SanDisk Sansa m250 (2GB)
Manufacturer: SanDisk Corp. Part number: SDMX3-2048-A18
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- With its many features as well as its compatibility with audiobooks and subscription-based music, the SanDisk Sansa m200 series is an overall great value.
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Where to buy
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 11/08/2009 |
CNET editors' review
SanDisk Sansa m250 (2GB) price range: $33.95
- Reviewed by: James Kim
- Edited by: Jasmine France
- Reviewed on: 10/31/2005
- Updated on:11/04/2005
- Released on: 10/04/2005
The good: Available in up to 4GB capacity; solid value; includes FM tuner and voice recorder; compatible with WMA DRM 10 (Janus) and Audible files; decent controllers; on-the-go playlists.
The bad: Bulky (but lightweight); no line-in recording; poorly backlit display; only one quality option for voice recording.
The bottom line: With its many features as well as its compatibility with audiobooks and subscription-based music, the SanDisk Sansa m200 series is an overall great value.
At 3.1 by 1.7 by 1 inches, the SanDisk Sansa m200 isn't the sleekest flash player around, but it's feathery light at 1.3 ounces with a AAA battery installed. Though the buttons are made of cheap-looking plastic, and the body feels flimsy, the overall presentation is solid. The Sansa m200 series has an ergonomically correct shape that flares in; you want to clutch it so that your thumb is on top of the five-way player controls, which include an A/B-repeat button and a center Select key. These buttons are big and tactile. Holding the Sansa m200 horizontally, you'll find the dedicated volume and power/menu buttons on the top and the hold switch and built-in pinhole microphone on the bottom. The headphone and standard USB jacks appear on the m200's true topside. Bundled accessories include passable earbuds, a carrying case, an armband, a battery, a USB cable, and software.
The only noticeable difference between models is the color. The 512MB SanDisk Sansa m230 ($80) comes in blue, the 1GB Sansa m240 ($120) in silver, the 2GB m250 ($160) in black, and the big daddy 4GB m260 ($200) in slate blue. As you can see, list prices are extremely attractive, with the 4GB version costing less than the 4GB iPod Nano. Street prices will be even less. While the Nano is clearly more attractive and can display photos, it lacks the Sansa m200's FM tuner, subscription compatibility and voice recorder.
The m200 plays MP3, WMA, DRM WMA (including subscription-based music), and Audible file formats. The only major feature missing is line-in recording, and you can make voice recordings in only one mediocre quality setting. The FM tuner has 20 preset stations and an autoscan feature. You can browse the m200's music library by title, artist, album, genre, spoken word, and recordings, and it supports playlists as well as an on-the-go Favorites playlist of up to 30 songs. The main menu includes Play Music, FM Radio, Recorder, and Settings, and overall navigation is logical and easy, thanks in part to the big controller buttons. The blue-backlit LCD shows artist, song, and album info as well as file format, bit rate, and elapsed time, but the blue backlight could be a bit brighter and provide more contrast. We'd also like to see a bookmarking feature for audiobooks. You also get a stopwatch, though.
Sound quality is similar to that of past SanDisk players and definitely not the best we've heard, but most people will be satisfied. The equalizer settings (Pop, Classical, Jazz, Rock, and a custom five-band EQ) help shape the sound to your liking. The SanDisk Sansa m200 cooperates well with Windows Media Player 10 and subscription-based applications such as Napster To Go; it works without a hitch via drag and drop in Windows Explorer, even automatically organizing your files. Though there are other low-cost flash options for subscription services, the m200 series offers the best deal so far. Also, the m200 series shows up as a drive in Mac OS X. Battery life from a single AAA battery is rated for 19 hours, which is decent but not great for a flash player; remember to stock extra batteries. CNET Labs was able to coax only 18.5 hours out of the m200 series. Transfer time over USB 2.0 was on the poor side at 1.1MB per second.
User reviews
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Fantastic Player, Horrible Software
by blueskies50014 on January 15, 2006
Pros: Ease of use, Large screen, Good menus and battery life
Cons: Requires use of hideous software
Summary: The player is great, if navigating the software doesn't kill you. Here's some tips.
First the player. 2GB is a great amount of space. I have 11GB of ...Summary: The player is great, if navigating the software doesn't kill you. Here's some tips.
First the player. 2GB is a great amount of space. I have 11GB of music, but all my favorites amount to 1.2GB. That's 242 songs, 9 hours of music! The buttons are easy to use and intuitive. The menu system is also easy to use and intuitive and the large screen makes it easy to navigate. Unfortunately the belt clip costs extra, but is worth it for the convenience of portability without an annoying armband. The battery life is great, also.
The only flaw I've found in this player is that it's not a flash drive that can be easily carried around and attached to any computer to transfer files.
Now for the software. You are required to use Windows Media Player 10 (WMP) if you want to organize your files. This software is designed to bring intelligent, technology oriented people to their knees begging for mercy. If you require no organization of your files, don't even bother with the software, simply drag and drop your music into the "Music" folder in the SanDisk directory.
I however like to have separate files of music on the player -- for example, one for music files and one for audio book files. If you create separate folders for these files in the directory, you will not find them separated on the player. Instead, you must create "playlists" using WMP and "sync" them to your player. If you live long enough to see that accomplished, all you have to do with your player is press the Menu button, select Play Music, scroll to Playlists and select it, and there are your folders!
Here's how to not waste hours of your valuable lifetime figuring out how to make WMP do this for you: do the following in this order. BEFORE doing anything else with the software, Select the Library tab. Go to File at the top of the window (if it's not there, right click at the top of the window and select Show Menu Bar), select Add to Library and By Searching Computer. Select the folder containing your music files and search. This will take a long time and will end with no apparent result.
Click close and go to the menu in the left frame of the window. Click All Music. WMP will have sorted your music into all sorts of possibly useful combinations. If you want to see the list of ALL your songs, go to rated songs and select unrated -- since they all start unrated. Now all your songs will open in the Library frame (center frame) and you can sort them by clicking the columns. You can choose the colums by clicking Library Options, Chose Columns. Be careful what you do with songs in the Library -- deleting them here can delete them from your hard drive!
Now you can create a playlist. Go to the right side of the window, to the blue strip that looks like a border but is actually a separate frame. Click the menu at top, choose New List, then Playlist. Drag songs from the Library frame to the Playlist frame. Save frequently using the menu above the right frame (it changes names, so don't get thrown off by that).
Once you've created your playlist, it will show up in the left frame of the window under My Playlists. If you open a playlist here, it opens in the Library frame. Any changes you make in the Library are permanent, regardless of whether you save or not.
Now plug in your player, and click the Sync tab. Click Setup Sync and select the folders (ie, playlists) you want to put on your player. Use the drop down menu to add only the playlists you have selected (there are a bunch of default playlists the WMP makes up, in addition to the useful ones you have made.) Select OK and start the Sync.
At this point WMP freezes on me and I have to end the unresponsive program using Task Manager. I then reopen the program and resume the Sync, usually successfully. The Sync takes a long time. If you change your playlists and you want to "sync" those changes to your player, you do that via this method. You must resync ALL playlists you want to stay on your player, even those you have not changed, or they will be removed from you player.
Good luck. I hope these instructions (strangely not included with the player or WMP) will help you love your fabulous player and not hate it because it's software is so not user friendly!110 out of 121 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Small and feather-light. Best bang for buck. Great options & batt. life.
by waker1 on January 4, 2006
Pros: FM Tuner is crisp,clear in buildings. Lots of options. Comes with armband, case and helpful walkthrough disc. Best deal in MP3
Cons: 1" thick is big compared to others. Figuring out playlist loading takes patience. Wife thought headphones were bulky but I have big ears.
Summary: This player is the best deal going right now. The provided disc has a good walkthough for using the player with Windows Media Player if you're not that tech-savvy (...
Summary: This player is the best deal going right now. The provided disc has a good walkthough for using the player with Windows Media Player if you're not that tech-savvy (my Father-In-Law had minimal problems). Felt a little flimsy at first but now it feels comfortable and has withstood my Father-In-Laws big-fingered, button mashing like a champ. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a great deal on a solid player.
6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Good for music, doesn't support mp3/wma audiobooks
by mblawrence on December 15, 2007
Pros: Fantastic for music and especially subscription (napster-to-go).
Cons: OFFICIALLY DOES NOT SUPPORT MP3/WMA AUDIOBOOKS!
Summary: I love this little player. However, after some difficulty with fast-forwarding through mp3 podcasts and audiobooks (ffwd for about 2 min, then moves to next track), I was told by ...
Summary: I love this little player. However, after some difficulty with fast-forwarding through mp3 podcasts and audiobooks (ffwd for about 2 min, then moves to next track), I was told by support that audiobooks are not supported.
A quote from the sandisk webpage:
"Support for MP3, WMA, and DRM WMA and Audible file formats. Does NOT support audio books in WMA and MP3."
See
http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Catalog(1161)-SanDisk_Sansa_m200_Series_MP3_Players.aspx
If you listen to audiobooks or podcasts, I would suggest a different player. However, if you are only listening to music, this is a great little player.5 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Smartly priced player solid alternative to the Nano
by Kericr on December 26, 2005
Pros: Very nice and light with a solidly built feel, above average sound quality from earbuds, packed to the gills with features, great price value
Cons: While it feels solid, it looks cheap. Earbuds are very big and pretty uncomfortable, unusually large compared to the Nano, screen could use better contrast adjustment
Summary: I picked up this player as a replacement for a Sandisk e130 that konked out on me about 3 weeks after I got it, and I am very satisfied. I ...
Summary: I picked up this player as a replacement for a Sandisk e130 that konked out on me about 3 weeks after I got it, and I am very satisfied. I paid $130 for an MP3/WMA player that supports playlists, subscription, audio book, has an FM tuner, microphone, doubles as a portable 2GB flash drive, comes with an armband that's great for working out, has above-average earbuds, and looks in general pretty slick.
When compared with a $200 2GB iPod Nano, this is an exceptional alternative. While the Nano sports a color LCD with a slicker presentation, and a rechargable Li-Ion battery, it simply does not stack up in functionality features compared to this player.
The product however is not completely without flaws--the earbuds that come with this player, while sounding better then the e1xx series, are much larger and don't fit well in my ears. The LCD also has a poor contrast ratio; while I have no problem reading it at default, it doesn't adjust very well away from default. Finally, while at a glance it's a very attractive player, and it has a very solid build feel to it, close scrutiny reveals that the player actually looks very cheaply made (though I doubt this is the case).
Overall, if you're looking for a 2GB flash player, this device and the Nano are your best options. If you are looking for a feature-packed player, or don't want to spend $200 on a Nano, this is a very good option. For people who want iTunes support, or who set style as their absolute top priority however, this product is probably not the best choice.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent Workout MP3 Player with subscription capabilities
by pshabbak on November 16, 2005
Pros: works seamlessly with Rhapsody to go subscription music service, Rhapsody provides $80 rebate, circuit city is sellingit at $90! It is very light and quality is excellent
Cons: Display is not bright enough.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very, very nice - worth the money - better than most
by evon610 on November 18, 2007
Pros: Excellent sound, good buds, great battery life
Cons: basic case and screen (who cares?) Poor manual
Summary: After looking at an endless range of MP# players, this one stands heads and shoulders above most. The sound is excellent - no background noise, sharp and clean. The earbuds ...
Summary: After looking at an endless range of MP# players, this one stands heads and shoulders above most. The sound is excellent - no background noise, sharp and clean. The earbuds are pretty dam good, better than $40+ aftermarket units. My only gripe is that the instruction manual is crap but all the functions can be worked out in a few minutes of tinkering. THINK TWICE ABOUT BUYING A PLAYER WITH INTEGRATED BATTERIES!! I had an expensive one and it no longer charges after just a few months. Now it's a throwaway - LOVE the fact that this Sandisk uses a AAA - gives 15+ hours of music!
Very happy - look around and get it for $60 or less - BARGAIN!!1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very Good Basic Player
by sasres on June 23, 2007
Pros: Removable Battery, Radio, Value, Price
Cons: Initial Firmware Buggy
Summary: I have had this player for several months now. I bought it to listen to music while I workout. My Wife and Kids have IPods, but I wanted something I ...
Summary: I have had this player for several months now. I bought it to listen to music while I workout. My Wife and Kids have IPods, but I wanted something I could replace the battery in and didn?t want to spend the money for the Apple. I got exactly what I was looking for.
As for styling, no awards here, but I didn?t care, I just strap it to my arm. I?m not looking for fashion, just functionality. The player has most of the settings you would want, By Artists, Album, Genre, Playlists, etc. Sure the interface on the IPod is easy to use and ITunes user friendly, I find that this player easy to use as well just not as eye popping. As long as you use Media Player 10, loading songs and creating playlists is pretty easy here to.
You also get a radio and a removable battery. It uses a single AAA battery. I keep a couple of spare ones (rechargeable) in my gym bag. If it runs out, I pop a new one in. A single battery lasts about 12 hours, so most of the time it will make it all the way through the week.
The only knocks I found were the firmware and headphones. The player would sometimes lock up and I would have to power down to regain control. It normally happened on the same songs. I would not be able to get past that song. It turned out to be a firmware issue. Mine had version 4.0.44, after upgrading to 4.1.08, I have not had any more problems. Toss the ear bud styles headphones, they are too big. Get a good pair.
If you want a good basic player that plays music, plus you get a radio, this is it.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Set USB mode to MSC! Mass Storage Class, don't deal with playlists! Software is REALLY bad!
by adapttotechnology on December 28, 2006
Pros: Can transfer music to and from any computer
Cons: Freezes up inexplicably and you have to return to manufacturer.
Summary: My first m250 froze in the initializing screen, there is no fix, contact Sandisk and they will send you a new one, they are very helpful.
With my second one, ...Summary: My first m250 froze in the initializing screen, there is no fix, contact Sandisk and they will send you a new one, they are very helpful.
With my second one, the default USB setting was set to MTP, so I couldn't simply drag and drop music--the main attraction of this device for me. MTP is Microsoft's attempt to support the futile and non-standardized Digital Rights Management initiative, hopefully companies will realize that they're wasting time and money by fighting changes in technology, offer a viable alternative to pirating (not additional layers of "security") and people will be interested. My rant, anyway, the m250 is awesome in that you can use it as a flash drive, here's a description of the settings and how to change:
MTP (Media Transfer Protocol), a Microsoft designed protocol that complies with the Digital Rights Management, for use with music subscription services.
MSC (Mass Storage Class), lets the player act as a removable hard drive--lets you simply drag and drop like any other removable hard drive.
To switch modes on the player, go to: Menu > settings > USB
Select MSC for simple drag and drop functionality. Auto Detect is cunningly MTP--if you want to sync with Rhapsody, WMP10, Music Match, or any of those cumbersome applications.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Perfect for it's price!
by db3443 on August 21, 2006
Pros: Easy to use buttons, plenty of memory for the money
Cons: none if used for what it is
Summary: I bought this to use as a music source for my motorcycle. I needed something that I could attach and detach easily to the handlebars, and something that I could ...
Summary: I bought this to use as a music source for my motorcycle. I needed something that I could attach and detach easily to the handlebars, and something that I could control with one hand while riding. This fits the bill perfectly. I bought the optional rubber case with the belt loop and used the velcro strap that comes with it for easy attach/remoal. The controls are easy to use, no "one button with multiple functions" that alot of small units seem to have. It has no prblems with the vibration of the motorcycle, and loading music into it is a breeze. If all you want is an easy to use, rugged mp3 player for a low cost, this is the one. It is not an Ipod, no videos, it is a plain and simple mp3 player with a good sound.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Decent price but you get what you pay for!
by benbrower on June 22, 2006
Pros: Decent Features, Good Battery Life and Plenty of Memory
Cons: Cheap material - not sturdy at all.
Summary: I'm a long distance runner so the quality and toughness of an MP3 player is key for me. It's gotta take bouncing around, heat, humidity and the occassional ...
Summary: I'm a long distance runner so the quality and toughness of an MP3 player is key for me. It's gotta take bouncing around, heat, humidity and the occassional drop of sweat during runs that last 1 - 4 hours. I've had them all - Iriver, Ipod, Memorex, Rave, Ilo, and a bunch of others. I'm careful to keep the player out of the rain and sweat. I could tell when I got the m250 home it wasn't gonna last but for $119 I thought I'd give it a shot. It was by far the flimiest MP3 player I'd come in contact with. Lasted just under 4 months until the lock/hold froze and I'm in the RMA cycle. Only one other player died earlier and that was the ILO from Walmart.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: SanDisk Corp.
- Part number: SDMX3-2048-A18
- Description: The Sansa m200 Series MP3 players add to SanDisk's growing line of products for the audio market. Created by the leaders in flash memory, this flash-based model provides high-quality digital music playback at an affordable price. As a replacement to SanDisk original Digital Audio Player line, this improved look also includes Sansa's excellent navigation: songs sorted by title, artist, album, genre as well as play list support. The Sansa m200 Series MP3 players are one of the first to provide Microsoft PlaysForSure Subscription support.
General
- Product type Digital player / radio
- PC interface(s) supported Hi-Speed USB
- Flash memory installed 2 GB Integrated
- Color Black
- Included accessories Arm band, Carrying case
Digital Player / Recorder
- Supported digital audio standards MP3, WMA, Audible, Protected WMA (DRM)
- Playback modes A-B repeat, Repeat all, Random play / shuffle
- ID3 tags support Yes
Built-in Display
- Audio system built-in display LCD
- Backlight display Yes
- Display illumination color Indigo
Audio Features
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Additional features Voice recording, FM radio recording capability
Equalizer
- Equalizer factory preset qty 4
- Equalizer factory presets Pop, Jazz, Rock, Classic
- Equalizer user preset qty 1
Radio
- Tuner type Digital Radio tuner
- Station preset qty 20
- FM station preset qty 20
- Tuner bands FM
- Tuning display LCD display
Microphone
- Microphone type Built-in
Headphones
- Headphones type Binaural Ear-bud
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Connectivity technology Wired
Connectivity
- Cable(s) included 1 x USB cable -
- Connector type 1 x USB, 1 x Headphones Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm
Battery / Power
- Battery 1 x Alkaline AAA type Standard battery
- Mfr estimated battery life 19 hour(s)
System Requirements
- Operating system Microsoft Windows XP
Product series
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SanDisk Sansa m240 (1GB, silver)
Manufacturer: SanDisk Corp.
Specs: Digital player / radio, 1 GB, MP3, WMA, Audible, Protected WMA (DRM), 1 x Alkaline AAA type Standard battery
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Manufacturer: SanDisk Corp.
Specs: Digital player / radio, 512 MB, MP3, WMA, Audible, Protected WMA (DRM), 1 x Alkaline AAA type Standard battery
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Manufacturer: SanDisk Corp.
Specs: Digital player / radio, 2 GB, MP3, WMA, Audible, Protected WMA (DRM), 1 x Alkaline AAA type Standard battery
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SanDisk Sansa m260 (4GB, slate blue)
Manufacturer: SanDisk Corp.
Specs: Digital player / radio, 4 GB, MP3, WMA, Audible, Protected WMA (DRM), 1 x Alkaline AAA type Standard battery
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- SanDisk Corp.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse SanDisk Corp. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.sandisk.com/
- Address:
140 Caspian Ct.
Sunnyvale, CA 94089 - Phone: 408-542-0500
- Email: support@sandisk.com
- Fax: 408-542-0503
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