Customer Reviews

Creative Labs NOMAD IIc 128 MB MP3 Player

5 star:		(90)
4 star:		(49)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

This is not my first MP3 Player... In the last week, I bought the Rio One MP3 player... Big deception... So, I replaced it with: The Creative Labs Nomad IIc.

And until now, I'm generaly impressed. ;)

The reason why I purchased this MP3 player is because I travel a lot by motorcycle and, after 4 hours of riding, you start to grow tired of hearing wind and engine... It helps to have a distraction like... hmm.. your favorite music? ;) The problem, forget about my CDPlayer with 45 secs of memory. It starts skipping the moment I start riding... :(

The product, I find it great: The menu is easy to navigate (from my personal point of view, though, if you check reviews for the 64MB, you'll find that some complain about the navigation). Music, Settings, Information (to know where you are at with the memory), Time (Yep, there is a little clock in it to know today's date and time) and recording (yes, you can record your voice) are all neetly seperated with Iconized menus.

Features: 1. You can record your voice in 2 levels of fidelity: Hi and Low (the latter for when recording from a noisy environment). It's a bit complicated to start, but works just fine (have to go in voice and press the record button on the side quickly, otherwise, you'll have to do it again) and the output is nice. Usefull for those on the run notes... when you forgot your PDA... ;) And you know how much time each voice recording has...
2. It shows the name of the file (or some limited MP3 tag info)
3. You have an equalizer with 5 choices plus, you can set your own Treble and Bass settings)
4. It has Single repeat, section repeat, whole repeat and random options
5. The buttons are very easy to use and precise
6. flowing through the music can be a bit tedious if all your songs start with the same 12 characters... but it is quick and efficient. :)
7. has a backlight that is powerfull and settable (how long it will stay on).
8. It has a clock with date wich is a nice addition.
9. The music sounds real good with ordinary 25$ Canadian Panasonic ear buds
10. The plastic is of quality and Philippe Proof (things tend to break with me in a short notice time)
11. It has a sleep mode if you forgot to turn it off after stopping the music (settable)
12. You can even erase files (Songs or recordings) on the fly with the simple press oif a button on the side followed by the PLAY button for confirmation. That way, you eliminate those songs that you've put on and don't wanna hear quickly and painlessly

The bads are: 1. The PlayCenter software that is a pain to use. With the Rio One, you plug it in and it appears as hard drives. So, you simply drag and drop the files and voila, the players recognizes them. But, with Nomad, they had to make the process complete. You NEED to install the Nomad USB drivers + the PlayCenter software, reboot and only then, through the software, can you transfer the files. :/ No chance of using it as a other format files transport device like Rio...
2. The slip in for the Smart Media card is under the cover... Nice protection compared to the Rio One, but it is hard to rech for extraction and you tend to bend the thing to get it out, which is usually not good. And, you have to open the Battery cover as this is through where you have to pull it out or put it in.. :(
3. The Memory Card is not Hotswapable (it tends to freeze the thing)
4. You cannot browse the menu while music is playing... It's one or the other
5. You cannot play music while connected to the USB port
6. There is no way (compared to Rio One) to know if there is an actual transfer going on by looking at the Nomad. On the Rio, the Connection Icon flashes during an actual file transfer / Format / Delete.
7. The fact that you are obligated to work with the software and cannot (as with the Rio One) just plug it in and transfer. It supports SSFDC FAT12 format and not the other standard: FAT16.
8. The fact that, when showing the listing of songs, you only see the first 12 Caracters. It is painfull for people like me who thends to name the MP3 files in the Author, Album, Song format... :(
9. It doesn't come with a Lithium Battery and a charger. You have to purchase the docking station to have charging capabilities and it supports only NiMH batteries.
10. There is no cover for it. A nice water proof one would be nice since I tend to hit rain on a regular basis on bike and like to have access to the device for live mods. I think I'll ask my mom to sow me a little wrist bag for it so that I could attach it on my right fore arm. ;)
11. The IIc has no radio. :( Sad. Sometimes it is nice to know what is the traffic situation ahead... but I'll live on that one. ;)

Overall, I love the product. It works better then the Rio One, easier to navigate and the finish on it (the feel of the casing and buttons and the plastic used) is of better quality then the Rio One. The only drawbacks to this great product are the standards, software and cost (almost 2 the price of Rio One, but Rio One is 32 Megs and Nomad IIc that I kept is 128MG on board).

So, if you have the dow, consider this little baby. It's worth it and the sound is great on it. Proof that Creative is still good with sound, and not just with PC Sound Cards... ;) Now, if they could just upgrade the OS of the device so that it supports FAT16 and would depart itself from that restrictive software... ;)

I purposely waited for a while to write this review in order to explore all of the criticism - good & bad - about this unit. I chose it because it had the most memory for its price and size. It is a GREAT and amazing player. I'll address the main criticisms I've read in other reviews on this site:

1 - It's not loud enough. It is plenty loud, too loud for me. The people who have this issue with it must be deaf or they are downloading mp.3's from the internet that are compressed too much with lowered volume!

2 - The documentation is poor and the software is confusing and hard to use. Yes, the documentation and software could be better but the key is to get the drivers and firmware downloaded from the Creative site and nomadworld.com. There are at least 5 downloads to be gotten before the unit kicks into life. Read the software descriptions carefully and download the drivers in the proper order as some of them need to be present on your computer in order for later updates to work. Also, don't download the driver from the Asian Creative site that changes the menu text to Chinese.........read carefully first! Once I got the proper drivers downloaded and rebooted my PC I plugged the player in with the USB cable and the unit fired up immediately. I then found the interface easy to use and was able to quickly load mp.3's onto the player. One handy feature of the interface is that it shows how much space is left as you download - this allows you to find mp.3's to fit into the last remaining space. Also, buy a 128mb SM card immediately (even at the same you buy the player) to double your capacity. You can also erase tunes right from the player instead of having to plug it in again to delete them.....you're ready to start loading then as soon as you go back for more downloads.

3 - I don't find it flimsy at all. The belt clip is too small for it to be real stable while wearing it on the belt but a small Elph digicam leather case for $9 is a perfect fit for the unit and the case has a very stable belt attachment. Also, the battery compartment lid fits well and I find the added SM card to go into its slot just fine - and out again!

4 - The menu is kind of hard to figure out if you just try to figure it out for yourself but read the help manual - it's all in there.

5 - I love the voice recording capability. I can make notes to myself, record conversations with other people (up to 8 hours) and download right to my PC.

6 - Overall, I find this to be a wonderful little unit and I'm very happy with it. The price, size, capacity and ease of use (once you get it set up correctly) can't be beat. I'd buy it again and I have already recommended it to my friends.

7 - I love carrying around the music I WANT rather than listening to the radio - but, that said, I do wish it had at least an FM radio built into it.

8 - Lastly, the earphones. I find them to be very comfortable and they impart great sound. I think the critics have been putting them on upside down or something! The only thing I can criticize about them is they are not as convenient as earbuds but then again I find earbuds to be uncomfortable after an hour or so.

9 - Did I miss anything? Ask me!

Have owned the Nomad IIc for a month and haven't dropped it yet, so I can't attest to its durability. Top rating from Consumer Reports (for the 64MB version) influenced my buying decision. The "quick setup guide" is not much help, so if you need detailed setup instructions, install the PDF manual from the CD like other users have suggested. Don't bother downloading the manual from the Nomadworld site - it's exactly the same as the one on the CD, only with some annotations. Setup was easy after reading the aforementioned manual - install the software, plug in the player, transfer the files. Have used both the PlayCenter 2 software and the MusicMatch Jukebox Nomad plug-in to transfer files; since I rip CDs using MusicMatch, I prefer using that program, but the two perform identically in terms of letting you know how much memory is left, etc. Be sure to pick up a 128MB SmartMedia card to expand memory capacity (256MB total will hold 50-plus 128 kbps MP3 files). Written documentation for inserting and removing the card is nowhere to be found, but just look at the two little pictures on the back side of the player (where the battery cover is) and the instructions are right there. Actually putting in and taking the card out is a little tricky, especially if you have RSI like me - you may need to take the battery out first! Would give this product five stars if it didn't come with a stingy 90-day warranty and those extremely uncomfortable, ear-pinching "backphones". Use your favorite pair of headphones or earbuds instead. Either way, the sound is awesome for such a small device - after all, Creative is a leader in sound cards - and the player is easy to use once you've gone through the menus and controls a few times. Have it set on a pretty low volume (around 2 or 3) and it's quite loud enough with the Sony earphones I use.
Overall, an excellent product. Just hope it doesn't conk out on the 91st day...

I highly recommend this product if you are a RUNNER.

I needed a player that:

1) wouldn't skip (like ALL my portable CD players with anti-skip technology) - PASSED

2) could hold a lot of songs because I am too lazy to always have to be uploading new songs to it - PASSED, with the optional 128 meg memory card I purchased, it will hold 57 songs at a bit rate of 128kbps (near CD quality)

3) easy to use - PASSED, but to make it even easier to upload songs, I bought the optional stand directly from [supplier]...

4) belt clip - PASSED, nothing fancy but it works

My only complaint is that the instructions that come with the unit are TERRIBLE. However, if you go to the NOMADWORLD website, you can download instructions which are much more explanitory.

One tip - if you are a MUSICMATCH user, you can download a PLUG IN for the Nomad II player (at the MusicMatch site) that will enable you to upload tracks directly to the unit from MusicMatch without having to deal with the software that comes with the Nomad. This is not a knock against the included software (frankly, I have never used it), I just like the convenience of using MusicMatch.

This is the first time that I have ever felt strongly enough about a product to write a review. I hope you found it useful.

Best Regards...

The Nomad iic is a great, portable MP3 player. It has its good points and areas where it could be improved. Also, it is very affordable for the quality you are getting.

Its small, about the size of a cell phone. It comes with a useful belt clip. The steel case is shiny and very hard, but be careful: Its definately not water proof and scratches easily. The buttons have a high quality feel. The LCD screen is somewhat small, but a lot sharper then I thought it would be. It also comes with a backlit, which is really bright and doesn't suck your battery too much.

The sound quality is excellent. Crisp, clear sound, especially for such a small MP3 player. It has powerful volume... The max is 25, but around 13 is loud enough for most people.

The 128mb version is plenty room for most people. If you plan on putting your entire collection on here, look elsewhere. A Jukebox or iPod would be good for that. This is good for holding around 30-50 songs at a time(depending on the size and quality of your MP3s... most are 128). You can also put WMA files on it, which are smaller than MP3s but not as high in sound quality.

The built in mic is good. I have found no use for it myself other than goofing off, but if your a student or a reporter I can see why this would be important. The recording quality is ok, depending on your surroundings. I think it works best if you hold it close to the source of the sound.

The included headphones are good. They are great for runners. They have a band that goes around the back of your head, instead of over the top of your head like most. But what keeps them on is how they fit snug behind your ear, making it really hard for them to fall off. You'd have to go upside down for them to fall off. This might be a little uncomfortable at first, but you'll forget all about them after a little bit.

The IIc runs on a single AA battery. You will get many hours of usage out of this. The louder the volume, and the more you use the backlight, the faster this will deplete. But don't worry about it failing in the middle of a run, because it has a small meter telling you when the battery is near empty.

The Nomad has some very useful options. Set your backlight, the contrast, power off settings, and output (headphones or line-out).

Turn it on by holding the Play button (up on the D-pad) for 2 seconds. Turn it off by holding the Stop button (down on the D-pad). When you turn it on, there will be a welcome message saying "Welcome to Nomad II." Then it will proceed to where you were last: whether it be at a menu or playing a song.

The biggest fall of the Nomad is in the software. I have had no problems with it myself, but many people have reported problems with it... A patch would be great.

Transfering over USB is fairly fast. A 3 minute MP3 at 128 quality takes about 30 seconds.

The included manual isn't very helpful. Its basically pictures with a little caption written in five languages under that. However, setting up your Nomad IIc is fairly simple so this shouldn't be a huge problem. If you do get stumped, just go to [their website] and download the much better manual there (I think its in PDF format).

For a flash-based MP3 player, this is the best, in my opinion. I have used it for over a month now and the little player is very durable. I dropped it a few times while jogging and it never skipped a beat. With a 128 mb SM card with it, it holds 256mb which is plenty if the MP3's are recorded @ 128kbs which mine are. It holds approximately 55-60 songs at this rate which is more than adequate for its price. The sound quality is excellent and the volume level is adequate, could be louder but I have found that if the MP3's are recorded at a higher bit rate, the volume problem is solved. The file system is easy to use, however, you must use the Creative Play Center app to load the files onto the player. It is a nice piece of software and allows you to rip MP3's at 320 kbps which is very nice and convenient. I am NOT a fan of Musicmatch's Jukebox system and enjoy not having to use it. The battery last about 12-15 hours, which is about 12-15 trips to the gym which translates to approximately 3 weeks for 1 AA battery which is very inexpensive. The belt clip is adequate and serves its purpose. My only complaint is that it did not ship with a arm band. This is a minor complaint and easily solved as I created my own. This is only an issue while working out (non-cardio). The player is very light, small in stature and performs perfectly. Highly recommended to anyone who wants a player to workout with. Ecstatic with my purchase. However, purchase a SM card becuase 128mb is not enough if you tire of your music quickly.

I bought the Nomad IIc for myself a month ago and I'm quite satisfied with it.
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-I havent had any problems with it at all. Havent dropped it yet though.

-Inserting an addtional 128mb card is easy.

-The volume is fine unless your absolutly deaf.( I have mine comfortably at level 10 and the max is 25).

-Software works well for Windows XP AFTER you patch it.

-You can erase songs on the unit if you end up not liking it.

-After a day of handling the unit. I'm able to press all the buttons while its in my sweeter pocket upside down. Who needs a remote?
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The only things that I didnt like are.

-If your songs are not properly named on your computer, the player wont display the song's title or artist properly, simply naming the song file "Britney Spears - Crazy" wont do. The player only displays the first 12 characters when viewing/listing all your songs (you would only see "Britney Spea") and when you play a song, it displays whatever you have under the "title" heading and the "artist" heading of the file. I had to personally re-name my 200+ song music collection so the player would display the songs properly. Other Mp3 players probably have similar problems

-Belt clip [is not good], I just unscrewed it.

-Headphones are alright. They're the ones that wrap behind you head. You could probably buy better ones though.

-FM tuner would be nice. Older discontinued models (Nomad MG) had one, why cant this one?

-Its a pain to transfer mutiple files to the unit. In order to do it, you must make a "playlist" containing all the songs, and then transfer that.
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I highly recommend this unit to anyone who just wants a small inexpensive mp3 player.

Ok I do not work for creative labs and have no ax to grind.
I am a runner and needed some tunes for my radio would not reach the waves in MTS.

Ok had this puppy for 8 months ran every other day and in the weight room to. Works good and can change tunes easy while running.

Sound very good and battery life near 6-8 hrs at least that is what I got.

Here is the kicker........I dropped this thing at least 20 times......bouncing off boulders on my trail run to sand and saltwater on my beach run.

This thing takes a beating and keeps on playing.

Hey I want it to work no matter what. The case is all beat up and sides worn down. Still works like the day I bought.

I am buying another one for my wife......no reason any other when I could not break this one!!

Me

As an introduction to MP3 audio, I bought an earlier version of the Nomad IIC. (Nomad II) I got it as a refurbished model, no frills. I chose the Nomad II because 1) USB interface, 2) Smart Media expansion (I already use Smart Media in my camera) 3) re-programmable firmware and 4) the Nomad II has an FM tuner. (The Nomad II C doesn't have a radio.)

Others have suggested that these Nomads are a little fragile but based on the previous reviews; it looks like they hold up pretty well. At least mine works well even though I've dropped it a couple of times. It has decent sound quality for such a small economical unit. (Spelled CHEAP because it was ($$$) refurbished.) The included headphones were kind of uncomfortable to me so I use some Sony ear buds.

I like these Nomads but I must say that they are FAR from user friendly. The controls are NOT intuitive. Navigating the LCD screen takes some practice. I had to download the manual from nomadworld.com just to figure out how to turn it off and on. I'm having my share of fits with the included software (Music Match) as well. In a word, the unit comes with LOUSY documentation. Also, you can only do one thing at a time. In other words, you can only listen to your MP3 files (or listen to the radio) or check the time or scroll through your playlist one at a time. You can't do all things simultaneously.

Overall, I like the unit. It's a good value. Just shop around for a decent price. Be prepared to download information from different websites if you're intellectually challenged (like me).

I've got this player for a month and it works perfectly so far. The control menu has a logical layout and is very easy to use.

Sound quality: Sounds great. But the headphones that comes with the unit really .... I recommend you to invest on a better set of earphones. I must stress that this player NEVER skips. It plays all my songs flawlessly. Also, there is no delay time going from track to track.

Many brands provides a "bass-boast" feature. Creative further allows the users to fine tune the bass and treble with a custom treble/bass level control (30 levels for each).

FM tuner: None. But that's okay! I have read over hundreds of reviews about mp3 players and they all say have the same thing to say about the FM tuner implemented on the other brands: "Very poor reception. It would be a nice feature had the FM tuner worked." Creative included an FM tuner in their earlier Nomad II models, and it suffered from the same problem.
My point: the FM tuner isn't important since it would not work well anyway. Don't buy an RCA or Rio just because they have an FM tuner that sounds terrible.

I do worry about the overall construction of the unit. The bottons do not seem very durable. I am afraid that they may cease functioning after a few month of usage. The case looks very flimsy to me. I am not sure that it can sustain heavy drops.

Overall this is a good player for its price. Go to cnet.com for more reviews about Creative IIc.