sansa fuze - expandable memory

[nandac]

sansa fuze apparently has the capability to expand memory. the fuze (not the plus model) comes in 8 gb max on amazon usa (from where i am planning to buy). the maximum expandable memory on fuze apparently is 32 gb. i can see on amazon that there are many sandisk microsdhc cards of variable capacities - like 8gb, 16gb etc.

some questions here :

1. what's the difference between microsdhc and microsdhctm? because on amazon page for sansa fuze, the sdhctm card (8gb) is the one which appears. but the reviews for sandisk microsdhc 16gb state that it can be used with the sansa fuze.

2. at any point in time how many such cards can be added simultaneously to the fuze? so if the fuze already has a capacity of 8gb and its max capacity is 32 gb, so should i be buying a 16gb and a 8gb cards? or 3 more 8gb cards? will the port allow that many cards?

appreciate any insight on this.

 

[theironhorse]

there is no diffrence in sdhc and sdhctm.. they are same.

sdhc is sd high capacity. then there are diffrent class of cards in that calss 2 class4 and class6.. i guess for any audio player.. a class 4 wud do just fine..

then are sdxc but the host should be compatible with them...

 

[nandac]

what's the point with the various classes - class 2, class 4 etc?

 

[theironhorse]

the class reperents the speed of the model.

class 2 2MBPS read and buffer
class 4 4MBPS and so on..

shxc are used for devices like high end cameras and HD camcorders... depending on the speed requirement..

 

[esanthosh]

I am using 3 Class 4 16GB Sandisk cards with three players - 2 x Clip+ and Fuze.

I had previously used Class 2, 8GB card with one of the Clip+. Perhaps the only delays you will experience would be when copying files to Fuze and when library is refreshed afterwards. As for regular listening, I don't think it would make any difference.

BTW, I use a Transcend Class 6, 8GB with my Nanite N2 player as well. Not a huge step up over the Class 4 for the music players.

 

[nandac]

I am using 3 Class 4 16GB Sandisk cards with three players - 2 x Clip+ and Fuze.

hey which fuze is yours? 4gb or 8gb?

and how many such memory cards can the fuze take at a single point in time? and upto 32gb max?

appreciate the feedback.

 

[jainanshal]

I am using 3 Class 4 16GB Sandisk cards with three players - 2 x Clip+ and Fuze.

How does Fuze performs with 16gb card, any lags or anything? You are using it with stock firmware or RB?

 

[jainanshal]

and how many such memory cards can the fuze take at a single point in time? and upto 32gb max?

It can take only one card with a max capacity of 32gb.

 

[esanthosh]

hey which fuze is yours? 4gb or 8gb?

Mine is a refurbished 4GB Version 1 Fuze. Of course, there's only one slot in Fuze for microSD. To my knowledge, I don't remember any player with more than one microSD slot.

How does Fuze performs with 16gb card, any lags or anything? You are using it with stock firmware or RB?

I am using RB on the Fuze. I didn't feel much lag with library update when switching from Class 6 to Class 4 card. Of course, the Class 4 card on Clip+ is much faster (copy, library refresh) than the Class 2 card which was there previously. I don't think Class 6 brings much to the table when compared with the difference between Class 2 and Class 4.

 

[rohit3192]

@nandac

some questions here :

1. what's the difference between microsdhc and microsdhctm? because on amazon page for sansa fuze, the sdhctm card (8gb) is the one which appears. but the reviews for sandisk microsdhc 16gb state that it can be used with the sansa fuze.
The normal micro sd cards available in market (upto 2gb is micro SD over 2GB is Micro SDHC)are comaptible with Fuze.Just buy original and avoid ebay(excluding few sellers).

2. at any point in time how many such cards can be added simultaneously to the fuze? so if the fuze already has a capacity of 8gb and its max capacity is 32 gb, so should i be buying a 16gb and a 8gb cards? or 3 more 8gb cards? will the port allow that many cards?

-Only slot for one card.
-You should be more concerned about 8000 songs limit in case you are going for 32GB card(please confirm with other members)
16GB(class 4) card is available for 1100 INR whereas 32GB class 4 is between 3500-3750 INR,so, you need to evaluate your requirements while keeping in mind cost benefit ratio.
I totally agree with esantosh that Class 4 is good choice for Fuze(class 6 is not worth the extra money-only 2MB/Sec fast writing speed over class4).
Also with appropriate tagging you can reduce boot time.

 

[nandac]

>Only slot for one card.
>-You should be more concerned about 8000 songs limit in case you are going for 32GB >card(please confirm with other members)
>16GB(class 4) card is available for 1100 INR whereas 32GB class 4 is between 3500-
>3750 INR,so, you need to evaluate your requirements while keeping in mind cost >benefit ratio.

i have like 50 gb worth of music. so 32 gb would be good.

but from what i read in the reviews, it is like the expanded memory is additional to the existing memory on the player. so if the existing memory is 8gb then you can add only another 24gb memory card in the slot (total of 32 gb)?

are there 24 gb memory cards? does sandisk have them? if not which other product to use?

appreciate the feedback.

 

[esanthosh]

There's no such limit for expandable memory. Many are using 32GB cards with their 8GB players over at anything but ipod forum. But yes! even I did not pick up a 32GB card because of the cost. But then, I have multiple players and have spread my music around providing a theme for each player.

Nanite N2 - Bass heavy music
Creative Zen V+ (2GB, no expandable memory) - 80's + early 90's metal
Fuze - Classical, Jazz, Vocals
Clip+ - Main music library, test songs for IEMs, New music

Just like my 'theme based players', may be you can buy 2 x 16GB cards instead of one single 32GB card and use a card based on your mood. In fact, you can buy 3 cards (including shipping) instead of one 32GB card and spread your entire library on them, while retaining the songs you listen most on the player's 8GB internal memory. Think on those lines too...

 

[rohit3192]

i have like 50 gb worth of music. so 32 gb would be good.

but from what i read in the reviews, it is like the expanded memory is additional to the existing memory on the player. so if the existing memory is 8gb then you can add only another 24gb memory card in the slot (total of 32 gb)?

are there 24 gb memory cards? does sandisk have them? if not which other product to use?

appreciate the feedback.
With 8GB FUZE and 32Gb card you will get 40Gb of storage(actual usable capacity will be less than 40gb~around 36gb)
It is important how many songs you have,if,you have more than 8000 songs then you may not be able to get more than 8000 songs(in that case you need to Rockbox your Fuze).
You can buy multiple 16gb cards but be careful as swapping cards too many times "may" damage slot and/or card.
IMO even 24gb is enough(what is the point of storing so many tunes which even you do not remember?)

 

[esanthosh]

You can buy multiple 16gb cards but be careful as swapping cards too many times "may" damage slot and/or card

Don't think he'll need to do many swaps. Once he has the main music stored in 8GB + one of the 16GB cards, I don't think he'll be swapping too often.

I have more than 100GB of music and I ever use only player i.e., 24GB worth of music max at a time

 

[nandac]

i was actually thinking of buying the sansa fuze 4gb and a 16gb microcard which will cost like 75 dollars over the sansa fuze 8gb which costs like 120 dollars (plus a microcard).

but then i read this on the net :

>The expandable memory is a bit over rated. I'd trade it away for extra internal memory >any day

is the expanded memory in anyway inferior to the internal memory?

 

[rohit3192]

@Nandac:
that quote seems to be from Anything but ipod.
Back to the topic :
For Sandisk players the library is integrated(means files in internal memory and on card are merged).
We do not know whether the poster of that comment used Class 2 card,so,with Class 4 and above card player will access files from card as fast as it can from its internal memory.
Only drawback that comes to my mind for external card is longer boot time and library refresh rates.
Still, I suggest go for 8gb model.

 

[nandac]

i need minimum 20 gb. so even with 8 gb, if i use a 16 gb microcard, that will still be slower to load i guess. price diff between 4gb and 8gb fuze is almost twice the price - like $50 extra. for that money you can get a 32 gb microcard and expand your 4gb fuze's memory to 36gb. but reviewers on amazon for sandisk microcard don't say anything about slow loading time etc. maybe that's hype?

 

[rohit3192]

.....snipped....on amazon for sandisk microcard don't say anything about slow loading time etc. maybe that's hype?

Slow loading time is problem with Sansa players not with cards(assuming class 4 and above).
Same card will load in Cowon j3 in no time.

 

[esanthosh]

@nandac,

I use 16GB cards on all my players, but I have Rockbox installed on them too. It does not take too much time either for boot, library refresh / RB database update etc., Class 2 was visibly slow though during library refresh, but even then I did not notice significant delay in boot (original firmware or Rockbox). What other delay are you talking about?

 

[rohit3192]

@nandac:
Just buy man.
There is plenty of things to learn/discover but useful when you have item in hand.