I’d give good odds that it’s the cord. Your problem is all about the USB connection, and the cord is the weak point–unless you somehow damaged the connector in the Fuze, but your explanation doesn’ t suggest that.
Meanwhile:
There are too many Clips.
The original Clip has no memory slot–don’t get that.
The Clip+ does have a memory slot and is pretty affordable. It has the same sound processor as the Fuze, but with less power to the headphone jack. I can hear a difference, and I prefer the Fuze, but more technical people claim that’s a placebo effect.
$37.49 at the moment at B&H
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=sansa+clip
The Clip Zip can handle m4a files from the iTunes store (though you can’t run it through iTunes, which is fine with me).
The Clip Sport doesn’t have MTP, so everyone who’s used to synching with Windows Media Player (and Overdrive library audiobooks) is shall we say unhappy.
