Caution: Potential Hearing Damage from FUZE defect

I recently experienced the unpleasant and potentially damaging full volume failure while using my FUZE. This is a serious problem and a major liability for SanDisk; it is incomprehensible that SanDisk has not made this issue a priority.

I should point out to those who have yet to experience this problem that the volume on the player goes to the maximum possible level and locks there for some period of time. The volume level during failure actually seemed louder than the regular American scale maximum, which in its self is significantly louder than the European standards allow and designed to prevent hearing loss.

Also, it should be warned that I am unaware of any precursor activity that facilitated this failure, and that only standard WMP 11 encoded WMA files were playing at the time with up to date firmware.

This volume failure is a startling occurrence and could easily contribute to a serious accident or loss of attention. The very nature of the unexpected loud assault left my ears ringing even with my immediate removal of the ear bud headphones; a longer exposure could have easily caused noticeable deficit.

SanDisks inaction on this matter concerns me and makes me wonder if they recognize their liability for the potentially hazardous exposure to which they are subjecting their unsuspecting customers. This coupled with the potential liability for property loss and any other consequences of altering a person’s ability to clearly hear is just begging for a class action settlement.

Please be cautious and aware while using your FUZE and be ready to pull off your headphones if needed. I would be very hesitant to use the in ear headphones that seal tight due to their increased potential for sonic pressure. And please report each occurrence so that this failure gets some attention.

What headphones do you use?

I’ve had this glitch occur with my Bose in-ear, Sennheiser CX 400 and Denon AHD 1001 (two of those are in ear headphones), and though it is extremely unpleasant and makes me jump every time I wouldn’t go as far as saying the loudest volume setting on my Fuze could damage my hearing.

So I’m guessing you have some headphones that go really loud because I’ve never had any ringing in my ears due to the glitch.  I’m with you that it should be fixed as soon as possible but I think you’re blowing this out of proportion.

Also, if you were to set the volume to normal instead of high (in the Fuze’s settings), I wonder when it glitches and goes to the maximum, would that be the maximum set at normal (which isn’t that bad) or would it still jump to the maximum on high?  I haven’t tried it but it might be a temporary work around for this problem. 

Sorry your have this issue with your Fuze!  My wife and I had got our two units in July of last year. We have not had this experience with full volume blasts from our units.  The only difference I can see Is we load-rip to only one file type to our units and that is MP3 from out cd’s, her in 128 and me in 128 and a substantial number in 192 bit rate WMP-11. I don’t know if this has any thing to do with the issue you have or not but thought I would mention it… Both of our unit’s are up dated to the latest firmware V01.01.22a… I also acquired a second *8GB fuse still with the original v01.01.11a firmware in it now… again with out issues…  May I ask why you use WMA files to rip too? I have not tried this format yet and wonder what bit rate you use? Does it sound better to you then MP3’s do?  Would you be willing to format your unit and give MP3’s a try? I’m not saying to dump all your music you have already riped and saved in your computer just asking if you would be willing to re rip  as may of your favorites to keep you happy in MP3 and see if this volume issue occurs after that… I hope you have no permanent hearing issues from this… My wife was giving the opportunity years ago (about 20) to control traffic dooring our town celebrations one year… She was way to close to 5 large field canons…  She was put there to stop the cars from the concussion of the blasts as it could have broke there car windows… She has suffered from tinnitus in her left ear ever since, every day of her life… Tinnitus is a constant ringing in her ear and she also suffers from hearing her own heart beat loud and with a constant pounding in that ear… No we didn’t sue… We don’t believe anyone would have put there in harm way knowing this would happen…  In any case I hope “you” they SanDisk can fix this issue a few of you have had with your units before legal issues are started by some that would effect us all in product and price…  We are both still 110% happy with our Fuzes and again we have never had this volume issue… Hopefully it’s limited to a few units and it can be worked out  or at least Sandisk can offer you a work around… Maybe a exchange would be wise on there part because if the issue is caused by something you do like key combinations or whatever they would be wise to offer you a new unit to see it you will have the same issue…  How about it SanDisk? Good idea?  Please excuse my grammar as I am half awake with a new laptop in my lap that I’m still getting use too…  George

Corilof,

Great thought, and work around if it works… As I sure would not want SanDisk to just lower the max. volume in the next firmware update to address this issue as there temporary fix till one can be found…  George 

I’ve had MP3 CBR, MP3 VBR, WMA VBR,  Ogg Vorbis, and even briefly FLAC files on my Fuze since I’ve gotten it in September ,and this volume blast hasn’t happened to me. I don’t know if it is related to file type or what. I hope that those who have suffered this don’t get any lasting damage though.

@marvin_martian wrote:
I’ve had MP3 CBR, MP3 VBR, WMA VBR,  Ogg Vorbis, and even briefly FLAC files on my Fuze since I’ve gotten it in September ,and this volume blast hasn’t happened to me. I don’t know if it is related to file type or what. I hope that those who have suffered this don’t get any lasting damage though.

Same here.  2 fuzes with all compatible codecs installed at some point on them…and this glitch has never happened to me either…

@djb wrote:

I recently experienced the unpleasant and potentially damaging full volume failure while using my FUZE. This is a serious problem and a major liability for SanDisk; it is incomprehensible that SanDisk has not made this issue a priority.

 

I should point out to those who have yet to experience this problem that the volume on the player goes to the maximum possible level and locks there for some period of time. The volume level during failure actually seemed louder than the regular American scale maximum, which in its self is significantly louder than the European standards allow and designed to prevent hearing loss.

 

Also, it should be warned that I am unaware of any precursor activity that facilitated this failure, and that only standard WMP 11 encoded WMA files were playing at the time with up to date firmware.

 

This volume failure is a startling occurrence and could easily contribute to a serious accident or loss of attention. The very nature of the unexpected loud assault left my ears ringing even with my immediate removal of the ear bud headphones; a longer exposure could have easily caused noticeable deficit.

 

SanDisks inaction on this matter concerns me and makes me wonder if they recognize their liability for the potentially hazardous exposure to which they are subjecting their unsuspecting customers. This coupled with the potential liability for property loss and any other consequences of altering a person’s ability to clearly hear is just begging for a class action settlement.

 

Please be cautious and aware while using your FUZE and be ready to pull off your headphones if needed. I would be very hesitant to use the in ear headphones that seal tight due to their increased potential for sonic pressure. And please report each occurrence so that this failure gets some attention.

Its happened to a few people. And it has been reported. It happened more after the last firmware than before. I dont know about the next firmware for sure but I do believe they are working on it. Hopefully by the End of The month this issue is non-existant.

We have identified a “possible”  fix for this hard to duplicate problem and it is included in the next release.

Sorry for your inconvenience.

SansaFix

I only have MP3’s and I have never had this happen to me.  I also don’t use in-ear phones, but just regular cheapo headphones.  Suddenly being blasted by the highest volume the Fuze could generate would be annoying but I doubt it would damage my hearing.

@odd_bob wrote:

I only have MP3’s and I have never had this happen to me.  I also don’t use in-ear phones, but just regular cheapo headphones.  Suddenly being blasted by the highest volume the Fuze could generate would be annoying but I doubt it would damage my hearing.

 

 

Some of us (Myself being one) have headphones where the processors rest almost right on the ear drum. It can be painful. But this is a rare bug, howver it is dangerous.

@conversionbox wrote:


Some of us (Myself being one) have headphones where the processors rest almost right on the ear drum. It can be painful. But this is a rare bug, howver it is dangerous.

Which is exactly why I don’t use those kind of headphones.  I’d like to preserve my hearing as long as possible and the old style of headphones can produce plenty of volume already.

@odd_bob wrote:


@conversionbox wrote:


Some of us (Myself being one) have headphones where the processors rest almost right on the ear drum. It can be painful. But this is a rare bug, howver it is dangerous.


Which is exactly why I don’t use those kind of headphones.  I’d like to preserve my hearing as long as possible and the old style of headphones can produce plenty of volume already.

 

 

Too late for me. Im 21 and I cant hear regular headphones.