Moving on from a Sandisk Sansa Clip+

[Corgan]

The Sandisk Sansa Clip+ has been my favorite media player over the past year or so, but as a result of its small size (an attribute I enjoy), the device undergoes a LOT of stress on the headphone jack. ALL of the Clip+ models I've bought (4 or 5, one of which was replaced by Sandisk) have had problems with the left headphone audio dropping out-even after many precautions were taken to make sure it didn't happen--repeatedly.

After repurchasing and trading in these models I feel it's time for me to move on. This I consider to be a shame for two reasons:

1. The Clip+ is one fine player (great audio, SD Cardslot, beautiful display, mass storage, handles podcasts nicely), and
2. I haven't seen anything else out there that can compete.

I've dabbled with simple players from other companies (such as the atrocious Archos Key), but none of them nail the navigation, speed, and overall appeal of the Clip+.

I turn to ABI to ask for help in identifying a comparably solid player that hits on all of these few key points:

• SD card slot w/ on board memory and SD card library integration
• mass storage file loading (no desktop software)
• dedicated podcast section/good podcast management
• relatively swift/fluid UI

As a general rule, simplicity is better, but I am willing to upgrade a bit in both price and form if it means getting these essential features reliably. Obscure brands are fine, if need be.

I've scoured through spec sheets, but that's what ended me with players that I found to be horrible. Recommendations go a long way, and I figure there's no better place than here to get them.

The current goal is to hold out until the release of the Galaxy Player 4 in conjunction with something like DoggCatcher (http://www.doggcatcher.com/) but if there's an alternative anyone in a similar boat could suggest, I'm all ears.

[CrowdAds]

[dgb52]

Maybe the Sansa Fuze? The headphone jack is on the bottom and it has the same sound as the clip+
They have been discontinued but you can still find online

[Corgan]

Interesting dgb52.

I've been steering clear of moving to the Fuze+ since I've heard such bad things about it, but never gave thought of going back to the Fuze (two of which I had prior to the Clip+: The first someone sat on and destroyed, the second had it's clickwheel jammed).

Definitely worth considering.

[Marvin the Martian]

Are you wrapping your headphone cord around the player, or something? I can't figure out why your headphone jack would be giving out....I've had one of mine for over a year, and the other for close to a year, and they both work just fine.

[Corgan]

I've given a lot of thought to this and I think it boils down to the placement of the headphone jack and size of the device.

I've housed the clip in a lot of different places, but it ultimately always ends up oriented clipped to something upright, with the headphone jack sticking out of the side. I think this causes a problem when my headphone cable (more massive in both length and cross-section than the supplied buds) is pulled down under its own weight. Over orientation like this for months, I think it becomes too much for the Clip+, likely loosening the seating and causing the repeated audio problem.

I've tried reorienting the clip and making sure not too much force is placed on the port, but in all honesty the cable feels much more substantial than the device itself. My cans and their cable are probably just too large for the device, especially with the jack oriented as it is.

[dgb52]

Maybe you could get a angled adaptor for your head phones, i remember someone posted some info about them here on the forums