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7.0 out of 10

Creative ZEN

First seen: 16 march 2004

Information found in: from 159 sources in 30 countries.

Great Deal: $44.95

  • User Score (966)
    7.7 7.7 from 966 reviewers
  • Expert Score (62)
    7.6 7.6 from 62 reviewers
  • Design (36)
    7.6 7.6 from 36 reviewers
  • Value for money (57)
    6.8 6.8 from 57 reviewers
  • Features (56)
    6.5 6.5 from 56 reviewers
  • Ease of use (16)
    7.5 7.5 from 16 reviewers
  • Performance (7)
    6.4 6.4 from 7 reviewers
  • Sound quality (127)
    7.5 7.5 from 127 reviewers
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Pros & Cons

  • video and audio playback, larger screen, very good idea, very attractive, amazing sound quality
  • monochrome screen, touch pad very sensitive, long startup time, poor max volume, skimps on bundled accessories

A dynamically slim media player with a 2.5" LCD screen that plays back popular MP3 and AAC music formats, and comes equipped with a SD expansion slot.

Specifications

  • Size WxHxD:
    5.67" x 3.18" x 1.06" (144mm x 80.7mm x 27mm)
  • Weight:
    12oz (340 grams) with battery
  • Display:
    3.8", 320 x 240 pixel resolution, backlit LCD Display
  • Capacity:
    20GB Hard drive(1)
  • Battery Life:
    Up to 22hrs continuous audio playtime(2) Or up to 7hrs of continuous video playtime(2)
  • Interface:
    USB 2.0 (backward compatible with USB 1.1)
  • Supported Digital Media Types:
    Plays: Windows Media Video and Photo Story files (.wmv, .asf) at a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels and at a bit rate less than 800kbps Windows Media Audio files (.wma) MP3 audio files (.mp3) JPEG image files (.jpg, .jpg, .jpe, .jfif) Compatible(3) with: Windows Media and Photo Story files (.wmv, .asf) at a resolution higher than 320 x 240 pixels and/or at a bit rate higher than 800kbps Microsoft Recorded TV Show file (.dvr-ms) MPEG movie file (.mpeg, .mpg, mpe, .m1v, .mp2v, .mpeg2)(4) Windows Video file (.avi)(4) Windows Audio file (.wav)

Release Date

  • First seen
    16 March 2004

Creative ZEN

The ZEN portable media player from the Singapore-based Creative Technology was unveiled in August 2007 and is largely considered as the successor to the ZEN Vision:M. When it was launched, this flash memory-based device came in 4, 8 and 16 gigabyte capacities while the 32 gigabyte unit was announced in December. The 32 gigabyte ZEN was the first flash-based player to reach that storage capacity. It is also the first portable media player from Creative to feature an SD card slot for SD…

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Creative ZEN

The ZEN portable media player from the Singapore-based Creative Technology was unveiled in August 2007 and is largely considered as the successor to the ZEN Vision:M. When it was launched, this flash memory-based device came in 4, 8 and 16 gigabyte capacities while the 32 gigabyte unit was announced in December. The 32 gigabyte ZEN was the first flash-based player to reach that storage capacity. It is also the first portable media player from Creative to feature an SD card slot for SD and SDHC memory cards. An optional adapter will enable the use of both microSD and miniSD cards.

The Creative ZEN is about the size of a credit card, measuring 3.26 x 2.16 x 0.44 inches and weighs in at 2.3 ounces. It sports a 2.5 inch backlit LCD screen running at 320 x 240 resolution and displaying 16.7 million colors. Powering the device is a non-removable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery lasting up to 25 hours when playing music and up to 5 hours when watching videos.

Audio Player

The ZEN supports most audio formats out there including AAC, lossless WMA and WMA-DRM, WAV and Audible formats. The player’s equalizer comes with 8 presets and a customizable 5-band EQ. Other notable features include FM radio tuner and a built-in microphone for voice recordings.

Video Player

The vibrant screen of the Creative Zen is suited for video playback. It natively supports the following video formats MPEG4-SP, WMV9, DivX, XviD, MJPEG and, via transcoding, MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 formats can also be played back. Creative’s included Video Converter software handles all the conversions of video files for optimal playback on the ZEN.

Photo Viewer & Personal Information Manager

Extra features include a photo viewer supporting JPEG formats natively and others via transcoding. The ZEN can also serve as a simple personal information manager. It can import contacts as well as calendars and tasks from Microsoft Outlook.

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Review Summary

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  1. Creative Zen Review

    Reviewer: Anything but iPod
    25 September 2007

    There is much good to say about Creative's new Zen. The design is durable and a comfortable fit in your hand. The interface is intuitive and lends to a very low learning curve (if any at all). The 16.7 million color screen looks great, as does the video played back on it. I really applaud Creative for adding AAC support, but it would still be nice to get some other license-free codecs such as OGG or FLAC. There was a slight disappointment in that the Zen's video needed... Read more

  2. An Apple alternative

    Reviewer: APC
    30 July 2007
    Overall 6
    6.0
    Performance 6
    6.0
     

    Video playback on the 2.5in display was clear with no noticeable blurring on fast moving objects. Format support includes WMV, XviD and DivX. The Zen is available in 4GB, 8GB and 16GB models. Read more

  3. Creative Zen

    Reviewer: Mp3.com
    17 September 2007
    Overall 8
    8.3
     

    We're hard-pressed to find anything not to like about the Creative Zen. It's a great option for anyone looking for a great-sounding, pocketable MP3 player with an excellent, video-capable screen and plenty of extra features. Read more

  4. Creative Zen

    Reviewer: ComputerShopper
    16 October 2007
    Overall 8
    8.0
     

    It's not the most eye-catching player out there, but the Creative Zen still has lots going for it: a beautiful screen, excellent sound quality, and good battery life. Read more

  5. Creative ZEN digital player / radio

    Reviewer: CNET
    27 October 2009

    Specifications: Device type: Digital player / radio ; Flash memory installed: 2 GB ; Digital player supported digital audio standards: AAC , MP3 , WAV , WMA , ADPCM , Audible ; See full specs Read more

  1. Reviewer: a consumer, Pixmania
    21 January 2009
    Overall 9
    9.0
     

    very good quality all round. i have had mine for about 6 months. well worth the money I strongly recomend the Zen case because it is worth looking after. MUST BUY NOW!!!! Read more

  2. Great mp3 player

    Reviewer: Shane, Yahoo Shopping
    3 July 2009
    Overall 8
    8.3
    Value for money 7
    6.7
    Features 7
    6.7
    Sound quality 8
    8.3
     

    This is my second Creative mp3 player and have have for over a year. The Zen has a big colorful 2.5 inch screen. The player controls and software are easy to use. The small size is also nice, it fits into any poctet (you can also hide easily). My ... only gripe is that it doesn't remember what song was played earlier, so it repeats some songs again. Read more Less Read more

  3. Lasted less than 10 months.

    Reviewer: TMO1, Amazon
    15 November 2009 See Product at Amazon ($88.22)
    Overall 4
    4.0
     

    I enjoyed this mp3 player when it worked. Good sound and bright, large screen. Unfortunately, the player failed completely after about 9 months. It can't take a charge or show any sign of life. I believe the battery was defective. Fortunately, it was still under warranty. I recommend that if you purchase this item, you should get an extended warranty because there's a good chance you'll need it. See the many negative reviews on the other listing for this item on Amazon. Read more or see product

  4. Excellent

    Reviewer: Amazon
    10 January 2010 See Product at Amazon ($88.22)
    Overall 10
    10
     

    Have used this player non-stop for the past couple of years. You get the quality you expect from a Creative product. Sound quality is excellent, easy to use, never had any hint of a problem. Expandable using an SD card really useul. Read more or see product

  5. Another Creative Product that DOES NOT Disappoint

    Reviewer: Creative
    2 weeks ago
    Overall 8
    8.0
     

    This is my 4th creative mp3 player I have purchased. I was just upgrading to a better model. The other 3 are all still working and in great condition, they have been passed on to my daughter or her cousins. This is a great player, I love that I can expand the storage space with an SD card. The video playback is great and the size is perfect. Read more

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