Creative Zen 4GB Digital Media Player – Absolutely ZENsational!!!
Written: Jun 07 '08 (Updated Jul 12 '08)
Product Rating:
Sound:
Ease of Use:
Durability:
Portability:
Battery Life:
Pros: Price, 2.5", CRISP display, FM Tuner, additional storage-SD Memory Card, GREAT sound/picture quality.
Cons: No AM Radio to listen to sports broadcasts. Battery not replaceable.
The Bottom Line: With all the features and the economically-friendly price, this is a 5 star product all the way!!!! It will not disappoint high expectations.
mongomad1's Full Review: Creative Technology Zen (4 GB) Digital Media Playe...
How I Got Permission to Purchase
We recently spent an amazing TWO weeks in The Florida Keys, Knight’s Key in Marathon. If there were any “real” jobs, especially in the mid-Keys, in my field, I’d be typing this overlooking beautiful, green and blue, Caribbean waters. We usually go for a week every year, but 14 days I find to be MUCH better if it cannot be 365!!!
Prior to the trip, the better half, and I do mean WAY better, said she wanted a small MP3 player so that she could arise early and stroll across the old, decommissioned bridge that parallels the 7 Mile Bridge, for some "exercise in paradise" - oxymoron to me. The latter of the two bridges is the one they blew up good, real good, in the movie True Lies. I digress.
I had been looking at MP3 players already because I wanted one, having recently gone through the time consuming chore of adding every CD we own to my PC's hard drive. I was given the green light to have my VERY own. What a gal!!! My budget was $400 to cover both, but I no longer subscribe to the, “If it costs more, it must be better,” theory, that I did in my youth, after being burnt several times. That immediately ruled out the i-Pod line…
Options Considered – Mongo Research
Based on my disdain for Apple, mainly because of its cult following, I only looked at a couple i-Pods for comparison purposes and saw that this cult was too pricey to join. I also did not want to pass out flowers in the airport…
I am certainly not saying that having an Apple product makes you a card carrying member, but certainly you know someone like this. If not, check your wallet for the card. The Zune that Bill G. manufactures was/is far too pricey, as well, for what you ultimately get.
That left me with SanDisk and Sony, or so I thought. They both are less expensive than the other big names, so they were the two I felt would be the likeliest that I would ultimately choose one or the other. As a HUGE Sony electronics fan, that probably narrowed it down again - subconsciously, at the very least.
The SanDisks I previewed, while relatively inexpensive, did not rate much better than average within the places I looked, including Epinions.com of course, and there was always a solid review, coherently written, that detailed some major flaw that was a showstopper for me. One of which, sturdiness, is a must since I am “fumble fisted”, as my grandfather called it.
I had decided on the Sony Walkman – yes the MP3 player line is still carrying the name – 4GB NWZ-A816. They were over $100 each and do have audio as well as video playback. I was seriously minutes from on my way to haggle with Circuit City, seeing it advertised elsewhere cheaper - you get the lower, advertised price of the competitor plus an additional savings of 10% off the difference in cost - but I decided to hastily check if any other brands might provide better value.
I am so glad I did since I came across this model and saw VERY few bad reviews that seemed to come from mostly whiners, like me!!!! I firmly believe they were bitter, late teens to early twenties in age and the true reason for the hatchet job was that the Creative Zen has no Apple logo to match their cards... The complaints were nitpicky at best.
Four Major Advantages of the Creative Zen Versus Most Other MP3 Players in Its Class
1. The Price
For just under $90 for 4GB’s, I was unable to find ANY other brand that could equal the value with all its features considered.
2. Display and Overall Size
The Sony had a 2” display while the Zen boastfully allows for 2.5” of viewing enjoyment and the dimensions of the devices are virtually identical - 3.26 in. X 2.16 in. X 0.44 in. for the Zen and 3.5 in. X 1.75 in. X 0.4 in. for the Sony. Though the 25% more viewing area did not hook me completely, mainly because all I really wanted it for was music, I was nibbling on the bait with serious intentions of being “fished in”.
3. FM Tuner
Not many I perused afforded me the ability to listen to FM radio stations. This is a huge plus for me since I listen to Clark Howard, the man responsible for me going from spendthrift to thrifty spender, on my back porch. Now I can do so without the use of ye olde trusty boom box, forcing the neighbors to also learn how to, “Save more, spend less and avoid getting ripped off,” as goes the mantra Mr. Howard uses. It is a shame there is no AM option for sports broadcasts. To be fair, I did not see this option for any media player of this sort. That aside, the bait was more attractive still.
4. Additional Storage Capability
This got me hook, line and sinker!!! I found no other device that had the ability to extend the storage with an SD slot available on the unit that is nearly comparable to the Creative Zen. Though no SD card is included, there is a plastic piece the exact size of one in it to prevent foreign matter from hosing it up before you no longer have enough space for all your good junk.
This means you can have tons of SD Memory Cards and have them accessible to house ALL the music ever made! You would need quite a few and organizing them would be tough, but you get my drift. More realistically, for around $20 you can DOUBLE the amount of storage to 8GB’s with a 4Gig card or move on up to 12GB’s with the purchase of only one 8GB card for under $60!
Video and Audio Quality
While I have never owned an i-Pod or any other comparable MP3 player, I have listened to and watched video on those of my friends. The Creative Zen relinquishes nothing in this arena to its higher priced brethren. As far as music, it holds bass at least as well, has eight preset equalizer settings AND you can customize the EQ to your liking, should you prefer.
The video/picture display is simply amazing. I did not get it for this at all and it was not something I thought would be very useful, BUT now I see you can have all the pictures of your friends, children, wife, etc. at your fingertips to share with those no account, nosy pals of yours. Hand it to them in slideshow mode and let them get their fill. It automagically re-sizes the original files so that pictures take up VERY little space as well as for video recordings.
Said video is astonishingly crisp and clear, along with the pictures, and plays smoothly with no pauses or skips for buffering or the like. With 16.7 million colors and 320 X 240 resolution on a 2.5" screen, I guess this quality could be expected. Now there is actually a use for those digital camera, one minute, undersized video clips!
It comes with earbuds that I thought I would hate, but they outperform my Sony wraparounds, especially noticeable at lower volumes and they are AT LEAST as comfortable. Herein lies the beauty of the Creative Zen: you can wear these for extended periods of time with no discomfort, have them at a low to medium volume and still hear conversations around you as well. However, if you crank her up to full volume, you can almost “Make the World Go Away,” as written and originally sung by Eddy Arnold, but popularized by The King of Rock N Roll.
An upgraded set of headphones/earbuds may allow you to enjoy it more, but the included buds are solid in the quality department, especially when you consider the overall price. Creative Labs, the designer of the Creative Zen, offers a variety of options as far as alternatives and there are certainly plenty of other great headphones that other companies would gladly sell you to improve on an already great sounding player.
Ease of Operation
In typical form, I did not need the owner’s manual to figure out how to operate most, if not all, of its features. I did peruse it to see if I was missing out on anything, but the intuitive interface allows you to become a near expert overnight. On the mid-right of the device, it has a pad with four directional buttons and an “enter” key, conveniently located in the middle of the directionals and it allows you to choose the item to which you have navigated.
There also is an upper right button that when pressed gives you all the options for the screen that is displayed. While playing a tune, the left and right directional buttons can be held down and they will rewind (left key) or fast forward (right key). This is within the song playing and does not skip you to the next title up for play, which happens when they are merely clicked and let go.
To the left at the top is a “back” button, at the bottom there are “shuffle all” and “play/pause” keys. On the right side panel is the “on/off” switch. It boots up very quickly, well within 5 seconds and you must hold it downward for a second or thereabouts to turn it off. This is nice because if you accidentally pull it down for a fraction of a second, which will happen when turning the "lock" feature off, it will not inadvertently shut her down.
The same, side slider clicks upward a notch after the “on” position to provide said "lock" protection. While this is engaged and in your pocket, no accidental click of any button can occur. It is obvious why this is superb to have as a feature.
Adding, deleting and syncing the device could not be easier and there are many ways to accomplish these tasks, dependent on personal preference. It works with i-Tunes (some issues I hear if it is not i-Tunes Plus), Windows Media Player 11 – no issues - this software comes on the disc in the package contents - and you can use the proprietary program on the included disc, as well.
The software it comes with, Zen Media Explorer, is also intuitive and robust like the device itself. This is where you set up playlists and can do everything else that the player is incapable of executing while not docked. This is perfect if you do not want to use a media player of any sort. You can also open a couple Windows Explorers to easily drag and drop information should you prefer. I cannot imagine how they could have made it any easier to interface with your PC.
Battery Life – Charging
Fresh out of the box, I had to charge it for 12 hours, per the instructions. I do read things like that so as not to ruin the device. Charging is a simple matter of plugging it into an available USB port on any computer. Make sure that the power saving options on your laptop or PC do not deter this process.
It will last over a full day with EXTENSIVE use. While in The Keys, I played it constantly and never went under 1/4 remaining battery life after a full day. Usually, it stayed at around half charged. Lord knows how you may use it, so results may vary.
From one quarter charge to full, it takes about three to four hours attached to your PC/Laptop. There is a device you can purchase separately that will allow for speedier charges as it plugs into a wall socket and has a USB converter line.
One complaint in the battery department: it is internal and I do not believe you can replace the darn thing when she bites the dust. Once, “She’s gone. Oh why? I’ll pay the devil to replace her,” per Daryl Hall and John Oates.
Durability
Though I have only had the Creative Zen for about a month, I have managed to drop it onto asphalt and a tile floor. I did not stop there with abuse; I also managed get it somewhat wet poolside. It has not missed a beat, despite my handling it after a few Rum Runners. I would have to say it is built quite well to have withstood the abuse I have inflicted to date (7/2/2008).
I would recommend getting the plastic covers that they make for the display. Mine does have VERY minor, permanent marks that were the result of road rash, I am assuming. It is scratch-resistant, NOT scratch-proof!
Final Thoughts
I just do not see how you can get a better player for its price or even in its class, price not considered. I am very surprised that they have not advertised these more, and this is likely why they sell for so much less than their well-known competitors.
I could not be more pleased with this digital media player, as it far exceeded my expectations that were substantial. It even allows you to record memos. How this thing is capable of all this, I am not sure, but it is magically delicious!
Would you like to know the number of times my wife made that stroll? How about even listening to it, despite me setting it all up? The answer is zero, on both accounts. Am I upset? Heck no! I now have one in pristine shape rather than hers that she must have slightly scratched. ; )
Detailed Specifications From Creative Lab’s Website, So You Need Look No Further
Size: WxHxD: 3.26" x 2.16" x 0.44"
Weight: 2.1 oz
Display: 2.5" High resolution color TFT display (320 x 240 pixels, 16.7 million color support)
Storage Capacity: 4GB (1,000 songs or 15 hours of video)
Battery Life: Up to 30 hours of continuous audio playback, Up to 5 hours of continuous video playback
Audio Playback Format: MP3, WMA, non-protected AAC, WAV and Audible 2,3 and 4
Photo Format: JPEG and (with transcoding - GIF, TIFF, PNG and BMP)
Video Playback Format: MJPEG, WMV9 and (with transcoding - MPEG1 and 2, MPEG4-SP, DivX 4 and 5 and XviD)
Organizer: Syncs with and views Microsoft Outlook® Contacts, Calendar & Tasks
Connection Transfer RateUSB 2.0
Random/Repeat
Included Accessories
Ear bud headphones
USB cable
Software CD-ROM
System Requirements: Windows XP (Service Pack 2) or higher
Features
Album Art
FM radio with 32 presets
Voice recorder
Clock and alarm function
Volume restriction
Customizable main menu
Functions as an external hard drive
8 EQ settings (acoustic, classical, disco, jazz, new age, pop, rock and vocal)
Customizeable Equalizer setting feature available
If you tell her I swapped them out, this is the last secret you will ever read from me... Can I trust you? I just saved you hundreds of dollars!!!!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 89.99 Recommended for: Music Lovers - High Capacity Storage for an Entire Album Collection
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