Home > Consumer Reviews > Transcend T.sonic 850 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

First, I should mention I currently own an iPod, SanDisk and now this Transcend player...by far this is my favorite to date!

This little item carries a big bang for the buck! It is very easy and intuitive to use, comes complete with case, holds up to 2,000 songs plus supports a variety of common file types including photogaphs, books, movies and more.

The sound quality is very good - nice deep sound with comfortable ear buds included.

Picture quality is actually impressive especially considering the 1.8 size screen. Dark color saturation and minimal glare means you can actually see the photos. I was surprised by how sharp they appeared and how nice the colors were - this makes a fun way to share pictures without carrying the proverbial wallet full of photos.

Recording is very simple - one button record that comes out very clear (much more so than the sandisk) with a minimum of background noise, zero hiss and other distrction. You can also record from the radio which is a nice touch.

The book - I find this screen FAR too small to be of value when reading a book so unsure of the value of this feature. Perhaps those in college or school with a need for a few "cheat sheets" will appreciate this addition but for anyone with normal eyesight this is far to small.

Does Not take batteries - a plus and minus. I have a lot/hate with the battery issue. On the one hand, it's nice to not be required to purchase batteries but on the other hand, batteries are an easy fix to keep around in the event you forget to plus in and charge. Having said that, this has a decent battery life in close approximation to what is listed (changes depending upon use).

Comes with case and nice long neck strap...since I like to jog I would have preferred an arm band but hey - this works too. However, it is one of those that requires inserting a flexible little strip of nothing into a miniscule double threaded area which is a practice in sheer irritation. So annoying I almost took a point off except this is really an excellent value with superior quality in all other respects. The case is a nice rubberized, tight fitting case and much better quality than other brands.

Radio- works well, easy to use just like all other features and sounds better than you might initially imagine. Has added bonus of recording from radio which is a nice way to capture those elusive songs when trying to track down a name or even advertisements while jogging.

USB & File Sharing - very easy to use, had zero difficulty merging between computer and player. Seems to support all common files that I happened to have...encountered no glitches anywhere.

Navigation - easy and intuitive. Since I like to use my player while jogging or doing household chores, it's important that I not need to look down all the time to navigate. This has a nice feel, is very easy to navigate and the display is just large enough to allow a quick glance in the rare event it is needed.

So, bottom line...excellent value. Great sound. Nice pack of features. Super selection for those that desire affordable performance above "name brand" recognition.

This is a great little MP3 player, but much more than that. You can read ebooks on it. You can watch videos. You can record -- my son uses it to record his band, and I use it to record classes I teach for upload to my online courses. The quality of the sound is amazing. For us, this one feature makes the T.sonic 850 enormously useful, and it's extra nice that it also functions as an MP3 player and ebook reader.

It's a stylish little player, and it comes with its own protective case. It's easy to use, and convenient to carry.

There is one flaw: it isn't possible to look at a list of songs or files and choose among them. You have to scroll through, or just play the whole thing. For me, this is acceptable. I like to make a playlist for a workout or a trip and listen clear through, and I'm happy to make my music choices on the computer. My kids felt differently, though. If you can live with that flaw, this is a great multi-use device.

The Transcend 8G MP3 player has a decent simplistic design. Most people are familiar with the sleeker nanos, but the price difference is almost half. As expected, files are easy as drag and drop. Read & write transfer rate at USB 2.0 is fairly fast. The extra stuff that you get is the FM radio, the ability to record both voice and FM radios and to read e-books (Although it will be difficult to read books in this size of a screen). It also comes with a protective silicone cover. The matching black ear buds sounds OK. It is bigger than most earphones and for smaller ears like me may not fit properly.

The mic surprisingly has a strong pick up. I used to have one of the early Creative MP3 players with a horrible voice recorder that you need to really ramp up the volume to listen to your recordings.

Recording from FM radio is fantastic. It has a simple one button operation. I recorded a 3:12 second sample for a 6.3 MB of wav file using the highest quality.

Slideshow photos work a tad slow on a 640 x 480 resolution. Decreasing the resolution to 320 x 240 makes it a lot faster. Interestingly there is no option to select transitions. I would prefer the dissolve transition than the default wipe.

For screen comparison, the nano has a 2" (320 by 240 pixels at 204 ppi) screen compared to its 1.8" 320 by 240 pixels at 204 ppi.

My biggest gripe about the player is the extra step you need to do to convert videos so it can be played on the player. I regularly subscribe to many different videocasts. It would be nice if it can play multiple formats like avi, flv, mov, etc. at the bat.

Of all places, while wandering around a Walgreens, which is the equivalent of a Rite-Aid, Sav-on or Thrifty, I saw a bunch of these against a back wall not getting much attention. So, I scratched my head and headed over to read the packaging.

I saw several different models of this and they were all on sale for at least twenty-percent off.

The drag and drop feature of all file types is a great feature. Being able to use it without any additional software was also cool. I didn't bother with the cheap headphones that come with it nor did I even mess with the lanyard which hit the trash, so I definitely have no complaints.

8 GB's is a lot of space for the value, especially when so many companies are vying for your money for the next biggest thing.

This is no iPod killer, but I'm not ashamed to use it by any means and navigating the menus are a breeze. I bought several of these and gave them away as presents which every one loved.

Fantastic and very simple MP3 player.

... ...

This MP3 player originally interested me because I have 5.5 generation video iPod and although I use it all the time, there are some features it's lacking. This little player on the other hand seems to have them all and in a compact form.

I'll start with the FM Tuner since this has always been a big complaint of mine. Yes with the iPod there are accessories that would allow me to receive FM, but it is at an extra cost that I do not think I should have to pay especially with the original near $400 price tag. The Transcend T.sonic 850 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Black) has it standard. I was easily able to preset my favorite stations and it also allows you to record songs from the radio to listen to later.

Another nice feature is the voice recorder. I use the one on my cell phone quite often, so having an extra one has come in handy. It's great for making shopping notes or reminders to set appointments.

The lyric display was something new for me too. It did not work for every song, but it did show many of them and although I don't necessarily need the lyrics, I could see this as being a nice feature for the teenage group.

Because I wanted to test out every feature I did load a movie (after converting it to .mtv) a e-book and some photos. They all worked, but the screen size in my opinion is much to small to truly enjoy on this player. Maybe it was just me though, because my 14 year old daughter thought it was great!

Some other items that are worth noting:
~ Lightweight (1.7 ounces)
~ Comes with USB charging cable. (I have this and it allows me to charge it in my car too Lenmar Charger with USB Charge Port for iPod (White))
~ Comes with neck strap and headphones (I prefer these ones Sennheiser MX55 Twist-To-Fit In-Ear Stereo Headphones, but you may be fine with the ones that are included.)

Will I give up my iPod? No. Will I use this in addition? Yes. For me this player has performed beyond what I would expect for the current price. I think that if you are looking for a first time MP3 player for yourself or a teenager, this should fit the bill.