SanDisk Sansa Shaker - Performance and Conclusion

Of the three operating elements, the Sansa Shaker works somewhat like the Sony Rolly, in the sense that two white controller bands are used to adjust the volume and to select previous or next tracks. There is a large power button, which doubles as a pause button, and two headphone jacks positioned on either side of the unit. A built-in speaker is placed on the top of the unit, allowing decent open play. The best part of this product is that it's unbelievably easy to use; most children won't even have to read the manual.

Upon starting the SanDisk Shaker, fun children's sounds confirm that the product has been activated. Already installed songs and sounds immediately allow you to enjoy the fresh quality of audio, even at full volume. The speaker is powerful enough to fill a small room with sound. Using either the headphones or speaker produces great sound quality, another feather in the cap of SanDisk. In fact, the audio is so powerful, based on its price point and ideal demographic, that it raised concerns about children's sensitive ears versus adults, prompting this quote from SanDisk:

"The Sansa Shaker was designed with audio safety in mind.  The earphone audio output on Shaker conforms to a safety standard that maintains volume safe for human hearing. By default, the player is set a safe low volume setting for children and defaults to that safe volume setting every time headphones are put in even if a user raises volume on the speaker aspect of the Sansa Shaker."

In summary, I was quite impressed with the functionality and design of this SanDisk Sansa Shaker, and almost overjoyed with the extremely low price. For all the iPods I have bought and lost, had stolen, or just plain broke, I am very much leaning towards more "disposable" units like this one. Frankly, all I want out of an MP3 player is clean music. I just want to hear it. I don't have any desire to do video, watch television or schedule things on a calendar.

I want a rugged, cheap and clear MP3 player, which the SanDisk Shaker provides, without breaking the bank. Frankly, not being known for my musical taste, I only have about 20 songs I would want to hear anyway, which makes them pretty easy to find on an MP3 player, even without a display.

If you are looking to get children started on the digital music platform at a young age, this is the perfect product. It is rugged, cheap and of good quality, the way it should be.