Sansa Fuze Or Sansa Clip+ - Page 3

Been testing the Fuze+ and Clip+ as my S9 was in the repair shop.  Wasn't expecting much as I had a taste of the Sansa sound signature earlier with the Fuze V1 for a brief period.  The SQ coming out of the tiny Clip+ was a pleasant surprise.  Using the original firmware (01.02.15) with the Rock preset and A/B testing FLACs against the S9 (BBE Viva and Maestro), the Clip+ has a fun and engaging sound with plenty of low end and good detail.  Very clean HO and hiss free.  The soundstage is a tad narrower and less airy than the S9.  I would categorize the Clip+ as a warmer-darker player and favor its pairing with the cooler-clearer, bass-light CK10 than the warmer-lush sounding SE535.

As for the Fuze+, the sound signature is similar to the Clip+ though the latter has better bass impact and extension.  In the beginning of The Black Eyed Peas' Boom Boom Pow, the L-R reverb, decay lasts around 0:58 on the Fuze+, 1:03 on the Clip+, and 1:04 on the S9.  Build quality of the Fuze+ is a disappointment from the first gen with thin plastics, creaky casing, fingerprint-magnet finish, temperamental touchpad, and poor UI.  I wear my IEMs over the ear with the cable hanging down my back and the player in my rear pocket.  The most annoying thing about the Fuze+ is that even if you lock / hold the touchpad, it has a tendency to turn on by itself due to the friction of the touchpad rubbing against your butt.  The engineers should have designed a physical hold switch on the top or sides of the player.

Not that the Clip+ has amazing build quality as it still creaks, but the tactile control buttons are a DAP prerequisite for blind control in my books.  In terms of improvements, would like to see the next version incorporate thicker plastics in a matte finish or a brushed aluminum faceplate, sweat-proof by sealing edges, buttons and ports, and a thicker, longer removable clip to accommodate larger belts.  Battery life could also be improved.  Overall, the Clip+ is a decent workout player and for critical listening, the Cowon remains my go-to player.

Would the sound quality on the Sansa Clip+ be a drastic improvement over my Motorola Defy handphone or my PSP?

Can the sound quality on the Sansa Clip+ surpass the sound quality on my laptop (onboard audio)?

Very interested in this.

If the amp/DAC in the Sansa Clip+ is much better than a conventional external

amp/dac, then I'm going to go for this.

Currently considering the PA2V2, Xonar U3 and Sansa Clip+

Quote:

Originally Posted by koolkat 

Can the sound quality on the Sansa Clip+ surpass the sound quality on my laptop (onboard audio)?

 

Very interested in this.

If the amp/DAC in the Sansa Clip+ is much better than a conventional external

amp/dac, then I'm going to go for this.

 

Currently considering the PA2V2, Xonar U3 and Sansa Clip+

Some thoughts:

1) No, the Clip won't sound better than your laptop (unless your laptop has really bad onboard audio) -- laptop audio just has more power available.

2) the Clip+ doesn't have a DAC built in, just an amp.

3) the PA2V2 paired with the Clip+ will be an odd-sized combo -- the PA2V2 is fairly clunky and I couldn't see myself carrying it around.

If the Clip+ doesn't have a dac how does it convert the digital files to sound? 

Fuze is generally said to be better than Fuze+, and the Clip+ is the only version anyone talks about.

I don't have the resources to test them though. 

I use the Jazz/Rock EQ on Clip+
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Louis8ball 

Well, has anyone ever compared sound quality of the Clip vs the Clip+? And along similar lines, a SQ test between Fuze vs Fuze+ (or whatever the names of the first and second gen Fuzes are)?

And then, lastly in like manner, SQ of the winners of those two agaist each other (Clip vs Fuze). I don't really care about line out audio or external amps. I also don't listen radio or audiobooks. I just listen to music playback only. Using my own high-end IEM, only making adjustments with whatever built-in EQ adjustment controls exist on the DAP.

Also, could anyone elaborate on how the SQ of Sansa MP3 Players measures up with Creative MP3 Players (of similar type/make/price, etc. . .)?

Thanks for any and and all comments.

I have a couple of clips, one clip+ and a fuze.  I use them for different things (one stays in my book-bag, one in my gym locker, etc...). At the current prices "refurbished" are a tremendous deal.  But I was just at a major "brick and mortar store" and they were still listed at MSRP (eeks!).  All mine were bought as refurbished, and none have died yet !

There are several reviews comparing the fuze with the clip and clip+ and most say they sound identical.

Am I crazy, but I think the fuze sounds better than the clip and clip+.  I'm trying to talk myself out of the possibility that I just prefer handling the fuze (that scrolling wheel, it's got a great tactile feel to it), but I just think the clip and clip+ sound less detailed with maybe a slight FM "smile" compared to the fuze.  Tell me I'm crazy....'cause I'm thinking I'm crazy.

The clip and the clip+ sound the same to me.  But I've just put a 16 gb microSD into my 8gb clip+ (so for significantly less than $50 I have a 24gb player that I do not have to buy an arm-band for!).  Apart from the upgradable memory, I prefer my clips (yes I have a couple....).  The actual clip on the clip is nicer and I like that it can be removed.  Also, I like the position of the volume rocker on the clip.  This is purely idiosyncratic.....when I run, I can find the volume rocker by feel just under the headphone socket (can't do this with the clip+).

Sorry about multiple posts.....But is the Fuze+ really as awful as the initial reviews? Because its now really cheap (because of the awful reviews) and I'm tempted to get one, because I can't really believe that Sansa could produce something truly awful after the terrific Fuze and Clips.

Is the Fuze+ really so horrible that even at fire-sale prices it should be avoided.  Or is it just that people were disappointed that it was not better than the Fuze?

I had a chance to listen to the Fuze and Clip+. I like the former much better. The sound had more body and was a bit warmer than the Clip+ sound.

This is probably a "dead" thread.  But I just discovered it and I'm pretty enthusiastic about the Sansas.  A major point about the Sansas is they are so easy to load up with music (not so much with videos).  You don't need software (i-tunes, etc), you just drag and drop.  So this makes it so much easier!

And also, there is no player that is as discrete and as cool looking at the fuze!! (cool is important, Ha!)

Is it still worth investing in a Fuze? I'm looking for a new mp3 player with good sound quality to replace my phone. From what I've read, the Fuze seems like the best choice unless I want to go with something else like an iPod classic though that would cost a lot more and I would need to install the software. Is rockbox also worth installing? It seems a lot more complex than the stock firmware, can someone fill me in?

on a side note, is there a good place to get cheap refurbished fuze's still?

Quote:

Originally Posted by fcpchop88 

on a side note, is there a good place to get cheap refurbished fuze's still?

Amazon has refurbished 8 GB Fuze for $70.