Hands-On with the SanDisk Sansa slotRadio

Think of it as the cassette player for the 21st century. The SanDisk Sansa slotRadio player is  a small (1.9 x 1.9 x 0.5-inch, 1.3-ounce) die-cast aluminum music player that accepts microSD music cards that come preloaded with MP3 and WMA files  from hundreds of Billboard chart-toppers. For a very reasonable $99.99 you get a player, a slotRadio mix card (with 1,000 songs prearranged into playlists sorted by genre),  a pair of earbuds, a jewel case and media case,  USB cable, and AC adapter (for charging the device). We snagged a unit to see if it’s as appealing in practice as it is in theory.

SanDisk slotMusic vs. SanDisk slotRadio

You’re probably asking yourself how the Sansa slotRadio differs from the somewhat similar SanDisk Sansa slotMusic Player, which also uses microSD Card–loaded albums for music playback. Good question. Sansa slotRadio is  far more pocketable, has a 1.5-inch OLED display for  viewing artist and song info (which scrolls horizontally across the bottom of the screen, and even shows info on the upcoming track), includes an FM radio, and the tunes are locked to the card due to licensing rights (slotMusic was totally DRM free and you could move music around as you saw fit). In short, it feels more like a traditional digital audio player than the slotMusic Player.

Simple Interface

The unit features a simple, easy-to-use interface. Its top has a button that let us power on the player or FM radio, and a slot for the microSD albums; the right side has a forward skip button; the left side has two volume keys; the bottom houses a headphone jack and USB port. The face of slotRadio has arrow keys that you can press to cycle through genres, and the back has  a built-in belt clip for, well, attaching the player to your belt.

Solid Sound, Limited Skips

After inserting our demo album and plugging in the included earbuds (the typical hard plastic variety that every music player comes with), we were soon grooving to a wide variety of tunes (unfortunately, we’re unable to talk about genres or musicians on the microSD Card until they’re finalized closer to the player’s March launch). Still, we enjoyed crisp, loud audio that managed to drown out the din of busy Manhattan streets. Head-nodders be forewarned: the bass is lacking.

In a way, the slotRadio experience mimics that of an online radio station.  You can jump freely between genres, but once  you’ve selected one, you can only skip forward through songs you don’t want to hear; you can’t go back to a previous track. That’s a bummer if you want to replay a favorite song. You can, however, add to the cards your own MP3 and WMA files, which are sorted into their own playlist entitled My Channel. Album art isn’t supported, but in its place are cool-looking black-and-white animated video clips that show instruments in motion, music artists jamming, and other eye-catching shorts.

The Early Verdict

We can certainly see the appeal of the SanDisk Sansa slotRadio; it’s a no-hassle way to listen to music since there’s no need to hook up or sync the device to a Mac or PC, which would be great for the non-techie in your life. However, the most important aspect of the player we’re waiting on is in the music cards. SanDisk won’t yet reveal the artists and genres that will be available when the player hits retail this spring, which could make or break the experience (thousand-song cards will retail for $39.99). Look for a full review of the SanDisk Sansa slotRadio incoming soon.