microSD and battery life - can't find a resolution.

[Mentalepsy]

I've been trying to find information on this issue, both on this board and on the rest of the internet, but I haven't found anything really definitive or helpful. I've also written to Sandisk support, but they were predictably useless.

I bought an 8-gig Clip+ a few months ago, and I get about 13 hours of playback on a full charge, which I'm happy with. However, if I insert a microSD card, even if there's nothing on it, the playback time is cut in half to about 6-7 hours, which is ridiculous. What confuses me even more is that I was previously using the same card in a Sansa Express, and it had no noticeable effect on the battery life.

The card is a Transcend 2GB. I've also tried a Sandisk 2GB with similar results.

So, I'd like to hear from people who use microSD cards - what kind of card are you using, and does it drain your battery much faster? Has anyone had this problem and successfully resolved it? Has Sandisk acknowledged that this is expected behavior? Is there something particular I need to be looking for in a microSD card?

Thanks.

[lestatar]

Hey Mentalepsy, welcome to ABi :-D

Man, that is indeed an odd issue to me - especially since you only have a blank card in the Clip+. If you are not playing music from the card, why the heck should your battery life be cut in half? Makes no sense to me ATM.

I don't yet have a Clip+ but I do have a Fuze 8GB+16GB card [which is also Rockboxed btw]. In real world situations I have routinely gotten 17-19+ hours from my Fuze, with both the original Fuze FW initially and then with Rockbox. And this is also with the bulk of my music encoded at V2 LAME or better, using EQ with the OF and other sound enhancements under Rockbox. I recently ran battery benchmarks on my Fuze under both original FW and Rockbox - I got 22h13m and 20h43min respectively but that was with my card inserted but the source set on infinite repeat was v2 LAME
album living on main memory.

Just ideas for you:
- Consider posting on the Sandisk Clip+ forum?
- Consider asking around on the Rockbox IRC forum? [I know your issue is off topic, but those people know a ton about the Sandisk players - maybe they got some ideas/willing to help you brainstorm...]

cheers and good luck,
-lestatar

[dongadoy]

I have an 8GB Sansa Clip+ and a 16GB microSDHC card filled with mp3 music. I did not notice any excessive battery drain with the microSDHC card. I've never let the Clip+ play until the battery is completely drained; but I let it go at least 10 hours several times and the remaining charge is still a bar or two.

I'm currently using the awesome Rockbox firmware. I can't believe that every music lover doesn't have a Rockbox'ed Clip+. It's perfect.

[glove4]

Originally Posted by dongadoy

I have an 8GB Sansa Clip+ and a 16GB microSDHC card filled with mp3 music. I did not notice any excessive battery drain with the microSDHC card. I've never let the Clip+ play until the battery is completely drained; but I let it go at least 10 hours several times and the remaining charge is still a bar or two.

I'm currently using the awesome Rockbox firmware. I can't believe that every music lover doesn't have a Rockbox'ed Clip+. It's perfect.

Ehh, not so perfect. I put Rockbox on my Clip+ and immediately noticed the acknowledged problem of slightly slower audio playback. To some it may not be noticeable, but this is not so much the case when you listen to fast-tempo music. Listening to the same track on my RB'd Clip+ and then on my Fuze, the difference is more noticeable than I imagined it would be. But I knew this was a potential problem beforehand as it is mentioned on the Rockbox website for the Clip+ build.

EDIT: I should state that in any event Rockbox is awesome despite this minor issue even if a bewildering process of figuring out the EQ and all the endless customization.

[Marvin the Martian]

Originally Posted by glove4

Ehh, not so perfect. I put Rockbox on my Clip+ and immediately noticed the acknowledged problem of slightly slower audio playback. To some it may not be noticeable, but this is not so much the case when you listen to fast-tempo music. Listening to the same track on my RB'd Clip+ and then on my Fuze, the difference is more noticeable than I imagined it would be. But I knew this was a potential problem beforehand as it is mentioned on the Rockbox website for the Clip+ build.

EDIT: I should state that in any event Rockbox is awesome despite this minor issue even if a bewildering process of figuring out the EQ and all the endless customization.

Bewildering? Don't say that, with me about to try it in a few days for the first time!

And before anybody says it, I know, I know....rtfm-068.gif

[skip252]

Originally Posted by Marvin the Martian

Bewildering? Don't say that, with me about to try it in a few days for the first time!

And before anybody says it, I know, I know....RTFM

Congrats on taking the plunge. Which player are you getting?

I wouldn't think twice about the sound adjustments. It can be as complex or simple as you care to make it. You can get in there and try to adjust every subtle nuance of the sound or just give a little bass and treble adjustment, set your Replaygain values and be done.

The first few weeks I went nuts getting the perfect settings and saving them to .cfg files. When I looked at them in a text editor at home I found that in 8 out of 10 cases the settings were so close there was no way I was actually hearing the differences riding the bus or walking next to a busy street.

Admittedly the first exposure may be a bit daunting because things are so very different. I have to believe with the common sense advice you've given dozens of other you should adapt quickly.

And no I won't tell you to RTFM. I figure if anyone would have done that before you ask how to do something it would be you.

[Marvin the Martian]

Originally Posted by skip252

Congrats on taking the plunge. Which player are you getting?

I have a second Clip+ and another player that shall remain nameless (lestatar is looking at this thread right now, hoping I slip up and reveal the secret.....Ha! No such luck!) coming in the mail in a couple days.

Originally Posted by skip252

I wouldn't think twice about the sound adjustments. It can be as complex or simple as you care to make it. You can get in there and try to adjust every subtle nuance of the sound or just give a little bass and treble adjustment, set your Replaygain values and be done.

The first few weeks I went nuts getting the perfect settings and saving them to .cfg files. When I looked at them in a text editor at home I found that in 8 out of 10 cases the settings were so close there was no way I was actually hearing the differences riding the bus or walking next to a busy street.

Admittedly the first exposure may be a bit daunting because things are so very different. I have to believe with the common sense advice you've given dozens of other you should adapt quickly.

And no I won't tell you to RTFM. I figure if anyone would have done that before you ask how to do something it would be you.

Thanks Skip...yeah, I'll try to refrain from dumb questions. I've heard that the ReplayGain is better implemented than the OF too, if that is the case, all the better!