SanDisk Sansa e130 (512MB)

Manufacturer: SanDisk Corp. Part number: SDMX2-512-A18

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$29.97 at 1 online store

CNET Editor rating:
2.5 stars Average
Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 33 reviews

More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Specifications; Product series; Accessories; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: The SanDisk Sansa series will be the pick for those looking for an affordable WMA-friendly player packed with more features than the Apple iPod Shuffle, but if you want top-notch sound quality, stick with the latter.

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CNET editors' review

SanDisk Sansa e130 (512MB)

price range: $29.97

Reviewed by: James Kim
Edited by: Jasmine France
Reviewed on: 05/31/2005

The good: Lightweight; supports DRM-protected WMA and Audible files; built-in FM tuner and stopwatch; decent navigational menus; expansion slot; attractive street prices.

The bad: Poor scrollwheel (for navigation and volume control); mediocre sound quality; no playlist support.

The bottom line: The SanDisk Sansa series will be the pick for those looking for an affordable WMA-friendly player packed with more features than the Apple iPod Shuffle, but if you want top-notch sound quality, stick with the latter.

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SanDisk's first MP3 player, the Digital Audio Player, amazed everyone by quickly becoming number two in market share, though still well behind Apple's iPod. According to an NDP report, the aggressively priced flash-based player had 6.2 percent of the U.S. digital audio market in February. So it's no surprise that the company's second series of players, the Sansa e100, is already a highly anticipated release. It has an updated look and feel, ships in either 512MB or 1GB models, and comes with a decent set of features. But consumers will most likely take notice of its incredible street price.

At 2.75 by 2.0 by 0.5 inches, the SanDisk Sansa e100 may not be the tiniest flash-based player (even some 5GB players are smaller), but it's very lightweight at 1.6 ounces with its single AAA battery. Despite the e100's durability, its feathery weight lends to its cheap plastic feel--glance at the buttons, and you'd think this was a promotional item.

Overall, the interface is intuitive, with its large, tactile main controller buttons, though they are not touch sensitive, despite appearances. The hold switch is on the left spine, while the right spine features the menu/power button, a handy expansion slot compatible with SD cards up to 2GB in capacity (conveniently available from SanDisk for about $180 on the street), and a dodgy scrollwheel. The original SanDisk MP3 player was more compact and pack-of-gum-like but lacked the expansion slot. The 512MB e130 ($140 list) comes in a sharp-looking blue, white, and silver body, while the 1GB e140 ($190 list) is silver and white.

The Sansa e100 plays MP3, protected WMA, and, handily, Audible files. The USB 2.0 device also has a stopwatch and an FM tuner with 20 autoscannable presets; however, it doesn't have a voice recorder, as the first SanDisk player did. While it lacks the line-in and FM-recording capabilities of the smaller but similarly priced Creative MuVo Micro, it has the most useful features (FM tuner, large LCD, and expansion slot) down pat. The interface, which sorts music by Play All, Artist, Album, Songs, New Music, Spoken Word, and other groupings, is simple to navigate, though the indigo-backlit LCD isn't the most legible we've used. Also, though the player breaks music into browsable groups, you can't listen to an album in order unless you append track names with numbers, and there is no playlist support.

One shortcoming of the design is the scrollwheel, which is located on the upper-right corner. It feels cheap and isn't smooth like the Rio Carbon's--not good, since it also acts as the volume control; in fact, adjusting the e100's volume is a true pain. Plus, this wheel isn't clickable; instead, you tediously hit the main Enter button to select. There is also an occasional processor lag of a second or two during navigation or song selection.

Sound quality is not impressive at all, despite the five EQs and the SRS Wow effects. Our test MP3s (which include Ikara Colt's "Don't They Know" and Bjork's "Headphones") sounded a bit dull, with noticeable background hiss. Also, the player couldn't adequately power a larger set of headphones. The FM-tuner scanning works well, and reception is above average. You get comfortable in-ear phones and an armband in the package, along with a USB cable and a AAA battery. The battery life is decent at 17.6 hours per AAA cell, compared to the company's rating of 17 hours. Transfer times over USB 2.0 were below average at 1.8MB per second. However, if you're on a tight budget, the $140 and $100 street prices of the 1GB and 512MB versions, respectively, might be enough incentive for you to overlook the performance issues. If you're a discerning listener, however, check out the Apple iPod Shuffle instead.

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User reviews

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Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 33 reviews
My rating: 0 stars

Showing opinion 1 to 10 out of 33

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8 stars

A cost-to-performance dynamo

by vacektomy on January 11, 2006

Pros: Intuitive operation, low cost, feature-loaded

Cons: USB cover, navigation wheel

Summary: From reading other reviews and comparing to the CNET editors review, there seems to be a huge gap in reality. That gap seems to exist due to a bias towards "...

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Summary: From reading other reviews and comparing to the CNET editors review, there seems to be a huge gap in reality. That gap seems to exist due to a bias towards "high end" (read: iPod or other well-branded names) vs "budget buy" players. Case in point: the editor rates the e130 at 5.7, but users rate it at 7.8; the iRiver T10, on the other hand, gets an editor rating of 7.3, while actual users rate it at 6.7. No need to get into testing methodology here, but we should wonder who's benefitting from editor reviews(?)

This little player is perfect for a much larger chunk of the MP3-buying population than the editor gives credit. For a street price getting down to $49 these days, let's call a spade a spade. Does the e130 have some drawbacks? Sure it does. But compared to my son's iRiver T10, the e130 wins in a walkoff, and it's a shame to try to draw consumers to the T10. The e130 is feature-loaded, and sound quality is acceptable. For me, I don't expect to hear tight, deep base down to 20Hz or fingers plucking on acoustic guitar strings. But the bass on the e130, while not overwhelming, is clean and strong (with an eq boost). Expecting to get "digitalitis" on the high end, I was surprised to hear a crisp, clear response on cymbals.

I'm fine with the provided earbuds. My listening environment is mostly a commuter train, so sizing the plugs (3 sizes provided) was important. I know listening devices are a highly personalized choice, and I see everything from micro-earbuds to home system headphones on the train. But for portability and everyday real life, the supplied earbuds do the job.

Like any MP3 player, there are a lot of features on the e130 that require some discovery. While some buyers might want out-of-the-package operation, I suspect many consumers of MP3 players are actually looking for the opportunity to do "feature mining". The instructions that come with the e130 require you to explore a little.

This is a strong performer that will satisfy a big niche of the MP3 consuming public. Don't be influenced by the fact that it happens to be inexpensive.

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13 out of 13 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 stars

Great for the price. Sounds good. Easy to find music!

by SheltieDog55 on September 19, 2005

Pros: Sounds good, new firmware makes playing complete albums easy!

Cons: Included earbuds not so great. Can't figure out how to keep place in a PodCast so I can come back to it later.

Summary: I replaced the earbuds with a set of compact headphones, and this Sansa e130 sounds really good to me. I also installed the new V.1.0.010a Firmware from ...

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Summary: I replaced the earbuds with a set of compact headphones, and this Sansa e130 sounds really good to me. I also installed the new V.1.0.010a Firmware from the SanDisk web site, and now the unit can play a complete album with songs in correct order. I love it.

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5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
7 stars

OK 4 PRICE but need some tweak

by khmer2rulz on August 22, 2005

Pros: cheap price, big screen, lightweight.

Cons: so-so sound quality, slow startup, slow responce, no bass.

Summary: the sansa is great value 4 money but being a budget device it suffers from poor sound quality. its so poor in stock form that even my palmone tungsten e ...

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Summary: the sansa is great value 4 money but being a budget device it suffers from poor sound quality. its so poor in stock form that even my palmone tungsten e handheld sound better with the same headphones and song(compression rate and frequency).
on this device to get the best quality is to get a pair of rock headphones or earphones. i use a panasonic headphone from my lod walkmen. its suits it better than my newer sony ones.
then step 2, put all values in the EQ to the max
step 3, turn on wow, and put focus to what ever suits your music. then put true bass to one value. after that put 3d sound to 3-4 value. these settings are a guide only you might need to make final tweaks to suit yourself.
in low focus mode the base of the sansa is nearly comparable to the ipod shuffle (wit same headphones).
i had this unit for one week aand its alright with me. with audio quality is not a big concern for the casual listener like me then this is the perfect mp3 player. it also have a one week battery life for light to moderate use.
its an outstanding product.
Updated
i had it for 2 weeks now and dear i was wrong. if you put the EQ setting right the unit have better base then the ipod shuffle. so u would know what the sound quality is good. bad thing to say is that the supplied headphones is crap.

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3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
7 stars

Good value, easy to use, big buttons

by dnhoshor on March 6, 2006

Pros: Big buttons, expandable with SD RAM cards, reasonable price

Cons: No belt clip or lanyard loop, USB and SD RAM port covers aren't attached, no real playlists

Summary: I think the Sansa E130 is a good value. It sounds good, the size is reasonable, and it fits flat in a shirt pocket, which is about the only place ...

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Summary: I think the Sansa E130 is a good value. It sounds good, the size is reasonable, and it fits flat in a shirt pocket, which is about the only place to stash it since it has no connection for a belt clip or lanyard. There is a clear plastic slip case and elasticized arm band, but I don't like them.

The buttons are nice and big, and simple enough you can easily work them in the dark. The rotary volume control is nice because you can change the volume quickly. Because it uses a AAA battery, it's easy to have a spare on hand.

The ability to use standard SD flash cards is really nice, and the fact that the E130 shows up as just a standard USB hard drive makes it a breeze to use without any complicated music transfer software.

The player lacks support for playlists other than a "favorites" list. The favorites are easy to use and program, but they aren't retained when you change your SD card. If you wanted to get fancy, I guess you could kludge a playlist using genres.

Just throw away the rubberized plastic covers for the SD RAM and USB ports, because you're going to lose them in a day or two anyway. It would have been nice if SanDisk had attached the covers permanently.

I'm not crazy about the supplied headphones. I don't like the "in the ear canal" type earbuds. I usually use some Sennheiser MX550's or one of those cheap Sony, in the ear, over the head, headphones.

I've used and owned several other MP3 players, but for the money, I really like the simplicity and ease of use of the Sansa E130. It's not especially flashy or cute, but it's very usable.

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2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Great little player

by rofro on May 17, 2006

Pros: easy controls, nice display

Cons: Can't think of any

Summary: Great MP3 player for $60 at Circuit City. Got a 1 gig expansion card for $51 at Walmart. Over 360 songs. Battery life is only about 5 hours. Sounds great. ...

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Summary: Great MP3 player for $60 at Circuit City. Got a 1 gig expansion card for $51 at Walmart. Over 360 songs. Battery life is only about 5 hours. Sounds great. Great value for the price.

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

great mp3 player with great price

by asian_pride on May 7, 2006

Pros: lightweight, size, SD slot, FM radio, headphone,Sound Effect

Cons: there isnt really any bad about it

1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
7 stars

The best flash mp3 player for those on a budget

by MrSkagenWatch on April 18, 2006

Pros: screen, sd slot, single AAA battery, light and small, tech noob friendly

Cons: sound, no playlist support, cheap headphones, so so volume control/ scroll usage

Summary: I'm sorry Cnet.com, but you made a serious mistake in giving the Sansa e130 a 5.7 rating; it is a great buy for not only those on ...

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Summary: I'm sorry Cnet.com, but you made a serious mistake in giving the Sansa e130 a 5.7 rating; it is a great buy for not only those on a budget, but for those who want a 1.5 gb. player for less than $60.

After my Creative Muvo 2 FM broke on me with its hard drive or/and rechagable battery stop functioning, I went looking for a flash player that was cheap, yet enought features to make it a good buy.

For a while, the Ipod Nano looked good but I saw this to give for a try - $60 at Circuit City.
The e130 comes with a FM radio with 20 presets, expandable SD slot (with 2 GB SD cards coming out, expandable to 2.5 Gb), equilizer (with presets or custom), and a stopwatch, and repeat A/B button.

Plus, it doubles as an SD card reader if you dont' alraeady have one

First of all, a monkey can use this. Loading the music is easy too - drag and drop via Windows Explorer.
Once turning on the player, usage is self explanatory. The menu can be scrolled up or down via the scroll or buttons on the faceplate. I found the screen to be well lit and readable with a bright blue backlight.

The covers are flimsy on this player so watch out (on the USB and SD slot) - but I would actually pay more attention to the battery cover.

My main gripe about this player is the lack of playlist support. As I had this luxury on my old Creative, it is a no no here.
However, the player takes advantage of using the ID3 tags of the songs (I use WinAmp and able to chagne them).

The player divides them into artists, albums, songs, year, genre, new music. Yet, I found it easier to manipulate the ID tags into displaying the same artists for the catagory of music you wnat to divide it into. However, I usualy listen to my music on shuffle setting so it isnt that big a deal.

The MAIN gripe that the editors had a problem with was sound quality. However, plug a better set of headphones in them (I used Koss Earplugs) and they sound top notch.

Plus, diable the WOW effect as they seem to mess with the vocals and play with the equalizer (or use presets) - for better effects, as I found out.

In conclusion, with the ability to expand to more than 1 GB of storage and beating out its competition with a SCREEN (ala the Ipod Shuffle) - despite its shortcomings, it is a great player for those on a budget and looking for a shock resitant flash player.

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 stars

Solid product for the money you spend

by agt1971 on March 15, 2006

Pros: Price - sturdy unit - and the ability to add additional memory to start

Cons: Seemingly short battery life - Ugly indiglo blue screen

Summary: I own an iPod video, but purchased this to use at the gym, and at work. 30 days later i've grown to love this player almost as much as ...

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Summary: I own an iPod video, but purchased this to use at the gym, and at work. 30 days later i've grown to love this player almost as much as the other one. It sounds decent when hooked up to the included earphones, but when attached to ok (or better) speakers, it sounds great. Easy to add songs - has a sd memory slot so that you can add more music (or data), and is SUPER-lightweight, in addition to the included FM radio, makes this a first rate choice for the money.

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 stars

Great for the price, Average overall

by abrahamcaleb on March 14, 2006

Pros: Great headphones, overall usable

Cons: No playlist feature

Summary: Although the sound is initially a little off, using the equalizer and the SRS with the headphones, an overall impressive listening experience can be found. Most importantly at this price ...

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Summary: Although the sound is initially a little off, using the equalizer and the SRS with the headphones, an overall impressive listening experience can be found. Most importantly at this price point, it surpasses the Shuffle as it has at least a screen and EQ functionality.

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 stars

Price+Power+Utility=Must Have

by gshell on January 23, 2006

Pros: Expandable memory, easy to use, simple controls, Very inexpensive

Cons: No resume, USB cover easily falls off

Summary: For the price, you will not find another MP3 player that can do what this does. Not only does it have 512 MB built in storage, but it will accept ...

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Summary: For the price, you will not find another MP3 player that can do what this does. Not only does it have 512 MB built in storage, but it will accept up to a 2 gig SD card. No moving parts makes this a sturdy player with the ability to move with you. The only improvments I would make to it would be to add a resume feature (although it does pick up on the last song played), make the slot covers a little more rugged so that they stay on easier, and make the scroll wheel a little less stiff (after all, there is a hold button). Don't spend $100 or more on a player that will only limit your ability. This is the best value for the dollar.

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

Showing opinion 1 to 10 out of 33

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Specifications

Manufacturer: SanDisk Corp.
Part number: SDMX2-512-A18
Description: When it comes to playing high-fidelity digital music, SanDisk hears you loud and clear. That's why the flash-based Sansa e100 series provides expandable memory in an easy-to-navigate, great sounding MP3 player. Fact is, SanDisk is the world's #1 supplier of flash memory cards for today's most popular consumer electronics devices such as digital cameras, digital camcorders, cell phones, PDAs and lots more. So pick up a SanDisk Sansa e100 Series MP3 player and hear for yourself. It's one sound investment!

General
Width 2.2 in
Depth 0.6 in
Product type Flash player
Height 2.9 in
PC interface(s) supported Hi-Speed USB
Weight 1.4 oz
Color Blue
Flash memory installed 512 MB Integrated
Digital storage None
Dimensions (W x D x H) 2.2 in x 0.6 in x 2.9 in
Included accessories Carrying case, Arm band
Packaged quantity 1
Software type Drivers & Utilities
Digital storage media type None
Radio
Tuner type Digital Radio tuner
Station preset qty 20
Auto preset memory Yes
Tuner bands FM
Tuning display LCD display
Digital Player / Recorder
Digital player supported digital audio standards WMA, Audible, MP3
Digital player playback modes Repeat all, A-B repeat, One track repeat, Repeat shuffle
Digital player ID3 tags support Yes
Digital player additional features PC Connection via USB
Battery
Form Factor AAA type
Battery Enclosure Type Internal
Included Qty 1
Battery 1 x AAA type Standard batteryInternal
Mfr estimated battery life 17 hour(s)
Audio System
Sound output mode Stereo
Additional features Volume control, SRS (Sound Retrieval System), SRS 3D audio enhancement
Cable(s) / Peripheral(s)
Cable(s) included 1 x USB cable - External
System Requirements
Peripheral / Interface devices USB port, CD-ROM
Min Operating system Microsoft Windows 2000 / XP

Connections
Connector type 1 x Headphones Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x USB
Slot(s) provided 1 x SD Memory Card
Slot(s) Required None
Built-in Display
Audio system built-in display LCD
Backlight display Yes
Display illumination color Indigo
Power
Power Supply / Device None
Audio Features
Sound effects SRS WOW
Remote Control
Remote control None
Headphones
Headphones type Binaural
Sound output mode Stereo
Connectivity technology Wired
Battery / Power
Power device type None

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SanDisk Sansa e130 (512MB)

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