Just wondered what everyone thinks…the Clip+ has the folder navigation and track info, plus card slot…pretty much everything we’ve wanted for it , except maybe gapless. Given that this player exists, anyone think the original Clips will stay with the .32 firmware, or do you think they’ll continue to work on it?
I hope they continue, but considering the view situation I have no idea!
they should atleast fix the pitch issue if nothing else. I don’t mind not having folder view but an mp3 player that doesn’t play mp3’s correctly is pretty useless.
According to microsansa here (unless I’m mis-interpreting his message), the firmware for the original Clip is still under development. I wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t see an update very soon now that the Clip+ has surfaced that would incorporate the same features that it has. That way both platforms would be on an even keel. 
Usually when a new variant of an existing product comes to the marketplace; no matter what the corporate “message” may be, development usually stops…and that includes bug fixes. I’m not saying that is what will happen with the original clip, but my gut tells me that it is a mature product and we’ll see no more real progress on the unit.
@fuze_owner_gb wrote:
Usually when a new variant of an existing product comes to the marketplace; no matter what the corporate “message” may be, development usually stops…and that includes bug fixes. I’m not saying that is what will happen with the original clip, but my gut tells me that it is a mature product and we’ll see no more real progress on the unit.
That is what I am inclined to believe. So I will continue to use my 8GB Clip until it dies, or someone wants to buy it…then I will take a look at the Clip+, for the form factor is incredibly convenient.
But I am not going to just run out and buy the new one just because it is there. My plans are in place already for my next player, and it is from another company…but I do want to have a Clip available for the foreseeable future, so I am glad they produced the Clip+. I’m sure at some point, when my Clip dies/sells, I will buy one.
Hello everybody,
I am wondering if they have fixed the “pitch problem”, on the Clip Plus.
Because it looks like they wont on the old clip.
On the original ver.1&2 Clips, an Mp3 encoded at a 44.1 kHz sample rate (default setting for most software) will play back at a slower speed/lower pitch when compared to the original recording.
This is a real problem for anyone who likes to play along with the music on the clip, as it will be out of tune with your instrument.
The problem affects Mp3 encoded at 44.1 kHz sample rate (the default sample rate for all CDs and most Mp3).
If you are willing to encode your Mp3 at 48 Khz sample rate, when you rip your CDs, the pitch/time problem is not noticeable.
The fact that they have not fixed the original clip with a firmware update yet, is unacceptable.
In light of this, I would like to see the results of “pitch” tests for all playback formats with all sample rates, on the Clip Plus to see if there are any remaining (or new) pitch problems or other sound quality issues, that folks would want to know abut before they buy a new Clip.
Another question I have about the new Clip Plus, is regarding playback of non Mp3 files (FLAC, OGG Vorbis, etc.)
On the original Clips, playback of these formats causes a noticeable reduction in battery time.
Is this also true for the Clip Plus?
One of the great things about the original Clip is its excellent sound quality(if you ignore the pitch problem).
I’m wondering if, like the first clip, the Clip Plus hardware/firmware is optimized for playback of Mp3.
If so, I’m also wondering if there is any compromise/reduction of audio quality, when playing back non Mp3 files, as compared to Mp3.
Can the Clip Plus be “Bricked Up” like the original?
Wonder if the Clip Plus firmware would work on an old Clip? (probably not)
Best of luck to Sansa and there customers with the new Clip Plus Player.
Shame on Sansa for not fixing the pitch problem in the original Clip yet…
I will not purchase or recommend a new Sansa product until they address this defect on the old one.
Happy Trails…
Wavy
Marvin, I agree with you, although the Clip+ is very seductive, in its design as well as firmware improvements. In the end, however, while I like the SD slot, the Clip (even with an SD slot) serves as a temporary player for me, for swapping tunes in and out of for use. And so I’m not sure that the SD slot is enough for me to buy a new player for. Of course, if there were economical 128gb microSDcards, it would be a different matter.
And of course, I keep on hoping for a Clip firmware upgrade, with the new enhancements … I mean, that fruit company did it with its Classic player when a newer player line came out.
I would be really suprised if we didn’t see at least one more FW release to bring the Clip in line with the latest enhancements on the Fuze and Clip+ (folder browsing, ReplayGain, etc.). After that I wouldn’t expect too much, but you never know.
There will almost definitely be a new firmware to bring it parallel to the Clip+. There isn’t any reason not to.
@yelped wrote:
There will almost definitely be a new firmware to bring it parallel to the Clip+. There isn’t any reason not to.
I really hope you are right, because I won’t get a Clip+ until my current Clip dies or someone offers me the right price for it.
I also hope the pitch thing is addressed, because even though I don’t notice it myself, the people that do are not going to let it rest (and I’m not suggesting they should ) . We know they can fix it…they did it on the Fuze.
@marvin_martian wrote:
@yelped wrote:
There will almost definitely be a new firmware to bring it parallel to the Clip+. There isn’t any reason not to.
I really hope you are right, because I won’t get a Clip+ until my current Clip dies or someone offers me the right price for it.
I also hope the pitch thing is addressed, because even though I don’t notice it myself, the people that do are not going to let it rest (and I’m not suggesting they should ) . We know they can fix it…they did it on the Fuze.
I was able to hear the slow pitch on my Clip the first time I listened to it; I thought it was my imagination until I started monitoring this forum.
I cannot fathom how Sandisk let the product out the door with a serious flaw like this. A digital music player at a minimum should be able to play the music without a speed up or slow down. If Sandisk doesn’t fix this inexcusable flaw not only will I never buy another of their products again (memory cards, memory sticks, MP3 players), I’ll tell all of my friends and family to avoid their products too. Adding features would be nice, but not fixing a known outright flaw is inexcusable.
I’m an IC design engineer and basic tests of my designs is just plain rudimentary engineering. Sandisk failed miserably here; stupid flaws like this seperate the mediocre products from the top-flight products. I’m not a fan of Apple but for crying out loud they don’t allow flaws like this out the door. Even a cheapie $10 MP3 player I have doesn’t have this kind of flaw.
@marvin_martian wrote:
@yelped wrote:
There will almost definitely be a new firmware to bring it parallel to the Clip+. There isn’t any reason not to.
I really hope you are right, because I won’t get a Clip+ until my current Clip dies or someone offers me the right price for it.
I also hope the pitch thing is addressed, because even though I don’t notice it myself, the people that do are not going to let it rest (and I’m not suggesting they should ) . We know they can fix it…they did it on the Fuze.
On a different tack Marvin, what’s your opinion of the sound quality of your Grados vs. the Sennheisers you own? Do the Grados have better build quality than the PX100s? I’ve heard some complaints about the build quality of both units (namely flimsy cords and comfort after long periods of listening). I’m looking to replace some old Koss phones that I use at work. I would use my BeyerDynamic DT990s but they leak too much sound for my co-workers’ tastes.
@tnmats wrote:
On a different tack Marvin, what’s your opinion of the sound quality of your Grados vs. the Sennheisers you own? Do the Grados have better build quality than the PX100s? I’ve heard some complaints about the build quality of both units (namely flimsy cords and comfort after long periods of listening). I’m looking to replace some old Koss phones that I use at work. I would use my BeyerDynamic DT990s but they leak too much sound for my co-workers’ tastes.
They are completely opposite sounding.
The Grado comfort complaints generally stem from the bowl-type pads that come on the higher-end models, and the headband that is not padded, just wrapped in vinyl…and they feel heavy. The cord is about seven feet long, thick and heavy, and the Y-adapter looks like it is pinching the cord where the two ends enter it. The sound is crystal clear. I have lost some high-end hearing response over the years, mostly from years of childhood ear problems, but partly from late-night, drunken high-volume earphone listening when I was in my 20’s ( I’ve since learned my lesson on both counts, the drinking and the high-volume listening ) .
So to me, they sound crystal clear, with acceptable bass, really nicely balanced out of my Clip with the EQ on “Normal”. In all fairness, many people find them to be too treble-centric/shrill/harsh/bright/fatiguing…you get the idea. I get the impression that as opposed to sounding like you’re 10 rows back at a big concert, they sound like I am in the rehearsal room with the band…I believe the difference is what the audiophiles refer to as the size of the “soundstage”.Given the size of the cord, I use them as my sitting-at-home reference listening 'phones…I wouldn’t think they’d be good for portable use. The biggest thing to remember is that they will play to ear-shattering volumes without distorting…it’s easy to turn it up for a favorite song and forget to turn it back down…then turn it up louder at another favorite song:dizzy_face:
The Sennheisers, on the other hand are very comfortable…light as the proverbial feather. They come with a hard case you can fold them into, as you may well know. They sound quite different from the Grados…they seem rather muffled ( the fabled Sennheiser “veil”, perhaps…never heard any higher-level Senn to compare )with much less clarity, at least if you put them on right after the Grados. The bass extends much lower though, and when worn on-the-go, the sound signature works very well, especially if you turn up to compensate for surrounding noises. It’s easy to put them on, hook them to a Clip, and wander around all day. You can also get more volume than you need out of a Clip with these.
Now the cord, yes, thin and kind of flimsy…the rumors are true…if I go somewhere where I worry that I won’t have to to put the PX100’s away properly, as opposed to just chucking them into a backpack, then I bring the KSC75’s, and their lifetime warranty.
@marvin_martian wrote:
@tnmats wrote:
On a different tack Marvin, what’s your opinion of the sound quality of your Grados vs. the Sennheisers you own? Do the Grados have better build quality than the PX100s? I’ve heard some complaints about the build quality of both units (namely flimsy cords and comfort after long periods of listening). I’m looking to replace some old Koss phones that I use at work. I would use my BeyerDynamic DT990s but they leak too much sound for my co-workers’ tastes.
They are completely opposite sounding.
The Grado comfort complaints generally stem from the bowl-type pads that come on the higher-end models, and the headband that is not padded, just wrapped in vinyl…and they feel heavy. The cord is about seven feet long, thick and heavy, and the Y-adapter looks like it is pinching the cord where the two ends enter it. The sound is crystal clear. I have lost some high-end hearing response over the years, mostly from years of childhood ear problems, but partly from late-night, drunken high-volume earphone listening when I was in my 20’s ( I’ve since learned my lesson on both counts, the drinking and the high-volume listening ) .
So to me, they sound crystal clear, with acceptable bass, really nicely balanced out of my Clip with the EQ on “Normal”. In all fairness, many people find them to be too treble-centric/shrill/harsh/bright/fatiguing…you get the idea. I get the impression that as opposed to sounding like you’re 10 rows back at a big concert, they sound like I am in the rehearsal room with the band…I believe the difference is what the audiophiles refer to as the size of the “soundstage”.Given the size of the cord, I use them as my sitting-at-home reference listening 'phones…I wouldn’t think they’d be good for portable use. The biggest thing to remember is that they will play to ear-shattering volumes without distorting…it’s easy to turn it up for a favorite song and forget to turn it back down…then turn it up louder at another favorite song:dizzy_face:
The Sennheisers, on the other hand are very comfortable…light as the proverbial feather. They come with a hard case you can fold them into, as you may well know. They sound quite different from the Grados…they seem rather muffled ( the fabled Sennheiser “veil”, perhaps…never heard any higher-level Senn to compare )with much less clarity, at least if you put them on right after the Grados. The bass extends much lower though, and when worn on-the-go, the sound signature works very well, especially if you turn up to compensate for surrounding noises. It’s easy to put them on, hook them to a Clip, and wander around all day. You can also get more volume than you need out of a Clip with these.
Now the cord, yes, thin and kind of flimsy…the rumors are true…if I go somewhere where I worry that I won’t have to to put the PX100’s away properly, as opposed to just chucking them into a backpack, then I bring the KSC75’s, and their lifetime warranty.
The Grados seem more my style. Weight isn’t that big a factor, it’s the pressure the phones present your ears and that area of the head. My Beyers are rather large (they’re considered studio/mastering reference headphones) but comfortable for long periods of wear (hours at a time). The back of the Beyers are completely open so a lot of sound bleeds out but I just adore the sound. My old Koss phones aren’t made anymore and I wasn’t that enthused with the sound of some Portapro Sports I borrowed one day; I get the impression, the Portapro is similar to the same. I own some cheaper Sennheisers, namely the MX300 buds and the PMX70’s I use for running. Neither sound that great; I’ve not tried any of the upper end Sennheisers as it’s getting tough to find any retailers for such items anymore that you can do a demo first. The PX100s are nice and light, hence my interest.
Thanks for the advice on the Grados. I’ve heard great things bout those phones and I know about Grado from when I first got into audio in the 70s. They’re a good company that goes way back. I may give them a shot. I will be using the phones with an NAD preamp here at work (the signal source though is my computer playing 320kb MP3s of my CDs). These phones won’t be used for traveling. How’s the comfort overall on the Grados if you wear them, say, 1-2 hrs. at a time?
@tnmats wrote:
@marvin_martian wrote:
@tnmats wrote:
On a different tack Marvin, what’s your opinion of the sound quality of your Grados vs. the Sennheisers you own? Do the Grados have better build quality than the PX100s? I’ve heard some complaints about the build quality of both units (namely flimsy cords and comfort after long periods of listening). I’m looking to replace some old Koss phones that I use at work. I would use my BeyerDynamic DT990s but they leak too much sound for my co-workers’ tastes.
They are completely opposite sounding.
The Grado comfort complaints generally stem from the bowl-type pads that come on the higher-end models, and the headband that is not padded, just wrapped in vinyl…and they feel heavy. The cord is about seven feet long, thick and heavy, and the Y-adapter looks like it is pinching the cord where the two ends enter it. The sound is crystal clear. I have lost some high-end hearing response over the years, mostly from years of childhood ear problems, but partly from late-night, drunken high-volume earphone listening when I was in my 20’s ( I’ve since learned my lesson on both counts, the drinking and the high-volume listening ) .
So to me, they sound crystal clear, with acceptable bass, really nicely balanced out of my Clip with the EQ on “Normal”. In all fairness, many people find them to be too treble-centric/shrill/harsh/bright/fatiguing…you get the idea. I get the impression that as opposed to sounding like you’re 10 rows back at a big concert, they sound like I am in the rehearsal room with the band…I believe the difference is what the audiophiles refer to as the size of the “soundstage”.Given the size of the cord, I use them as my sitting-at-home reference listening 'phones…I wouldn’t think they’d be good for portable use. The biggest thing to remember is that they will play to ear-shattering volumes without distorting…it’s easy to turn it up for a favorite song and forget to turn it back down…then turn it up louder at another favorite song:dizzy_face:
The Sennheisers, on the other hand are very comfortable…light as the proverbial feather. They come with a hard case you can fold them into, as you may well know. They sound quite different from the Grados…they seem rather muffled ( the fabled Sennheiser “veil”, perhaps…never heard any higher-level Senn to compare )with much less clarity, at least if you put them on right after the Grados. The bass extends much lower though, and when worn on-the-go, the sound signature works very well, especially if you turn up to compensate for surrounding noises. It’s easy to put them on, hook them to a Clip, and wander around all day. You can also get more volume than you need out of a Clip with these.
Now the cord, yes, thin and kind of flimsy…the rumors are true…if I go somewhere where I worry that I won’t have to to put the PX100’s away properly, as opposed to just chucking them into a backpack, then I bring the KSC75’s, and their lifetime warranty.
The Grados seem more my style. Weight isn’t that big a factor, it’s the pressure the phones present your ears and that area of the head. My Beyers are rather large (they’re considered studio/mastering reference headphones) but comfortable for long periods of wear (hours at a time). The back of the Beyers are completely open so a lot of sound bleeds out but I just adore the sound. My old Koss phones aren’t made anymore and I wasn’t that enthused with the sound of some Portapro Sports I borrowed one day; I get the impression, the Portapro is similar to the same. I own some cheaper Sennheisers, namely the MX300 buds and the PMX70’s I use for running. Neither sound that great; I’ve not tried any of the upper end Sennheisers as it’s getting tough to find any retailers for such items anymore that you can do a demo first. The PX100s are nice and light, hence my interest.
Thanks for the advice on the Grados. I’ve heard great things bout those phones and I know about Grado from when I first got into audio in the 70s. They’re a good company that goes way back. I may give them a shot. I will be using the phones with an NAD preamp here at work (the signal source though is my computer playing 320kb MP3s of my CDs). These phones won’t be used for traveling. How’s the comfort overall on the Grados if you wear them, say, 1-2 hrs. at a time?
Not too bad. I keep my hair buzzed pretty short, so I’m conscious of the weight more just because the headband is practically on my scalp. Every once in a while, I just tilt them slightly, to have the headband rest on a different spot. Given the source you will be using, you’ll have the option to EQ them too, if necessary. They are also pretty open on the back, but I don’t think too much bleeds out, unless you really crank them up.
