Customer Reviews

Creative Hard Plastic Case for Zen, Zen MX (Clear)

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(39)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

The Good:
-Solid build and thick plastic
-a section of the back of the case (that sits flush with the case when closed) pops out on a hinge to use as a stand for the player. The viewing angle is good for tabletop viewing.
-Comes with a circular carabiner-style key ring connected to the case by a small leather strap

The Bad:
-Slight, but *very annoying* defect in the fit of the case to the player that causes a noticeable "spot" on the screen.
-The thick plastic makes the right-most buttons more difficult to push with the thumb
-The carabiner-style key ring is of very poor quality.
-The stand can be difficult to "pop out" of its closed position
-Scratches easily - more easily than the player's face.

The good points are self explanatory, but allow me to elaborate on the bad. I got this case in tandem with the player, and the first (and most unforgivable) thing I noticed was that the case itself pushes on the front of the screen so that you see what looks like a translucent oil spot on the screen, but it is actually a contact point between the case and the player. The contact spot is noticeable when the player is off, which is understandable, but you still notice it when the player is on and displaying information, and even when playing video. Also, the thick plastic of the case (which adds to the player's overall thickness by about 50%) makes the buttons on the right side of the control interface (right, menu, and play/pause) more difficult to depress with the right thumb because the edge of the case comes right up to the right side of the buttons. As for the carabiner key ring, it feels really cheap and doesn't close properly if you're not paying attention because there is so much play between the parts of the red, metal ring that you can easily see the pin connecting the two pieces of the hinge. When closing the clasp may even be so far off that it won't even catch leaving it gaping unnaturally open. With regard to the stand, the tight fit of the plastic piece in the closed position can make it difficult for someone without long fingernails to pop it open, and I imagine this becomes less of an issue with more use, but for a new case it is an obvious annoyance. To top it all off, I noticed some very small, fine scratches that seemed to appear on the case within the first couple hours of use, but these are barely noticeable when the player is on so this is perhaps the least and most forgivable of the many offenses of this case.

I expected to be able to allow the case to absorb the brunt of the wear on the player, but what I didn't expect was that a brand new case would hinder my viewing, and even interfacing experience because of several design and manufacturing flaws to begin with.

For those that own a Creative Zen 4GB, 8GB or 16GB, this is one of the best all around cases available from the manufacturer at this point. Everyone has their own preference. A leather case, a silicon case and an armband holder are available as well.

The case has ports for your jacks and allows you to access all your controls. The built-in stand is a nice touch, and the attached keychain may be useful for some. I think most people will keep the unit in their pockets or bags.

The case is good at remaining very clear. It doesn't have the cable managment features of the silicon case, but that probably was not an option with the thickness of the acrylic. This case adds at least 1/4 inch to the player. This is a trade off for safety.

The real test is the "drop." This case has held up to some light drops by me, but somehow I still feel nervous about it. I would recommend not testing it too much yourself. Treat it well and it will hold up nicely, protecting your player from scratches and dents.

If you want a clear case this is the only one available from Creative at this time. Enjoy it!

The only reason this gets 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the ring. The circular shape doesn't work for carabiner rings, the latch can easily be misaligned and it doesn't snap quickly onto things. Takes a minute or two to clip it onto something (unless you're extremely coordinated, which I'm not). I switched the circle ring out with a standard D-shaped mini carabiner and that works much better, it snaps together securely and very easily. And why is there no access to the SD slot with the case on? The slot already has a dummy card in it to protect the slot, so why is it necessary to cover it with another layer of plastic?

Aside from these two issues, this is a great case, it protects the screen and I can access (almost) everything I need to. The case fits tightly but on mine there was no "oil-spot" contact point between the case and the screen- maybe that was fixed in later production runs. And for those who complain about the case adding thickness to the player- it's not that much, and how else are you supposed to protect the player? It's a non-issue for me. Unless you want to smother your player in a leather case, this is the best thing you will find for the Zen. And if it scratches, you can always buy a new clear case instead of having to replace the player itself.

It's a very good strong case that feels like I could throw it against a brick wall. I use the stand that is built in to the case daily and it really helps when shareing videos with friends. I also really like the removable belt clip. For those who don't usually carry some form of bag around with them, an MP3 player isn't a priority to shove in to your pocket.
While I'm glad I bought it, it does have some drawbacks. It doesn't make the device much bigger, but considering how small it starts out the difference is very noticible. The buttons are slightly harder to use when not looking at the device (i.e. If the device is in a pocket or hooked to a belt loop). The screen isn't nearly as nice looking with the cover on as the cover itself scratches easily and gets so close to the screen that it creates visable air bubbles. The worst thing about the case is the fact that not all headphone jacks work with the case on. The headphone jack becomes recessed much like some IPODs. My Shure headphones work, but every time I want to plug my ZEN in to my car I have to remove the case.
Like I said - I'm still happy I got the case. I've droped the device maybe two times, but I'm just happy to know that the pretty ZEN itself is unharmed.

I bought this case for my Zen 32Gb and I really don't have any complaints about it. If you're a female like me and have small fingers, you won't have any issues with the power button or navigational buttons. Most guys, especially ones with bigger hands won't like this case at all. I don't get the spot between the case and screen that others have complained about. The only improvement I would recommend is that Creative put something in the box that describes how to open/close the case. I spent an hour trying to "snap" it closed, but all you have to do is S-L-I-D-E it on and off. Would have been nice if there was a hole where the reset button is too. If you need to reset, you have to remove the back cover. The nicest thing about it? I don't have fingerprints all over my screen!

I bought this case for my zen, wanting to protect that wonderful look that it had coming out of the box. When I opened the package for this case, there were a few smudges or scratches on the case itself, which puzzles me, but they are of no big concern. Now to the use itself. It works very well, protecting all but the buttons from damage, but there are a few things that could be done to improve the case. The case leaves very little room to control buttons close to the edge of the case, especially for me, the right direction key, and now I have to slightly angle the whole thing if I want to successfully skip forward or flip into a sub-menu. I have fairly skinny fingers too. Also, the case covers the reset button and the sd card slot, but it is actually not that hard to take the case on and off. The kick stand is very handy, so that I can prop up my player while I'm working at my desk to see what is playing. When I first put my player in this case, I had to try a couple of times to do it without letting any dust in. That may be clumsiness on my own part, but it is still to be noted. The key-chain is great for hanging the player on your backpack or briefcase, but I live in Central Seattle, not a great place to be walking around with an mp3 player hanging out for anyone to see and more likely take. All in all, great case, serves it's purpose, no major faults, and i definitely recommend it.

This review may be a little premature as I have owned this case for less than an hour.However,two flaws struck me right away.The slot in the case over the power switch is very narrow.Unless you have small fingers or longish nails you will struggle with the switch.The case seems very sturdy.I know this because the unit hit the floor hard when the ring broke apart after putting it on my belt loop and walking across my kitchen after about 30 Seconds!There was so much slop in the joint that it popped out sideways and dislodged the spring.I would say the ring was junk to begin with.I'll find another ring and give it a chance,but there has to be a better case out there.

I really like this case. the only thing i would like to see is protection for the buttons which could be done. I never use the loop and the ring so I took my one off, I believe the case could withstand a slight hammer blow.

I don't know what people are raving about . Obviously a case deigned to protect something will make the product a little bit thicker. But i had no problems with the case except for one. The Key ring was extremely cheap quality and if i really tried i could bend it with my index finger. Other than that the case is strong ,durable and surely will protect your zen for years to come =)
The buttons are still easily accessible and you can get access to everything needed except for the Sd slot. That is the reason why i gave it 4 stars. My kickstand works fine but im not sure what other customers experience was. I have seen some other reviews and they complain that it is plastic . Well what else are they going to make it out of? Tunkston carbide.? Almost any case is made out of plastic!! But i do have to admit it does scratch fairly easy. But which one is cheaper to replace your 130 dollar zen or a stupid 15 dollar case? Exactly the case so all in all this product is great for its price.

This is the best manufacturer case for the Zen MP3 Player. The case is tough, and prevents your MP3 Player from scratching. It also has a nice belt loop clip. Everything is easy to access, including the headphone jack and the buttons.

The plastic case also has a nice stand, so you can lean your player up.

This is perhaps the better quality protection for this player. The leather one is nice, but if you want to be able to show off your player easily this is the case to get.

Edit: If you don't like my review, please tell why.