Creative Technology ZEN Nano Plus (512 MB) MP3 Player
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Similar in MP3 Players
- Number of Songs: 120
- Usage: Music Recording
- Interface: USB 2.0
- Main Storage Type: Built-in Memory
- Storage Capacity: 512 MB
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77
I Believe in this ZEN!
Pros
Extremely small; more-than-adequate capacity; uses standard rechargeable batteries; elegant functionality
Cons
Included applications are unnecessary; earbuds are only passable; no case included
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
The ZEN Nano has proven to be an outstanding player. You will need to buy rechargeable batteries and a case, though.
For a couple months in 2005, my wife and I spent a bit of time researching Mp3 players. On one end, we found Apple iPods and other high-end monsters that cost around 200 big ones to buy; but, on the other end, we found cheap-o players from no-namers. Either way, without standards, any consumer could be stuck with an Mp3 player that would either be too much for their needs or too cheesy to last an accidental drop on the floor.
Thus, we had to establish personal criteria to narrow our search. Here's what we came up with:
1) Storage space:
The more new Mp3 players come out, the greater the storage capacity increase, almost exponentially. Now, there are players with capacities of 30 GB or greater – almost like small hard-drives. Before thinking about paying extra money for greater capacity, we considered this: songs converted to Mp3 average around 4 MB, which equates to 250 songs per gigabyte (GB). If you have 30 GB of capacity, then you could hold about 7,500 songs, which could be 750 albums of music! That is excessive, even for that music freak that downloads unconscionably.
For my wife and me, we wanted something that could hold a few CDs worth of music, since we would not need to save 7,500 songs. We don't even own that much music! Besides, we are also a bit "old-fashioned," in that we sometimes like to listen to CDs as artists choose to lay them out. Unless we set up our playlists to accurately reflect the song order on an album, the concept behind the song order is lost.
2) Use of rechargeable batteries:
Nowadays, electronic devices can burn through several batteries in a month, which can be costly and wasteful. Many Mp3 players use proprietary battery packs, which come with the player – these are good; but if the battery pack loses its ability to hold a charge, then that company's battery pack must be purchased. This can also be needlessly expensive. By getting a player that uses standard or rechargeable batteries, batteries can be easily purchased at the local store at a reasonable price.
3) Connectivity via USB cable:
Our computer's USB ports are in the back of the tower, and the tower is nestled in an armoire, so we needed a player that could jack into the computer via cable. Some players connect directly into the USB port by way of a male connector on the unit itself, which would not be good for us.
After some research, we settled on the ZEN Nano 512 MB Mp3 player. It has a capacity of 512 MB, which is sizeable but not overwhelming – this satisfied Criteria 1. It uses one AAA battery, which satisfied Criteria 2. And, it connects to our computer using, interesting, the same mini-USB cable that our Canon PowerShot A520 uses, which was really convenient. So, our criteria were met.
How about the performance of the unit? Let's break it down:
Sound:
For the most part, no matter what the compression bitrate is, Mp3 do sound slightly different from CD audio tracks. By design, Mp3s are compressed in such a way that, for example, lesser sounds that are overlapped by more dominant sounds are removed (say, a drum beat dominates a bass note, so the bass note is muted). Even when you increase the bitrate to CD quality (160 kbps), compression still takes something away from the music, even if that element is near-inaudible. That notwithstanding, the ZEN Nano produces sound almost as well as my Sony Discman. Of course, for audiophiles, even CDs are not good enough. Nonetheless, the ZEN Nano is more than enough for the casual listener, as well as for my wife and me.
Ease of Use:
The ZEN Nano is easy-to-use when it comes to playing music and setting your equalizer. Most options are selected and toggled using a small thumb-sized wheel on the side of the player. To view menu options, the wheel cycles through the options. To select an item, the wheel is pressed. Volume is set with two buttons on the side. A display on the broad face of the player shows menus, track names and song times.
However, the programs that come with the ZEN Nano are largely useless if you run Windows XP or Windows 2000. Creative MediaSource Organizer is one of the programs included on the installation disc, which allows the user to organize the media files on their computer. I found this program largely useless, especially since I can easily organize my files using Windows Explorer or even Windows Media Player. Creative Zen Nano Media Explorer also organizes files, though it allows the user to sort by track number after the music is loaded on the play, as well as extract music directly from CD. This is a useful application, though, once again, not necessary.
The simplest way to use the ZEN Nano player is to extract chosen files using Windows Media Player, and then drag and drop the files onto what would be the Removable Disc (P:) drive on your computer. Windows XP is well able to recognize your ZEN Nano player and do what is necessary. In this sense, the ZEN Nano is easy to use. Personally, I suggest skipping the installation disc and just plugging the player into your computer after you have started Windows. This applies to Windows XP and 2000, but you may have to run the installation disc on Windows 98 or ME. Oh, and for Windows 95 and NT users: this player will probably not work, unless you have USB drivers installed (which you would have to acquire from a third-party).
Durability:
Thus far, the ZEN Nano has proven to be durable enough to survive drops and scrapes. The unit feels solid, but one would expect such from something with few, if any, moving parts. The outer casing does scratch easily, so if you try to keep the player smudge-free, use cheesecloth or something that is meant for polishing glass. In my feeble attempts to wipe away fingerprints, I have left circular pin-scratches.
As far as unit longevity is concerned, that has yet to be seen. So far, the unit has done very well in this category.
Portability:
The ZEN Nano is 2.2 ounces and incredibly small – about the size of a small lighter. It can be worn around the neck using the included strap, or it can easily fit in a shirt-pocket. Just be sure to take it out of your pocket before washing your shirt, pants, or wherever you place it because it is almost unnoticeable.
Battery Life :
The unit reportedly lasts about 18 hours on one AAA battery. In my experience, the ZEN Nano does last a while on one rechargeable AAA battery, but not 18 hours. I have observed 12 hours of operation before the battery needed to be replaced or recharged. Nevertheless, 12 hours is a lot better than a CD player with 2 AA batteries can do.
Accessories :
Besides the aforementioned programs and installation disc, the ZEN Nano comes with a neck strap, one AAA battery for immediate use, and earbud headphones. The headphones are adequate but not great, not to mention not very well contoured to the ear. They are serviceable, but not noteworthy.
The one missing accessory that I feel should be standard with all players is a case or bag within which the owner can place the player. I know that it is too much to ask to have a manufacturer include a leather or faux-leather case that snaps on a belt, but even a small, marginally useful cloth bag would be better than carrying the player around without protection.
***
Overall, the ZEN Nano is an excellent Mp3 player that is both a relative bargain and a player with a good amount of capacity. I heavily recommend this player to the budget-conscious consumer who is not concerned with extracting their entire CD collection and placing it onto one player. The ZEN Nano is drag-and-drop friendly, easily adjusted, and extremely light. All you will need is a protective case and you will be set.
Thus, we had to establish personal criteria to narrow our search. Here's what we came up with:
1) Storage space:
The more new Mp3 players come out, the greater the storage capacity increase, almost exponentially. Now, there are players with capacities of 30 GB or greater – almost like small hard-drives. Before thinking about paying extra money for greater capacity, we considered this: songs converted to Mp3 average around 4 MB, which equates to 250 songs per gigabyte (GB). If you have 30 GB of capacity, then you could hold about 7,500 songs, which could be 750 albums of music! That is excessive, even for that music freak that downloads unconscionably.
For my wife and me, we wanted something that could hold a few CDs worth of music, since we would not need to save 7,500 songs. We don't even own that much music! Besides, we are also a bit "old-fashioned," in that we sometimes like to listen to CDs as artists choose to lay them out. Unless we set up our playlists to accurately reflect the song order on an album, the concept behind the song order is lost.
2) Use of rechargeable batteries:
Nowadays, electronic devices can burn through several batteries in a month, which can be costly and wasteful. Many Mp3 players use proprietary battery packs, which come with the player – these are good; but if the battery pack loses its ability to hold a charge, then that company's battery pack must be purchased. This can also be needlessly expensive. By getting a player that uses standard or rechargeable batteries, batteries can be easily purchased at the local store at a reasonable price.
3) Connectivity via USB cable:
Our computer's USB ports are in the back of the tower, and the tower is nestled in an armoire, so we needed a player that could jack into the computer via cable. Some players connect directly into the USB port by way of a male connector on the unit itself, which would not be good for us.
After some research, we settled on the ZEN Nano 512 MB Mp3 player. It has a capacity of 512 MB, which is sizeable but not overwhelming – this satisfied Criteria 1. It uses one AAA battery, which satisfied Criteria 2. And, it connects to our computer using, interesting, the same mini-USB cable that our Canon PowerShot A520 uses, which was really convenient. So, our criteria were met.
How about the performance of the unit? Let's break it down:
Sound:
For the most part, no matter what the compression bitrate is, Mp3 do sound slightly different from CD audio tracks. By design, Mp3s are compressed in such a way that, for example, lesser sounds that are overlapped by more dominant sounds are removed (say, a drum beat dominates a bass note, so the bass note is muted). Even when you increase the bitrate to CD quality (160 kbps), compression still takes something away from the music, even if that element is near-inaudible. That notwithstanding, the ZEN Nano produces sound almost as well as my Sony Discman. Of course, for audiophiles, even CDs are not good enough. Nonetheless, the ZEN Nano is more than enough for the casual listener, as well as for my wife and me.
Ease of Use:
The ZEN Nano is easy-to-use when it comes to playing music and setting your equalizer. Most options are selected and toggled using a small thumb-sized wheel on the side of the player. To view menu options, the wheel cycles through the options. To select an item, the wheel is pressed. Volume is set with two buttons on the side. A display on the broad face of the player shows menus, track names and song times.
However, the programs that come with the ZEN Nano are largely useless if you run Windows XP or Windows 2000. Creative MediaSource Organizer is one of the programs included on the installation disc, which allows the user to organize the media files on their computer. I found this program largely useless, especially since I can easily organize my files using Windows Explorer or even Windows Media Player. Creative Zen Nano Media Explorer also organizes files, though it allows the user to sort by track number after the music is loaded on the play, as well as extract music directly from CD. This is a useful application, though, once again, not necessary.
The simplest way to use the ZEN Nano player is to extract chosen files using Windows Media Player, and then drag and drop the files onto what would be the Removable Disc (P:) drive on your computer. Windows XP is well able to recognize your ZEN Nano player and do what is necessary. In this sense, the ZEN Nano is easy to use. Personally, I suggest skipping the installation disc and just plugging the player into your computer after you have started Windows. This applies to Windows XP and 2000, but you may have to run the installation disc on Windows 98 or ME. Oh, and for Windows 95 and NT users: this player will probably not work, unless you have USB drivers installed (which you would have to acquire from a third-party).
Durability:
Thus far, the ZEN Nano has proven to be durable enough to survive drops and scrapes. The unit feels solid, but one would expect such from something with few, if any, moving parts. The outer casing does scratch easily, so if you try to keep the player smudge-free, use cheesecloth or something that is meant for polishing glass. In my feeble attempts to wipe away fingerprints, I have left circular pin-scratches.
As far as unit longevity is concerned, that has yet to be seen. So far, the unit has done very well in this category.
Portability:
The ZEN Nano is 2.2 ounces and incredibly small – about the size of a small lighter. It can be worn around the neck using the included strap, or it can easily fit in a shirt-pocket. Just be sure to take it out of your pocket before washing your shirt, pants, or wherever you place it because it is almost unnoticeable.
Battery Life :
The unit reportedly lasts about 18 hours on one AAA battery. In my experience, the ZEN Nano does last a while on one rechargeable AAA battery, but not 18 hours. I have observed 12 hours of operation before the battery needed to be replaced or recharged. Nevertheless, 12 hours is a lot better than a CD player with 2 AA batteries can do.
Accessories :
Besides the aforementioned programs and installation disc, the ZEN Nano comes with a neck strap, one AAA battery for immediate use, and earbud headphones. The headphones are adequate but not great, not to mention not very well contoured to the ear. They are serviceable, but not noteworthy.
The one missing accessory that I feel should be standard with all players is a case or bag within which the owner can place the player. I know that it is too much to ask to have a manufacturer include a leather or faux-leather case that snaps on a belt, but even a small, marginally useful cloth bag would be better than carrying the player around without protection.
***
Overall, the ZEN Nano is an excellent Mp3 player that is both a relative bargain and a player with a good amount of capacity. I heavily recommend this player to the budget-conscious consumer who is not concerned with extracting their entire CD collection and placing it onto one player. The ZEN Nano is drag-and-drop friendly, easily adjusted, and extremely light. All you will need is a protective case and you will be set.
