Info about Audio Equipment
Need A SanDisk Sansa Fuze?
The SanDisk Sansa Fuze has become quite a popular alternative to Apple’s iPod Nano over the years. While they may look quite similar, the Sansa Fuze is priced anywhere from $30-$50 cheaper than the Nano. And the Sansa Fuze’s looks can be very deceiving. Its small exterior doesn’t even begin to tell the story of what it is hiding inside. While the Nano has become the industry accepted “standard” when it comes to MP3 players, with so many more features than the Nano, and comparable audio quality, the Sansa Fuze release is about to kill the competition. The similarities and the differences are all here so you can make the final decision on which will triumph. The IPod Nano or the SanDisk Sansa Fuze, you be the judge.
The first notable difference is the outside casing. Even though both are quite tiny, and are easy to fit in your hand, the iPod Nano has an all glossy finish that improves on looks, but it makes it hard to hold on to. The Sansa Fuze, on the other hand, has a rubberized backing. This makes it infinitely easier to be able to hold it in the palm of your hand without slipping. And the Sansa Fuze has a jog wheel similar to that of the Nano, with two notable differences which make the Sansa Fuze much easier to use all around. These being that the Sansa Fuze’s jog wheel actually moves and is illuminated, where as the Nano’s doesn’t do either.
The next biggest difference between the two are the ability, or not in the case of the Nano, to add extra storage. The Sansa Fuze’s expandability feature allows the user to add extra storage by way of a micro SD card. These cards are available up to 12GB and the slot is on one side of the Fuze, while having a hold button on the other side. The SD card can also fully integrate with the memory. This includes any pictures, videos and sound recordings you may have, all into one library. The Fuze will also eventually be able to accommodate micro SD cards up to 32GB, once they finally become available on the open market. All of this makes for some excellent storage options.
And if the user still needs more music, the Fuze has a built in FM radio that allows for recording in WAV format. The record function is pretty basic, but it allows the user to set the duration of the recording. In the past, the radio on any SanDisk MP3 player has only been so-so in its performance. But this time, its smart auto select feature and preset stations only tune in the stations that come in and skip all the rest, making its performance finally above average and well worth using. Also in WAV format is the voice recorded form the microphone, which is located right below the micro SD card, and it picks up sound, on average, pretty well.
As for the Sansa Fuze’s audio and video playback, audio triumphs all. The video uses a 20 FPS DivX format and usually requires conversion. It takes time, but is real easy to accomplish with the Sansa Media Converter. And because it is only 20 FPS and has 224x176 pixel resolution, it makes for some choppy video. The audio, however, has a great organizational system, and includes a recently added items list. It can also play audio books and podcasts as well. The Fuze offers support for various audio formats including MP3, WMA, secure WMA, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, WAV, Audible, and Overdrive. The overall sound quality is right up to par with the Nano, even with a not so great set of headphones. Overall, the SanDisk Sansa Fuze is a great option for those who want Nano quality, but for a better price and added features.