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SanDisk Fuze 8GB: Review

Posted to Portable Audio/Video 2009-03-08

The SanDisk Sansa Fuze 8GB is an mp3 player with 8GB of integrated flash memory. The device measures in at 1.9 x 3.0 x 0.03 inches and weighs just 2 ounces. It also comes equipped with a 1.9 inch screen and supports WMA, mp3, Wav and audible play back formats. It is also equipped with JPEG photo playback.

SanDisk has been trying to jump into the mp3 market with some success but the infiltrated market means the device has to set itself a part from its competitors. SanDisk has added some pretty slick features with the Fuze to attempt to do just that. The Fuze has a decent FM transmitter and a voice recorder built in. In addition it has an expansion slot for consumers who are itching for a bigger hard drive. Overall the device has a nice set of features to entice consumers.

Rating:

3.6 out of 5

Quality

The SanDisk Sansa Fuze 8GB is a nice enough little player but it does not have the same quality look as most other mp3 players, and certainly not the ones that it is trying to compete against. The black casing option looks a little cheap and the click wheel is not nearly as intuitive as the Apple iPod's click wheel. The silver overall looks better with a nice finish to the cover but the click wheel remains the same. The wheel just doesn't have the same nice feel or navigation of it's competitors. The desktop interface is not nearly as attractive either and getting the desktop software figured out can be a bit difficult. The quality of the software will probably bug consumers who have used the Zune or iTunes interface before, but it is not downright awful.

What the Sansa Fuze does offer is a nice clear sound and good playback. The expansion slot for additional space is nice, but that must be purchased after the fact. The sound quality is pretty clear for such a cheap player, but the headphones that come with the device could be better. The FM tuner is nicely integrated and the actual Fuze interface is fairly straight-forward and easy to deal with. This is probably an mp3 player for users who have not been spoiled by the big name competitors yet and it does the basic job adequately.

Value

Coming in at around $100 in the United States the Sansa Fuze 8GB is a good bang for the buck. The price tag is substantially lower than its competitors and there is a nice set of features to increase the value of the product. The memory slot makes it an incredibly value as you can expand the 8GB further for a very reasonable amount (or free if you have a card lying around). While the screen is not ultra-crisp it does the job nicely and is still a pretty good screen for such a low priced mp3 player.

Summary

The SanDisk Sansa Fuze 8GB can perform the tasks that most people in the market for an affordable mp3 player are looking for. The size makes it ultra portable and throwing it into a purse or even a pocket is super easy. The battery life and playback capabilities are more than adequate. It is no iPod or Zune but for those looking for a budget device for their first parlay into the mp3 market will be more than satisfied with the Sansa Fuze.

Pros

At around $100 the Sansa Fuze 8GB is a great value
The expansion slot provided is a nice feature for consumers looking to expand
The built in transmitter and the voice recorder make the Fuze a multi-purpose device

Cons

A somewhat dim screen and less than intuitive click wheel might be deal breakers for some consumers
The black packaging looks a bit cheap but for the price it is not a bad little device.