Music for the Masses, or MP3palooza for you-za
Well, I finally got fed up with the CD changer in my WRX - even though it is a 6-disc model - and not being able to easily listen to what I wanted to while in the car. So I decided to get me a portable mp3 player. and hook that in. Since the stock radio has no aux in, I ended up using a Cassette adaptor - which adds more wires hanging around, but doesn't have as many reported problems as an FM Transmitter thingy. So I do a bunch of looking around, a bunch of reading reviews, etc on the different models, evaluating what I want, etc. I ended up deciding to go with the Creative Nomad Zen Xtra 30gb model for $215 from NewEgg.
Now that's I've had it for a couple of day, and got a chance to use it, I'll do my mini-review on it, since some friends on IRC were curious about my opinion, since they've been eyeing that model as well.
Construction: it's a dense little package, brushed chrome surface and a bit bigger than an iPod. Has a large backlit blue screen on the front, so info is easy to read. However, since I have an old series one, the case that comes with it has no window to see the screen thru it, and the strap that holds it closed covers the power plug. I'm told the new ones have a window, but as of yet Creative is not selling them seperately. >_< The faceplate comes off so you have access to the replaceable battery - great idea - but the mechanism to hold it in place sucks ass, and if you brush the latching switch at the bottom of the unit, if you put lateral pressure on the bottom part of the faceplate - hell, I swear if you look at it funny, it spring open. I leave mine in the case, and have modded the case so I can use it better that way.
Playback: no complaints at all with the sound quality - sounds just as good thru headphones and in my car stereo using a cheap-ass Radio Shack casette adaptor. It's got setting so you can dork around with EAX processing, and it has an internal 5-band EQ, but it sounds damned good enough to me. I'm not going to bother trying to sound like some audiophile geekazoid - I've got some hearing damage from my time in the US Army, so the nitpicky things that those goons masterbate over being like 0.0001% better than another model - I could care less. It sounds plenty good to me, and it doesn't overdrive and start to distort until you max out the volume. I'm pleased. They claim that you can get 12-14 hours of operation on a charge, but my research online shows that 8-12 hours is what is commonly seen - which still is not bad, actually.
Ergonomics: this is where the Zen takes a beating. The ergonomics on this unit suck shit, there's really no other way to put it. I bought this thing primarily to use in the car, and it's not going to be that easy to use while in motion. If you look at the unit head-on, on the left edge you have a power button, a "back" button and a volume rocker switch. On the top is the USB plug, the power input and the headphone jack (this unit is notorious for broken headphone jack problems, too). On the right side is the menu button, the rocker switch/button you use to navigate the menus with (which feels rather shoddy), a play/pause button, and a skip forward/back rocker switch. Using the selector switch to navigate is quite a chore, as it lags initially and then builds up speed, so it's a trick to stop on a single item in a long list of things - in fact is bloody hellacious difficult to, actually. The iPod slaughters the Zen in ergonomics, I'm sad to say.
Menus and operation: what a mess! They should fire the people who created these menus. Combined with the sub-optimal selector switch you have to use to navigate around, it's an annoying experience. You get used to it after a while, but it's definitely not set up in any convenient way. I basically went in and did the setup, and then all I do is go in to browse the playlists I have, select one, and let the music start.
Software: The included software, Creative Mediasource Organizer is adequate for the task, but far from optimal. Instead, I immediately with the Red Chair Software's site, and purchased NotMad Explorer for $25 - this gave me full Windows Explorer shell integration, drag and drop, and a bunch of other features that go above and beyond what the default software does. But it doesn't do CD ripping as Mediasource does, but I've always used CDex with LAME, so that was no loss to me. NotMad Explorer was definitely worth the cost, let me assure you.
Accessories: what fucking accessories? anything for the Zen is available only from Creative's online shops, and there isn't much. They offer a "car kit" which is a DC adaptor and a Cassette adaptor for $40 - the Zen run on 5vdc at 1.5amps and in 3 days of looking, I could not buy a 3rd party power adaptor to those specs, not even a universal one from Radio Shack.
Warranty: 90 days from Creative. You can usually get an extended one from wherever you buy it from, and with the history of broken headset jacks, if you don't, you're an idiot.
End Opinion: Well, the price/storage ratio can't be beaten by anything else on the market right now. You can get a 60gb Model for $400, and since it uses a standard 2.5" laptop HD, we've seen brave people who don't mind killing their warranty putting 80gb drives in successfully.But what's DS' end verdict on this?
Well, as long as it works, ithe Creative Nomad Zen Xtra is a great bargain, but if you can a> afford the insane price b>deal with the smaller storage capacity c> don't loathe iTunes like I do - frankly I'd recommend an iPod. Even with the negatives of the battery you can't replace, the crappiness of iTunes, and the the fact that it's ugly as hell being all plain white, as well as being an Apple product - the combination of ergonomics, durability and the fact there are useful accessories actually available on the open market makes it a better value over the Nomad Zen Xtra I have. I think that if someone was to offer me $200 for the whole kit I've got, I'd take it and put that money towards replacing it with an iPod. And believe me, just admitting that depresses me more than you can imagine - I've never enjoyed following the herd in things like this. >_< I'll enjoy my Nomad Zen for as long as it functions as it should, and pray it doesn't break anytime soon.
Now that's I've had it for a couple of day, and got a chance to use it, I'll do my mini-review on it, since some friends on IRC were curious about my opinion, since they've been eyeing that model as well.
Construction: it's a dense little package, brushed chrome surface and a bit bigger than an iPod. Has a large backlit blue screen on the front, so info is easy to read. However, since I have an old series one, the case that comes with it has no window to see the screen thru it, and the strap that holds it closed covers the power plug. I'm told the new ones have a window, but as of yet Creative is not selling them seperately. >_< The faceplate comes off so you have access to the replaceable battery - great idea - but the mechanism to hold it in place sucks ass, and if you brush the latching switch at the bottom of the unit, if you put lateral pressure on the bottom part of the faceplate - hell, I swear if you look at it funny, it spring open. I leave mine in the case, and have modded the case so I can use it better that way.
Playback: no complaints at all with the sound quality - sounds just as good thru headphones and in my car stereo using a cheap-ass Radio Shack casette adaptor. It's got setting so you can dork around with EAX processing, and it has an internal 5-band EQ, but it sounds damned good enough to me. I'm not going to bother trying to sound like some audiophile geekazoid - I've got some hearing damage from my time in the US Army, so the nitpicky things that those goons masterbate over being like 0.0001% better than another model - I could care less. It sounds plenty good to me, and it doesn't overdrive and start to distort until you max out the volume. I'm pleased. They claim that you can get 12-14 hours of operation on a charge, but my research online shows that 8-12 hours is what is commonly seen - which still is not bad, actually.
Ergonomics: this is where the Zen takes a beating. The ergonomics on this unit suck shit, there's really no other way to put it. I bought this thing primarily to use in the car, and it's not going to be that easy to use while in motion. If you look at the unit head-on, on the left edge you have a power button, a "back" button and a volume rocker switch. On the top is the USB plug, the power input and the headphone jack (this unit is notorious for broken headphone jack problems, too). On the right side is the menu button, the rocker switch/button you use to navigate the menus with (which feels rather shoddy), a play/pause button, and a skip forward/back rocker switch. Using the selector switch to navigate is quite a chore, as it lags initially and then builds up speed, so it's a trick to stop on a single item in a long list of things - in fact is bloody hellacious difficult to, actually. The iPod slaughters the Zen in ergonomics, I'm sad to say.
Menus and operation: what a mess! They should fire the people who created these menus. Combined with the sub-optimal selector switch you have to use to navigate around, it's an annoying experience. You get used to it after a while, but it's definitely not set up in any convenient way. I basically went in and did the setup, and then all I do is go in to browse the playlists I have, select one, and let the music start.
Software: The included software, Creative Mediasource Organizer is adequate for the task, but far from optimal. Instead, I immediately with the Red Chair Software's site, and purchased NotMad Explorer for $25 - this gave me full Windows Explorer shell integration, drag and drop, and a bunch of other features that go above and beyond what the default software does. But it doesn't do CD ripping as Mediasource does, but I've always used CDex with LAME, so that was no loss to me. NotMad Explorer was definitely worth the cost, let me assure you.
Accessories: what fucking accessories? anything for the Zen is available only from Creative's online shops, and there isn't much. They offer a "car kit" which is a DC adaptor and a Cassette adaptor for $40 - the Zen run on 5vdc at 1.5amps and in 3 days of looking, I could not buy a 3rd party power adaptor to those specs, not even a universal one from Radio Shack.
Warranty: 90 days from Creative. You can usually get an extended one from wherever you buy it from, and with the history of broken headset jacks, if you don't, you're an idiot.
End Opinion: Well, the price/storage ratio can't be beaten by anything else on the market right now. You can get a 60gb Model for $400, and since it uses a standard 2.5" laptop HD, we've seen brave people who don't mind killing their warranty putting 80gb drives in successfully.But what's DS' end verdict on this?
Well, as long as it works, ithe Creative Nomad Zen Xtra is a great bargain, but if you can a> afford the insane price b>deal with the smaller storage capacity c> don't loathe iTunes like I do - frankly I'd recommend an iPod. Even with the negatives of the battery you can't replace, the crappiness of iTunes, and the the fact that it's ugly as hell being all plain white, as well as being an Apple product - the combination of ergonomics, durability and the fact there are useful accessories actually available on the open market makes it a better value over the Nomad Zen Xtra I have. I think that if someone was to offer me $200 for the whole kit I've got, I'd take it and put that money towards replacing it with an iPod. And believe me, just admitting that depresses me more than you can imagine - I've never enjoyed following the herd in things like this. >_< I'll enjoy my Nomad Zen for as long as it functions as it should, and pray it doesn't break anytime soon.