![]() The player operates on the Rhapsody DNA platform, so it supports not only subscription content from the service, but also Rhapsody Channels, which are essentially Internet radio on the go. On the audio side, the Fuze offers support for MP3, WMA, secure WMA, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, WAV, Audible, and Overdrive. ![]() ![]() If you still choose to add this type of media to the player, make sure it is in JPEG or MPEG4 SP format to ensure hassle-free playback. At 1.9 inches, the Fuze's screen isn't exactly optimal video viewing anyway, so this isn't too big of a deal. This dulling shadow also affects photos and videos, slightly diminishing the overall quality of viewing. Still, this is a minor gripe, and part of the problem is actually caused by the screen's protective coating, which casts a grainy shadow on the LCD. And yet, as with other Sansa models we've come across, the inner menus are dull, and while we appreciate the option to at least change the wallpaper color, we'd love to be able to set a favorite photo as a backdrop or otherwise tweak the look-and-feel to our personal preferences. The icon-driven main menu is nice enough to look at, and the device is very easy to navigate, with music organized into playlist, artist, album, and so on. This observation in quality unfortunately does not extend to the Fuze's interface. It seems more durable and high-quality than early Sansa models. But the build is more like that of the View, with a clickable scroll wheel, a shiny, plastic face and smooth, metal backside-the Fuze definitely has a solid, weighty feel to it. At 3.1 inches by 1.8 inches by 0.3 inch, the Fuze is only a bit bigger than the Clip overall, and it comes in the same color options: black (2GB, 4GB) blue, pink, and red (all 4GB) and silver (8GB). SanDisk thought up the perfect name for the Fuze, because the player really resembles a Sansa Clip and a Sansa View blended together. Sure, it's a bit of a Nano clone, but it also sounds good, offers plentiful features, and is cheap as all get-out-just $80, $100, and $130 for the 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB models, respectively. Such is the case with the Sansa Fuze, a slim device with a high-quality feel and several shiny color options. While cheap pricing has made SanDisk a real contender in the portable audio space, the company is not content to rest on that fact alone to draw new customers, persistently tweaking its new offerings in an attempt to make them better. If you don't want to pay the full whack for an iPod nano, this is the player to get.SanDisk continues to add to its line of Sansa MP3 players, which has been attractive to consumers from the start thanks to the low price point at which the company can list its players. And ultimately, that's why the iPod nano will remain dominant.īut in the end, it comes down to what you can afford. ![]() The Fuze's plastic coating doesn't look or feel as good. The nano's brush metal exterior, solid feel and sexy interface make it a much nicer product to use. However, if you were to put it side-by-side with an iPod nano, there's only one you'd choose. You'd have saved £30 over an iPod, and you'd have a great little MP3 player. If you were to buy one – you'd certainly be happy with it. Sounds pretty good so far, doesn't it? But it's not all good news. It's very similar to the iPod's clickwheel, but instead of touch sensitive scrolling, the Fuze uses a roundabout wheel which literally turns with your thumb. The interface is the same, and thankfully the scroll wheel also remains. And that's not a bad thing in any respect. If you're familiar with other models in the Sansa range, you'll notice that the Fuze is basically just a squashed down version of the Sansa View, which we reviewed back in February. The Fuze also comes with a MicroSD expansion slot so if you wanted you could expand the memory of the player by a further 1GB. The iPod nano doesn't have either of those features – but some would argue that that doesn't matter too much. If either one has the edge, it's the Fuze, which comes with SanDIsk staple-features like an FM radio tuner and a voice recorder. It's impossible to separate the two products on features. We make that £30 cheaper which is a lot when you're looking relatively at the total cost of these lower-end players.
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