Home page » MP3

Search:

Refine search for MP3

Located next to the SD card slot is an integrated microphone, allowing you to use the Zen as a voice recorder. This is a feature that's particularly useful to someone like myself, allowing me to record presentations and briefings - in fact I've been using my SanDisk Sansa e260 in this way for the past year or so. Of course it could also be useful if you're planning on going undercover and taking down a drug cartel or terrorist ring - no doubt Jack Bauer will have a Zen in his magic bag of holding for his next outing.

Like many other MP3 players, the Zen also sports a built-in organiser, although I don't know of anyone who uses their music player as their electronic diary, especially considering the functionality that's built into mobile phones these days. That said, the Zen will synchronise with Outlook, which is a definite plus point.

Creative also announced a raft of accessories for the Zen including an arm band carry pouch, rubber skins, clear and leather cases and a skin with built-in earphone management. The picture showing the rear of the retail package illustrates many of the accessories.

In the box you get the Zen itself, a mini-USB to USB cable, a software disc and the usual set of below par earphones. As always, the best thing you can do with bundled earphones is leave them in the box. Anyone who has even the slightest interest in the quality of their music should invest in a decent set of earphones. I know that it's hard to justify spending as much on earphones as you do on a player, but believe me, you won't regret it.

Talking of cost, Creative listed suggested retail pricing of €159.90 for the 4GB, €199.90 for the 8GB and €299.90 for the 16GB model. This means that the 4GB player will cost just over £100 in the UK, and you can expect street prices to dip below that magic three figure mark. This makes the Zen look as financially attractive as it is aesthetically attractive.

The Zen is a very similar product to the excellent iRiver Clix 2 that I reviewed a few months ago, but the suggested retail pricing means that Creative will be undercutting iRiver by a significant amount. The 4GB Clix 2 costs around £139, making it far more expensive than the Zen, while offering almost identical functionality. Of course iRiver devices do generally produce stunning audio quality and the Clix 2 was no exception. Although the Zen sounded very good when I auditioned it in Germany, I'll make my final verdict on its sound quality until I've had one to play with for a few days at least.

Creative has promised that I'll get a review sample in the next couple of weeks, so check back for the full and final verdict on the Zen. But if my first impressions are anything to go by, Creative could have a real winner on its hands.

Add your comment

© 2003-2009 TrustedReviews & IPC Media
About Us | Contact Us | Legal | Privacy | RSS