I want to be able to to listen to radio at work, and I have a few things that need to work. I was mostly wondering if a Sansa Clip could be used liked this.
We’re talking regular FM-radio here, which I aldready know the Clip can play. I would also need it to charge on usb via a 5V-adapter regulary used to charge cell phones (We’re not supposed to plug things into the computer). Also, can the Clip just stay of indefinetaly while charging, being able to play radio during that time? I could probably turn it off when I leave, but I would want it to play through the day. Also, can I set the radio to play mono-sound, since I want tp be able to listen with just ear.
I hope you understand what I’m going for. Appreciate any help. Thanks.
Hope you haven’t pulled the trigger yet. It will work, but not well. You need a very strong station to get good reception. Non-commercial radio or distant stations or even local ones that aren’t strong will be staticky and annoying.
I’m in NYC at the moment and just tested up and down the dial with my Clip+. The big pop stations came through fine, but NPR and local college radio were staticky and weak.
The FM radio receiver reception in a Sansa is an afterthought, like voice recording, and my guess is that the only antenna is your headphone cord. The tuner is digital with fixed increments–.2. or .5 depending on whether you set FM Radio to USA or World-- which means that if either the radio station or the Sansa is drifting, you can’t fine-tune to get a distant signal.
If radio is the only function you want I’d suggest getting a radio-only unit. Cheaper, better-sounding and more reliable. There are lots of little radios out there.
Or…have you considered getting radio station streams on the web?
Well, I hope the OP’s experience is closer to yours than mine.
Listening right now to the NPR station WYNC, 93.9, with earbuds on maybe a 5’ cord, and it is doing that phasing, whooshing sound. Even pop monster Z100 has some of that whoosh.
The very cool indie WFMU, 91.1, is a staticky, impossible nightmare.
Columbia University WKCR, 88.9, and WBGO 88.3, NPR jazz from New Jersey, are both decent with staticky edges. They’d probably get on my nerves in all-day listening .
All of those come through rich and clear on the car radio.
Compared to listening to music files, this is way degraded. Part of that is no doubt the compression needed for FM, but part of it is also the reception. YMMV.
It’s the player, not the buds. The buds (actually IEM) are Shure SE215, not shabby, and moving up to my fullsize Grado headphones, also about 5" of cord, only brings out the static and tinny edge.
Part of this is that I usually listen to 320 kbps mp3 or FLAC files, and FM transmission is already lower-fi, but there is also that staticky edge on a lot of stations. I can’t imagine that a real, dedicated radio from a known brand would sound worse.
