This and That:
Was available in different colours – I bought the nice blue one that I really like, and it only comes with 4 GB of on-board storage (of course plus a micro SD card slot) as opposed to the black or grey-ish ones that are additionally available with 8 GB of on-board storage.
It’s small, lightweight, inexpensive, looks very nice and has got decent measured performance, that’s why I bought it as a nice and inexpensive digital audio player.
Build quality is decent although the player does not feel particularly valuable or like a high-quality device – but it doesn’t have to be at its price point and doesn’t feel cheap either.
Really nice blue colour.
I really like the design.
Small and compact.
The clip on the back is very handy and useful.
Has got the same amount of buttons as my Sansa Clip+, however the Zip’s are larger (especially the on/off button located at the top) and have an accentuation point that feels much nicer and is much quieter compared to the +’s loud buttons.
Built-in microphone to record audio.
Square colour screen.
FM radio with RDS support, which is a feature that I really like.
Graphical User Interface:
I’m not using the standard SanDisk firmware as opposed to my Clip+ where the volume control and lowest possible volume setting are okay, the Zip is too loud for me. Hence I’ve loaded the alternative Rockbox firmware onto it (also on my Clip+, by the way) that allows for finer and more volume attenuation steps.
Rockbox is generally very nice as firmware due to its high customisability in terms of playback behaviour, features and theme options.
I’m using black and white themes on screens and menus and am therefore not taking advantage of the colour screen – the resulting high contrast and easy readability are however very welcome.
Sound:
For what it’s worth, I’m using Rockbox as firmware and not the stock SanDisk one.
Volume Control:
With the Rockbox firmware, there volume range goes from -81 to 6 in 1 dB steps.
For most of my rather sensitive in-ears that’s relatively okay for listening rather quietly (/not-so-loudly, although I wish it were still quieter) (e.g. my Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10), however with something that’s as extremely sensitive as my Campfire Audio Andromeda, the quietest possible volume above mute is unfortunately definitely higher than my normal listening volume.
Using my Shure SE846 that’s near-extremely sensitive, the volume is still too high for me on most recordings, but more in the tolerable range.
So yeah, ultimately I wish the quietest possible volume setting above mute were quieter for sensitive, very sensitive and extremely sensitive in-ears.
Frequency Response (no Load):
Just as flat as it is supposed to be. No surprise here.
Output Impedance / complex Load Frequency Response/Frequency Response Deviation (critical Multi-BA Load: my Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10):
Calculated, the output impedance based on the deviation should be around 0.6 Ohms, which is very good.
Hiss Performance:
Using my extremely sensitive Campfire Audio Andromeda, the audible hiss is only moderate – not as quiet as I’d like it to be, but I’ve heard much worse from digital audio players, some of which that were more or even much expensive (e.g. Shanling M2, iBasso DX50, iBasso DX80, xDuoo X3, Hidizs AP60).
When used with my Shure SE846 that’s near-extremely sensitive but not as sensitive as my Andromeda, the hiss level is moderate as well but on the lower side of moderate, and not really audible anymore when music is being played.
Let’s call it decent, as that’s definitely what it is.
Subjective Sound Perception:
Not surprisingly subjectively neutral, but when used with sensitive multi-BA in-ears, the subjectively perceived transparency and low frequency output are a bit below better devices in terms of perceived quality – the output from my Clip Zip, in comparison to cleaner-sounding devices such as my Apple iPhone 4, RME ADI-2 DAC, iBasso DX90 or FiiO X3, sounds somewhat less transparent, and the bass response appears somewhat softer.
This, however, is only when used with multi-BA in-ears, as when used with dynamic driver in-ears and dynamic driver full-sized headphones, I don’t perceive any of that.
So yeah, generally normal and relatively clean sounding, but when used with sensitive multi-BA in-ears, the subjectively perceived transparency, while definitely not low, isn’t at the same level as when compared to other devices, which is also true for the bass output that appears just a bit softer from the SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip.
Conclusion:
Really good for the price and especially with many features and really high customisability when used with the alternative Rockbox firmware, and generally with a good sound, decent hiss performance and low output impedance, but not entirely on the same subjectively perceived sound quality level as other devices, and when used with sensitive in-ears, I wish that the lowest possible volume above mute were a good bit quieter.
Still, the Clip Zip does only little “wrong”, and is a good digital audio player that is rarely found with all of these qualities at this low price point, and it is sad that it was discontinued and doesn’t have a truly worthy successor from SanDisk (the factual successors don’t support Rockbox, as it seems).