hkpoohster wrote:Anyone who has purchased one previously, is there any marking ("R" or "Refurb") on the back side of the player? I have a clip that has "R" etched into the back, which obviously cannot be removed. The e200's came with raised letters spelling "Refurb", but were actually removable metallic stickers. For gifting purposes, wondering what to expect. TIA

I purchased one with the January offering of this player. It has a faint R in the lower right corner of the back.

Do these support multiple playlists? How easy is it to set up?

I know Rockbox would handle it, but a) the custom firmware only works on Fuze v1s (no way to tell the difference afaik) and USB transfer is not yet supported--you have to reload the original Sansa firmware to put music on the thing.

zenhound wrote:Rockbox says that it can mount on V1 Fuzes but not V2. Any idea what version this Woot is?

If anyone from Woot is kind enough/able to check, here's how:

Turn on the player. Navigate to Settings>>System Settings>>Info

If it's V1 the number next to 'Version' will look like "V01.x.x.x". If V2, "V02.x.x.x".

I bought one of these from woot a few months ago. It worked fine ... I lost it and I'm thinking about buying another.

I think all its merits and faults have been thoroughly covered in this thread. Here's +1 in the "would buy again" count. But I don't plan to watch any videos on it.

tortnotes wrote:Do these support multiple playlists? How easy is it to set up?

I know Rockbox would handle it, but a) the custom firmware only works on Fuze v1s (no way to tell the difference afaik) and USB transfer is not yet supported--you have to reload the original Sansa firmware to put music on the thing.

I have put music on mine by just drag and dropping it into the music file when I open the sanza file on my computer while it is plugged in as long as it is a supported file..aka mp3. I'm not sure what version I have because I bought mine new a over a year ago.

xazothia wrote:What's the lifespan of a refurbed Sansa? I'm thinking of actually buying this one, but I don't want to if it's gonna die in a year.

It really is the luck of the draw. I have bought MANY refurb Sansa MP3 players from Woot and other sites we won't mention and have had great luck with them. Have probably bought at least 15 total - for myself and gifts. Only one has died on me. But I bought a new 8gb Sansa Fuze at a large retail outlet before Christmas at a GREAT price and it just died on me - 4 days after the 90 day warranty expired.

FWIW the one that I purchased here on 1/7/2010 was a V2 model.

if you are on the fence. Try it. If you don't like it then send it back. If it were really expensive like an ipod I would see the hesitation but it is not.

sdwilkins wrote:
I have put music on mine by just drag and dropping it into the music file when I open the sanza file on my computer while it is plugged in as long as it is a supported file..aka mp3. I'm not sure what version I have because I bought mine new a over a year ago.

The one thing that I have noticed when doing this is that if you open windows media player with the Sansa connected, it doesn't seem to ever find music files that you have added this way. The player finds them just fine, but WMP doesn't for some reason. Of course you can always drag and drop to copy them back if you needed to, so I guess it doesn't really matter all that much.

Just bought two of these, one for myself as a 'Hey, it's nearly your birthday, indulge a little!' and another for my little sister who has a birthday this month also!

30 bucks, another 40ish for a 16gb card? Video, FM Tuner, Music?

Thanks for the new paper weight, Apple ;)

bowlingb wrote:The one thing that I have noticed when doing this is that if you open windows media player with the Sansa connected, it doesn't seem to ever find music files that you have added this way. The player finds them just fine, but WMP doesn't for some reason. Of course you can always drag and drop to copy them back if you needed to, so I guess it doesn't really matter all that much.

When I download my music I download it to my music file under my documents then when my sanza is plugged in I open it on the side and drag my music from my music file to the music file on the sanza. It seems to work fine for me. I know what you mean about the other because I have had this problem when looking for my music with the sanza software.

In for one. This is just what I was looking for to listen to music at work.

My oldest daughter has been looking for this because we have them so I hope they are still on here when she decides to wake up sometime today. LOL...can't beat this price. I think I paid about 69 bucks on sale for the 3 I bought Christmas before last. My youngest daughter uses her constantly and has gone thru 4 pair of earbuds with no problems on the player. I use mine everyday while I am working and have never had a problem. My husband has one that he uses every night. The size is great. Small, lightweight and compact unlike some of the others. The video screen is small but really clear. I use my music more than my video's though because it's hard to watch videos when you are working and you don't have the shuffle and repeat play available on videos. Hope this helps anyone who is on the fence

tortnotes wrote:Do these support multiple playlists? How easy is it to set up?

I know Rockbox would handle it, but a) the custom firmware only works on Fuze v1s (no way to tell the difference afaik) and USB transfer is not yet supported--you have to reload the original Sansa firmware to put music on the thing.

USB transfer is always supported. I think you mean MTP isn't supported by rockbox. It uses MSC, which is just drag and drop. Even if you want to boot back into the stock sansa firmware instead of rockbox, you don't really have to reload it because it's still there in the fuze.

Switching from one firmware to the other is as easy as pressing the select button, or powering it up with the cable. It's like dual-booting-a-computer easy.

Meanwhile, as reminder, all of this talk about rockbox assumes the fuze is v1. Who knows if woot knows if sansa knows the version of each player. The packages on the v1s I got last time weren't marked, and the only way to tell is to boot each one up.

dviglino wrote:Ok, so I've been looking for a media player since my loved iaudio u2 endured The Strangers (2008) the bed (it was pretty rugged, though). I'm looking at this and the sansa clip. The refurbished kinda worries me, though I'm willing to take a risk.

My question is... since the video capability seems to be nerfed, what benefits are there of this over the clip, if any?

IMO the Clip is just too tiny. I have a hard time holding onto it without dropping it. It does have the nice clip on the back and it does work but still too little. Much easier to misplace. The Fuze is a nice size with a nice heft to it. Nice size screen for music needs - kind of small for video but it works. The great plus to the Fuze is the ability to add capacity with a MicroSD card; can't do that with the Clip. Both have great sound quality (with the right earphones or speakers). So guess it depends on what you are looking for. The Clip would be nice to use while working out at the gym or jogging; just clip on and go for it. The Fuze slips into a pocket or into your backpack or whatever.

just curious without sounding stupid what is rockbox? I have never used anything like that with my fuze but am curious.

I just bought one.

I hope that this baby is a v1, because I love rockbox. (I use it on my woot purchased c250, which I got in 2008, and it still runs just fine)

But, either way... it will be a cheap upgrade.

Bought a couple a while back. Great little units, excellent battery life (my Zen Vision almost needs life support). Bought the buds last night, I think they'll work well with the Sansa.

Now, can I have my Bunch of Crepes?

Bought the 2gig version a couple of months ago specifically for audiobooks I download from the library. With ipod/itunes, transferring a book took about 15 mins and that is if itunes didnt crash on me (which it did regularly and required a reboot of the computer). With Sandisk the whole thing takes about 45 seconds and never crashes.
My unit is bright pink so it would be hard to misplace. The battery life is great and the size perfect for clipping on to a shirt or sweater, leaving hands free. The controls are easy to get to by feel.
Great little gadget I dont want to be without.

I don't have a Fuze, but I have bought three E260s; I have one, my husband has one, and we have a spare. Knock on wood, thus far we have not needed the spare.

I also bought a Clip, and *love* it. My E260 now lives in the car so we can always have our music there (I have an adapter in the cassette deck). There are even car chargers available for these things, so the music never has to end.

I don't need one of these, but if it's as good as the others we've bought, they're a great deal. Who needs overpriced iPods??

If you don't have one, buy it.

broiderqueen wrote:IMO the Clip is just too tiny. I have a hard time holding onto it without dropping it. It does have the nice clip on the back and it does work but still too little. Much easier to misplace. The Fuze is a nice size with a nice heft to it. Nice size screen for music needs - kind of small for video but it works. The great plus to the Fuze is the ability to add capacity with a MicroSD card; can't do that with the Clip. Both have great sound quality (with the right earphones or speakers). So guess it depends on what you are looking for. The Clip would be nice to use while working out at the gym or jogging; just clip on and go for it. The Fuze slips into a pocket or into your backpack or whatever.

Well I would probably go for the clip if they had it here, but for this price, I'll go for it. I remember the days when you paid 100$ for an mp3 player that played about 12 songs... ah, simple days...

in for one

what does rockbox actually do? I have tons of music on my fuze and have never used rockbox. can some actually tell me what rockbox does?

sdwilkins wrote:just curious without sounding stupid what is rockbox? I have never used anything like that with my fuze but am curious.

Rockbox is a open source alternative to the default firmware. Using it allows you to change the look and feel, play formats which may not be supported natively, install plugins and other various tweaks. As with most things open source, it incorporates things most users want to see since it's made/tweaked by users. It's not necessarily anything jump on. The Sansa firmware is sufficient. But Rockbox opens up some avenues to those who desire them.

Read the Rockbox Sansa Fuze manual for specifics:

http://download.rockbox.org/daily/manual/rockbox-sansafuze/rockbox-build.html

GregoryLikesCheapStu wrote:Rockbox is a open source alternative to the default firmware. Using it allows you to change the look and feel, play formats which may not be supported natively, install plugins and other various tweaks. As with most things open source, it incorporates things most users want to see since it's made/tweaked by users. It's not necessarily anything jump on. The Sansa firmware is sufficient. But Rockbox opens up some avenues to those who desire them.

Read the Rockbox Sansa Fuze manual for specifics:

http://download.rockbox.org/daily/manual/rockbox-sansafuze/rockbox-build.html

thanks for the reply. I have found the program I have downloaded to be great for my downloading needs without having to use the sanza firmware to transfer my media but was just curious.

I added rockbox for extra features for more types of audio files, but especially to bookmark and rate podcasts, and sync the ratings with media monkey.

Then I learned to like the extra sort and search features, choices of skins and what file data to display during play, and dozens of games and applications. More control over playback speed, pitch, and other sound quality adjustments. A pre-recording buffer to record something even if it was heard before actually pressing the Record button.

And other fun things for geeks to tinker with, but they're not required. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockbox.

In for 2. One of each color of course. Upgrading from my older e250. Anyone know what is the largest size MicroSDHC card these take with Sanza Firmware? Will it handle a 16GB?

Kurtvan wrote:In for 2. One of each color of course. Upgrading from my older e250. Anyone know what is the largest size MicroSDHC card these take with Sanza Firmware? Will it handle a 16GB?

I have read 32 GB max. Which is astronomically expensive right now. So yeah, 16GB is supported.

Does anyone know if this has the same pitch problem that the Sansa Clip has? I know I'm kind of picky, but this will determine whether or not I'm getting this. (I actually own a Clip I got on Woot, and the pitch difference was enough for me to take notice. It's a shame I only found out about it after the fact.)

Looking at the picture, the connector for the USB cable on the bottom seems to be the same as the one on the E2xx series. Can anyone confirm that?

NightGhost wrote:Oh, here's a ton of good reviews on Amazon

Woot is constantly selling refurbished Sansa music players. How good can they possibly be?

xazothia wrote:What's the lifespan of a refurbed Sansa? I'm thinking of actually buying this one, but I don't want to if it's gonna die in a year.

I got my Sansa e270 6GB more than two years ago from woot. Upgraded to Rockbox immediately. I am still using it for audio books and some job training videos.

The battery connectors tend to be loosened during the first few weeks. I put a very small piece of styrofoam sheet to increase pressure. And the problem is solved.

I lost the cheap and lousy earphones. The cable's USB connector is deformed by a chair leg accident so I have to repair it. The LCD has scratches. But my Sansa is still working and its original battery still holds charges.

For the musicians among you, the pitch on the Fuzes (and the Clips too) is slightly off, by about 1/5 semitone. Audible to some, especially if you want to play along. Generally, tracks you play will be a few seconds longer than if you played them through your computer. And commensurately flatter.
Ordinary fun listening, most people won't notice. But for those with sensitive ears, the 19-20 cent error is well within the range of noticeability.

Most players have less than 5 cents error, ipods about 1 cent. 6 cents is the accepted human error noticeability threshold.

I was kicking myself last time I saw these and passed them over. I've had one of the brown zunes for a year now, and figured that would be enough. Then I got to thinking, the zune is a great mp3 player for the car and I love all the space it gives me for storage, but it's the size of a brick. This little baby will actually fit in my pocket.

In for 2. One for me and one for the kid.

I bought one of these from Woot in 10/09. I like it a lot. It still works well. I use it for audio books and it is great for that in terms of use (I've tried a bunch of different ones and like this one the best for audio books).

Mine was black and Woot said refurb, but the unit appeared new and had no refurb mark on it.

I love these, solid little player. I've had mine for years, I use it to go jogging and still works great! I've never had problems, easy drag n drop.

xazothia wrote:What's the lifespan of a refurbed Sansa? I'm thinking of actually buying this one, but I don't want to if it's gonna die in a year.

i have had my 512 sansa refurb for 3 yrs at least , use it nearly every day, still tickin'

does anyone know if this unit is compatible with Napster subscriptions ??? thx

I have an iPod Touch (thanks Woot) a Zune 80 (thanks Woot) a Zen Creative Vision M and one of these little Fuzes. The Fuze is my 'go-to' player....every day on my long commute it keeps me happy with music and audio books. It weighs nothing, has a great little screen to see what's playing, and has a long battery life. I bought it new a couple of years ago for $80. This is a steal...snatch it up!!

atkinson217 wrote:I have read 32 GB max. Which is astronomically expensive right now. So yeah, 16GB is supported.

anyone know if you can play video from the add on memory ?