15 out of 15 people found this review helpful.
A Very Good Music Companion
Date of Review: Dec 26, 2007
The Bottom Line: Users looking for a compact and low-cost mp3 player that, well, plays music without fuss can look no further.
When it comes to portable music players, there's no doubt that the iPod reigns supreme. Because of its high commercial appeal and the mere fact that practically every music player accessory seems to be tailor-made to its specifications, the iPod has become the benchmark for all portable music libraries. In addition to music playback, the iPod boasts photo slideshows and video mode. It is impossible to walk around in New York City without seeing the standout white earphones. Even I succumbed to the lure of this device. Now, the iPod is by no means a bad player. In fact, it is superb. The fame it acquired is just and deserved. However, one day, due to my habit of tossing belongings without care into my bag, the screen got punctured. Pretty soon, my iPod video became nothing more than a fancy external hard drive. Not wanting to shell out a tremendous amount of cash for a new one, I decided to look at different companies. Is there no portable device that can live up to the iPod's reputation?
The answer is the Sansa e250. Certainly not as esteemed, this iPod-nano sized player is a compact surprise. I purchased a refurbished 2GB version for $40. This player was easy on my wallet and pleasant to my ears.
The Player:
The layout of the controls is logical. The small power button, which doubles as a menu button, is located in the lower left corner of the player. The scroll wheel is surrounded by four additional buttons and encloses a large button that serves as a mouse equivalent of a "click." Browsing through lists is easy because the scroll wheel offers a tiny amount of resistance, letting the user know that he is in fact turning the wheel. The four buttons surrounding the player serve the 'Play/Pause,' 'Forward,' 'Back,' and 'Options' functions.
Taking a glance at the top of the player will reveal the 'Hold' switch, a tiny microphone hole, and the headphone outlet. The microphone is surprisingly good. The audio quality of whatever the mic picks up is very lucid.
On the sides of the player are the record button and micro SD chip slot. Pressing the record button once will immediately start recording with the microphone.
In the upper-left top corner of the player is a small groove with a bar. If one wishes to loop string or lanyard through the slot and carry the player like a bag, more freedom to him/her.
The earphones that came with the player are, according to my ear dimensions, extremely uncomfortable. The buds are wider than other earphones' out there. However, since any headphone is compatible, this should be no problem.
Overall, the Sansa e250 is a very durable device. I've owned this player for about two months now and so far, the only problems I have encountered were software-related. The back-plate is very scratch-resistant. The casing does a terrific job of protecting the insides. The small size and unnoticeable weight allows for high mobility. In addition, certain iPod nano cases are a perfect fit for the Sansa.
Battery:
On the bottom is the charger slot. What's interesting about this player is that a separate wall charger was not included. Instead, the player charges while connected to a computer. For this reason, my Sansa is often plugged in to the computer. This method may be a hassle for people who do not use his/her computer frequently or does not leave his/her computer on for long durations of time. This drawback is redeemed by the devices long battery life. SanDisk claims the Sansa has a battery life of about 20 hours. According to my experience, this is a good estimation. Like all lithium-ion batteries, the battery's maximum capacity will decline. I have not reached that point, however, the back-plate can be screwed off with a small Phillips head and after that, the battery can be removed and replaced by the user.
Starting Up:
The device takes about 10 to 15 seconds to load up. This time is not diminished. One could turn it off and turn it on a second later. The load-up time will be the same.
Once on the main menu, the user can scroll through his/her options. The standard 'Music' and 'Settings' options are there. For a mp3 player such as this, it may surprise some users that there are 'Photo,' 'Video,' 'FM Player' options as well. The 'Voice' option may be selected to view the recordings made with the microphone.
The menu is visually pleasing. The background is a cool blue and the icons are colorful and clear. On the bottom of the screen is a ticker that shows the current time, battery life, and if applicable, the current song.
Music:
Users can browse through the songs on the device by the usual categories such as artists, albums, songs, and so on. The playback screen is also visually pleasing. Users can also skip ahead in an audio file and all the other usuals.
The playback quality is exactly the same, at least to my ears, as the quality on other devices, such as my laptop. This brings me to the conclusion that the quality is based entirely on the output device.
Only a few file types are compatible with the player. Of them, the most common is the .mp3 and .wav files. This means that the .m4a files iTunes uses must first be converted.
Playlists are a separate issue. The player does come with a built in 'Go List' users can add songs to. However, creating a unique playlist is a problem that has eluded me.
Photo/Video:
I do not particularly use the photo and video capabilities of the player. Actually, I don't really use it at all. With only 2GB, I dedicated the entire memory to audio. However, it is possible to put certain videos and photos onto the device. Reading from external sources, users must convert photos using the included software. In addition, the video must be in Quicktime format.
FM Radio:
The radio is, for the most part, acceptable. Moving the player around will result in differing reception quality. I'm not a physicist, but I assume that the varying quality is due to the oscillating nature of radio waves. (Sorry if that sounded a bit nerdy.)
Computer Compatibility:
The Sansa is designed primarily for Windows-based computers. There are a myriad of software PC users can use to sync with the device. Yahoo, Rhapsody, and Napster offer services online. In addition, users can use Windows Media Player to sync with the device.
For Mac users such as myself, he/she must use different methods. Mac users must first change the USB mode to 'MSC' and then add music files by the traditional drag and drop method. As long as the audio file "contains" essential information such as the artist and album, the player will automatically sort the files into their respective locations. Therefore, users can just dump files into the 'Music' folder of the disk image. I use iTunes to supply the necessary information if needed. In addition, iTunes on the Mac can convert .m4a files to .mp3 files.
Problems:
I have not experienced many problems with the Sansa. Only once has the player frozen. Pressing down the 'Power' button for 30+ seconds fixed that problem quickly.
Conclusion:
The Sansa e250 is a superb device that has characteristics not suggested by its small size and appearance. If users are looking for a compact, durable, and reliable player they can use to job, record lectures, or just listen to music, I would highly recommend this low-priced device.
