The SanDisk Cruzer Micro and MP3 Companion seemed like an innovative product. The sound it produced was good, lacking a deep rich sounding bass like we found on the iRock MP3 Player. This can be overlooked as the MP3 Companion had clarity and volume unlike the other MP3 Players we?ve reviewed. The equalization settings made a world of difference and each one sounded unique, with 15 available options there is a sound setup that will suit each users taste. Another feature of the MP3 Companion we really liked is that when paused too long triggering the auto shut off the unit would pick back up where you left off. This is something with the Aigo Players that gets frustrating. For example, if the unit is paused too long, about 30 seconds, it will shut down and upon re-powering the user has to get back to that last track they were listening to. With the SanDisk MP3 Companion it would immediately pick back up where it left off. The only other item we?d like to mention is the battery life. As we mentioned early on we expected to see great battery life from this since the Cruzer Micro was a stand alone flash drive the files can be copied without taxing the MP3 Companion?s battery. However, as promising as this seemed that wasn?t the case, battery life was lackluster providing 7 ?8 hours maximum with a single AAA battery. This may not be considered bad however both the iRiver and iRock players would get 20+ hours on a single AA battery. The Aigo P200 with its rechargeable lithium ion battery lasts even longer.
Overall and for the price we were happy with the results delivered by the Cruzer Micro with MP3 Companion. Purchasing additional drives to store music or larger ones later on is a breath of fresh air as the user isn?t locked into a static 256MB player as many others are. Also, using the Cruzer Micro as a flash drive can come in handy should this also be a need you are looking to fill with this type of purchase. In the end we liked this product, the innovation, thought behind it and multiple uses it can fulfill.
Thanks to ComputerGate.com, this product can be purcashed here for only $74.95.
Pros
Cruzer Micro is a stand alone flash drive.
Easily add additional storage.
Copying music files doesn?t require proprietary cable or software.
Lots of options, 15 different pre-set equalization settings.
Single AAA Battery.
Cons
Battery life.
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