Creative ZEN review
Creative is a worldwide manufacturer of digital entertainment products. Creative was founded in Singapore in 1981 with the underlying thought of multimedia starting a revolution in the way people handle their PCs. One of Creative's mobile multimedia players is the ZEN. The Creative ZEN is a multimedia player offering many possibilities and it has the size of a credit card. It's an interesting product for LetsGoMobile to put through the test procedure and offer you some insights in the performance of the ZEN. We have to mention beforehand that the included accessories of this test model deviate from what comes with the Creative ZEN available in the shops.
Creative ZEN mobile multimedia player
The Creative ZEN model tested by LetsGoMobile has an internal memory of 4GB but it is also available in a 2GB, 8GB and 16GB version. The front of the Creative ZEN multimedia player has a shiny black color and the back is carried out in matte black. The 2.5 inch LCD colour monitor is rather small to watch videos but it certainly has an excellent quality. The dimensions of the ZEN multimedia player are 55 x 83 x 12 mm. You can enhance the internal memory through an SD or SDHC memory card. The battery of the Creative ZEN takes four hours to fully recharge through a USB connection on the pc. A battery lasts for 25 hours of audio or five hours of video playback per charge. The Creative ZEN player is standard delivered with a one year manufacturer's warranty.
Creative ZEN Retail box
As said before, there are various ZEN kits available. Our ZEN test model comes in a black box, with lifestyle images printed on the inside. The test model is delivered with a remarkable amount of additional accessories such as extra pouches for protection. Apart from the Creative ZEN multimedia player, USB battery charger and earphones we also find in the box a clear case with a large keychain for attaching it to your bag or backpack for example. Another included protective cover is a leather case with a button for attaching it to your trousers and lastly a skin pack with the ZEN logo in bright red colors on the back. Furthermore a software CD is included and a user manual in no less than nineteen languages.
The card slot for expanding the onboard memory through a Secure Digital (up to 2GB) or an SDHC (from 4GB) is positioned on the top side, next to the built-in microphone. The right side of the ZEN multimedia player carries the connection for earplugs, the on / off button, that can also be slid up to put the multimedia player on 'hold' and a mini-USB connection to connect the ZEN to a pc. The front of the ZEN is dominated by the 2.5 inch LCD colour monitor with to the right of it some solid-feeling navigation buttons and other buttons for quick playback or recording of desired files.
Creative ZEN Software
It's easy to install the included software CD on the PC and it is extremely easy to use it. Installing of the software took less than fifteen minutes. The Creative ZEN software is very user-friendly. Transferring 1GB of music, pictures and videos took less than ten minutes through a USB 2.0 port. And if a video is not supported by one of the ZEN formats, it can be converted by pressing the button only once which is very convenient.
Creative ZEN Supported formats
The Creative ZEN music player supports AAC (.M4A), MP3, WAVE and Audible formats for audio playback. Video playback of the ZEN supports WMV en DivX / XviD in a resolution of 320x240 pixels. Other video formats can easily be converted through the included software to a format that is supported. A colour pallet containing 16.7 million colours takes care of the excellent picture reproduction of the Creative ZEN.
Creative ZEN Sound quality
After uploading more than 1GB of music, pictures and videos, we can get started with the Creative ZEN multimedia player. The included earplugs are of average quality. The sound the Creative ZEN produces in combination with the included earplugs is nice and clear. The volume range is wide; be careful not to damage your hearing, because the ZEN music player's volume can be turned up really high.
Creative ZEN LCD colour monitor
The digital multimedia player Creative ZEN has been equipped with a 2.5 inch LCD color screen that is ultra-large compared to the player since the player has the size of a credit card. The video quality is superb; a clear image with warm colours. I am very pleased with the reproduction quality of the monitor. Something that doesn't please me at all is the monitor's scratch-prone surface. I have never before come across an LCD colour screen that is so easily scratched.
Creative ZEN scratch-prone surface
These scratches not only appear on the LCD screen but they spread all over the front of the ZEN too. This is a real pity because once you've dropped your Creative ZEN, it will be noticeable forever. The test model we received came with a pack of protective cases and pouches but the consumer purchasing a ZEN will have to buy pouches separately for some fifteen to twenty Euros per piece. I do have to advise you to buy one of those otherwise your shiny monitor will be full of scratches in no-time.
Creative ZEN Main menu
The menu of the Creative ZEN is easily accessible at all times through the menu button. The background of the menu can be adjusted manually. The main menu contains: Microphone, Pictures, Music, Videos, FM-Radio, Extras, Memory Card, System, Play lists and Albums. The navigation buttons let you scroll through the entire menu with ease. Every menu has a number of submenus and top right there is a button that shows the options for each menu item.
Creative ZEN Built-in microphone
The ZEN has been equipped with a built-in microphone that is situated on the top side, right next to the SD / SDHC card slot. The Microphone menu is small but useful. When navigating through this menu, it turns out you can only start and finish a voice recording here. A voice recording is possible up to a maximum of ten minutes. The recorded sound can be played back through the Music menu and is of good quality; the recorded conversation is clear and very well audible.
Creative ZEN Slideshows
Pictures on the Creative ZEN are rendered in a maximum of 16.7 million colours offering a great result. When you go to the Pictures menu, you can see the pictures already transparent in the background, very well done! The menu offers a slideshow but viewing the pictures sequentially also belongs to the possibilities. Furthermore you can review the most recently visited pictures through this menu. Reproduction quality of the pictures is superb. Thumbnails appear almost immediately on the screen.
Creative ZEN Music player
The Music menu offers the largest choice: Now Playing, Play lists, Albums, Artists, Genres, All songs, Recordings, Page marker and DJ. All songs can be rated. The submenu DJ lets you make a choice from the highest rated song, to not yet rated songs or to the last rated song etcetera. The many sorting options of this menu make it easy to find songs and to play them sequentially. Forwarding within a song is also easy and well-controlled.
Creative ZEN Conclusion
T he Creative ZEN 4GB digital multimedia player is available for a price that varies from 95 Euros to 130 Euros. The credit card sized multimedia player has a neat up-to-date design. It delivers high quality sound that is adjustable to one's personal preferences. The 2.5 inch colour LCD monitor reproduces very clear high quality videos and pictures. Transferring files from the computer to the Creative ZEN is fast through the included USB cable that serves as a battery charger at the same time. That brings us to a disadvantage of this media player; you always need a computer for recharging the player. Another disadvantage is the scratch-prone monitor. There are sufficient optional protective cases available though. The Creative ZEN hasn't been equipped with speakers so it is not possible to listen to music without earphones. I don't think one can expect that for this price of around 100 Euros. All in all the Creative ZEN is a multimedia player certainly worth its money. In combination with a cover to protect the ZEN I would definitely call it a recommender
Creative is a worldwide manufacturer of digital entertainment products. Creative was founded in Singapore in 1981 with the underlying thought of multimedia starting a revolution in the way people handle their PCs. One of Creative's mobile multimedia players is the ZEN. The Creative ZEN is a multimedia player offering many possibilities and it has the size of a credit card. It's an interesting product for LetsGoMobile to put through the test procedure and offer you some insights in the performance of the ZEN. We have to mention beforehand that the included accessories of this test model deviate from what comes with the Creative ZEN available in the shops.
Creative ZEN mobile multimedia player
The Creative ZEN model tested by LetsGoMobile has an internal memory of 4GB but it is also available in a 2GB, 8GB and 16GB version. The front of the Creative ZEN multimedia player has a shiny black color and the back is carried out in matte black. The 2.5 inch LCD colour monitor is rather small to watch videos but it certainly has an excellent quality. The dimensions of the ZEN multimedia player are 55 x 83 x 12 mm. You can enhance the internal memory through an SD or SDHC memory card. The battery of the Creative ZEN takes four hours to fully recharge through a USB connection on the pc. A battery lasts for 25 hours of audio or five hours of video playback per charge. The Creative ZEN player is standard delivered with a one year manufacturer's warranty.
Creative ZEN Retail box
As said before, there are various ZEN kits available. Our ZEN test model comes in a black box, with lifestyle images printed on the inside. The test model is delivered with a remarkable amount of additional accessories such as extra pouches for protection. Apart from the Creative ZEN multimedia player, USB battery charger and earphones we also find in the box a clear case with a large keychain for attaching it to your bag or backpack for example. Another included protective cover is a leather case with a button for attaching it to your trousers and lastly a skin pack with the ZEN logo in bright red colors on the back. Furthermore a software CD is included and a user manual in no less than nineteen languages.
The card slot for expanding the onboard memory through a Secure Digital (up to 2GB) or an SDHC (from 4GB) is positioned on the top side, next to the built-in microphone. The right side of the ZEN multimedia player carries the connection for earplugs, the on / off button, that can also be slid up to put the multimedia player on 'hold' and a mini-USB connection to connect the ZEN to a pc. The front of the ZEN is dominated by the 2.5 inch LCD colour monitor with to the right of it some solid-feeling navigation buttons and other buttons for quick playback or recording of desired files.
Creative ZEN Software
It's easy to install the included software CD on the PC and it is extremely easy to use it. Installing of the software took less than fifteen minutes. The Creative ZEN software is very user-friendly. Transferring 1GB of music, pictures and videos took less than ten minutes through a USB 2.0 port. And if a video is not supported by one of the ZEN formats, it can be converted by pressing the button only once which is very convenient.
Creative ZEN Supported formats
The Creative ZEN music player supports AAC (.M4A), MP3, WAVE and Audible formats for audio playback. Video playback of the ZEN supports WMV en DivX / XviD in a resolution of 320x240 pixels. Other video formats can easily be converted through the included software to a format that is supported. A colour pallet containing 16.7 million colours takes care of the excellent picture reproduction of the Creative ZEN.
Creative ZEN Sound quality
After uploading more than 1GB of music, pictures and videos, we can get started with the Creative ZEN multimedia player. The included earplugs are of average quality. The sound the Creative ZEN produces in combination with the included earplugs is nice and clear. The volume range is wide; be careful not to damage your hearing, because the ZEN music player's volume can be turned up really high.
Creative ZEN LCD colour monitor
The digital multimedia player Creative ZEN has been equipped with a 2.5 inch LCD color screen that is ultra-large compared to the player since the player has the size of a credit card. The video quality is superb; a clear image with warm colours. I am very pleased with the reproduction quality of the monitor. Something that doesn't please me at all is the monitor's scratch-prone surface. I have never before come across an LCD colour screen that is so easily scratched.
Creative ZEN scratch-prone surface
These scratches not only appear on the LCD screen but they spread all over the front of the ZEN too. This is a real pity because once you've dropped your Creative ZEN, it will be noticeable forever. The test model we received came with a pack of protective cases and pouches but the consumer purchasing a ZEN will have to buy pouches separately for some fifteen to twenty Euros per piece. I do have to advise you to buy one of those otherwise your shiny monitor will be full of scratches in no-time.
Creative ZEN Main menu
The menu of the Creative ZEN is easily accessible at all times through the menu button. The background of the menu can be adjusted manually. The main menu contains: Microphone, Pictures, Music, Videos, FM-Radio, Extras, Memory Card, System, Play lists and Albums. The navigation buttons let you scroll through the entire menu with ease. Every menu has a number of submenus and top right there is a button that shows the options for each menu item.
Creative ZEN Built-in microphone
The ZEN has been equipped with a built-in microphone that is situated on the top side, right next to the SD / SDHC card slot. The Microphone menu is small but useful. When navigating through this menu, it turns out you can only start and finish a voice recording here. A voice recording is possible up to a maximum of ten minutes. The recorded sound can be played back through the Music menu and is of good quality; the recorded conversation is clear and very well audible.
Creative ZEN Slideshows
Pictures on the Creative ZEN are rendered in a maximum of 16.7 million colours offering a great result. When you go to the Pictures menu, you can see the pictures already transparent in the background, very well done! The menu offers a slideshow but viewing the pictures sequentially also belongs to the possibilities. Furthermore you can review the most recently visited pictures through this menu. Reproduction quality of the pictures is superb. Thumbnails appear almost immediately on the screen.
Creative ZEN Music player
The Music menu offers the largest choice: Now Playing, Play lists, Albums, Artists, Genres, All songs, Recordings, Page marker and DJ. All songs can be rated. The submenu DJ lets you make a choice from the highest rated song, to not yet rated songs or to the last rated song etcetera. The many sorting options of this menu make it easy to find songs and to play them sequentially. Forwarding within a song is also easy and well-controlled.
Creative ZEN Conclusion
T he Creative ZEN 4GB digital multimedia player is available for a price that varies from 95 Euros to 130 Euros. The credit card sized multimedia player has a neat up-to-date design. It delivers high quality sound that is adjustable to one's personal preferences. The 2.5 inch colour LCD monitor reproduces very clear high quality videos and pictures. Transferring files from the computer to the Creative ZEN is fast through the included USB cable that serves as a battery charger at the same time. That brings us to a disadvantage of this media player; you always need a computer for recharging the player. Another disadvantage is the scratch-prone monitor. There are sufficient optional protective cases available though. The Creative ZEN hasn't been equipped with speakers so it is not possible to listen to music without earphones. I don't think one can expect that for this price of around 100 Euros. All in all the Creative ZEN is a multimedia player certainly worth its money. In combination with a cover to protect the ZEN I would definitely call it a recommender
