1/64 drop rate?

So, after not using my Fuze for the longest time, I decided I'd fire it back up and see how the device was doing.

It wasn't doing very well unfortunately. I remember, around the time I installed Windows 7 on my computer, it started having trouble connecting up to it. I'd have to plug it in a few times in order for the computer to recognize there was a portable music player attached to it - most of the time it would tell me that an unrecognized device had been connected. I don't know if this is just Windows 7, or if the device just gave out in this regard.

Well, it was recognized... once, at which point I uninstalled Rockbox in preparation to reinstalling a new, updated version of it. I can't remember why, but I disconnected and now the device won't sync up with my computer anymore.

What makes matters worse is that uninstalling Rockbox with its install/uninstall utility doesn't flash the bootloader to its original state. You can still boot into the old Sansa firmware, but it requires you to hold the left button as you turn on the device. With Rockbox uninstalled, the bootloader will just error when trying to find the files it needs to load, making powering on the device quite annoying. At first I was hoping against hope that my cable was damaged, but nope, ordered a new cable and the problems persisted.

However, there's a good side to this story, though it ironically involves the spending of more money. You see, I've been thinking of giving portable headphone amps a shot, and part of that involves throwing the output on my Sansa through line out (what's usually used as the connector to USB) rather than using the headphone jack. The thing is, the only non-custom cable I've been able to find that exists in the world is the FiiO L6, by a company whose name and brand logo eerily reminds me of the WiiU. Strange that, but either way FiiO didn't sell enough of their first batch to make another. So, imagine my surprise when I see them being sold on Amazon for $20 a pop. Can't argue with that, they're so rare, I ordered two.

At this point, I was thinking that I had three options with my Fuze: (a) buy another, (b) buy the Fuze+, the newer version, or (c) deal. We'll start with option (b): reviews of the Fuze+ have ranged from mild to terrible. Complaints about the stock interface (which totally doesn't matter if you Rockbox the thing, then you deal with that interface instead), as well as complaints about the touchpad not really working the way you'd expect were all too common, so I decided that wasn't really something I wanted to do if I could help it. As for option (a), buy another Fuze... well, street price for an 8GB Fuze, should you find one, is $150... compared to the 8GB Fuze+ which retails for $65. Since my current model is an 8GB, I wasn't about to settle for anything less, and was fully prepared to just deal with the two button quirks. However by chance today, I looked up prices on eBay one last time.

... And there it was. A new 8GB Sansa Fuze going for $80 - retail price at the time of the Fuze's original release. The seller had a single digit number of units for sale, and checking back there, he sold out in the space of around 24 hours. If you're looking for one and you see this price, you don't wait. You click buy immediately like I did. There is the chance that it will suffer the same problems as my current unit, but that's not something you can tell until you try it.

So, there we go: two catches, an original Sansa Fuze and its accompanying LOD cable, both rare at their prices, and now both on their way. We'll see if they end up being what I expect. Now I just need an amp. I'm thinking the FiiO E7, since it can double as a sound card, and I might grab some RE-0's while I'm at it.