After considering the purchase of a Cowon player (much more expensive), I am interested in this little player whose name often came back over the comments and comparative ... Much good has taken me, since ' after a little over a month of use, I do not regret my purchase. Hardware level, the device is surprisingly size: about two-thirds of a credit card (using the buttons is not less easy). On the software side, the manufacturer firmware is useful without demonstrating ergonomics breathtaking. Two negatives are quickly felt: the inability to create playlists from Windows Media Player and the fact that the volume low whenever you touch the EQ (summary elsewhere). This is where comes in Rockbox open source firmware developed by Free and passionate software to replace a lot of mp3 players. Once installed ([...]), Rockbox allows the Sansa Clip Plus to deliver all its possibilities: you can customize the interface will (among the many adjustable parameters, the time to display backlight, action when the player is turned on, the font used on the screen, automatic shutdown after a certain period, the menus of the home screen, order, etc.). The sound settings are impressive: parametric equalizer bands, Crossfeed, compression, dithering, etc. The sound of the machine is impeccable: no breath, good clarity, power - as long as we invest in headphones or proper headphones (the supplied headphones are passable) and that we do so to have good quality files. I myself share all my CDs encoded to mp3 320 kb / s, looking for a good compromise between weight files and sound quality. Note that a variety of formats are supported, FLAC to OGG through the protected WMA. Rockbox lets you adjust the sound at will: for my part with + 3dB bass is perfect. The operation is very convenient by playlists, you can use VLC player to do lists and save them directly .m3u8. Transferring music is very simple with Windows Media Player using the timing function.
In summary, this small player offers unparalleled sound quality for a cheap price (and rivals or exceeds readers with much, much more expensive - they say better than iPod touch is saying). By adding a 32GB micro SD card to my Sansa 8GB, I have 40 GB of memory on a device that sounds extremely well, requires no software closed-iTunes to be managed, accepts almost any format is customizable up smallest detail, is small and light (the clip for attaching the Sansa to clothing or a shoulder bag, for example). The sound is very satisfying with simple in-ear headphones Sennheiser CX 300-II at 40 euros with a premium headset it has to be even better. Finally for 50 euros (mp3 player) + € 23 (micro SD Sandisk 32 GB) + 40 euros (Sennheiser CX 300-II) + 3 euros (silicone case for the reader) = 116 euros, I have a drive that beat up the most expensive iPod upgrade its hand and I can customize as I want ... What more? The only downside is the battery life: 15 hours according to the manufacturer (which is little, but justified given the small size of the unit).
