Best iPods iPhone & MP3 Player reviews

excellent balance of form, function and value, September 21, 2006

The inevitable comparisons to the iPod nano notwithstanding, the Sandisk Sansa e200 series is an excellent choice for a digital audio and video player that meets most mp3 player owners’ requirements in portability and styling, feature sets, ease-of-use, and price. The Sandisk Sansa is a winner out of the box, and a serious competitor to the iPod Nano….

You get more capacity (8GB flash + up to 2GB with the microSD slot), more features that the iPod doesn’t have (larger screen, video playback, FM tuner + recorder, voice recorder, user customizable EQ, on-the-go playlisting), for the same price.

And that’s the MSRP price: Apple rarely lowers it’s iPod prices unless a new generation model is ready for release. Sandisk has and will continue to lower it’s prices as the market allows, so even now, 9 days after the release of the new Nano, you can find some e280 Sansa’s online that are selling for $20-$30 less than the 8GB Nano.

The Sansa no longer has that clear-cut superior build quality over the Nano, now that it’s in annodized aluminum. But the Sansa’s liquid metal alloy titanium back plate is far more durable and scratch-resistant than the Nano’s aluminum. And, you can remove and replace the rechargeable lithium-ion battery yourself, for $20, while the Nano has to be sent back to Apple for the replacement, at a cost of $50 (the Nano’s battery is soldered to the motherboard). It’s the same size as the Nano, although it’s almost twice as thick (0.5" vs. 0.3") - probably due to the removable battery.

The new Nano still is uncomfortable-feeling in my hand as the 1G nano was, due to it’s thinness, even tho it now has rounded sides. The Sansa’s 0.5" thickness is still very thin, yet it feels substantial in my hand, and more of my hand’s skin is gripping it’s body, which makes me feel like I’m going to hang on to it, and not drop it, like it always feels like with the Nano.

Both the Sansa and the Nano have a similar sound presentation. The Sansa DID have a clearer, crisper reproduction compared to the 1G Nano, but the 2G Nano appears to be improved slightly in this area, and has caught up neck-to-neck with the Sansa. The Nano is a tick or two louder in volume….both have meek results in the low (bass) frequencies flat, but the user EQ for the Sansa helps in this regard quite a bit, while the only bass-editing feature for the Nano - bass booster - distorts quite a bit. Overall, the Nano has a slight edge in volume, but the improvements in bass for the Sansa in my opinion make it the winner in overall audio quality. Opinions of audio quality is subjective, and may depend on if you are a "basshead" or not.

so overall, in regards to build quality, styling, features, and price, the Sandisk Sansa is a very solid competitor to the iPod Nano, and will be looking eye-to-eye with the Nano, and maybe even down on the Nano, for quite some time to come. In my opinion, it’s the clear winner over the Nano, and what I’d recommend first to anyone. It’s why I sold my first generation 4GB nano, and bought my e260 Sansa. And now with the 2nd gen. nano, there’s no reason for me to go back. The styling of the iPod is getting old to me: it’s basically un-changed since 2001, with the exception of 4 buttons being under the screen for the 4G iPod, and the Mini’s and Nano’s colors.

If you want to "think different", get the Sansa!