SanDisk Sansa Fuze review

An SDHC card slot allows you to increase the storage capacity of this appealing player Tested at £60.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

Not quite up to the best soncially, but the card slot and intuitive interface give it plenty of appeal

Pros

  • +

    Solid, with a smart finish

  • +

    clean interface

  • +

    decent sound

  • +

    expansive storage

Cons

  • -

    Headphones aren’t much cop

  • -

    lacks a little punch and weight

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

Unless you have a certain fruity logo on the back of your device, the MP3 player market is hard going. This, though, is a good offering.

This Sansa Fuze player has a 2GB hard disk – there are 4 and 8GB versions available in a variety of finishes, too – as well an SDHC card slot, which allows you to increase the storage capacity. There's an FM radio and voice recorder, while you can view videos and pictures on the 2in colour screen, too.

It's a sleek unit, with simple, intuitive buttons. It's a doddle to use, too, with drag and drop compatibility for PC and Mac. The interface is sensibly laid, and the responsive, fast scroll wheel helps you get about quickly.

With a 320kbps version of Portishead's Sour Times, vocals are detailed and intimate, while dynamics are okay: the drums sound a touch soft and rounded-off rather than packing the punch and weight we'd like. Change the supplied headphones, and the player opens up, delivering a crisper, more precise sound.

The screen is a little small for video – it looks fine but it's not on a par with the useful, larger screens offered by Apple.

So, ditch the freebie 'phones, and then enjoy an MP3 player that's a pleasure to use, has plenty of features, and sounds, if not class-leading, then not too far off.

What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

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