SanDisk Clip Sport Firmware 1.17 released

Are you being cynical or is the Zip or Clip+ really a good product? Which one is better? I really would like to have a player that is reliable, doesn’t need hours to startup or refresh its database, works with today’s (fast) microSD cards etc.

@mmhmjanssen wrote:
Are you being cynical or is the Zip or Clip+ really a good product? Which one is better? I really would like to have a player that is reliable, doesn’t need hours to startup or refresh its database, works with today’s (fast) microSD cards etc.

Both are good players IMO. I prefer the Zip for its sound characteristic, the rest is more or less identical. Nevertheless, I’m sure with a different card (probably any other card) your Sport would work fine, as my two samples do. Moreover, it meets the refresh time criterion much better than the other two, which take ~15 minutes with a full 32 GB card, and its higher output power is an additional plus, not to speak of the best sound quality of the three (to my ears). On the other hand, I must concede that the Zip’s UI is more to my liking, file number limit included.

@mmhmjanssen wrote:
Are you being cynical or is the Zip or Clip+ really a good product? Which one is better? I really would like to have a player that is reliable, doesn’t need hours to startup or refresh its database, works with today’s (fast) microSD cards etc.

I in fact like the Clip+ and Zip, and they are my go-to players.  But do note:  they both like the “slower” microSD cards (Class 4 and below) and do have a lengthier refresh–but it is minutes (although sometimes 30 for me), not hours. 

@miikerman wrote:


@mmhmjanssen wrote:
Are you being cynical or is the Zip or Clip+ really a good product? Which one is better? I really would like to have a player that is reliable, doesn’t need hours to startup or refresh its database, works with today’s (fast) microSD cards etc.


I in fact like the Clip+ and Zip, and they are my go-to players.  But do note:  they both like the “slower” microSD cards (Class 4 and below) and do have a lengthier refresh–but it is minutes (although sometimes 30 for me), not hours. 

Rockbox seems to solve these issues as well as others on the Clip Zip. Rockbox refreshes in the background. People report that cards faster than class 4 work fine in the Clip Zip when running Rockbox. All my cards are class 4, so I haven’t personally tried faster cards in it. With Rockbox installed the Clip Zip is great, except for the battery life. 

Way true.  And, in fact, people have reported no issue (and I otherwise haven’t heard of any) using a Rockboxed Clip with a 128GB microSDXC Card.   Now THAT is a good thing!   :slight_smile:

And as to battery life, tha’s being tinkered with at present, and so some gains there seem likely as well (with Rockbox, that is).

Are you recommending that I use the Rockboxed Clip instead of the clip sport firmware

I guess he is trying to advise people to buy a Clip+ and Rockbox it, instead of buying a Clip Sport. 

I have the Clip Sport, as well as Rockboxed Clip+, and Rockboxed Clip Zip players. After using Rockbox Clip+ and Rockbox Clip Zip, when I turn on the Clip Sport I feel like something very important is missing when I can’t boot it up into Rockbox. 

@drkgs51 wrote:

Are you recommending that I use the Rockboxed Clip instead of the clip sport firmware

 

It depends on what you want.  If you want the longest battery charge possible and that is most important to you, the Sport is the way to go.

But, the Sport has limitations in the face of the earlier Clip players:  a much more limited database in terms of the number of songs that can be maintained in the database (but you still can access all the music under the player’s separate folders option), truncated names on the player’s display, no option to use the 3rd-party Rockbox firmware, no ability to play DRM’ed files (such as from a library).  Personally, I find these limitations, well, limiting, apart from in some more limited applications (like exercising), and prefer the earlier Clip+ and Clip Zip players, which don’t have these limitations (but which do have shorter battery charges–but I can live with a 10-15 hour charge, recharging overnight).   

Many want much more than 15 hours of battery life. On another website there is great excitement about a player with 90 hours of battery life. We don’t expect 90 hour battery life in a tiny clip on player though. Many of us expected the new model to be a Clip Zip but with a larger capacity battery and a larger screen. I guess Sandisk decided this would cost too much to make, and that it would probably also need a stronger clip to hold the extra weight. 

I hope Sandisk makes a new version of the Fuze, built around the circuitry and processor  in the Clip Zip, and with controls like on the Clip Zip, but with 50+ hours of battery life, and a screen at least as large as that of the original Fuze, or perhaps a screen the size of the one on the Fuze+. I hope it will be similar enough to the Clip Zip so that adapting the Clip zip firmware for it should be simple, and hopefully we will see Rockbox available for it soon after it is released.

How about a release that recognizes Windows Media Player WPL format.  It would be so much easier to worrk with and I don’t have to create a seperate file and copy a couple hundred songs from 60 different folders into one so i can create a M3U play format.  Who’s stupid idea was this in the first place.  All the other mp3 players accept WPL.  Why not the sport?

I lost my old Zip recently, and decided to get a new one at Best Buy (it was nearby…).  As you might guess, they offer the Clip Sport instead.  The Zip wasn’t prefect, but it fulfill most of what I needed for listening to Podcasts and Audioboks.  I figured the Clip Sport would be more or less the same as the Zip.   Boy, was I wrong!   As far as I am concerned, the Clip Sport  is a big step back in terms of usability (just read all the comments from this year).    I am going to return it for a refund.  SanDisk, if you are listening: for your own sake (if you want to stay in this business), fix the firmware!

I’ve been checking back weekly if not daily to see when the next firmware update is going to happen as I have been underwhelmed thus far. 

Can we get a ballpark figure (if not an exact date) that they’re shooting for?  If I may make a suggestion, I’d try to do something before x-mas season so people are more inclined to buy them as gifts.

Also, what exactly are they making attempts to change?  I realize that there may find there are things that can’t be fixed or changed, but it would be nice to know what Sansa thinks it’s worth putting the effort towards.

Thanks

The last I heard, months ago, was that it was in the works–but no word since . . . .

Yes exactly, but what is in the works and when should we expect results?  Like I said it kind of makes a difference when buying gifts if this is a properly functioning MP3 player or if I should be looking at i-pod or something entirely different.

No firm release date right now, from what I’ve just learned; being tested out.

BUT, if you are looking for capabilities not currently present, I encourage you to consider getting a Clip+ or Cip Zip, which are more full-featured (apart from the Sport’s battery charge).  The Sport is a more limited player, including engineering-wise, and that won’t be changing with the current design–physically, it can’t.

@mettrodome wrote:

Yes exactly, but what is in the works and when should we expect results?  Like I said it kind of makes a difference when buying gifts if this is a properly functioning MP3 player or if I should be looking at i-pod or something entirely different.

I wouldn’t expect anything.  Its a product thats been for sale for a long time now, and does what its made to do.  If you’re expecting it to become a different product suddenly, you will be sorely disappointed.  You may get some marginal improvement, but if you’re not happy with what it does now, you most likely never will be.

I would gladly go back to my old Zip if it had a pitch corrected speed up feature on the audiobooks like the Sport.  It’s really the best thing about the sport and I’m surprised they don’t brag about it more.   However, I disagree that “it does what it is supposed to” because cutting off the names of songs and artists randomly, playing audiobooks out of order are really not the features of a fully functioning player.  I’ve come up with some work arounds for the time being, but I would never subject any friends or family to such nonsense.

@mettrodome wrote:

I would gladly go back to my old Zip if it had a pitch corrected speed up feature on the audiobooks like the Sport.  

Been possible with rockbox on the Zip for ages.

@mettrodome wrote:

However, I disagree that “it does what it is supposed to” because cutting off the names of songs and artists randomly, playing audiobooks out of order are really not the features of a fully functioning player. 

Unless you’re in charge of software development at the company Sandisk contracted out the Sport port to, it doesn’t really matter what you think.  From their point of view it does what its supposed to, and if you disagree, you shouldn’t buy the player.  

@saratoga wrote:

Unless you’re in charge of software development at the company Sandisk contracted out the Sport port to, it doesn’t really matter what you think.  From their point of view it does what its supposed to, and if you disagree, you shouldn’t buy the player.  


I’m not quite sure of that:  I have the impression that SanDisk was surprised as well, at least to a certain extent.  Regardless, it is what it is, and the hard engineering and its limitations apparently can’t be changed or further tweaked.

Just purchased this today. I figured this would be a upgrade from my clip zip. I went to use this today and come to find out I cannot sort my songs by genre and the limitation of files. What’s the point in having a SDHC slot, if your going to limit it. Very disapointing to say the least. I will be returning this.