SanDisk Sansa Clip vs iPod Shuffle
You iPod fanboys (fanboys not users) never cease to surprise and disgust me. Apple just announced a price drop on the screenless iPod Suffle. From reading your over hyped reader comments on Digg and Engadget you would think that your fascist leader crapped another bar of gold. But what you fanboys are missing aside from the basic reasoning skills are the other players that do not cloud your minds with a barrage of marketing; in other words, MP3 players that are smart consumer choices.
So with this news, I thought that this would be the best time to put the iPod in the ring with a smarter choice and show you that despite the price cut, the iPod Shuffle is still an overpriced shiny object.
For those who would like to follow along here are some raw specs between the SanDisk Sansa Clip and the Apple iPod Shuffle.
Price
It's tough to argue this one. This clip retails for $10 to $15 cheaper in similar capacities. 1GB versions sell for $35 and 2GB versions sell for $55. There will also be a 4GB Clip come may for $80. Apple doesn't have a 4GB and frankly a 4GB screenless MP3 player doesn't sound too appealing.
Design
The iPod shuffle has this one in the bag. It's half the size and made of sexy anodized aluminum.
Winner: iPod Shuffle
Supported Formats
Shuffle: MP3, AAC, WAV, AA, AIFF. Clip: MP3, WMA, WAV, AA. Debating this from a qualitative standpoint it's hard to just hand over the crown to the shuffle since it supports one rarely used format over the Clip. I would say this is a tie, but for sake of having to listen to fanboy cries. We will give the Shuffle this one on sheer numbers.
Winner: iPod Shuffle
Usability
The Clip has a screen, ability to make on the go playlists, non proprietary USB connection; the Shuffle has none of these. There are others but I won't pour salt into the wounds.
Winner: Sansa Clip
OS compatibility
The Shuffle works for Windows and Mac and uses a proprietary transfer protocol. Therefore you must use iTunes to transfer and manage your music. The Clip works with any OS that accepts a standard MSC disk drive including Windows, Linux, and Mac. You do not need to install any drivers or software for any OS. In addition to the MSC protocol, you can switch it to MTP which allows for more advanced playlist features and compatibility with music services.
Winner: Sansa Clip
Music Service Compatibility
The huffle allows for DRM content download purchases through iTunes and obviously DRM free content providers. The Clip allows this through a hand full of providers plus it allows for the user of monthly all you can download subscription services such as Rhapsody and Napster. The Clip is also a nice companion to Zune owners in that they can simultaneously use their Zune marketplace subscription on the Clip in addition to two other Zunes.
Winner: Sansa Clip
Sound Quality
The Shuffle doesn't sound bad, it just sounds very lacking in dynamics when paired up with an expensive set of headphones. When the initial press release was out on the Clip it stated that it had the best sound quality on the market. I sneered at that statement and I could not wait to get my hands on one and bust their marketing hype, you know how much I love marketing hype. =P But I could not bust that marketing hype, it sounds fantastic paired up with my Future Sonics Atrio IEM and it even plays very well with my Sennheiser HD650s on a Cardas cable. There are plenty of people to back me up on this too. Martin, abi's in-house headphone expert and reviewer has paired his up with a custom cable, Headsix Amp, and Sennheiser HD650's. He states that it's the best sound stage he has come across in an MP3 player.
Winner: Sansa Clip
Features
This one is a landslide. The Clip has a screen, EQ, FM radio, voice recording, multiple OS support, MTP/MSC user select and I'm sure there are other subjective features.
Winner: Sansa Clip
Buy what you like
The fanboys may say "...but I don't want a Clip". If you like the Shuffle better based on looks and support for iTunes, that's fine. But please stop the uninformed rhetoric and senseless bashing of products you know nothing about. I hope I have enlightened you at least a little.
Links
[iPod Shuffle Product Page || Sansa Clip Product Page | Sansa Clip Review | Sansa Clip Forum | Sansa Clip Disassembled | Sansa Clip Spec Sheet ]
Comments
techzec on February 19, 2008 3:10 PM
Long been a fan of the shuffle but when I got a 2gb clip I hardly touched the shuffle. Only when the battery on the clip died did I pick up the shuffle gain.
Clip lasts about 15 hours so its a great unit. Waiting on that 4gb.
Competition's a great thing!
DeeJay on February 19, 2008 5:08 PM
^^nuff said
great comparison
Jeffrey T. Meyer on February 19, 2008 5:54 PM
Love the clip. Menus are awkward as hell (Sandisk Tradition) but the exciting thing for me is that it also syncs to my all-you-can-eat Zune Marketplace subscription via WMP. Yum!
skynet on February 19, 2008 5:57 PM
Don't forget the Creative Stone, that should be here too, is amazing, just drag & drop and it's less than $40 for a 1GB screenless mp3 player.
Jonathan on February 19, 2008 6:50 PM
One thing to consider, though: the iPod shuffle is smaller and easier to use while in your pocket. Anyone who's gone outside and found themselves in sudden rain or snow will know why that's important!
Also, the shuffle does have a much, much larger accessory pool, including shuffle-specific speaker docks, cases, and cradles. That's not a statement that the player is better, but SanDisk just won't get that kind of momentum.
TechGeekA on February 19, 2008 8:18 PM
just announced!!! at http://us.creative.com/local/1/seasonal/redtag/welcome.asp?campid=20991&WT.cg_n=Mailer&WT.cg_s=FebRedTagSale_LandingPage&WT.mc_id=12208 , creative has a sale on refurbed MuVo V100 for only $19.99!!! GREAT PRICE! and i used to use one before i upgraded to a 4GB ZEN.
Matthew on February 19, 2008 9:33 PM
"pour salt into the open wound".
Breaking Benjamin- Breath
I just couldnt help but say that.
James Cross on February 19, 2008 11:20 PM
I enjoy this web site.
However, the writing tone of this article is obnoxious and juvenile. Unfortunate.
advcomp2019 on February 19, 2008 11:54 PM
Jonathan, the Clip is easy to use in your pocket. So I do not know why you said that.
EnzoTen (Grahm) on February 20, 2008 12:13 AM
@James Cross
Thank you, you opinion in greatly appreciated and will be taken into consideration next time i feel the need to be obnoxious and juvenile. =P
chris120783 on February 20, 2008 12:24 AM
You gotta understand James that there are only so many times that Grahm can show people the error of their ways!
It's pretty dumb to buy something just because it looks cool. If it doesn't offer functionality comparable to its competitors at comparable prices then you're paying more than what it's worth in the long run.
Unfortunately, most people are like that and thus the trend of Apple dominance is unlikely to change.
At least they're being forced to lower the price as a result of the Clip. Apple's starting to feel the heat! Rejoice my compatriots!!!
clement on February 20, 2008 9:21 AM
very well said!
unless a die-hard/stubborn apple fanboy i see no reasons for buying ipod mp3s
simply do some simple comparison in your head one should realize apple is a overpriced brand.
Ricardo Dawkins on February 20, 2008 12:30 PM
"At least they're being forced to lower the price as a result of the Clip. Apple's starting to feel the heat! Rejoice my compatriots!!!"
I agree. Go Clip...clip the shuffle wings
jamesbaud on February 20, 2008 1:47 PM
Does the Sansa Clip support gapless playback and replaygain tags?
JRoDDz on February 20, 2008 2:07 PM
The Clip also supports overdrive format for downloading audiobooks from the public library. iPod is not supported.
jdkchem on February 20, 2008 2:18 PM
Got a clip for my sister for her birthday. She really likes it.
Didn't know about the audiobook support so I will have to pass that info along.
jdkchem on February 20, 2008 2:19 PM
Got a clip for my sister for her birthday. She really likes it.
Didn't know about the audiobook support so I will have to pass that info along.
dy on February 20, 2008 3:41 PM
you didnt enlighten me, i have hated ipods since they first came to the market. but, I am glad youre doing your best to teach consumers about better alternatives
Xeveous on February 20, 2008 4:39 PM
i find that i pods are extreamly overrated and overpriced maybe they look Cool and stuff but there are much better and cheaper alternatives also they have crap sound quality.
XCV on February 20, 2008 8:40 PM
First of all, let me start by saying that I HATE anything made by CrApple. I also agree that the clip is a far superior player. But I do have to hand the shuffle one issue: durability. the screenless design, aluminum body, and flash memory make it nearly impossible to destroy. Ars Technica, another tech website, did some testing when the shuffle came out and found that the shuffle survived a 40 foot drop onto concrete, submersion in beer, and more. it only finally broke when they drove over it with an SUV. So even though it is a crapple product, the shuffle is somewhat better for someone who's MP3 player is constantly in the line of fire (literally and figuratively).
andrew on February 21, 2008 11:09 PM
obviously, the ipods are almost bad at everything. price, audio and video support. screen quality and such. BUT the only thing i see good for the ipod is their extremely good build quality. but i have a creative zen, feels cheap and plastic-like, but its not that hard to keep safe. i wish the zen had removable battery though.
PromisedPlanet on February 22, 2008 12:35 PM
Put a case on the Clip, and you've got nearly the durability of a Shuffle ... just won't get the beer-submersion capability. (Though I'm REALLY surprised the Shuffle can survive this.)
Bradavon on February 22, 2008 10:42 PM
Let's face it Ipods look sexy and have great user interfaces, that is expect the Shuffle.
It has to rank as one of the most rubbish MP3 Players ever invented. It has no screen and I don't believe even has the "basic" Play, Stop, Back/Forward buttons.
It's just woeful. People buy it who can't afford a Nano but come on buy something decent. The idea you have no control over what music you want to listen to just astonishes me, it also amazes me Apple have managed to convince people that it's still worth getting.
The fact it also relies on ghastly bloatware to upload music to is another nail in the coffin, but that one affects all Ipods.
Looks and user interface aside (which I do realise is all most people look at when buying an MP3 Player) all Ipods are incredibly overrated.
The View IMO is considerably better than the Nano, but that's another point.
Rxxdoc on February 23, 2008 6:44 PM
IPOD's are very easy to use. Face it. Quite a few people (mostly old farts like myself)don't know how to rip MP3's, but quite a few people know how to buy music on ITunes. Sound and function take a back seat to ease of use.
Me, I'll take my Vibez and D2 with flac files any day.
Noam on February 24, 2008 8:45 AM
Nice and straight-forward comparison.
I know you wouldn't want to "pour salt onto the wounds" but I would definitely have liked to here more details from both the Shuffle's and the Clip's sides (feature-wise).
(Just one small typo under "Music Service Compatibility": huffle.)
Emily K on February 25, 2008 7:37 PM
Ahaha, so true. People buy ipods for the name, the sandisk mp3 players are way better. I have one myself and love it. This made me laugh!
2 thumbs up!
Mountain on February 27, 2008 9:16 AM
I heard somewhere that SanDisk Sansa's (sub $150 price point) out sold iPod's for November and December in '07 for the first time ever. Anyone else hear this? Anyone know if this was $ sold, $ earned, or units?
Observer on February 28, 2008 4:50 PM
Quick observation.
The shuffle is so terrible and useless yet would there be a sansa clip without a shuffle?
The shuffle was definitely designed for a specific market.
I think the more "active"(runner,snowboarder,etc.,etc.) person bought/buys the shuffle because of its size,durability and it's ability to perform(UI Difficulty? Come on.) it's advertised basic function.
Does the Clip beat the shuffle in any of these areas?
Is there a comparison between the stone and shuffle? It would seem that's more apples to apples.
Jesse Goron on April 29, 2008 8:31 PM
I have bought a 1GB Sansa Clip because I wanted to replace my Sansa m240 after my brother's vista killed it. After having a m240, the Clip's user interface seems slightly incomplete. But if I think about it hard, the worst flaw of my Sansa Clip is that the visualization only shows the sound activity of the right speaker and completely ignores what is playing on the left speaker. If this is the worst flaw I can find, the Clip should definitely be competition.