MP3 Players Review

Creative Zen 16 GB Portable Media Player (Black)

Customer Reviews

Good, but ..

1. The buttons are stiff and need some getting used to. It isn't a feather touch device by any standards. 2. I got "Audio Format Is Not Supported" errors on some of my mp3s copied through Winamp. This is not on account of format protection issues, but to do with proper file tagging. On syncing the same files through Windows Media Player, they play fine. I'd suggest dumping their software (which takes forever to install), just using WMP (Ver 11). 3. Supplied earphones are not worth their weight in paper. 4. Decently priced and great feature set.

great upgrade from my 1st gen Nano

The Zen is a terrific upgrade from my 1st generation Nano. Music was easy to transfer from my iTunes library. (My music is mostly from my own CDs, but if you purchased most of your library from iTunes, this may be an problem for you due to DRM.) With 16GB, there was more than enough room for everything I have. The software is easy to use and functional, and WMP works fine for managing files. Video and sound quality on the Zen are excellent (better headphones should be your first accessory, which is true of every player on the market) and all features work as expected. Using the menus, while not as elegant as on the iPod, is simple enough. The SD slot (uses a separate option on the menu, which takes no time at all to get used to) means you're limited only by the number of cards you want to take along. Great for a long flight, and every SD card I have, regardless of size or speed, has worked fine for audio and video in this player. There are plenty of aftermarket accessories available, and the standard USB connection means I can charge it with my cell phone (Moto RAZR) chargers, which eliminates extra devices from my suitcase.

Best I Ever Had

I have had this player for six months. Pros: 1. Capacity. 16gb internal, plus a card. 2. Sound is good. 3. Watching movies is awesome. Watching the old movies with the square format is great because they fill up the screen. Cons: 1. Freezing up occasionally. But never had a unit that didn't also have the same issue. It seems some people's Zen have more of a problem so I suppose it is luck of the draw. 2. Software. I have never liked or took the trouble to use the Windows Media Player to sync. Most of my MP3s are not tagged so they go everywhere when you try to sync. You can drag folders into the player from the computer but you can't access them. You can create a play list but I would prefer using the folders. Another thing is when you bookmark a track it won't play the next track in the play list when you go back to it. 3. Havn't tried a firmware update as many had had problems and none of my issues have been addressed. Would be great if the Rockbox software would be available.

an excellent alternative to the iPod nano

Compared to the latest iPod nano, the Creative Zen has: bigger and better display, better sound quality, FM radio and voice recording (nano has neither), similarly excellent battery life, better included earphones, slot for SD memory expansion card, and similar stunningly compact form factor. And a lower price: at the time I write this, the 16gb Zen costs the same as the 8gb nano! The Zen will play unprotected AAC files (including "iTunes-plus" DRM-free tracks), so iPod owners who want to give it a try can get most of their music on the Zen. (The exception is copy-protected AAC files purchased from iTunes, which the Zen won't take.) Don't get me wrong - I love iPods, I own a few of them, including the nano, which I like a lot and recommend. I think most people familiar with both would agree that the iPod's interface is more elegant and intuitive than the Zen's - though the Zen's really isn't bad at all. Before plunking down your hard-earned cash, though, I recommend a visit to your local Best Buy to see the nano and the Zen "in the flesh". They're both great, though the Zen is a better value and probably a better choice for (1) people who aren't yet heavily invested in iPod-specific accessories, (2) people whose music collection isn't mostly comprised of copy-protected AAC files from iTunes, and (3) people who are a little fussier about sound quality.

ZEN 16 GB portable player AWESOME!

This media player is absolutely awesome! Great little device that lets you play all sorts of music and movie files. It's great because you can move the files off of it as well as to it from your PC. It's small and lite and very self explanatory to use. Great sound quality and the screen is clear. Beats the 8 GB iPod nano in performance to price ratio.

Keyword : creative+mp3