replace the battery but I see that Sandisk only carries the battery for the e200 series. I assume they will offer more accessories later. Great unit for only $70!
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by bobmp (see profile) -
November 5, 2006
6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular CNET is BIASED!
The review CNET posted on this player shows me they are BIASED against ALMOST anything other than APPLE! You are ...
The review CNET posted on this player shows me they are BIASED against ALMOST anything other than APPLE! You are 100% correct Soup in saying CNET's review is USELESS! It should be trashed! Jasmine, wake up please! How does CNET give the Ipod Shuffle a 6.3 and the Sansa c240 a 6.0? BIAS, that is how! The Ipod Shuffle has NO SCREEN, NO FM RADIO, NO FM RECORDER, NO VOICE RECORDER, NO MICRO SD SLOT, NO USER REPLACEABLE BATTERY and it is 79.99. The Sansa c240 has a screen, a fm radio, fm recorder, voice recorder, micro sd slot, and a user replaceable battery! It is also 79.99! The only thing the Ipod Shuffle has out of the box, the Sansa c240 doesn't, is the built on CLIP! The Sansa does have a LANYARD out of the box though. Jasmine France, you are BIASED! You say the c240 has a BORING USER INTERFACE! AT LEAST IT HAS AN INTERFACE! Do you expect fireworks when you press play!!?? You also say it has no video playback...NEITHER DOES THE SHUFFLE! Oh yea, the Shuffle DOESN'T have a SCREEN! This review is 100% BIASED! CNET's review SHOULD BE TAKEN DOWN IMMEDIATELY!
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by coffeewithchess (see profile) -
December 27, 2006
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Nice good mp3 player, not very advanced
Well as I stated in the summary, this is very basic and not for advanced users, as it doesnt support ...
Well as I stated in the summary, this is very basic and not for advanced users, as it doesnt support video, or any other advanced features. It has all the features a first time user would need and with some nice controls. I think that Sandisk did a good job with the layout and controls, and if you have the companion mp3 player the e200 you can use the same usb connector. The picture quality is very poor, not clear and very bright. I wouldnt use this player as a multimedia player, just for music. The buttons lite up blue when the player is on so its easy to see in dark areas. The outside buttons are rubber so they are easy to feel and press. It has a clear glossy finish on the front as it attracts fingerprints. The micro sd slot is a nice touch as it only comes in 1 and 2 gb configurations. The battery life is ok, not great, as I got about 14-17 hours of life out of it. It sync easily with the computer with WMP 10, I havent tried out WMP 11 but I suppose it would work.
Overall I would get this as a substitute to a Ipod Video or Ipod Nano. I think that Sandisk did a good job as this is a good entry level mp3 player. I would maybe consider it over a Ipod Shuffle, but... that is what you think. If you want a better mp3 at about the same price, save up 20 dollars to get the Creative Zen V or V Plus much better build and better sound quality. I got this at Best Buy, for about 69.99 (on sale for 10 off).
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by nuto_mp3 (see profile) -
November 16, 2006
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
7 out of 10 - Very good Not good for Audio Books
My husband got me this player so I could listen to audiobooks from netLibrary. Within 2 weeks I gave it ...
My husband got me this player so I could listen to audiobooks from netLibrary. Within 2 weeks I gave it to my son and got a Creative Zen V Plus instead. The Sandisk does play the audiobooks, but unless you're going to listen to an entire book in one sitting, it's better not to. The fast forward works in increments of 20 sec, so when I lost my place in hour #6 of The Boleyn Inheritance, I had to press FF for 20 MINUTES to find my place. Then I hit the wrong button, and whammo, it was gone again.
This player is fine if you want a basic music player at a low price, but if you want to listen to audiobooks, go for the Creative Zen. With the Zen, you can hit a button and put a bookmark in your book. Also, the FF feature speeds up the longer you hold it down.
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by hemerocallis (see profile) -
September 14, 2007
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
6 out of 10 - Good Ehh... not bad for price
Personally, I cant stand iPod or Zune. I wanted a player that doesn't lock me into a particular media ...
Personally, I cant stand iPod or Zune. I wanted a player that doesn't lock me into a particular media format, and I don't want to pay for a name. I think iPods are terribly overrated and Zune is too new. After some research I decided on the Sansa c240 because I currently have a Rhapsody-To-Go (ehh..so so) subscription, and the player is compatible. Overall, its a decent player for the price, sound is ok, but you will need to play with the custom eq to get a decent sound. FM tuner is nice, voice recorder a good bonus. The iPod shuffle does not even offer a screen so the Sansa has the shuffle beat hands down. The bad... Several times, songs have quit playing after 50 or 60 seconds and started playing the next track. Shuffle is not engaged, and I cant seem to get an answer as to why some tracks are cut short. The display, while nice that it was included has TERRIBLE contrast, so much so that I cannot even see which track is highlighted when selecting music. If you turn it way on its side and look at it from an extreme angle, you can just see what's selected. Other than these issues.. this is a good player for the price.
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by ravenstar76 (see profile) -
January 28, 2007
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 out of 10 - Perfect Perfect for me
I thought this MP3 player was perfect for me. Many features for the price. Better than new iPod Shuffle for ...
I thought this MP3 player was perfect for me. Many features for the price. Better than new iPod Shuffle for less price. It has a screen, which is what I wanted. If I wanted a larger, more clear screen, to play videos, I would have bought a higher priced MP3 player. I got just what I wanted in this player, something to play music with a screen.
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by mareiw (see profile) -
December 12, 2006
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 out of 10 - Excellent Great Bang for Buck
I bought this for my wife after she brought my discman and studio headphones to go work out, and we ...
I bought this for my wife after she brought my discman and studio headphones to go work out, and we decided it was time to enter the 21st century.
I had our music stored on our computer in mp3 format, but changed it to wma so I could cram her Beatles collection onto the device. I used MediaMonkey to convert the mp3s and sync the wma files to the computer, and thought it went relatively quickly (a little more than a second per song).
Cnet gave this player poor marks for sound quality. While I'm not blown away by the sound, I don't notice its limitations.
My wife is a big AM radio listener, so although it's not hip, it would be nice to have a player that can do AM radio.
The player is light enough to have it suspended from its headphone cable when the earbuds are in my ears, yet it does not feel cheap or lightly made.
4 out of 10 - Mediocre Not the best choice, but what do you expect for the money?
This is not a very good mp3 player if you're looking for quality that will last for a while. ...
This is not a very good mp3 player if you're looking for quality that will last for a while. I got mine for Christmas, and by March I had to replace it already. By the middle of Jan. I had to replace the headphones, because the left one blew out. Also, I've only had this one since March and it already is not working. My computer won't read it and even if the the USB cord is plugged in, it won't respond and sometimes won't even turn on without having to do it a few times. This did work well though for a period of time. Just be careful.
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by RayyofSunshine08 (see profile) -
August 22, 2007
Manufacturer: SanDisk Corp. Specs: Digital player / radio, 1 GB, MP3, WAV, WMA, Protected WMA (DRM), 1 x Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryInternal
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