Sansa Clip Comparison

tubemonkey · 10-20-2014, 12:30 PM

SanDisk Clip Comparison -- updated Oct 2021

Not sure which one to get? Here's a breakdown of all seven generations. Pay particular attention to the features that are NOT supported.

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Formats -- Audible | SanDisk

================================================== ==========

Clip Sport Go -- 2019 -- no mSD

Spoiler:

Clip Sport Plus -- 2016 -- no mSD | Bluetooth | IPX5

Spoiler:

Quote:

Support | Manual | Forum | Wiki

Released --> 01 Nov 2016 -- 6th Gen
Retail Price --> $60 (32 GB) | $50 (16 GB)
Specifications
Rockbox --> not supported
Firmware --> 2.12
Processor --> ATJ2127
Bluetooth --> supported
Display --> 1.44" color TFT LCD (menu, album art)
SD Card --> not supported
Storage --> 16 GB (up to 4,000 songs)
USB --> micro USB 2.0
USB Mode --> MSC only -- MTP mode not supported
Battery --> built-in, 20 hrs
IPX Rating --> supported | IPX5: water resistant (water jets, no immersion)
Size --> 2.60 x 1.70 x 0.70 in -- 1.34 oz
Warranty --> 2 years
Colors --> black, red
Display Menu (Music, Radio, Books, Sport, Settings, Bluetooth, Folders)
Music --> MP3, AAC, WMA, WAV, FLAC -- M4B & Ogg not supported
Radio --> FM tuner, 30 presets -- recording not supported
Books --> MP3, Aud e (aax) -- Aud 4 (aa) & WMA (DRM) not supported
Sport --> functioning time saves logs and displays log details
Settings --> view or customize the SanDisk player features
Bluetooth --> connect and pair your player to Bluetooth-enabled devices
Folders --> browse and listen to content saved in individual folders
slotRadio --> not supported
Voice Rec --> not supported

Quote:

The affordable, lightweight SanDisk Clip Sport Plus MP3 player gives you the freedom and flexibility to work out the way you want. With its durable, water-resistant design, it’s ready for a muddy mountain bike ride or a trail run in the rain. It also features Bluetooth wireless technology so it pairs with Bluetooth wireless technology headsets or speakers. A 16GB* capacity means that it’s big enough to store up to 4000 songs, but it also has a built-in FM radio. And it’s small enough to clip to your clothes or gear, so you can stop worrying about your device and focus on your workout.

Durable and water-resistant, the SanDisk Clip Sport Plus MP3 Player stands up to tough workout conditions—rain or shine. Pair the SanDisk Clip Sport Plus MP3 Player with your favorite Bluetooth wireless headsets for even more freedom in your workout.

SanDisk Clip Jam -- 2015

Spoiler:

SanDisk Clip Sport -- 2014

Spoiler:

Discontinued Models

Spoiler:

Quote:

Sansa Clip Zip

Spoiler:

Sansa Clip+

Spoiler:

Quote:

Support | Manual | Forum | Wiki

Released --> 31 Aug 2009 -- 2nd Gen -- discontinued
Specifications
Rockbox --> stable port
Firmware --> 01.02.18A
Processor --> AS3525v2
Bluetooth --> not supported
Display --> 1.0" blue OLED (menu)
SD Card --> micro SDHC slot (up to 32 GB)
Storage --> 2 GB, 4 GB, 8 GB
USB --> mini USB 2.0
USB Mode --> Auto Detect, MTP, MSC
Battery --> built-in, 15 hrs
IPX Rating --> not supported
Size --> 2.16 x 1.36 x 0.60 in (55.0 x 34.7 x 15.3 mm) -- 0.85 oz (24.1 g)
Warranty --> 1 year
Colors --> black
Display Menu (Music, slotRadio, FM Radio, Voice, Settings)
Music --> MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis --> AAC, M4B not supported
Books --> MP3, Audible 4/e, WMA (DRM) --> (sub-folder inside Music folder)
slotRadio --> plays slotRadio cards (pre-programmed music)
FM Radio --> FM tuner, 40 presets, FM recording
Voice --> mic, voice recording
Settings -->
Sport --> not supported

Quote:

On August 31, 2009, SanDisk released a redesign of the Sansa Clip called the Sansa Clip+, cosmetically similar to the Clip and maintaining its basic design, audio hardware, compatibility, and 4-line OLED screen, but with a few significant differences. There are 2 GB (black), 4 GB (black, red, blue, white or indigo) and 8 GB (black) models. The case has been redesigned to look more square (including the navigation pad, which is also no longer backlit) and is constructed of higher-quality plastic, the clip is no longer removable, and the player now supports folder browsing and ReplayGain support. Transition times between tracks was reduced, but SanDisk officially declined to support gapless playback. A microSDHC card slot has been added, allowing the storage capacity of the device to be expanded by up to an additional 32 GB. The Clip+ also has added features when playing slotMusic and slotRadio. To make room for the microSDHC slot there have been some changes from the old Clip, including moving the volume switch to the left side of the device and changing the power/hold switch to a simple power button. Hold mode is now activated by holding the "Home" button on the device. Like previous Clip and Fuze products, the Clip+ retained a directly coupled headphone amplifier, allowing for highly accurate reproduction of bass frequencies and very low distortion on difficult to drive headphones.

Sansa Clip

Spoiler:

Quote:

Support | Manual | Forum | Wiki

Released --> 09 Oct 2007 -- 1st Gen -- discontinued
Specifications
Rockbox --> v1 stable port | v2 stable port
Firmware --> v1= 01.01.35 | v2= 02.01.35
Processor --> v1= AS3525 | v2= AS3525v2
Bluetooth --> not supported
Display --> 1.0" blue OLED (menu)
SD Card --> not supported
Storage --> 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB, 8 GB
USB --> mini USB 2.0
USB Mode --> Auto Detect, MTP, MSC
Battery --> built-in, 15 hrs
IPX Rating --> not supported
Size --> 2.20 x 1.40 x 0.70 in (55.9 x 35.6 x 17.9 mm) -- 1.0 oz (28.3 g)
Warranty --> 1 year
Colors --> black, blue, pink, red, silver
Display Menu (Music, Radio, Voice, Settings)
Music --> MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis --> AAC, M4B not supported
Books --> MP3, Audible 4/e, WMA (DRM) --> (sub-folder inside Music folder)
Radio --> FM tuner, 40 presets --> recording not supported
Voice --> mic, voice recording
Settings -->
Sport --> not supported
slotRadio --> not supported

Quote:

Also known as the m300, the Sansa Clip was released on October 9, 2007. The player is similar in size to the second-generation iPod Shuffle, but incorporates a removable clip and 4-line OLED screen (one line yellow, three blue.) The Clip has an FM tuner/recorder and a built-in microphone. The flash-based player ships in capacities of 1 GB (available only in black), 2 GB (available in black, blue, red and pink), and 4 GB (silver and black). In November 2008, black and silver 8 GB versions were advertised in the UK.

Midway through production of the Clip, SanDisk updated to a new hardware design based on an updated Austriamicrosystems SOC. The updated design moderately improved battery life by introducing a more efficient ARM9E processor in place of the previous ARM9 core. Aside from requiring different firmware upgrades, there were no functional changes to the software. The updated SOC would however form the basis for the Clip+ and Clip Zip products. Rockbox was released for the Clip v1 on November 21, 2009, and then for the Clip v2 on May 14, 2010.

SanDisk History

Spoiler:

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glos · 10-20-2014, 01:11 PM

I have a couple of questions, maybe they're stupid but i'm really not an expert... sorry

mSDHC slot (up to 32GB) -> are we sure, has anyone tried a bigger one even if they say it isn't supported?
Can they play (and support all the special properties of) m4b files?
If I ever get a new mp3 player it would be a substitute for my 120gb ipod classic, so I need a ton of space.. for my audiobooks (actually, mostly podfics), and most of them are very big m4b files (chapter breaks, covers and chapter title display, also they remember where you were).
Those are my 2 priorities, would a sansa be a good choice?

jwhayn · 10-20-2014, 03:20 PM

I love my Sansa Clip Zip but dislike the Clip Sport because I cannot figure out how to lock it when playing, thus allowing it to respond to unintended button presses when exercising. If you know how to lock it when in use, let me know.

silverraven · 10-21-2014, 09:24 AM

http://anythingbutipod.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=6
The anything but ipod forum isn't as lively as it used to be, but there is still a lot of information in past threads.
S

tubemonkey · 10-21-2014, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glos

I have a couple of questions, maybe they're stupid but i'm really not an expert... sorry

mSDHC slot (up to 32GB) -> are we sure, has anyone tried a bigger one even if they say it isn't supported?
Can they play (and support all the special properties of) m4b files?
If I ever get a new mp3 player it would be a substitute for my 120gb ipod classic, so I need a ton of space.. for my audiobooks (actually, mostly podfics), and most of them are very big m4b files (chapter breaks, covers and chapter title display, also they remember where you were).
Those are my 2 priorities, would a sansa be a good choice?

Larger cards (64GB) have been used in the Clips, but they need to be converted from exFat to FAT32. I've never done it, so I don't know the steps involved. I'm sure you can get a step-by-step how-to on Google and/or YouTube.

The Clips do not support M4B, so you'd either have to convert all of the files to a format they do support (see OP) or get a different player instead. iPods don't have card slots and a 64GB iPod touch is rather expensive. Other dedicated music players do exist, but some of them are even more expensive than the iPods.

Your best low-cost option is to get an Android device (unlocked phone or tablet) that has a card slot and use an audiobook app that supports M4B, such as Akimbo.

Bottom line -- either convert your files or seek a different alternative.

tubemonkey · 10-21-2014, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwhayn

I love my Sansa Clip Zip but dislike the Clip Sport because I cannot figure out how to lock it when playing, thus allowing it to respond to unintended button presses when exercising. If you know how to lock it when in use, let me know.

The last time I checked over at the Sansa Forums, the answer was no lock. You may wish to visit them to see if anything has changed recently.

Like silverraven mentioned, anythingbutipod (abi) is another source, but it doesn't have anywhere near the activity that Sansa has. So check out Sansa first.

Sansa Forums -- very active
abi Sansa Forums -- low activity

glos · 10-21-2014, 11:43 AM

Thanks!!

Quote:

You best low cost option is get an Android device (unlocked phone or tablet) that has a card slot and use an audiobook app that supports M4B, such as Akimbo.

oh this is not bad, i'm concerned about battery life but I can plug it in every night i suppose...

tubemonkey · 10-21-2014, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glos

Thanks!!

oh this is not bad, i'm concerned about battery life but I can plug it in every night i suppose...

You're welcome

Do you have an android tablet or phone, or access to one? I'd try it out first to see how well it works before spending the money. Of course, with these devices, battery life will be poor. Tablets are much cheaper than phones, but they are also much larger and don't travel as well.

Dhevi · 10-24-2014, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

The last time I checked over at the Sansa Forums, the answer was no lock. You may wish to visit them to see if anything has changed recently.

I've actually verified with my son's SanDisk Sport Clip that the lock feature is available. Pressing the Back button for 2 seconds will lock the device. Pressing for another 2 seconds will unlock.

There was a firmware [fix] released 06/03/14 to address this issue.

tubemonkey · 10-24-2014, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dhevi

I've actually verified with my son's SanDisk Sport Clip that the lock feature is available. Pressing the Back button for 2 seconds will lock the device. Pressing for another 2 seconds will unlock.

There was a firmware [fix] released 06/03/14 to address this issue.

Thanks for posting that update. I'm glad they resolved this issue.

cromag · 11-01-2014, 06:50 PM

I don't listen to audiobooks, so I'm not here often, but I have a few Sansa Clips. I still use my first generation Clip at night. I play music for 45 minutes every night and have to charge it every week. If I ran it down completely it would probably last 8 or 9 days on a charge.

I also have two Zips, but I don't have a Clip Plus -- I have very specifically avoided them.

OLED displays are very vivid, but they don't last very long. The OLED display on my Creative Zen V Plus faded to black in about four years. Before that I had a generic MP3 player that had an OLED display -- it faded to black in under three years.

I still have the Zen V Plus, and it works fine, but the lack of a display makes things difficult. It's best if I just put it on random play.

I don't know for a fact that a Clip Plus would have the same problem, but I feel safe in assuming it would. I'm pretty sure it's common to OLED displays in general. I also feel pretty confident, based on my experience with the original Clip, in saying that everything else about the Plus would probably still be working fine.

Unless the price difference is pretty substantial, I'd much prefer a Zip or Sport to a Plus.

Catlady · 11-08-2014, 11:24 AM

Has anyone had a problem with a Clip Zip freezing up? I was listening to an audiobook yesterday, paused it for a half hour or so, and then couldn't get the thing to turn back on. Second time this has happened in the past few months. Even though I was able to resurrect it by doing a reset, I'm wondering if the thing is beginning to die. Haven't had any problems with my other Clip Zips, but this one gets the most use by far. I may have to look for another Sansa in the Black Friday sales.

Greg Anos · 11-08-2014, 01:26 PM

Some personal notes.

You can run alternate firmware on the Clip, Clip+, and Clip Zip.

See Rockbox. http://www.rockbox.org/

For windows people, the freeware untility GUIFormat, lets to reformat ex-fat to fat32. Win 7 lets you reformat fat32 to exfat, for any size chip (I have reformatted multiple 16 GB mSDs into exfat to back up my virtual machine under VirtualBox.) I use 64 GB mSD chips on my Clip+ (All 5 of them).

I use the Clip+. A touch screen on a tiny music player is an affection, IMHO...

janjanjan · 11-08-2014, 03:33 PM

I've used Clips to listen to audiobooks since the first one was available. I typically have 3 Clips in use at any given time. I know that sounds crazy, but when I'm traveling, I might not get a chance to charge the device or download books often and that way I can basically go a week or so listening to several books without doing either.

My favorite Clip is the Clip+. I don't use video, don't care about the cover art, thus don't need the color display on the Zip. The Zips I bought became defective quickly, with the audio in-jack becoming loose, meaning that my volume would disappear occasionally. I also find the controls easier to use on the +.

I don't buy audiobooks, just download using Overdrive from our library. I strongly prefer the WMA format because files are much smaller (less than half the size as MP3 files), making downloading quicker. I do need to manually select the MTP usb setting to sideload WMA-DRM files.

These little babies can be bought for less than $30, and are workhorses.

Catlady · 11-09-2014, 12:26 PM

Amazon is showing the Clip Zip as "discontinued by the manufacturer"! I poked around looking for info but I couldn't find anything; however, at least one other site (B&H Photo) also shows the Clip Zip as discontinued.

ETA: Shown as no longer available at Best Buy either.

11-01-2014, 06:50 PM	#11
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 25,212 Karma: 459220161 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	I don't listen to audiobooks, so I'm not here often, but I have a few Sansa Clips. I still use my first generation Clip at night. I play music for 45 minutes every night and have to charge it every week. If I ran it down completely it would probably last 8 or 9 days on a charge. I also have two Zips, but I don't have a Clip Plus -- I have very specifically avoided them. OLED displays are very vivid, but they don't last very long. The OLED display on my Creative Zen V Plus faded to black in about four years. Before that I had a generic MP3 player that had an OLED display -- it faded to black in under three years. I still have the Zen V Plus, and it works fine, but the lack of a display makes things difficult. It's best if I just put it on random play. I don't know for a fact that a Clip Plus would have the same problem, but I feel safe in assuming it would. I'm pretty sure it's common to OLED displays in general. I also feel pretty confident, based on my experience with the original Clip, in saying that everything else about the Plus would probably still be working fine. Unless the price difference is pretty substantial, I'd much prefer a Zip or Sport to a Plus. Last edited by cromag; 11-01-2014 at 08:17 PM. Reason: Corrected minor grammar infraction.

11-09-2014, 12:26 PM	#15
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,366 Karma: 52613881 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	Amazon is showing the Clip Zip as "discontinued by the manufacturer"! I poked around looking for info but I couldn't find anything; however, at least one other site (B&H Photo) also shows the Clip Zip as discontinued. ETA: Shown as no longer available at Best Buy either. Last edited by Catlady; 11-09-2014 at 12:30 PM.

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10-20-2014, 01:11 PM	#2
glos Zealot Posts: 132 Karma: 1070185 Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Italy Device: Kobo Aura HD	I have a couple of questions, maybe they're stupid but i'm really not an expert... sorry mSDHC slot (up to 32GB) -> are we sure, has anyone tried a bigger one even if they say it isn't supported? Can they play (and support all the special properties of) m4b files? If I ever get a new mp3 player it would be a substitute for my 120gb ipod classic, so I need a ton of space.. for my audiobooks (actually, mostly podfics), and most of them are very big m4b files (chapter breaks, covers and chapter title display, also they remember where you were). Those are my 2 priorities, would a sansa be a good choice?

10-20-2014, 03:20 PM	#3
jwhayn Enthusiast Posts: 42 Karma: 2685 Join Date: Aug 2004 Device: Kindle Voyage	I love my Sansa Clip Zip but dislike the Clip Sport because I cannot figure out how to lock it when playing, thus allowing it to respond to unintended button presses when exercising. If you know how to lock it when in use, let me know.

10-21-2014, 09:24 AM	#4
silverraven Guru Posts: 968 Karma: 3438612 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle 4NTB x 4	http://anythingbutipod.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=6 The anything but ipod forum isn't as lively as it used to be, but there is still a lot of information in past threads. S

11-08-2014, 11:24 AM	#12
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,366 Karma: 52613881 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	Has anyone had a problem with a Clip Zip freezing up? I was listening to an audiobook yesterday, paused it for a half hour or so, and then couldn't get the thing to turn back on. Second time this has happened in the past few months. Even though I was able to resurrect it by doing a reset, I'm wondering if the thing is beginning to die. Haven't had any problems with my other Clip Zips, but this one gets the most use by far. I may have to look for another Sansa in the Black Friday sales.

11-08-2014, 01:26 PM	#13
Greg Anos Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,391 Karma: 35440406 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Pocketbook	Some personal notes. You can run alternate firmware on the Clip, Clip+, and Clip Zip. See Rockbox. http://www.rockbox.org/ For windows people, the freeware untility GUIFormat, lets to reformat ex-fat to fat32. Win 7 lets you reformat fat32 to exfat, for any size chip (I have reformatted multiple 16 GB mSDs into exfat to back up my virtual machine under VirtualBox.) I use 64 GB mSD chips on my Clip+ (All 5 of them). I use the Clip+. A touch screen on a tiny music player is an affection, IMHO...

11-08-2014, 03:33 PM	#14
janjanjan Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 17558 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: Nook Classic, Nook ST Glow	I've used Clips to listen to audiobooks since the first one was available. I typically have 3 Clips in use at any given time. I know that sounds crazy, but when I'm traveling, I might not get a chance to charge the device or download books often and that way I can basically go a week or so listening to several books without doing either. My favorite Clip is the Clip+. I don't use video, don't care about the cover art, thus don't need the color display on the Zip. The Zips I bought became defective quickly, with the audio in-jack becoming loose, meaning that my volume would disappear occasionally. I also find the controls easier to use on the +. I don't buy audiobooks, just download using Overdrive from our library. I strongly prefer the WMA format because files are much smaller (less than half the size as MP3 files), making downloading quicker. I do need to manually select the MTP usb setting to sideload WMA-DRM files. These little babies can be bought for less than $30, and are workhorses.

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