Portable CD MP3 Player

CNET has posted a review for SanDisk Sansa m240 (1GB, silver). The player receives a rating of ‘Very Good’, 7.3 out of 10. They write:

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.

The SanDisk Sansa c100 series includes a 1GB (c140) and 2GB (c150) version of this flash based MP3 player. The player includes your basic set of features, including a 1.21 inch screen for viewing photos and navigation through WMA and MP3 audio files. The player will also support WMA DRMed tracks, including subscription services such as Yahoo! Unlimited and Napster To Go. The Sansa c100 also packs in an FM tuner and voice recording.

CNET has reviewed the SanDisk Sansa c150 (2GB) and they write

Upside:   Although aimed at the budget crowd, the SanDisk Sansa c100 offers an updated color screen, along with WMA subscription compatibility. The device is a cinch to navigate, thanks in part to the dedicated menu and volume buttons, a tactile five-way control, and an easy-to-read, icon-based menu system. The c100 plays MP3, WMA, and Audible content; has a built-in FM radio/recorder (with autoscan and 20 presets); a voice recorder; and the ability to display small photos and album art.

Downside:   The SanDisk Sansa c100 utilizes a proprietary USB cable for transfers. While we do like replaceable battery options (the c100 uses a single AAA), we also enjoy the fact that the battery lasts more than 20 hours; the c100 has a rated life of 15 hours. As expected, photos don’t look great, and they must be converted for getting them on to the device, though having a photo option is better than not.

Outlook:   The SanDisk Sansa c100 series is a nice addition to the SanDisk line. It has all the features that most people need from a flash player, along with decent sound quality, an intuitive control system, and very competitive prices, which will no doubt be lower online.

SanDisk Sansa e270 (6GB) Review

The SanDisk Sansa e200 series includes the e250, e260, and e270. The 2GB, 4GB, and 6GB are a new breed of high capacity flash based MP3 player set to compete in features, as well as price, with the Samsung Z5 and iPod Nano. The Sansa e200 has a few advantages over the two, such as a brilliant 1.8” screen, video playback, expandable memory, and a user replaceable batter.

Today CNET has published a review for SanDisk Sansa e270 (6GB) and gave it an ‘Excellent’ ratting 8.0 out of 10.

The good: The SanDisk Sansa e200 series combines copious features such as subscription compatibility, an FM tuner/recorder, voice recording, and photo and video playback into a compact and durable device. We like the tactile navigation wheel, as well as the well-designed software interface. The user-removable battery and the Micro SD slot are nice touches, and the device has decent sound quality, processor performance, and battery life. Finally, the Sansa e200 is durable and attractive, and it offers a competitive price in a high-stakes world of high-capacity flash players.

The bad: The buttons surrounding the SanDisk Sansa e200’s scrollwheel can be difficult to press; the mechanical scrollwheel can tire out some thumbs; photos and video must go through conversion with bundled software; the expansion slot can be used with music only, not photos or other media or data; and recordings are made only in WAV. The scrollwheel is not as easy to use as the iPod Click Wheel. Low levels of system noise can heard through headphones at low or zero volume.

The bottom line: The SanDisk Sansa e200 series offers a boatload of features for a reasonable price, in a package that is much nicer than that of past SanDisk models. For those looking for a high-capacity, compact, skip-free MP3/WMA player, start with the e200 series.

SanDisk Sansa e270 (6GB) Preview

Memory goliath SanDisk continues its assault on the flash-based MP3 player market with the CES launch of the flagship Sansa e200 series and the budget-class Sansa c100 series. The e200 series represents a departure from previous Sansa players, thanks to a higher-quality form factor and a bushel of cutting-edge features. The SanDisk Sansa e200 comes in 4GB ($250) and 2GB ($200) varieties, as well as the flagship 6GB version, which is notable, as it’s the highest-capacity flash-based player in the world. The players, which are physically much more polished than SanDisk models of the past but come with price tags to match, will be available in March.

LAS VEGAS, NV – Jan. 5, 2006 – SanDisk® Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) introduced today its top-of-the-line SanDisk Sansa™ e200 MP3 player with a large color screen and 6-gigabytes  (GB) of storage capacity that makes it ideal for listening to music or viewing photos and personal videos. The company also introduced the Sansa c100, a value-conscious MP3 player with a color screen and compact size. Both families were unveiled at a press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show where SanDisk is demonstrating products in Booth #30329, South Hall Level 3, Las Vegas Convention Center.

“Music is an incredibly important part of the digital lifestyle, where the emphasis is on accessibility of music, styling and ruggedness on the go,” said Eric Bone, director of audio/video product marketing at SanDisk. “These new players have a rich set of features, a high-strength industrial design and a friendly price tag that we believe will appeal to anyone who appreciates music on the go.”

Sansa e200—SanDisk’s Flagship MP3 Player
The Sansa e200 series features a slim new design and a 1.8-inch (4.572 cm) TFT color screen (QCIF+) along with high-quality audio, photo viewing and video playback capabilities. It offers an industry-leading, 6GB capacity that holds more than 1,400 MP3 songs2. It is also available in 2 and 4GB models. Its large color screen is ideal for easily viewing playlists, photos and personal videos.

SanDisk Digital Audio Player (1GB, silver) Reviews

CNET has written a review about SanDisk Digital Audio Player (1GB, silver) and rated it as ‘good’

The good: Attractive design; large, easy-to-read LCD; solid battery life; armband carrying case; autoscans for FM presets; fast file transfers.

The bad: So-so audio quality; unintuitive controls; no FM recording; poor voice recording; mediocre manual.

The bottom line: Spiffy looks and good battery life can’t compensate for this player’s mediocre sound and typical feature set.

SanDisk Sansa m230 (512MB) Reviews

CNET has written a review about SanDisk Sansa m230 (512MB) and rate it as ‘Very good’

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.