The right product at the right price. Sorry, Apple.
Written: Feb 12 '03 (Updated Feb 12 '03)
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Pros: Value, transfer speed, audio quality
Cons: LCD size, software, button similarity
The Bottom Line: If you're price-conscious but want a top-flight MP3 player, here's the ipod-killer you've been waiting for.
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| delusion's Full Review: Creative Labs Nomad Jukebox Zen (20 GB) MP3 Player |
After carefully comparing most of the better-known hard drive-based MP3 players, I had made my decision...
...and then Creative threw me a curveball by releasing the Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen. I was previously torn between the Creative Nomad Jukebox 3 and the Apple ipod, but had some issues with each. The Zen addressed most of the issues I had with the Jukebox 3 and made my decision much easier.
The Zen is the Jukebox 3 on a diet. Gone is the ridiculous external case of the Jukebox 3 which seemed to beg the question of why Creative's hard drive MP3 players were still required to look like portable CD players. The Zen, like the ipod, is a hard drive with whistles, and isn't afraid to look it. The two line out ports that the Jukebox 3 supported are gone - the only audio out on the Zen is the headphone jack. As an external stereo jack splitter costs $3 at Radio Shack, and as most users are going to be listening alone most of the time, anyway, this isn't so much an issue for people who wish to use the Zen as a portable device as it is for people who also want it to serve as a part-time addition to their home audio system. Even in that case, one can make do.
First impressions are good: the Zen is an attractive device. Its case is mostly textured aluminum, and seems solid and well-built. The silver buttons are lined up in a set of four on each edge, and a plastic scroll wheel built into the upper right corner of the device also serves as a selector button. The buttons do, however, feel too similar when using them, particularly if you're in a hurry. The power button is, fortunately, recessed. The Zen (4.4 x 3 x 0.96in, 9.5oz) is notably larger than the ipod (4.0 x 2.4 x 0.84in, 7.2oz) yet significantly smaller than the bulky Jukebox 3 (5.1 x 4.8 x 1.4in, 10.2oz).
The accessory package includes a matte black plastic travel case, which is handy and which I find two fairly minor faults with. The velcro seals as if the device is just a hair wider than the case was built for, and as a consequence, the headphone jack window is just a little off unless you tug the fastener closed fairly tightly. The case's window for the LCD is open rather than the transparent vinyl I wish it were. Also included is a pair of behind-the-neck headphones, an external power adapter, software, and USB cable. A Firewire (IE1394/SB1394) cable is included with the USB 1.1/Firewire version of the Zen, which is the version I purchased. This is commendable, as Firewire products from major chains where average consumers are likely to purchase the Zen from (Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, etc.) tend to only carry Belkin products, which are notoriously overpriced - $35 for a 6' firewire 6-to-4 pin cable? Madness.
The Zen comes in a USB 1.1/Firewire variety as well as a USB 2.0 version without Firewire. It seems somewhat arbitrary to support only USB 1.1 in the Firewire version, but perhaps the extra circuitry for USB 2.0 support would have increased the price or size of the product. I suppose I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. I would have purchased the Zen if it only supported Firewire, so for me it's a bit of a non-issue.
The Zen's display is good, but not quite as elegant as the ipod, and not nearly as large. Given the price differential between the zen ($350USD at retailers, or $300 + shipping if purchased from Creative's website) and a 20 gig ipod ($500USD), it's another slight I can live with. I wouldn't mind being able to have a few font sizes to choose from, but it's a small quibble.
The sound quality is very, very good - this is a player, like the ipod and jukebox 3 for that matter, where you're going to be able to appreciate the difference between 128Kbit and 192Kbit-encoded MP3s. The volume control range is appropriate. Creative has been promoting its EAX features across its product line, and the Zen is no exception. Does anyone really want to listen to comic amounts of audio echo to simulate the sound of a ball park or bathroom or simulate the tinny ambiance of a garage? EAX is for the most part either cartoony excess novelties or a catch-all for all volume and equalization features. Some people may find SmartVolume useful, which normalizes the volume for your setting, but I think it will dampen the dynamism for most. The only feature in the EAX repetoire I use is the custom equalizer in order to get the specific sound I like from a variety of headphones, earphones, and speakers.
Speaking of headphones, the ones Creative includes with the Zen are of average quality, but I found that they rested on the tops of my ears in an uncomfortable way, and switched to foam plug earbuds after a day's use.
The Zen stores files in a flat directory structure, information is obtained from the ID3 tags - regardless of whether you go with Apple's, Creative's, or another company's hard drive MP3 player, taking the time to whip your ID3 tags into order will benefit you greatly.
The software for the PC is easy to use and useful, but is not always as powerful as one would wish. Editing large playlists is cumbersome - there are buttons in Creative Playcenter to push a song up or down in a playlist's order, but there aren't any keyboard shortcuts to do this. When editing a playlist which consisted of five CDs, I had to click "up" over 80 times to get a song at the end to go to the beginning. Attention, Creative: keyboard shortcuts are not an option, they're to be expected in a modern interface. You can transfer data files to the device for transport to another PC, but you can't use them on the Zen, even if they're just plain text files, and this requires a separate application (also included). I encode MP3s from CD with MusicMatch Jukebox, and am happy with it, so I can't offer any insight into the included software's suitability for encoding.
Red Chair Software has a third-party application called Notmad Explorer which allows you to do your file management in Windows Explorer rather than a separate application, but I tend to rely on the Creative Playcenter because for its faults, it does show you the progress of large file transfers in a more useful, logical way. Notmad Explorer shines when it comes to sharing files; your audio and data files can be automatically shared to the web with, in most cases, absolutely no configuration. The downside is that you can't protect files from being shared, though the demo files on the device are protected (until you delete them, as their usefulness is small to begin with and nonexistant once you've gone through them once).
On a related note, it seems that the device should have a rudimentary contact manager like the current ipods have. This, to me, is a very unfortunate oversight, because this is not a demanding feature and should be expected in any portable with a hard drive. This isn't so advanced a feature that it couldn't be added in future firmware revisions, so I hope it will be. I was going to use the data storage capability to store a contact file for occasional use, but as I do use the web sharing facility of Notmad Explorer from time to time, I don't relish the idea of my friend's and relative's contact info being shared along with my MP3s. The only remaining option would be to use a set of 0-length dummy MP3s with ID3 tags with this data as a workaround, which is still insecure, and highly inelegant.
The unit can be charged with its included standalone adapter, or via a USB port, but oddly not via the Firewire port. The documentation recommends against having USB and Firewire hooked up concurrently, which may be a minor inconvenience for users who may shuttle the device between work and home computers. If you use the unit in the car, you may want a third-party charger, despite the listed battery life of 12-14 hours, for those extra long (or frequent) trips - the voltage and socket adjustable charger I already had served admirably.
The device has recording functions with a planned external microphone accessory which will probably perform as a multifunction remote. This will most likely be similar to the existing remote for the Nomad II MG memory-based MP3 player, and include an LCD, clip, headphone jack, and full compliment of function buttons.
In conclusion, this is a great product at the right price - don't let my discussions of its minor flaws give you the wrong impression. This is a solid product from Creative, a worthy competitor to the ipod, and outshines any of the other products meant to dethrone Apple's baby. Creative is also a company that has a track record with PC support - one of the reasons I was hesitant to buy the ipod, after price, was the fact that I was extremely displeased that Apple treated their product as a Mac accessory and decided to effectively marginalize 95% of the home computer market until a few months ago - I don't like to reward companies for bad business practice by buying from them. Make no mistake, not having PC with the ipod from the start probably cost them my business and definitely cost them a lot of other people's business. Apple's loss is Creative's gain, and the Zen is the best ipod-killer yet, possibly the first to live up to the moniker.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 350
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Epinions.com ID:
delusion
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Location: Southeast Michigan
Reviews written: 11
Trusted by: 12 members
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