Creative Zen 16 GB Portable Media Player (Black)
by Creative
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List Price: Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Creative Zen 16 GB Portable Media Player (Black)
Customer Review: Solid MP3 player with a few minor issues
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased this for two reasons. First, I wanted to bring my entire music collection (WMA and MP3) with me in the car. Secondly, I wanted to have a flash MP3 player for working out.
The player itself is small, with a high quality glossy 320x240 screen. It is about the size of a credit card. Note the screen is very sensitive to fingerprints and is NOT a touch sensitive screen. Instead, you control the Zen through a four-way controller, play/pause button, menu button, back button. To me, this is more effective since some touch screens can be hard to use.
This player has an impressive list of features. It supports the standard features---playlists, playing back by artist/album/genre, shuffle and repeat playback, MP3 playback. Beyond that, it has an SHDC slot onto which you can load more music and videos (if 16 GB isn't enough space for you), can record voices, synchronizes contacts/tasks/appointments with Outlook (a much handier feature than you'd think since it gives you a small phone book), and can receive FM radio (helpful in gyms where TVs often send audio to a particular FM station).
In terms of what music formats does this support, it supports most common formats---WAV, MP3, AAC (iTunes Plus format music), WMA (but not lossless). Unfortunately, the player does not support Ogg Vorbis files (royalty-free MP3 workalike).
As for videos, Creative provides software to convert almost any video to work on the Zen. Windows Media Player can also convert videos to work on the player. Personally, I'd only watch TV shows (or shorter) since the screen is so small.
Using Windows Media Player, synchronizing the Zen is simple. Windows Media Player 10 will see the Zen and allow you to synchronize playlists, copy songs to the player, and the likes.
With all of these features, what are the downsides?
First of all, songs and video stored on the SHDC card are not included in the list of items on the player. Instead, you need to browse the memory card and play each one individually. The player can copy all data from the SHDC card to its internal memory, but if your player is full, this won't help. I use the SDHC card mainly to store videos.
Secondly, editing playlists in the player is extremely awkward. You can create playlists and add songs to them easily. However, you cannot sort a playlist by album/artist/genre---it becomes a flat set of songs. This means you cannot remove, say, an album from the playlist, without removing each song, one by one.
Also, the Zen sometimes locks up. I found that most common when I tried to edit playlists using Gnomad 2 on Linux, when the playlists contained WAV files.
If you are using a Mac this player may not work for you, since it does not appear as a USB drive. You can use the "Gnomad 2" software on Linux to work with the Zen, but I'm not aware of any Mac software to communicate with the Zen.
Since the Zen is not from Apple, it does not have an iPod interface, so it cannot use most of the tons of iPod specific accessories, but that is true of all non-iPod players.
Basically, if you have a large library of WMA files (the default when you rip music from Windows Media Player) and don't lust after the look of the iPod (it is a very stylish player), the Zen is a far better choice than the iPod. Converting WMA files to MP3 hurts the quality of the music---I don't advise it.
If you want a solid media player, and want more storage for your money ($150 gets you an 8 GB iPod Nano), the Zen is a better choice than the iPod.
However, if you are on a Mac, or use iTunes as your main media player, the iPod is a better choice, since the iPod/iTunes integration is so smooth.
Customer Review: I'm so glad I returned my ipod and got this.
Summary: 5 Stars
As a previous iPod owner, a long time ago I wrote an extensive review on here about how the creative zen vision:m blew away the iPod. There were many things that I talked about that really made the ZVM better, not the least of which being the sound quality. This is almost like deja vu for me, because a few weeks ago I picked up an iPod touch, and now I'm writing this to tell anyone who is reading this that if you're looking for an mp3 player, there is no question that this new 16gb Zen once again outdoes the 16gb iPod touch.
In all seriousness, the iPod touch is fun as hell to play with. The apps and internet etc. are extremely useful and extremely entertaining. I have wasted more time on facebook over the last few weeks than i care to admit because of the app for the iPod, but after trying it out for a while, I finally decided that there are a number of problems using the iPod as an mp3 player...the main function it's supposed to provide.
First and foremost, the sound quality of the iPod flat-out sucks compared to this Zen, just like in the past. Using the same mp3 files and the same headphones, the difference that I noticed immediately when plugging into the Zen was amazing. Rap, rock, metal...it doesn't matter. The highs are clearer, the lows are stronger, and the mids are smoother on the Zen. The custom EQ on the zen is so awesome...it leaves me wondering why apple hasn't put it on the ipod yet after all this time. Most of the preset EQ's on the iPod are terrible, including the "Bass Booster", which should really be called "distortion booster"...i'm a bassist, so that's extra frustrating for me.
Now, as a disclaimer, the rest of the reasons I have can be chalked up to personal preference, but I still think they're valid.
Size. This zen is the size of a credit card with obviously more mass. It's actually about the size of the ipod's screen. I love it. It's so much more manageable and light than the ipod. Perfect for a pocket, or if you're wearing it, it's not uncomfortable.
Buttons. After driving once with the iPod, i realized how insane it was trying to just simply change songs. My roommate told me you eventually get used to it, but even he admits that he usually just puts on an album and lets it go. The advantage of being able to feel buttons and press them without looking is something i underestimated. Also, I go to the gym a lot...same story. Every time i wanted to skip a song i had to stop what i'm doing, unlock the screen, then press the exact spot on the screen to skip. the buttons on the zen are placed conveniently and you can feel your way around them easily. simple choice for me, as fun as the touch screen is to play with.
Lastly, as small and light as the zen is, I feel like it's much more sturdy than the iPod touch. The back is black plastic as opposed to the shiny metal that scratches easliy. I feel like when i drop the zen (it will most certainly happen), it will be fine, but with the iPod I was always so paranoid about dropping or hitting it because of how big the screen is, once again distracting me from actually listening to music and doing other things.
Bottom line, while it doesn't have all the functionality of the iPod with the apps and internet etc., as an mp3 player it's really not even close. Just based on sound quality alone you will be satisfied with the zen as your mp3 player...It's really good. The buttons as opposed to the touch screen cater to people with active lifestyles or people who use it while driving...playing around with a touch screen on the highway or as you're about to do a set of bench press is less than pleasurable, take my word for it.
Hope this was helpful...
Customer Review: Well designed player in a nice small package.
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought the Creative Zen because I wanted to upgrade to a flash based mp3 rather than the hard drive ones. They allow you to have a smaller player with no moving parts. The Zen appealed to me because it was the only flash player that was available above the 8Gb limit found today on most players in the market. And I definetly needed more memory than that. And it's the only one with an expandable SD card slot which is cool, but note that the card files will be on their own separate folder.
Now this player is definetly not designed to be an iPod killer, because the video drivers are not as efficient as on a classic iPod, but if you're one of those persons that doesn't need a lot of performance, and just needs to carry all his basic music/photos/videos with him, then this is the player for you.
The design of the player is very neat, just the size of a credit card. The thinness is awesome, but for video watching the player is comfortable, just not THAT comfortable since you need to grab it from the edges, but for me this was a minor issue. If you need to hold something with your palm rather than fingers you may not like that.
The thing that is great is that this player has no need for proprietor software or hardware. It's compatible with Windows Media Player, or the included Zen Media Browser (which I recommend more because it stores your files smarter and more organized in your folders). And it also reads any single type of video/audio file, except secure aac audio/video files, and few video files. But nothing a divx decoder can't fix (for video). But still, this will not play your paid "secure" iTunes purchases.
The software of the Zen is very easy to use, and it's bright screen lets you see it under any kind of light conditions. And it's cool how it lets you use your own pictures as your wallpapers. It also has a podcast application included (Zencast Organizer) which will let you watch any kind of podcast (just save the URL on your "subscription" list).
When you watch your podcasts, the videos will transfer kinda fast, and the audio/video fidelity is very good. Now the one thing you will notice is that your own downloaded videos on .wmv format will have sometimes an audio lag. My own videos had that issue where the audio was 2sec. behind the video so be carefull with that, but the podcasts (no matter the length) had no problem with that.
One of the few downsides of the player is just the battery life, it claims to last >20hrs for the 16Gb version, but the most I've gotten is 16hrs for music, and 4hrs for video.
Also the screen and buttons section gets dirty very easily with the oil in your hands, so you need to clean it often. I wish they had given it a plastic/matte finish like on the first generation Zune.
But otherwise those were just the only 2 issues I had.
So final conclusion: I do recommend this player to those basic not so demanding audiophiles out there. You'll like it on both its easy software and the lack of proprietorship accessories. For those hardcore athletes or Mac/iTunes people this may not be the right item for you. But for the rest, you'll like it a lot.
And also... as with any other player out there, the AC charger does NOT come included, I know that blows but we need to cope with it. But on the good side, you can use ANY kind of USB AC charger out there. I've used from cheap $2 ones to the $25 Creative ones, and they all work the same, and take the same time to charge. So don't worry about that. AC charging takes around 2.5hrs to fully charge, and 30min for an 80% charge.
Customer Review: Creative "Zen" 16GB
Summary: 4 Stars
I will start out by saying that I LOVE my creative zen. Also I will say that a week or two ago I would have sold it for 1/2 the price. read on to find out why.
I did TONS of research before deciding on and buying my zen. I wanted something that's easy to navigate, can use lots of formats, had a good amount of storage, good audio quality, and affordable.
Pro's:
--I find the zen very easy to navigate. very user friendly.
--16gb is ALOT of space, I had thought that each movie might take up 1 or 2gb's, but actually they range from 300mb to about 600mb depending on the length.
--battery life is very good, you can watch 2 full length movies without recharging.
--the screen is very clear, very nice to watch on, I have no problem watching movies on it.
--setup of playlists and slideshows for pictures is pretty straight forward. I set a picture as my background quite easily.
Con's.
--you will have to buy more stuff to go with your zen. (or at least I did). It only came with a (very) short usb cord for charging, and no ac charger or screen covers or anything. I ended up buying a case for it, screen protectors, charger, new earphones (the ones that come with have very good sounds but are quite uncomfortable after a short time). also a program to convert movies (more later) In all, I spent about 100.00 more than the cost of the zen itself by the time I was done. It would be nice to know this going into it. It could be a killer for some.
--The creative zen doesn't play movies longer than about 20 minutes very well in avi format, which is standard for most programs that convert them for the zen. over about 20-30minutes the audio gets out of sync with the video. it starts out fine, but gets worse as teh movie goes on and can be up to 2seconds off at the end of the movie.
--It took me well over 60 hours of research and trial to find that the only way to get around this is to find a program that will convert the movie into .wmv format. I finally found 2 or 3 programs that would do this with just a click instead of a long drawn out manual process, but it was painfull research and would be nice if someone would have just told you.
my zen
creative zen 16gb 138.00
case/charger 12.00
screen protectors 10.00
program to convert dvd's 30.00
new earphones 60.00
Now if you don't want to use the zen for long movie watching (was one of the main reasons I bought it). and want to download stuff from the internet and such, it might be much less painless. and cheaper. if you don't use it often, (or have differently shaped ears than myself perhaps) maybe the earphones work great for you. In the end it is a great thing for me, but it was a very painful process figuring out all the tricks, and could have been made alot easier with some help from someone and some heads up. It was a huge pain having to try literally 15+ programs to find one that converted movies correctly and actually worked. And again, the extra expense of the converting program and extra's might hamper some peoples interest in it.
Just wanted to put this out in case it helped anyone.
thanks
Customer Review: Well rounded but not without its issues
Summary: 4 Stars
Great aesthetics and interface:
This is a very attractive player, both externally and on screen. The form factor is brilliant - they have made very good use of the tiny volume that the player occupies. The button interface is not in any way advanced, but with buttons you know what you are getting and they'll probably keep working for a while, so I'm quite happy with them. I'm usually very picky about input lag, and there is a bit, but it doesn't interfere with operation at all. They could have done with a dedicated volume control, or a 'return to now-playing' button, but the customizable button is great. I've set it to chose a random album and this is fantastic for my drive to work: plug into cassette adapter, power on, push 1 button and it starts playing a random album (push again for a different album).
Sound Quality is not exceptional:
First up, there is a known problem with wma playback - pops, crackles - but apparently Creative are working on it. Sound quality overall I am not particularly impressed with. Without EQ on the bass is overstated through my Sennheiser CX300s. With the EQ on sound quality drops noticably compared to unfiltered. I need more time but I believe I can detect some distortion as well. My 5yo iRiver HP120 produces much better playback. Having said that, it is not terrible, and I have kept the player (my iRiver still goes fine, otherwise maybe I would have returned it).
Battery life is no where near 25hrs:
As mentioned elsewhere, the player doesn't totally power down when you ask it to. For a couple of hours it remains in limbo - screen off, amp down (but not off - I can still hear hiss and some cpu activity noise), and computer mostly idle I'd assume... and battery still draining. I've frequently noticed that the battery meter has decreased between uses. This is quite frustrating and I hope there is a firmware fix for this being developed. I've probably got 10-14 hours listening time out of a single charge (a guess), listening 1-2 hours at a time, whereas I feel if I'd listened constantly I would have got 20ish hours (judging by how slow the battery goes down while listening).
Other comments:
The firmware upgrade is buggy. It doesn't work with WMP11 installed as far as I can tell. I had to downgrade to WMP10 which is ridiculous, but given that WMP is not one of my favourite apps I'm not too gutted about it. Could well be WMP's fault in any case. I haven't tried video on this yet, but the sample vids look good on the screen. I haven't used the SD slot either but can see that SD cards would sit flush with the outside of the player, which is good, just don't buy one in day-glow-orange! I haven't had it crash on me once during use (1 month), although it did die several times when trying to upgrade the firmware
Overall this is a good player, great size/design, reasonable but not fantastic sound, and decent battery life (with potential for much better). I liked the small size, big storage capacity, and not having to worry about a spinning disc when I'm walking/driving/dropping my bag. It delivers and I am happy with it, and there isn't another similar player out there that I wish I'd bought instead.