SanDisk Sansa Clip review

Introduction

Matt recently sent me a SanDisk Sansa View which made such an impression on me that I asked for another SanDisk MP3 player to review. Matt got hold of his contacts over at SanDisk and got hold of a Sansa Clip for me.

SanDisk Sansa Clip

This was great news but he then told me I had to do a review on it too which kind of scared me a little because I had only ever reviewed Phones before and admittedly I was a little worried about how this review would go.

The 10 Second Review

Device: SanDisk Sansa Clip
Cost: £39.00
Available from: SanDisk Store
Best of: Sound, Packaging, Price, Ease of Use, Ability to add music
Worst of: No separate power cable

What’s in the box?

• Quick Start Guide
• Warning Leaflet
• Special offer card from audible.com
• Earphones
• MicroUSB Charge / Sync Cable
• SanDisk Sansa Clip
• Mini Installation CD

Specification

• 4 GB internal memory (2 & 4 GB model available)
• FM Radio
• Built in microphone for recording
• Four-line OLED screen
• Easy-to-wear clip
• Battery Life: Internal rechargeable battery lasts for up to 15 hours of continuous playback (Depends on settings and file types)
• MP3, WMA, secure WMA and Audible file formats
• 2.2 x 0.6 x 1.4 inches

General

The SanDisk Sansa Clip is the smallest in the Sansa range and is very lightweight. 

Taking a look at the front of the Clip there is a very small OLED display but not so small that it can’t be read or seen. A HOME button, jog dial and select button can also be found here.

SanDisk Sansa Clip Powered On

On the left there’s a MicroUSB port and an ON/OFF/HOLD slider switch which moves to left or right.

SanDisk Sansa Clip Left View

The right side has the volume rocker and the headphone jack socket.

SanDisk Sansa Clip Right View

The bottom and top of the Clip are very empty except some printed text on the bottom telling you the model number and I think the part number.

SanDisk Sansa Clip Front View

The back of the clip again is very straightforward and has just the namesake plastic clip and the SanDisk name printed with the size of the model.

SanDisk Sansa Clip Back View

Highlights and Lowlights

+ Superb sound
+ Ample Memory Capacity for Size & Price
+ Light Weight
+ FM tuner (20 Presets)
+ Voice Recording
+ Loveable Design with Fantastic Colour Options
+ Format compatibility (MP3, DRM WMA, WMA, Audible)
+ USB 1.1 and 2.0 connectivity
+ Can be used as a USB drive / mass storage
+ Can sync music with drag & drop or via software 

– Only way to charge is via Data Cable

Sound Quality

The sound quality of the Clip is surprisingly up there with the View. Comparing the same MP3 track and using the same headphones the sound given from the Clip is very much like the sound like that you come to expect with the View.

There are various EQ modes and sound level adjustments available in the menu too which will help get the sound perfectly suited to various audio devices.

Review

When I opened the box of the Clip I was seriously shocked at just how little it was. Not many things this small have a screen of any sort and the OLED display hides itself with a mirrored front on the silver version and when powered on stands out very clearly.

The first thing I wanted to do after getting it powered on was to stick some songs on it so I took out the Data / Charging cable stuck into my USB 2.0 port on my Windows XP ran laptop and immediately it changed into sync mode and started finding the drivers etc….

SanDisk Sansa Clip Angled View

Transferring the music was simple, drag and drop…. no iccy manufacturers software to load / run.

After getting the music across I then disconnected the device safely using the safely remove hardware function on XP and plugged in the earphones to start my review.

I was impressed with how easy the menu system was and also how many features it had.

The music quality was awesome without even tweaking the EQ settings which made life a lot easier as I plan in giving this to my 7 year old daughter.

CONCLUSION

Once again SanDisk have done impressed me beyond what I expected. If you are looking for something small, lightweight and affordable with an excellent battery life then this is just what you need. The other good thing is the fact that you wont be rejected by your loved ones for not having an iPod as it’s sill very stylish.

Defo worth the money and a device that I would fully recommend to others

Review by: John