SanDisk Sansa m230 512 MB MP3 Player (Blue) by SanDisk
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Digital camera reviews of SanDisk Sansa m230 512 MB MP3 Player (Blue)
Digital camera Review: Basic mp3 player good for basic needs
Summary: 3 Stars
I've enjoyed my SanDisk for the most part so far, but there are a few things people should know before investing in it. First of all, while it begins with 512 MB of data storage, I found that after the first few clearings of the library the storage had gone DOWN; now, I think it has about 495 MB of storage remaining (that's about 99 songs). Also, the player comes with a booklet "guide" that doesn't really tell you anything about how to use the player; you're told how to add songs, and some basic usage rules, but other than that I found myself having to just fiddle around with it to figure anything out. If you're looking for an mp3 player that plays several formats of music, I'd invest in another one; I'm happy with being able to use my Window's Media Player library, but everyone should know that you can't play iTunes music (which is mp4), you can only play mp3s and WMAs.
I've had very few problems with the player, although there have been a few times when the battery life has suddenly plummeted to death for no reason. Also, there are songs I've tried to put on that simply won't play; for one song, not only would it not play on the mp3 player, but when I tried to play it in Media Player it had stopped playing as well (fortunately I had two copies of the song). Some people have problems with the headphone cord length, but I've been able to wear it in a coat or jean pocket and have a comfortable length to work with (I'm about 5'5"/5'6" if that helps). Buyers should also know that the display is backlit, but when your batteries are dying it won't work; you'll want to change those batteries BEFORE trying to operate it in the dark (as I learned the hard way)! I still haven't used the recording device, so I can't say anything about that, but overall I'd call this a decent buy for anyone interested in having a small portable media storage unit who also isn't too caught up in more advanced mp3 device technology!
Digital camera Review: Best $30 I've spent in a LONG time!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'd been hesitant to buy an mp3 player for a while now due to the expense, so I was more than delighted to discover the SanDisk Sansa M230. Seeing that it had received good reviews here and on epinions.com, I decided to give it a try. Just got it two days ago, and I must say that it's the best 30 bucks I've spent in a long time. Part mp3 player, part radio, part media storage device, and part voice recorder rolled together into one sleek package. Intuitive as hell, too. I haven't read the instruction booklet yet. Anyone with any experience with any kind of digital media device will be wheeling around the Sansa's menu in no time.
Complaints about the organization of music files are completely unfounded. You have the option to play tunes by Artist, Album, Genre, Song, or Playlist. I had hoped to use my personal headphones with the device after reading some other reviewers' comments, but have found that avenue to completely unnecessary. Plus, I work in the middle of nowhere, and yet the radio signals for most stations came through loud and clear.
Its 512MB storage is more than enough for my needs. When I'm going out for a quick jog or blade, it's no problem to just drag and drop the songs I need into the Sansa and away I go. A carrying case and arm band came included, so there was no extra expense there. So far, I'm loving this little player.
Digital camera Review: Best Flash Player for its price
Summary: 5 Stars
I got this last Thanksgiving for only 30 dollars at Best Buy, plus 10 dollars for a 2 year insurance. Awesome deal. It was way more than I could ask for, for only 40 bucks.
The pros imo:
- Very light weight. I could barely even notice I had the Sansa in my pocket when I used it at work. Also, the arm band is very handy so you can keep the cord out of the way while doing things.
- Buttons very easy to reach. I could push the play buttons through my sweater without even looking at them.
- Equalizer options are great since you can cuztomize your own.
- FM tuner, is always a plus, but it didn't really work for me because I live sort of far from Boston so I couldn't get the good stations. Well I can't get the good stations even on my house stereo. Only in my car's stereo I can tune in to them.
- The case that comes with it is a perfect fit, and it protects the sansa from scratching.
- Playlist support if you sync it with WM player. That's such a neat option that lets you create playlists and update them to your player very easily.
- Also you can access the sansa with windows explorer, and add music by drag and drop.
The cons:
- 512 MB not nearly enough for my needs. This is not really a con, because for the price it's still a bargain. But that was the main reason why I sold it to my friend for $50. I'm planning on getting a hard disk now.
- When I bought this player I thought that I could upgrade the memory by adding a sandisk flash card to it. Guess I was wrong, but some other Sandisk players do have that option, even though they're twice as expensive.
- Earbuds are kinda crappy. I mean they fit nicely in my ears and also had that little cover, but after about 3 months the left one started dying on me. I had to keep the cord in a certain position so I could hear the sound. I guess I broke the earbud because I kept getting the cord caught on places and I kept pulling on it by accident. The sound quality is great though.
- You can't use folders as playlists. You can't use any other player to add playlists to the sansa except for WMP. I used Real Player (not a good player I know) to upload my music, only because it gave me the option to convert my mp3's to wma while adding the music to the sansa. I hate wma files, but I used it so I could fit more music into my player. You get almost twice as much space if you use wma instead of mp3. Later on I found out that the sansa won't recognize Real Player playlists. Then I tried to Create playlists on Windows Media Player then add the songs that were already in the Sansa to the playlists, but you can't add files to a playlist that way with WMP.
So no playlists for me, just regular playback through all my library. I could still play by genre, or by artist, but still wasn't the same. If it wasn't for that I think that this player would have been perfect.
Digital camera Review: Best Quality for the Buck
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased the SanDisk Sansa M230 512 MB blue player near the end of January unfortunately. I say unfortunately because I missed all of the Thanksgiving Sales! I could have gotten this for $40 or $50 but I ended up paying twenty dollars more.
The SanDisk is my first mp3 player. I can't help much in the way of comparison. But my only complaint is that it doesn't play very loud...which is understandable. Hard to fit a nice amp in a tiny package!
The earbuds are decent but no way near the quality of my SHURE in-the-earbuds. The FM radio is decent but doesn't pick up weak stations. The voice recorder would be useful if I had 1 GB or more space. Right now the 512 is packed with music so no space for voice recording.
The buttons are easy to use and the menu is simple. But as stated in other reviews, the shuffle feature needs a better algorithm.
I would recommend this mp3 player because downloading music is very simple and it is very easy to use.
Cost is the icing on the cake.
Updates in future.
Digital camera Review: Best basic mp3 player for the price
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought the SanDisk Sansa on sale about four years ago and it's still going strong. It's basic, but very convenient. My favorite thing about it is that unlike other mp3 players, it doesn't require additional software installation so it takes up very little hardware space. All you need is a Windows Media Player. It also has the essential FM radio (a must-have for me) that can have presets, voice recorder, and other functions. The blue back light is helpful in the dark, although after a while I don't have to look at the buttons to use them. Also, no need to use a computer to recharge. It only use one AAA battery. It's very lightweight and the armband is helpful while I'm exercising.
While it's great, it isn't perfect. The ear buds that comes with the player is not great and only last for a little more than a year. The battery cover on the back is a little flimsy. A part of the cover broke off after a few years, but the battery stays in place.
It's nothing fancy, but a great little player that endures.