SanDisk Sansa Clip+ (4GB, red)
Manufacturer: SanDisk Corp. Part number: SDMX18R-004GR-A57
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- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The SanDisk Sansa Clip+ is an excellent successor to the line, offering a fitness-friendly design with a built-in belt-clip, a simple interface, solid sound quality, and plenty of handy features--all for an ultralow price. It's an unbeatable value.
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CNET editors' review
SanDisk Sansa Clip+ (4GB, red) price range: $39.99 - $49.99
- Reviewed by: Jasmine France
- Reviewed on: 08/31/2009
- Released on: 09/01/2009
The good: The SanDisk Sansa Clip+ is very inexpensive; it has a solid, pocket-friendly design with dedicated volume controls and a built-in belt-clip; it's easy to use; and it offers a plethora of handy features, including a MicroSD card slot, Rhapsody DNA, a voice recorder, an FM tuner, and support for FLAC, Ogg, Audible, and podcasts.
The bad: The SanDisk Sansa Clip+ could stand to have better battery life and support for AAC; the monochrome display is small and may be hard for some to read.
The bottom line: The SanDisk Sansa Clip+ is an excellent successor to the line, offering a fitness-friendly design with a built-in belt-clip, a simple interface, solid sound quality, and plenty of handy features--all for an ultralow price. It's an unbeatable value.
Flash memory and device manufacturer SanDisk clearly has a thorough understanding of the saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." We sure are pleased about that, because when the company decided to update its extremely popular Sansa Clip, it could have mangled a perfectly peachy player. Luckily, SanDisk knew a good thing when it saw one and created the Sansa Clip+, a fantastic follow-up that builds upon the great foundation of its predecessor. The player continues to offer an ultracompact design complemented by useful features and solid sound quality--and all at an unbeatable price. The Clip+ is available in 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB options for $39.99, $49.99, and $69.99, respectively.
Design on a dime
Or several stacks of dimes, anyway. The SanDisk Sansa Clip+ is very similar to its predecessor in design, which means you still get an ultracompact shape (2.1 inches tall by 1.3 wide by 0.4 inch thick), a light weight (0.9 ounce), and a superhandy built-in belt-clip on the back of the device. That said, there are some notable--though very minor--differences between the physical aspects of the Clip+ and its predecessor. First, the player's control pad is square rather than circular, though it is the same five-way configuration, with play/pause, track FF/RW, and a contextual menu button surrounding a center select key. Also, the dedicated volume rocker has moved from the right edge to the left (under the standard mini-USB port) in order to make room for a MicroSD card slot. And SanDisk has eliminated the hold-and-power switch, electing instead to add a power button to the top of the player and integrate hold functionality into the home key on the front.
Perhaps the most obvious change to the Clip+ is the overall body design, although this, too, is relatively slight. The player is less blocky, with a slightly curved brushed black plastic back plate that wraps slightly around the edges of the front. The colors--black, red, and blue at release--are relegated to just the face of the device. The overall effect is that the Clip+ feels like it has a higher quality build than its predecessor, and we welcome the improvement.
Those who are familiar with the Clip will be glad to know that the interface of the Clip+ is nearly identical, with a small menu addition to accommodate the MicroSD card slot. As you can use SlotMusic and SlotRadio cards as well as cards formatted with your own music, SanDisk has thoughtfully created a separate menu option for SlotRadio that allows you to access that content directly. The main menu also includes selections for music, FM radio, voice, and settings. Diving into the music submenu will let you navigate by artist, album, genre, and playlist as well as a folder-tree option. This is also where you'll find dedicated sections for podcasts and audiobooks. All in all, it's very simple and easy to navigate. The only issue: the display is quite small (1 inch diagonally) and thus the tiny, monochrome text may be difficult to read if you don't have perfect vision.
Tiny package, big features
For such a small player, the Sansa Clip+ has an impressive array of features--even more than its predecessor, which already had plenty. The major omissions include wireless capability and support for photo and video, but in a device this size and for such a budget-friendly price, these features are not only unnecessary, but would probably cripple the overall functionality. What you do get is playback of a wide array of audio formats, including MP3, secure WMA (subscription music), WAV, FLAC, OGG, and Audible. We are a touch disappointed that SanDisk omitted AAC, but that is something that could potentially be added via a firmware updated. There's also a built-in mic for voice recording and an FM tuner with an autoscan mode and 40 preset slots.
Of course, those are all features you can find in the first-generation Clip. The big news with the Clip+ is the addition of a MicroSD card slot, which is capable of accepting SDHC cards, currently available at up to 16GB. At press time, a 16GB card was about $40, which means you could conceivably get yourself a 24GB flash player for around $110. That's an absolutely incredible deal. Better yet, the Clip+ will integrate content on the card with your onboard music library, so you don't have to access the two separately. The exception is when you use SlotRadio or SlotMusic cards, which are segregated from your library since they are both organized in a very particular way already.
Somewhat surprisingly--especially since there is absolutely no mention of it on the packaging or spec sheet--the Clip+ also includes Rhapsody DNA. This not only creates a symbiotic relationship between the player and service, it also allows you to transfer dynamically updated radio stations, called Channels, from Rhapsody. You can then set them to automatically update each time you connect the device.
Performance matters
The SanDisk Sansa Clip+ has changed little in matters of performance, which is good and bad. We have to admit we're a bit disappointed that the rated battery life is still just 15 hours. It's certainly understandable for a device of this size, and it's an adequate rating, but it would have been nice to see it jacked up a bit. Still, we may beat this rating in our own battery drains, so stay tuned for CNET Labs test results.
The good news is that the Clip+ features the same audio chip found in the Clip, meaning it offers a signal-to-noise ratio of 92dB. In layman's terms, that means this player is capable of providing great sound quality--if you swap out the included cheapo earbuds for something decent, that is. We used the Shure SE310s for the majority of testing and found the Clip+ to be comparable to its predecessor. Music sounds clear and balanced, with plenty of high-end detail and a nice, warm midrange. Bass response is decent, with no distortion, though we think it could use some more oomph. As such, we think that hip-hop and electronica don't shine as much on this player as on something like the Sony S-Series Walkman, but on the whole, all genres perform well, and those with an eclectic taste in music should be satisfied. Also, we're happy to report that the FM radio reception of the Clip+ is better than that of the Clip, which suffered a bit in that area.
When it boils down to it, we can't really think of any reason not to buy the Sansa Clip+. Though only an evolutionary step in the progress of the line, it represents an obvious improvement over the previous generation model, and this player is surely at the top of the heap when it comes to budget-friendly options. It may not have the advanced features found on the majority of MP3 players nowadays, but it doesn't need them. It offers a solid design, useful features, and good music playback; what more could you ask for at this price?
User reviews
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Awesome Little Mp3 player!
by zxvickyxz on September 25, 2009
Pros: This little device is everything I need in an Mp3 player. Portability, functionality, simplicity, and affordability. I bought the Clip because it fit my needs the most, small, great sound quality, bright LCD screen, easy navigation, and cheap.
Cons: HUGE Con- Design of clip attachment flimsy and easy to lose/break.
Summary: I wish Sansa had worked more on improving the quality and design of the clip attachment itself. I had lost mine and had tried to replace it through Sansa's ...
Summary: I wish Sansa had worked more on improving the quality and design of the clip attachment itself. I had lost mine and had tried to replace it through Sansa's customer service, but they told me that the warranty on my clip is only applicable to the device itself, and that the clip attachment was an accessory and was not covered under a warranty.
UPDATE: POSTED THIS REVIEW FOR THE WRONG PRODUCT!
I found that to be ridiculous. I would think that Sansa would make the clip attachment sturdier since it is the main feature of the Clip. I had also tried to buy the clip replacements of their website as a ridiculously expensive $15 for a 3-pack, but they were "back ordered" for months (which I'm sure was not true, they were probably so overwhelmed by the number of people who had lost/broken the clip due to the poor design that they didn't have enough in stock to replace them all).
I am SO glad that the new Clip+ comes with a sturdier non-removable clip. This will make my search for the perfect player complete, since now I won't have to worry about the losing the clip. I can't wait to get my hands on it! Overall, this device is awesome. And at the prices they go for, it's definitely worth it!
Updated on Sep 25, 2009
I had meant to post this for the original Sansa Clip! NOT the Clip+!
My apologies. The Clip+ is the perfect mp3 player! Good job Sansa, for making these minor but significant improvements!2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellant value, sound and size!
by ledzepchick on September 2, 2009
Pros: Its a very good product for a tiny price. Using it for power-walking I forget it is on my waist as its so compact. Majority of my music has been downloaded to it and its a pleasure to listen too, as songs I haven't heard for ages suddenly play!
Cons: Having to charge on my computer , the battery life.
Summary: The product looks funky,has ease of use and is amazing value compared to another popular ipod of which I have 3. Invariably I will return to the Sandisk Clip ...
Summary: The product looks funky,has ease of use and is amazing value compared to another popular ipod of which I have 3. Invariably I will return to the Sandisk Clip as its more user friendly! (And it was far less money!)
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Why people buy iPods is inexplicable
by skshrews on October 15, 2009
Pros: Cheap, expandable memory, good sound quality, small, rational design, builld quality of "Plus" is better than original Clip, appears as external hard drive-allowing "drag and drop" file loading
Cons: So small that it is easy to misplace.
Summary: The Clip is the answer to the question "why carry multiple electronic devices?" The Clip Plus is the ideal mp3 playing device, and that's all it does.
Summary: The Clip is the answer to the question "why carry multiple electronic devices?" The Clip Plus is the ideal mp3 playing device, and that's all it does.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Fantastic MP3 player and FM Radio
by mattbatt on October 6, 2009
Pros: It's small but not too small
It has a Screen Unlike the shuffle
It has Buttons unlike the shuffle
You can mount it in MSC (hard drive) mode or MTP and sync it with Windows Media Player, Media Monkey, and winamp.
It has fantastic sound quality.
CHEAP!Cons: I use my clip+ to play podcasts and I like to listen to them in Chronological order. I had to do some fancy stuff to Media Monkey so that the player would play back the files the right way.
http://www.anythingbutipod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48100Summary: The sound quality is excellent. Audiophiles use the Clip and the Clip+ because it has such great sound. The Clip+ can play back flac files which are lossless audio files. ...
Summary: The sound quality is excellent. Audiophiles use the Clip and the Clip+ because it has such great sound. The Clip+ can play back flac files which are lossless audio files. The clip+ also plays back ogg vorbis files for all you linux hippies.
The clip+ volume doesn't go low enough. I sometimes like to listen to the radio before I go to sleep and the volume level starts out too high on radio. I'm sure engineers at Sandisk are furiously hacking away trying to solve my little problem.
It has a clip built in! I used to have a DLO action Jacket on my Sansa E260 so that I could clip the player to my shirt now the Clip+ comes with a clip.
I have a pair of Sennheiser CXL 400 headphones. These headphones have a built in lanyard and can be found cheap on the internet because of their unusual design. I have my clip+ hanging from my headphones and it works perfectly.
I love my Clip+.
If you go to buy it at Best Buy You will need some assistance finding the Sansas they hide them on a dark isle at knee height. I think they get better commission selling the useless iPod Shuffle.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Lasted an hour and a half outside the package...
by ras_2009 on September 27, 2009
Pros: Sound was nice for the 60 seconds or so I heard it.
Cons: Small connector on USB cable did not fit the player properly. Almost had to jam it in because it was badly sized.
Player does not support audiobook or spoken word files. But the manual claims it does!
This section is not big enough for all issues!Summary: I guess my bottom line is that this player stopped functioning an hour and a half after I took it out of the package. I'm not sure if that ...
Summary: I guess my bottom line is that this player stopped functioning an hour and a half after I took it out of the package. I'm not sure if that was due to the problem with the small connector on the USB cable and if it became damaged while I was connecting it. I think I basically got a substandard product.
Yes, the sound, or what I heard of it, was very nice. Unfortunately, the unit I bought was very poorly put together. The headphone jack/headphone plug were badlly fitted. If headphone plug was pushed all the way in, no sound. If it was pulled out slightly, got sound but it cut out player was moved. Use this for sports? I don't think so...
The manual claims the player supports audiobook files. This is not the case. I tried loading a spoken word CD both through a music program and directly from the disc and the files were not read by the player although they appeared to be there when the unit was connected to my computer but the file appeared empty when it was disconnected.
I'm at a loss to understand the discrepancy between the over-the-top wonderful reviews this product has garnered versus my experience with the one I purchased. At least I can still get my money back.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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simple easy use good price small convienient design
by bbyk on August 31, 2009
Pros: Simplicity and easy functionality. Product quality over complex design and lots of unnecessary bells adn whistles. Can use without looking at it and it clips on to my workout tee shirt or lapel or front pocket so don't have to hold or have long wires
Cons: With Sansa, it seems I have to reformat too often as my audible books are replaced but don't come off the play list and jam up the HD.
Summary: For what I want, a simple easy to use small functional design to llisten to audilbe boods an some music when I work out or walk or travel, the Sansa ...
Summary: For what I want, a simple easy to use small functional design to llisten to audilbe boods an some music when I work out or walk or travel, the Sansa clip is my favorite. I prefer ti tto the many other players I have had. Best is that for me, players nevelr last that long - 6months to a year at best, adn the Sandisk is the least expensive and as reliable as most and les complcated.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I love this little player. It does everything I need.
by yorkerjg on December 6, 2009
Pros: Easy music management from any computer or OS. Simple interface. Excellent sound quality. Wide range of supported audio formats. Nice OLED display. MicroSD slot for add-on memory is great!
Cons: Audio output is a bit anemic; greatly benefits from a headphone amplifier. FM radio and other features are superfluous.
Summary: An excellent, low-cost player.
Summary: An excellent, low-cost player.
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The perfect little mp3 player!
by shnish on November 22, 2009
Pros: The sansa clip+ is a step up from the first one clip, which was already amazing. It has a new folder view, is only $50 for a 4 gb player, and plays a diverse amount of formats along with great quality.
Cons: Other than not playing AAC this player has no cons, a 15 hour battery life is over half a day, good enough for me.
Summary: Overall this is the best mp3 player I've used in a long time. The screen isn't even the slightest bother since it's meant to be a clip ...
Summary: Overall this is the best mp3 player I've used in a long time. The screen isn't even the slightest bother since it's meant to be a clip mp3 player (usually not paying attention to the music). This has a very nice display and the clip stays on clothes perfectly. The micro SD card slot makes this an even bigger bargain, as a 16 gb micro sd is only 30-$50 so you can have a player with about 20 gigs of music (more than an ipod nano). The go list lets you quickly select songs and doesn't make it so you have to bother making a separate playlist on your computer. This is an amazing mp3 player and I would recommend it to anybody.
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Great sounding easy to use player
by explodingzebras on November 18, 2009
Pros: Great sound quality, crisp clear sound, especially with good headphones/earbuds (not the ones that come with it). very easy to use, almost as easy as an ipod. MicroSDHC card slot is very useful i use an 8gb card with my 4gb clip+.
Cons: a physical lock button would be nice but thats a very minor niggle for a device this cheap.
Summary: It's a great player at this price point, certainly better than an ipod shuffle at any price. Sound quality is excellent, being able to use up to 16GB SDHC ...
Summary: It's a great player at this price point, certainly better than an ipod shuffle at any price. Sound quality is excellent, being able to use up to 16GB SDHC card is great. It's easy to use even when not looking at it. It also is loud too - good for a noisy environment.
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Durable, well designed simple to use MP3useful features
by Adriandel713 on October 27, 2009
Pros: headphones superior to my recently purchased walmart phillps (11$)expandable mini SD slot potential to become up to a 16gb MP3 player. belt clip is sturdy, music transfers quickly, nice recorder, Superior battery life
Cons: Using windows media player to sync your files is a pain sometimes(does not update folders quickly so you have to manually search in your files), no volume controls on the head phones,
Summary: I believe you get more than what you pay for, for 40$ you get a durable limited function MP3 player that is pretty good at what it's supposed to ...
Summary: I believe you get more than what you pay for, for 40$ you get a durable limited function MP3 player that is pretty good at what it's supposed to do. It may not have all the eye candy and aesthetic design of an ipod, but it also doesn't have the price tag and does essentially the same thing. Records nicely as I use it to record lectures sometimes.MP3, Voice recorder, FM player, and a storage device, it's as simple as that.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: SanDisk Corp.
- Part number: SDMX18R-004GR-A57
- Description: The Sansa Clip+ is a tiny MP3 player that boasts an array of cool features, as well as distinctively big sound for its small size. Perfect for the fitness buff or traveler, the compact Sansa Clip+ comes with a fashionable clip for wearing anywhere. Other features include: memory card slot, FM radio, microphone, long-lasting rechargeable battery and a bright screen for exceptionally easy navigation of tunes.
General
- Product type Digital player / radio
- PC interface(s) supported Hi-Speed USB
- Flash memory installed 4 GB Integrated
- Weight 0.8 oz
- Dimensions (W x D x H) 1.4 in x 0.6 in x 2.2 in
- Color Burgundy red
- Available body colors Blue, Black, Red
- Voice recording capable Yes
- Included accessories Belt clip
- Software type Drivers & Utilities
Digital Player / Recorder
- Supported digital audio standards MP3, WMA, FLAC, Audible, Ogg Vorbis, Protected WMA (DRM)
Built-in Display
- Audio system built-in display OLED
- Diagonal size 1 in
Audio Features
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Additional features Voice recording, Upgradeable firmware
CD System
- Playback modes Pause, Rewind, Shuffle, Repeat
- Digital audio standards supported MP3, WMA, FLAC, Audible, Ogg Vorbis
Equalizer
- Equalizer type Built-in
- Equalizer factory preset qty 9
- Equalizer factory presets Rock, Pop, Jazz, Classical, Funk, Hip Hop, Dance, Bass, Treble
- Equalizer user preset qty 1
Radio
- Tuner type Digital Radio tuner
- Station preset qty 40
- Tuner bands FM
- Tuning display OLED display
Microphone
- Microphone type Built-in
Headphones
- Headphones type Binaural
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Connectivity technology Wired
Connectivity
- Cable(s) included 1 x External, USB cable -
- Connector type 1 x Headphones Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Hi-Speed USB
- Slot(s) provided 1 x microSDHC
Battery / Power
- Battery Rechargeable Player batteryInternal
- Mfr estimated battery life 15 hour(s)
System Requirements
- Peripheral / Interface devices CD-ROM, USB port
- Operating system Apple MacOS X 10.3, Microsoft Windows XP SP2
Product series
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SanDisk Sansa Clip+ (4GB, red)
Manufacturer: SanDisk Corp.
Specs: Digital player / radio, 4 GB, MP3, WMA, FLAC, Audible, Ogg Vorbis, Protected WMA (DRM), Rechargeable Player batteryInternal
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SanDisk Sansa Clip+ (2GB, black)
Manufacturer: SanDisk Corp.
Specs: Digital player / radio, 2 GB, MP3, WMA, FLAC, Audible, Ogg Vorbis, Protected WMA (DRM), Rechargeable Player batteryInternal
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SanDisk Sansa Clip+ (4GB, black)
Manufacturer: SanDisk Corp.
Specs: Digital player / radio, 4 GB, MP3, WMA, FLAC, Audible, Ogg Vorbis, Protected WMA (DRM), Rechargeable Player batteryInternal
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SanDisk Sansa Clip+ (8GB, black)
Manufacturer: SanDisk Corp.
Specs: Digital player / radio, 8 GB, MP3, WMA, FLAC, Audible, Ogg Vorbis, Protected WMA (DRM), Rechargeable Player batteryInternal
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SanDisk Sansa Clip+ (4GB, blue)
Manufacturer: SanDisk Corp.
Specs: Digital player / radio, 4 GB, MP3, WMA, FLAC, Audible, Ogg Vorbis, Protected WMA (DRM), Rechargeable Player batteryInternal
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- SanDisk Corp.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse SanDisk Corp. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.sandisk.com/consumer-products/
- Address:
601 McCarthy Boulevard, Milpitas, CA 95035 - Phone: 1-866-726-3475
- Email: support@sandisk.com
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