[IndieRokker]

Hi all. I'm trying to decide what my first high(ish) capacity mp3 player will be and i've narrowed it down to these two: the Sansa e280 (8gb) or the red 8gb iPod nano. (I like flash based players because hard drives scare me with all their moving parts and general fragility.)

Whats most important to me is sound quality, user replaceable battery and easy file navigation. The other extras like fm tuner and voice recording are nice but not essential if the sound quality isn't up to snuff. I've heard reports of low level noise on the sansa when at low volume and i've also heard not-so-good things about the 2nd gen nano's sound quality. So with these two players being the highest capacity in the flash based sector, who comes out on top according to you? If it matters, i'll be listening to the winning player through superfi.5 pro's and senn. hd-25-1's. Happy holidays to you all and thanks for all your help.

-ir

 

[pds6]

I believe both are available at Best Buy. Take yourself and your headphones to Best Buy and try them out. What I like is usually not what you may like.

It is true that both DAP's have not received glowing reviews.

I use Apple Computers and I like iTunes so my answer is iPod. My answer in no small part is based upon my computer.

Good Luck

 

[lumanogin]

I'd say the nano too. Sure it doesn't have as many features but you can't beat it's battery life, and it's superior wheel too. I found the wheels on the sansa's clunky and awkward.

I'm not a fan of Itunes though. That was the nano's only con for me.

 

[IndieRokker]

Thanks for the replies. It didn't even cross my mind to go to Best Buy, so I'll be doing that today.

I'd still love some more feedback, though.

Basically, I'd like to know what everyone's experience is with the Sansa's and the nano's sound quality. Is the low level noise at low volume issue really noticeable? Can something like a firmware upgrade fix that issue? Is SanDisk good about issuing firmware updates? Etc etc.

I haven't even touched the Sansa yet so it should be fun to see how it stacks up against the ipod wheel.

 

[LaBreaHead]

I have the 2nd generation Nano and played around just a little with the Sansa during my decision-making process.

I own a Rio Karma and Rio Carbon, among other players, which I think sound better than the early hard-drive iPods. I chose the Nano partly because of ease of navigation and a form factor even more pocket-friendly than the Sandisk, but the sound is more pleasing to me than I was led to believe it would be (through Sennheiser PX 100's, Ety ER-6i's, and Creative EP 630's -- but the synergy between my 2nd gen. Nano and Shure E3's was very disappointing), so that was an unexpected plus. For me, having to use iTunes was a potential roadblock, but let me say that it's fine. I'd rather be able to load a 4GB or 8GB flash player by drag and drop without the extra software, but if a person is OK with having to use iTunes, it's not a problem (just be sure to disable the autosynch function if you want to maintain manual control over what goes in your player or what gets deleted from it).

I thought the Sansa was a lot more interesting and better looking "in person" than it appears to be in photos. Good effort from a relatively new player in the marketplace. I didn't get to listen to it, though. The wheel is mechanical and a bit rudimentary compared to the iPod, but that's not necessarily a bad thing -- it might be easier to zero in on your intended artist, album or song. The removable battery was a tempting feature, but in the end I went with the iPod. Your mileage may vary ... but you'll probably find lots to like about whatever you get.

 

[mitchjordan]

Neither, out of those two, for the price, get the ipod video. Even if size is the key, if your interested in SQ, the 30gb is the only current ipod worth considering.

 

[IndieRokker]

I went to Best Buy today and was able to listen to the Sansa but not the Nano, as the nano's all had the music taken off them for some reason. The Sansa wasn't even the 8gb model, rather the 2gb.

The scroll wheel is pretty neat. I like it more than the Zen vision's thumb pad thing at least. I think it's just as easy to use as the iPods scroll wheel, and the fact that it lights up is cool. The sound quality seemed decent, too. I didn't mess with the custom eq but it sounded alright to my ears. I tested it with my Senn hd-25-1's. I also tried the Zune and without messing with the eq on either device, the Zune sounded more impressive to me. Just a fuller and richer sound. I put on NPR on the fm tuner and I heard it worked fine, but I still heard some extraneous noise in the background, but nothing too noticeable. The fm recording feature worked seamlesly as well.

One thing I like about the iTunes/iPod combo is how well they work together. If I do decide on the Sansa, I know i'll miss that so that's something I will have to consider. Although WMP 11 is a pretty nice app imho, so maybe the e280 will work well with it. Does anyone know if the e280 is compatible with WMP 11 or just WMP 10? Also, do you know if you can play podcasts on the Sansa and listen to audiobooks in mp3 format?

 

[pds6]

IndieRokker asks:
Quote:

Play podcasts on the Sansa and listen to audiobooks in mp3 format?

Of course, podcasts are NOT limited to the iPod. There are a number of podcasts browsers for Windows.

MP3 is MP3 is MP3 is MP3. It plays with just about anything.

Someone else will have to answer the Windows questions.

Good Luck, 29 more days!

 

[nsjong]

I just use drag and drop for my E270. Using WMP takes too long.

 

[Ingo]

I just bought a Sansa e260 from Costco for $120 for my aunt. Today was the first time I handled it. I definately do not like this player. The physical controls SUCK, IMO. I have big fingers and it's very hard to push the play/pause, back, forward and options buttons. The wheel is very crude as well. It's not smooth in the slightest. I am really disappointed with it. Luckily my aunt doesn't really care all that much.

I think the Nano is a much better option. The Creative Zen V is another good alternative, but I don't know if the 8gb is available yet.

 

[pds6]

Ingo says:
Quote:

I am really disappointed ... aunt doesn't really care all that much.

Auntie wants a Nano!