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"Excellent but not perfect" on by rolandperch
Pros: Awesome Package/Features
Cons: Lacks some basics
Summary: I usually don't submit reviews, but I have made many purchases on the opinions of people on this site so I thought it was time to give back. I have been researching these things for months and was determined not to go down the devils path (IPOD). Why such hate you might say?
Apple seems to be in the get game of getting you anyway they can. You can only use itunes, can't replace batteries yourself (easily)plus the accessory barrage. It's clear that the money you plunk down is only the beginning of the world domination of your wallet. That's why I was looking forward to this product. It seems to have many more features then the nano and the company seems to not want you to throw the thing away when the battery stops charging. Also you have the option of upgrading the memory with an expansion card...nice touch. Voice recorder, radio, and a radio recorder...all nice and work well for what they are.
The unit is very impressive and substantial compared to the nano. The screen is big, clear and attractive. The wheel is not as smooth as the nano but not a deal breaker. After having it a couple days I've had excellent battery life. The software is easy to use(for media conversion)and goof proof. The sound is excellent although the buds are a bit big for my ears and I am not a small person. Ok, here's the bad in my opinion, the unit is in need of a user adjustable eq.
The settings in the unit are barely usable, the normal setting is ok, but nothing special. The other thing is there is no stop button on the unit, granted I haven't had a new unit in a few years but I thought stop/pause/ffwd/rwd/ play were the basics. If you are playing something you pause it then toggle back through the menus to find something else. The only way to truly stop the unit is to turn it off. Also there is a slot for an expansion card but theres no cover/door for it so I suppose dirt/crud could get inside the unit. But thats about it. The other stuff in James' review is no big deal. I contacted support 3 times on a compatibility issue I was having and they were great, patient, and very helpful. I like the product a lot, hope it holds up. I hope this helps you in your decision making.
I'll check back after a couple weeks of usage.Updated
I've now had the unit for two weeks, here is the deal, the thing froze up on the start screen,tried the reset functions many times tech support told me to just get another one.Problem is the stores wont have it in for a week or two.
BTW this is why I wanted a flash player as opposed to a hard disk. My last unit (Archos JB Recorder) seized up on a regular basis. I bought it off of Best Buy's website. All this being said I still think it's a good little unit and will give it another chance. I guess thats what I get for buying a new product before it even hit the stores. It's like they say, never buy a first model year of any car. In any case to answer some of the questions, I did not try video on it but the music and picture stuff was great. Like I said an equalizer would have been ideal but the sound isn't horrible. As far as gapless music I assume youre talking about pauses in between songs/noice. Didn't notice any of that. As far as album art goes I would assume it does. I just learned how to actually link the metadata but on one of my support calls I asked the guy about that and he said as long as it's in a recognizable format (jpeg) it should read it. So I will wait to try another one.Updated
After having the product for 2 weeks here is an update.The unit froze up on me, after trying many resets, the support guy advised taking it back and getting another one. I bought it off of Best Buy's website, the store doesn't have them it yet though. Frustrating, yes, I still like the product, but the whole reason I wanted a flash player is because I had such a bad freeze up problem with my Archos JB unit.
I guess it's like they say, never buy a car in it's first model year. In any case I still like the unit and will give it another try. Like I said before, If it had an eq that would kick some you know what. Haven't tried video on it. As far as album art. I am just now learning how to do that, so when I get another unit I will try that out, although in a support call I asked the guy about that and he said as long as it's in a recognized format (jpeg) it will read it. Yes I am way out of touch with the Metadata/music subscription crowd. As far as the sound quality, I think a lot has to do with your source, your ripping rate (i rip at 192wma) and headphones, but the unit seemed to sound ok/didn't hear any noticeable gaps more them whats on a cd.Updated
After about two weeks of use the unit froze, after trying the reset function numerous times and I ended up returning it to Best Buy. (I bought it online) Like the other user's post I had the same exact problem. Sounds like they havent worked that glitch out yet. That being said the unit still is very attractive, but the whole reason I wanted a flash player was to avoid the freeze up problem so often associated with disk units. Don't know If I'll get another one, like they say you should never buy a car first model year, hopefully firmware upgrades will solve this problem.Updated
After talking to support, the latest update is that they were yanked from the Best Buy site because of the firmware problem, but the ones hitting the stores in the next month will have the firmware fixed. So it may be worth another shot then -
"What I expected, but suffers from sound quality." on by sansa user
Pros: Functionally pretty good.
Cons: Performance suffers a bit.
Summary: I have been waiting a long time for a player like this: 4 gig flash memory, fm, fm recorder, voice recorder, photo, video and its pretty easy to use right out of the box. The player is extremely easy to use and is simply brilliant with its menus options.All the functions also work great. Easy drag and drop feature, unfortunatley there is no software to create playlists.
But:
I have had it one day and I have had to reset it 4 times already. Twice the screen went all white, needed a reset. Then, while playing music, the player did not repond to any buttons (this also happened twice), needed a reset.
Also, the sound quality suffers a bit. Not nearly as loud as my Ipod shuffle, and the sound come out sounding flat. Actually, the ipod headphones made an improvement to the sound when they were plugged into the player.I hear the hiss and crackle of static when changing songs, and also a faint but very noticeable background noise when playing music.Although I have tried the built in equalizer, the player does not show you WHAT you are equalizing, just a choice of "Rock" "Disco" "hip Hop" etc.
I've had an iriver, ipod, micro zen and now this.
This one by far is my favorite, but I am trying to overcome the sound quality issue by convincing myself about the other great things. Its also strange that it has crashed 4 times in one day. I am hoping this was just a glitch and won't happen again. I'll keep using and keep updating.Updated
Did a firmware update and it stopped crashing. But now, when the hold button is used and turn back off, it continues to stay in "hold mode." I love this player and I am trying to work through this! Its such an awesome player, just hoping nothing else happens.Updated
Unit continues to crash. Same issues as before. I called Sandisk, the tech told me that this is problem they are aware of and are working on it (and he also said people have called about this; also he did not even know there was a firmware update, I had to tell him about it on the sandisk website.) They called me back 4 days later and said the issues I was having are only specific to my player and I should return it where I bought it(very different from the 1st time I spoke to him.)Unfortunatly, after talking to the Best Buy rep, Best Buy pulled it off their website and no longer sells it. So the only way to get a new one is to send it back to sandisk so they can send me another one, but with the same issues? Fishy about Best Buy and Sucky situation with Sandisk, I have to return it before my 14 days are up for credit. Player was too good to be true. Good luck for those that still have one. -
"Excellent mp3 player and more - KILLS IPOD" on by njtechie
Pros: Sound Quality is excellent, FM Tuner, Mass Storage Mode, Video Clips
Cons: Playlist Functionality limited.
Summary: I did a fair amount of research on mp3 players before purchasing this one. I spend some time in the various electronic stores checking out the various options. I knew that a memory only mp3 player would be best for me, the hard drive players seem to run hot, use more energy and are more prone to failure with more moving parts - plus HD players are bigger in physical size.
The e260 is part of an entire line of e300 players that Sandisk is releasing. The e260 is the 4gb version, but just around the corner in September 2006 the e280 with 8gb capacity will be released. I'm new to mp3 players, this is my first one, so ease of use and intuitive menus was very important.
As far as features, this player is clearly going to set the new standard. It's extra durable, with a solid liquid metal back cover, the front contains scratch resident viewer, the battery is good to go for 20 hours, the FM tuner is excellent with auto scan features - combined with programable stations and excellent reception.
The sound of the unit does sound good, I didn't like the ear plugs that came with the unit (which appear to be disposable), so I replaced them with a pair of cheap coby ear plugs (about $10-) with the silocone type plugs and it sounded great and had a comfortable fit. I think people that purchase the popular Shure ear plugs for about $200 need to have their head examined. If you want to listen to bass then get a subwoofer, not some ear plugs, by the laws of physics you can reproduce anything below 50 hertz with any ear plugs.
I was a little disappointed that the unit only came with software for Rhapsody and a Video / Picture converter. It would have been nice to have a simple to use mp3 organizer. It seems that creating playlists is a difficult task, but they do allow you to quickly find your music organized by artist, album, genre, etc. I don't know why anyone would complain about the controls that much, although a "raised" notch would probably be good for the 4 buttons, I must say that I have fairly large fingers and have not had any trouble at all navigating.
One of the cool features of the unit is the two USB modes that are available. The "user manual" that came with the unit is a complete joke, it's like one page and doesn't really explain the difference between MSC and MTP modes. Most of the time you'll want to use the new MTP mode that Microsoft created for easy synchronizing and driverless installation. If you want to update the firmware to the latest version you'll need to go to the sandisk site and download the utility, which will simply walk you through the 4 minute process - you'll need to go into the MSC mode (mass storage).
Overall, I think this unit is a real winner. I'd still like to see a dedicated mp3 organizing / ripping / software so I didn't have to rely on the microsoft software, but it seems that Microsoft Media Player version 11 is just around the corner, it's already available for beta download. I've also read that most pay sites like Napster are fully compatible with the player. I also like the ability to be able to use the device a standard USB Mass Storage Device.
I'd like to see Sandisk put out more accessories, like an Car FM output that can also charge the unit at the same time. I guess putting in a FM transmitter would have been a more difficult engineering task. I was also surprised that they don't make a normal plug in charger, the only way to charge the unit is via a USB powered connection. I guess you can just purchase a powered USB hub and power it that way, since the voltage should be compatible.
Overall this is an IPOD killer, for about $100 less you get significantly more funtionality, in a very stable playform that's intuitive, plus built solid. Oh, did I mention that since Sandisk is the world leader in small memory, they added a transflash (now called microSD) reader, which will be able to add an additional 2gb of removable memory. You can buy a T-Flash usb reader and easily manipulate files for use on your mobile phone, computer, or the e200 series mp3 players. What more do you want? Camera??? -
"Could be the perfect player except for 1 major problem" on by gmarsh
Pros: Looks, navigation, size of device, menus
Cons: Synch error, limited to 1 playlist, no stop play function
Summary: After way too much research I finally decided on the Sansa e260. Seemed like the best buy for the money. I really like the looks and navigation of the e260 and the fact it has FM radio ability.
SanDisk Tech Support has been pretty easy to get to a person to talk to. However, I wish I didn't have to find this out. I have tried two of these players (returned one because one tech at Sandisk said it was an "internal player" problem). I bought (and exchanged) both players at a local Best Buy store.
The huge problem has been that after a few songs start to download (a few means 7 or so) I get an error message stating "The I/O operation has been aborted because of either a thread exit or an application request". I have to close everything out and reboot my computer to clear this out. In a typical CD of say 12 songs, the CD may load but sometimes I get the error and it refuses to load one or two of the songs.
I have spent hours on the phone with both Sandisk and Microsoft in addition to searching on the internet myself for a hotfix or something to fix this problem. Sandisk says it is a Microsoft problem....Microsoft says it is a Sandisk problem. Neither seems to know how to fix the problem. Neither is stepping up to the plate for their customer.
I have emailed Sandisk and told them if they don't provide a hotfix or solution within 24 hours, I plan to return the device and buy an IPOD (really didn't want an IPOD, but I'd rather have a working IPOD than this frustration). I really like the Sansa e260, but I don't feel as a Sandisk customer I should have to spend hours of my time trying to fix this problem, when they say their product works with Microsoft.
If anyone has experienced this problem and knows the solution, please let me know. From my research on the internet it seems other players (i.e. Iriver) sometimes gets the same error. So I assume it is a Microsoft problem....but as I said, if Sandisk sells this product as compatable with MS, they should also be able to provide the support to ensure the device works as advertised. -
"So far, excellent player" on by mavericke
Pros: VERY nice display; nice sound quality; easy to load music; thumbwheel is convenient
Cons: Unit's internal software is a bit glitchy; lack of accessories
Summary: I bought this player as a replacement for my Zen Micro, whose headphone jack (not surprisingly) failed after six months. Although I was basically happy with the Zen, so far I like the Sansa much better. The display is excellent, with very good brightness and contrast. Unlike the Zen, I can actually read the text without my reading glasses which, oddly enough, I don't wear while working out.
Although I'm fairly tech-savvy, I'm not interested in learning yet another user interface just so I can play music while I work out--all I want is a way to play my albums without the bulk of a CD player and disks attached to my waist. I've ripped a lot of my CDs onto my PC with Windows Media Player, and I can load music to the e260 using drag-and-drop in Windows Explorer, just like copying files between directories on my PC's hard drives. That suits me just fine.
Because the thumbwheel is mechanical, not a touch pad, you can adjust the volume without having to look at the player. That's not a big deal, but definitely a convenience when the player is attached to your waist or strapped to your arm. I bought a DLO jam jacket (one of only two cases I could find for this player), and although it does make the buttons other than the thumbwheel and select button a bit harder to use, I haven't found it to be a big inconvenience.
I ran into a few minor problems getting the unit set up initially. I copied the demo tracks to my hard drive and deleted them from the player before loading my own music; but one of the tracks (which I had played through my PC before deleting it) continued to show up on the player's music list, even though the track was gone. I finally used Windows Explorer to re-format the player, which solved the problem. At first the player's display continued to indicate that it was "writing" long after files were transferred, but that problem seems to have gone away since I updated the firmware.
I find the sound quality is excellent, although I would like more EQ flexibility. Even with the volume level set to "normal" (there is also a "high" setting available), the volume range is higher than the Zen, which I had to play at nearly full volume. I don't hear any low-level noise as the CNet review and some users have noted; possibly the firmware update took care of the problem, or perhaps my hearing just isn't good enough.
p.s. The AC charger sold for iPods will work with this unit if you want to charge it without connecting it to your PC; and SanDisk says they're introducing a separate AC adapter next month.Updated
To the user who sent me e-mail asking where I got the Jam Jacket but didn't give me your e-mail address: Best Buy.
Update: I tried using my partner's iPod charger. Although the player said it was charging, it wasn't.
SanDisk Sansa e260 user reviews (4GB)
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