SanDisk's Sansa Speaker Dock is a portable sound system that can play music from Sansa digital audio players as well as content from other devices such as personal CD and DVD players and notebook computers.
The sleek one-piece system provides high-quality stereo sound through four full-range speakers and an amplifier with volume controls. It is ready to use as soon as you slide a Sansa MP3 audio player into the recessed docking station and insert the attached connector cable into the player. Any source content on the Sansa, including FM radio stations, can be played through the speakers.
"Now that we have established SanDisk as a major supplier of flash-based MP3 players, we believe that offering quality, value-priced accessories adds to the versatility of the Sansa line, giving consumers more options to use their players," said Wes Brewer of SanDisk. "Enhancements such as the Sansa Speaker Dock will help drive sales for the players and enable retailers to offer attractive packages with different combinations of players and accessories."
The Sansa Speaker Dock can be used with either an A/C adapter or with four AA batteries, giving the unit total mobility.
"Now you can play your favorite music on the Sansa player out loud anywhere," said Matthijs Hutten of SanDisk. "The battery power option and its compact but high audio quality design makes it easy to move around." When plugged into a wall outlet, the speaker dock powers the Sansa and saves the player's battery.
While the Sansa Speaker Dock is custom-fitted for the Sansa series players, it does have a rear input and comes with a three-foot audio cable that can be used with a variety of electronics devices. These include other MP3 players, portable CD and DVD players, portable game consoles and handheld computers -- anything with a 3.5 mm stereo headphone output. Furthermore, the system can be hooked up to a PC -- using the included USB cable -- to transfer music and data to the Sansa player while connected to the Speaker Dock.
The four aluminum speakers are driven by Neodymium magnets that give the system a rich sound with clear fidelity. The exterior of the Sansa Speaker Dock consists of a glossy white shell with metallic gray trim. The speaker system will cost just under 80 dollars.