I am replacing an ipod with the fuze soon.The home theater system we currently have has an ipod dock.This is what the home theater has for inputs:
1 x audio line-in ( mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm ) - front ¦ 1 x USB ( 4 pin USB Type A ) - front ¦ 1 x HDMI output ( 19 pin HDMI Type A ) - rear ¦ 1 x component video output ( RCA phono x 3 ) - rear ¦ 1 x S-Video output ( 4 pin mini-DIN ) - rear ¦ 1 x composite video output ( RCA phono ) - rear ¦ 1 x SPDIF input ( RCA phono ) - rear ¦ 2 x audio line-in ( RCA phono x 2 ) - rear
Does the cord that comes with the fuze go into the usb?I am hoping for the best audio thro the system and hope it wont just go thro the headphone output of the fuze.
The GIF button in your post has redirect data for anythingbutipod.com, I see. Welcome to the real world, outside the Matrix. The Fuze has sound quality you simply wouldn’t believe. On the other hand, the iPod has cool commercials.
Ironic, since Apple is picking on Microsoft (over Vista) over exactly the same tactic (that massive advertising is the solution to Vista).
To use the Fuze as an audio source for a home system, all that’s needed is a Fuze and a Griffin dock. The line out signal is available once you power the dock via a wee “wall wart” USB adapter. To see how much better a Sansa actually sounds, you can simply turn up the volume, and connect the headphone output via a simple “y” 3.5mm stereo-to-phono jack cable.
The headphone amplifier output , with a higher S/N than the 30 pin port, will wax the apple’s tail. And the audio at the dock pins is even cleaner.
The iPod dock has different pin connections than than the Sansa, and connecting a Sansa via an iPod 30-pin connection will damage the Sansa! The two connectors are similar, and an iPod connector can be wiggled into a Sansa. This will damage the device!
Thankfully, the Griffin dock is very inexpensive, and the analog audio output of the Fuze is very clean indeed.
Bob :smileyvery-happy:
Message Edited by neutron_bob on 12-14-2008 11:32 AM
I started on the “anything but ipod site” with this ? And you caught me:dizzy_face:I have a few more ?s now tho.I am totally a noob so bear with me.My theater setup has a usb connecton also,( like to hook up a flash drive with music on it) and play it.Now here is where I am really stupid.If i just hooked up to that connection with the fuze would there be aloss of good sound rather than going thro the griffin dock you mentioned?I have also noticed new cars coming out that have a connection to mp3 players as well.I wander if the fuze could be plugged into that connection and still have the great sound?Sorry if these ?s are silly but I have a lot to learn:cry:
@neutron_bob wrote:
The GIF button in your post has redirect data for anythingbutipod.com, I see. Welcome to the real world, outside the Matrix. The Fuze has sound quality you simply wouldn’t believe. On the other hand, the iPod has cool commercials.
You may not already know that anythingbutipod.com is a website for people who want to discuss players which are not the ipod, so this guy has already seen the light!
The functionality of the USB port is limited on car stereos, depending upon the manufacturer.
They are designed for use with a basic flash drive, which the Sansa can happily emulate. The car stereo is typically looking for MP3 files in the root directory of the device, though some stereos can see into the music folder, I believe.
It’s possible some stereos may decode wma files, but I’d venture that mp3 is the norm.
The files will need to have been loaded in MSC mode.
Bob :smileyvery-happy:
Personally I feel there’s a little bit too much cheerleading going on in this thread. The Fuze is a great little portable MP3 player, to be sure. Its headphone sound quality is better than anything I’ve heard. Where it falls short is in two areas: video and (particularly) external connectivity. The iPod is king when it comes to external connectivity; nearly every third-party device is for the iPod. Its something you have to accept that you’ll be giving up if you buy a Fuze.
Bob says that all you have to do is hook a “Y” cable to the headphone jack “to see how much better a Sansa actually sounds”; well, I’ve done that and I have to say, it sounds like a device being hooked via a headphone jack (not good). A dock is supposed to be a little better, but reports vary. Its supposed to be fixed in future firmware, but right now the line-level out is variable so you have to crank the Fuze volume all the way up.
If you’re buying an MP3 player to hook to other things, I think the Fuze wouldn’t be a very good choice.
regarding…“To use the Fuze as an audio source for a home system, all that’s needed is a Fuze and a Griffin dock.” WHY THE DOCK? how’s about a $1.98 Radio Shack mini to audio jacks from the Fuze’s headphone jack to the stereo input? By “home system” I’m assuming no computer, right?
Shameless cheerleading moment:
Go Sansa!
Okay, that aside, a word from our sponsor, with requisite disclaimer from the technical staff:
I love the industrial design of the iPod, the fit and finish are very good. Apple has played it safe with their device, opting for the most acceptable functionality by bundling its control to iTunes. Through marketing muscle, they’ve been quite successful at building a good basic device.
Looking for a suitable device, I chose by my ears first, finding that the wee Sansa Clip was nothing short of amazing. This device sounds so good that more than one reviewer was immediately tempted to connect expensive headphones to it.
I had listened at length to the e200v1 device, and found its sound quality to be on par with the common iPod, which isn’t too bad. The reputation of SanDisk memory products, and the solid design of the e200, won my favor.
SanDisk has chosen to push the envelope a bit, integrating a superior chipset into their line, and the results have been quite favorable.
bdb - you’ll note that the leatest release of the firmware has done just that: set the volume when docked at maximum. You will find that the S/N ratio of the audio out pins is cleaner than the headphone output (a 60mW output amplifier separate from the line out amp, designed to drive headsets).
With the Fuze docked in the Griffin dock, supplied with 5v, the output is tasty indeed.
Bob :smileyvery-happy:
@bdb wrote:
Personally I feel there’s a little bit too much cheerleading going on in this thread. The Fuze is a great little portable MP3 player, to be sure. Its headphone sound quality is better than anything I’ve heard. Where it falls short is in two areas: video and (particularly) external connectivity. The iPod is king when it comes to external connectivity; nearly every third-party device is for the iPod. Its something you have to accept that you’ll be giving up if you buy a Fuze.
Bob says that all you have to do is hook a “Y” cable to the headphone jack “to see how much better a Sansa actually sounds”; well, I’ve done that and I have to say, it sounds like a device being hooked via a headphone jack (not good). A dock is supposed to be a little better, but reports vary. Its supposed to be fixed in future firmware, but right now the line-level out is variable so you have to crank the Fuze volume all the way up.
If you’re buying an MP3 player to hook to other things, I think the Fuze wouldn’t be a very good choice.
I recently compared a certain song …first, the original CD, on the stereo, then 2 CD rips…one MP3 VBR, one WMA VBR, the latter 2 were on my Fuze and Clip through the headphone jack…3.5 cable-RCA jacks…only difference I could tell was the CD player was louder at the same volume setting. WHenever my Fuze and Clip are connected to the stereo, EQ is “normal” and volume is cranked.Having to turn up the stereo a little more this way and being able to preserve my CD’s…works for me 
Wow !I thank everyone for all the great replies.
db - you’ll note that the leatest release of the firmware has done just that: set the volume when docked at maximum. You will find that the S/N ratio of the audio out pins is cleaner than the headphone output (a 60mW output amplifier separate from the line out amp, designed to drive headsets).
With the Fuze docked in the Griffin dock, supplied with 5v, the output is tasty indeed.
I thought this may be the case,I really don’t think i want to go thro the headphone jack
The functionality of the USB port is limited on car stereos, depending upon the manufacturer.
They are designed for use with a basic flash drive, which the Sansa can happily emulate. The car stereo is typically looking for MP3 files in the root directory of the device, though some stereos can see into the music folder, I believe.
It’s possible some stereos may decode wma files, but I’d venture that mp3 is the norm.
The files will need to have been loaded in MSC mode.
This clears things up as well.
If you’re buying an MP3 player to hook to other things, I think the Fuze wouldn’t be a very good choice.
I am afraid there is some truth to this,esp. since we have ipod docks etc.
regarding…“To use the Fuze as an audio source for a home system, all that’s needed is a Fuze and a Griffin dock.” WHY THE DOCK? how’s about a $1.98 Radio Shack mini to audio jacks from the Fuze’s headphone jack to the stereo input? By “home system” I’m assuming no computer, right?
Yes this is right but see neutronbob’s answer to this ?
Again thanks for all the help everyone.I feel atleast a little more knowlegable now
One other thing - the car stereo may not necessarily require MSC mode. My Kenwood can play either. One rather odd thing about the Fuze is that files placed on there in MSC mode aren’t visible in MTP mode (and vice-versa) when hooked to a computer, but my car stereo can see both in MSC mode.
In any case, when you’re using the USB in a car, the Fuze is just file storage; the car stereo is doing the navigation & playing. The Fuze will go into a state similar to the one an iPod is in when connected to a computer, so its menus will not be usable. Your music file formats must be something the car stereo can play. It sounds just fine, but a one-line screen isn’t all that great for navigation. Also, generally you will only be able to play files on the internal flash (not the MicroSD). It would be nice to be able to use the Fuze’s full functionality with a line-out cable, but no such cable is commercially available (the only solution is to put a big docking station in your car). There is a recent thread about someone who made his own cable, so its possible if you’re willing to risk it.
Message Edited by bdb on 12-15-2008 03:44 PM
