Customer Reviews

Creative Zen Nano Plus 1 GB MP3 Player (Black)

5 star:		(104)
4 star:		(58)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(26)

 

 

This is my first MP3 player and I did a lot of comparison shopping. I'm extremely happy with my Zen Nano Plus after a week. My demands included (a) at least 1 GB, (b) runs on AA or AAA battery, (c) build in FM player, (d) must have a screen (Ipod Shuffle - out), (e) line-in music recorder and voice recorder highly desired. Obviously, the Nano Plus has all five features. How do they hold up? (A-Memory) It holds ?30 hours of music in WMA or MP3 sampled at around 50-60 kbps, the latter is still "FM quality" which is pretty good, especially if you're listening on airplanes, subways, etc. More if you use audiobooks (e.g. 60 mb = 8 hrs). (B-AAA Battery). It's 12-hours plus. I'll likely get a four-pack and a recharger. And boy is the Nano Plus tiny. It's really featherweight. (C-FM). It's high quality and records well. It works great in my gym, where for example my Sony CD&FM Walkman gets little but static. Stations of intermediate strength will shift in sound quality with body distance. So you can set the sound just right, start the Record function, but as you walk away the antenna/reception balance may shift. So far I've taped for example a random hour of radio to listen to on an airplane. I expect I'll sometimes be recording a specific program to hear later. (D-Screen). When the Ipod Nano came out, I almost shifted my purchase plan, but I still wanted all the other features of the Nano Plus. I figured out most all the menus in the first day or two of playing around. But the first 5 minutes are confusing. You don't get sophisticated playlist options, but I didn't care about that. Albums or other media go in folders sorted alphabetically, and songs list alphabetically. I thought it would have a folder structure, but it appears to just list folders alphabetically in a series you can toggle through. For example, Folder A, Folder B (subfolder 1 and 2), Folder C. You'll toggle linearly across Folder A, Folder 1, Folder 2, then Folder C. I was a little disappointed with this, but you're unlikely to have more than 10-20 folders. It auto-bookmarks books from audible.com. (E: Line-in and voice). Voice recorder is a little tinny but quite workable. Line-in is pretty high quality. I think I may use this alot - for example, record a talk show on Tivo and later listen to it on the Zen Nano. I also have a hobby of listening to movie soundtracks (the whole audio track, not just the songs) and this will import them from vhs or tivo. [People think this is extremely eccentric of me but talky movies hold up very well as a soundtrack only, especially if you're stuck in traffic, planes, etc. I've even listened to favorite tv series (e.g. six feet under) this way.] You can drag to your PC both FM recorded files and Line-In recorded files. AND WHAT I'D CHANGE: Two GB flash memory would be nicer (and the competing iPod nano has come up to 5 GB flash memory). A timer for FM recording might be nice. An option to set FM to "mono" mode would increase the reliability of middling-strength stations. Ability to actually toggle between two levels of folders. And why not simply record both line-in (now WAV files) and FM files as MP3? More range of options in setting resolution (quality) of recorded files. The included earbuds are real big; I upgraded to Sony MDR-EX71 earplug phones (list $50, avaialble $30) which have rubber cuffs that reduce noise alot; I'm very happy with their sound and comfort.

I've been doing alot of reseach into a new MP3 player and reading alot of reviews, checking prices, etc. I have an RCA2012 and was not happy with it (see my review regarding the RCA). I didn't want one with an expansion card (too complex, been there, done that), one that would work with Windows Media & hold most of my songs (which worked out to be 1GB), one small enough so you could hide it in your pocket at work (it measures 2.5 inches by 1.5 inches in it's case), and a case with a belt clip so I could wear it if I didn't have a pocket and didn't want to jog (the case is rubber flexiskin with a rubber belt clip on the back, although it also comes with an armband for those joggers out there).

All Creative MP3's are well reviewed and recommended. Although this price is the lowest for this player, it's a little more than I wanted to pay. I thought about a 512, but I have more music than that on my computer and experts recommend that you buy the most memory that you can afford.

When everyone said how easy this was to download I definately had my apprehensions (last time I tried to download the RCA it took me a trip to the store to exchange it and 8 hours to figure it out, not to mention the damage to my blood pressure).

I didn't want to start in the evening because I'm not one for patience and if it didn't work I'd be up all night fuming. WELL, I took a chance and WOW. My songs are all in Windows Media and it took literally, I'm still amazed, under 10 minutes to install the software (the software will tell you how long you have before you'll be hearing songs on your player) and another 10 minutes to download almost 1 GB to the MP3 player. I am a little past middle-aged and no techno-whiz (if the computer comes on and the internet works I'm happy). Believe me, if I can get this to work anyone can.

Also, the sound on this is astounding. I WOULD definately recommend this MP3 player and from now on will not buy another unless it's a Creative.

[Note: The price on this page, as I write, is ten dollars higher than retail. You can get one at just under seventy d0llars at the Creative site (which stocks 10 colors), Cambridge Soundworks stores, and stores like Staples and most consumer electronics stores.]

I would have given Creative Zen Nano Plus (abbreviated "CZNP") 5 stars, except for two small deficiences: it does not have gapless playback (see #10 below), and the build quality and controls are kind of cheap (see #4 below). Assuming it lasts, it seems a very good unit for the money. Here's why I bought mine, and some questions to ask yourself when you're choosing. [Updated 8/28/2006]

0. Do I want to make a fashion statement with my MP3 player?

Some people will only buy a trendy iPod. Buying a lesser-known unit like CZNP makes a different statement, and you can choose from 10 colors. I prefer function over form, but CZNP offers some of each. I bought an orange one because it is easy to find in my black bag.

1. Do I want to play more than just sound?

The CZNP is a basic MP3 player, FM Radio, and recorder. It has a simple monochrome display and controls that make it a good choice for playing music, podcasts, and ebooks, and listening to local radio stations. It can record from the built-in mike or radio, or from a line input, which may be handy for some.

Some players can play videos, show pictures, etc, and cost a lot more because of the required color screen and larger memory. I don't need these things and prefer not to spend the money needed to get them.

Of course this player can STORE any kind of content, just like a thumb drive, but it only plays audio.

2. Will I be listening to mostly music or mostly spoken content?

When you switch off a unit while it is playing, or pause it and it turns off automatically after awhile, some units will resume at the beginning of the current track, and others (e.g. CZNP) resume exactly where you left off. If you are playing music, you usually prefer to start the song over again. For ebooks or long podcasts, I need to resume where it was turned off (like CZNP does), because it is hard to fast-advance back to where you were.

3. What kind of accessories can I get?

Creative has a set of speakers tailored to the CZNP, and there are many generic accessories that will work with it. By comparison, there are entire catalogs of accessories tailored for optimal use with an iPod (and may not work with others). I have what I need, but pine for some things available for iPod only.

The best accessory of all is a cable that has a 1/8" stereo plug (like the headphone plug) on one end, and two RCA plugs on the other. Plug one of these into the auxiliary or CD input of all the stereos you use, and you can quicly plug this in and play on the speakers. Such cables are available at Radio Shack and most places selling electronics products.

4. How convenient is it to use?

MP3 players vary considerably on how easy they are to use. The iPod is famous for ease of use, though it does not do everything I want to do. The CZNP has relatively cheap controls that work well enough, and does what I want. You don't have to be a computer whiz to use it or its software.

I have been using it while driving with reasonably good results. It is easy to pause and start it, turn it off, adjust volume, skip or repeat tracks, back up or move forward in the current track, and small enough to hold in your hand and still be able to hold onto the steering wheel.

But if you want to skip to a different album, you have to skip, wait, listen, and skip until you find the first track of the desired album. Of course there is a menu way of getting there more easily, but you can't use menus while driving.

It is small and light. About like a Bic cigarette lighter except twice as wide. So far I have found the size very convenient; I don't think I would want it any smaller. But being small, it might be easier to lose - which is why I bought an orange one.

5. How long will it last?

On Amazon, click the link "See all ... customer reviews", then look for the dropdown "Show:" and choose "Lowest review first" and click the Go button. There are a number of reports from people who had problems with their CZNP, some bad enough to throw it away. Some are real problems, others might be a lack of understanding how to use the player.

Despite these complaints, the average review is high. You'll find about the same mix of reviews for most players.

I decided to take a chance. My unit will be well-cared for. If I have a problem, I'll update this review.

6. Can the battery be replaced?

CZNP uses an AAA battery which is said to last for 15 hours and can be changed easily.

The iPod Nano has a rechargeable battery that is not designed to be replaced, which means the iPod Nano becomes landfill when the battery no longer takes a charge in a couple of years. There will be millions of iPods being thrown away simply because the owner cannot make them continue to work, which has an impact on the environment. There are now battery replacement kits for iPod, with tools and instructions, so this concern is lessened for DIY people, but most won't bother.

7. How does it sound?

The CZNP sounds very good to when when I use good earphones like Koss "The Plug", or when plugged into a stereo.

The free headphones you get with it won't give you the best sound, and you should not judge any player on how it sounds with the included headphones. Go buy quality earphones for any new player, as this will make a huge improvement in your enjoyment at relatively low cost.

8. Does the player use flash memory or hard-disk for storage?

CZNP uses flash memory. Flash memory is more expensive per MB/GB than hard disk memory, and flash memory players are smaller than hard disk players. I would not want a hard disk, which I think is too heavy and too fragile for a portable player. Get a hard disk player if you want to carry a lot of content, but make sure you have a backup. Get a flash memory player if you want to hold the content you will listen to today or this week.

9. Does the player have enough memory?

I use Highest Quality VBR, which gives me MP3s usually 200-250 KBPS, and I get about 10 hours of MP3 music. For podcasts or other material recorded at lower quality, you'll get a lot more. With that much space I can have some new or favorite albums left on the player, and have plenty of room for content that changes (like podcasts). If you don't use a computer regularly, you might want more memory, maybe even a hard disk, but 1GB is very convenient for my purposes.

10. Does the player support gapless playback between tracks?

Some albums have music that flows continously from one track to the next. Examples: Radiohead "OK Computer", Dandy Warhols, Moody Blues. The listening experience is disrupted if the tracks have a gap as the player switches from one track to another.

I don't know of any portable MP3 player that offers gapless playback (without Rockbox), though it's bound to come. The CZNP has a brief gap with no clicks, but it is still somewhat disruptive. One solution is to rip the album as one continuous track. The Rockbox open-source technology essentially replaces the firmware on your player, and it features gapless playback. It is supported on a few players, including some iPods, but not CZNP.

11. Does the player require proprietary software or hardware?

CZNP includes software, but since it also works like a USB drive, you can manage content with Explorer / Finder if you want to. All connectors are industry-standard and you can find matching cables in electronics and computer stores.

iPod can only load music using iTunes, and other players require software supplied with the unit, or with Windows. The iPod and others also use proprietary connectors, so replacing a lost cable is more expensive. I would not be happy with such restrictions. Open standards promote flexibility and interoperability. On the other hand the iPod is widely supported and it's easy to find compatible accessories.

For me, at a minimum, the player needs to look like a USB drive when I connect it to the computer, so that I can load it by dragging files to the player's file system, and the CZNP does that. I want to have a program automatically create a custom listening program of various short podcasts that play in a particular order to support Radio on Demand, and I want that to happen by simply connecting the device to the computer, with no keyboard or mouse interaction involved. I have not found such a program, and may have to write it, but I can do that if I want to. With an iPod I have no choice but to use iTunes (or replace the firmware with Rockbox). iTunes will not do what I want it to do, and there is no option to use my own or third-party software.

12. Is the player file-based or tag-based?

The CZNP is file-based: it will play songs in alphabetical order for a given folder. Naming songs with a two-digit sequence number at the beginning of the filename ensures they play in the correct order. It also has shuffle play, etc.

I had tried the SanDisk Sansa, but returned it because all content is organized and played on the basis of tags, exclusively. While my music has tags correctly set to play the way I wanted, podcasts don't use tags consistently enough to play them in a particular order that I chose. With the CZNP you can at least control the order by putting a sequence number at the beginning of each filename.

Tag-based may have some advantages over file-based (though not for my uses), but only if all of the content you want to play is properly tagged.

I bought this MP3 player to replace my Rio Sport S35S. I was interested in using it to play music and also audiobooks downloaded from our library (using the "NetLibrary" service).

I had a couple of problems with this player that almost made me want to return it. (Files not playing in the right order, and unable to use "Safely Remove Hardware" from Windows XP). But those problems were resolved by the firmware update.

After that, it seemed like a good enough player to keep. Here's the pros and cons:

Pros:
- Battery: it uses a standard AAA battery.
- File transfer: unprotected files can be transferred via drag&drop in Windows. Protected files should be transferred with the included software.
- File management: files can be organized into folders and subfolders (files are played alphabetically by file name).
- Buttons: the buttons are fairly easy to use without looking.
- Resume: when turned off and then on again, the player resumes where it was left off. (good for audiobooks)
- Fast forward: when fast forwarding, it goes faster and faster the longer the button is held down. (good for audiobooks)
- Belt clip: the player comes with a holder that has a belt clip on the back. It's pretty nice and I use this most of the time. The holder is formed in a way that allows access to all the controls (including the USB port). The only reason one would have to remove the player from the holder is to change the battery.

Cons:
- Resume: while the player remembers where it was if the unit is turned off and then on again, it does not remember where it was if one skips to another track and then back again. This is really bad for listening to long audiobooks. (For example, if you are 3 hours into an audiobook, and then skip to another track to listen to a song, and then back to the audiobook... you'd have to fast forward through 3 hours to get back to where you were.) This should really be fixed. The default operation should be if one presses the "pause" button, then skips to another track and back again, it should resume where it left off.
- No playlist capability on the player.
- Rewind: the rewind function stops when the beginning of a song is reached, it does not continue into the end of the previous song. (bad for audiobooks)
- Song Time Display: apparently cannot display the time remaining in a track. (bad for audiobooks... I already have a feeling for how long I've been listening... I usually need to know how much time is left before the track is done.).
- Slight gap between tracks: I noticed this when listening to something that was supposed to be continuous from one track to the next. Instead of being continuous, there was a fraction of a second of silence between the two tracks.

Notice that most of the "cons" listed above could conceivably be fixed with a firmware update. So this shows that the hardware is very good. Just some fairly easy improvements in the firmware would make this an even better player.

Overall, it's a great player for music and an OK player for audiobooks. It could be a great player for audiobooks, if they made some simple improvements.

Model: Creative Zen Nano Plus (1GB)
I purchased this primarily for the features it provides and so far I am very satisfied with the quality and the features.

- Line-in recording.
records in mp3 format (96, 128, 160 Kbps).
It requires a smaller plug for the line-in and the included wire is very small, so recording from TV etc. might be problematic. But I guess you can buy a longer cable.

- FM radio and recording.
Records in WAV, not sure why they would do that.
No time-based recording.
Recording FM will need the headphone cable plugged in, coz thats the antenna.

- softwareless transfer.
So I can use it as a USB stick.
U can also transfer the recorded track to your pc, without software, just copy-paste.

I've had one of these for 6 months now and it has held up to steady use and being knocked around in a backpack and in and out of my car. It works great, is light and small, easy to use. I love it. Triple A batteries last a long time in it and they are cheap too- no pesky recharging time. My wife, who avoids electronic gadgets, wants one for Christmas. If she's happy I'm happy so soon we'll have two.
I don't get to be in the ipod clique, but I save money and have a player that does more, takes music from more sources, plays more types of files, and is just as easy to use, so I'm surviving.
The controls: there are 2 volume buttons, a power/pause button, and a scroll wheel. I can hold it in one hand and handle all the controls with my thumb easily. Without reading the instructions it took me one minute to figure out the controls.
Highly recommended.

As a former owner of an iPod, Mini, and Nano, I can say I prefer this device and it is simply sensational.

I received mine approx. 2 weeks ago and have been using it while running and walking to work and now feel comfortable enough to say I can recommend it to anyone.

PROS:
-Small form-factor fits easily into pockets and is right at home in the supplied belt clip carrier.

-audio playback (MP3, WMA, WAV) has excellent range and clarity. Sound is rich and impressive.

-Customizable EQ that really does something! Makes a big difference.

-Battery life performs as rated, or a bit less with rechargable batteries.

-Built-in FM radio really comes in handy

-navigation button on the side makes it easy to switch songs without having to look at the unit (big plus)

-I have yet to use the in-line recording, FM recording or microphone features, but it's nice to know they're there
-Drag-n-drop music playback keeps you free from being a slave to WMP or iTunes.

-Comes with a arm band to attach the belt-clip holder to. excellent for exercising, as it stays out of the way and generally out of danger.

-None of the cons listed below were worthy enough to drop the overall score.

-You can use leftover space for whatever you want. Want to use it as a flashdrive too? want to save some homework on it? Well, if your player isn't jam-packed with mp3's, you can use the rest of the space to store those papers of whatever else...just like a flashdrive (because it is a flashdrive...just with extra features).


CONS
-supplied headphones are darn near obtuse if you're ears are normal size to small. Plan to get some new ones to maximize your sound (true with any mp3 player, though)

-the belt clip holder's design isn't the best. the supplied belt-clip holder must be worn on the LEFT arm if running with it, as the mp3 player can pop out of the holder, based on it's design. It should be worn on the RIGHT arm if you're laying on your back.

-the player *will not* play iTMS-downloaded songs.


Why do I recommend it over the iPod Nano? Well:

1.) This device is smaller than a Nano

2.) It's audio playback quality is *better* than the Nano (particularly bass reproduction and range)

3.) It's easier...yes, I said it...EASIER to switch music on it. With the iPod Nano, if you have it on your hip and want to switch songs, you really have to take it off of your hip and find the foward button to push. It's uncomfortable to try to do it still on your hip. With the Zen Nano, you simply push up or down on the protruding button on the side. It's effortless and comfortable.

4.) Drag-and-drop > having to use iTunes or WMP or something else. You plug the device in and it pops up like a flash drive. You drop songs in via folders just like you would save anything to a flash drive, then the player recognizes them and sorts by folder name. Much less time then having to boot up an extra program to serve as a middleman between you and your music. But if you want to use something like WMP, you can do that too. Versatility is the name of the game here.

5.) It has a FM radio.

6.) It has in-line recording

7.) It's less expensive.

8.) see 1-7


MY CONFIGURATION RECOMMENDATION:

Zen Nano Plus + Shure E2C in-ear headphones = bliss.

Go for it. For the same price as a Nano, you can get this SUPERIOR player AND those Shure headphones. Enjoy!

I got the Nano Plus for Christmas and it is too cool. I have already used all the features (except the line-in) and they all work great. I can record all my favorite radio shows and make e-mailable podcasts right on the Nano.

Thanks to all the research I did on Amazon I helped my wife get me the perfect gift!!

I am not anti - iPod, but this player offers so much more. I spent at least 2-3 hours in the Apple store talking with the rep. (who by the way was very helpful) he showed me all the features and went over the software and I went for about 3 weeks saying that I wanted an iPod until I did more research. I learned that you can get so much more out of other players.

Based on my research I know that you get more for your money with this player.

I have a larger hard drive player, but I wanted something smaller to carry around. I also wanted to be able to listen to and record radio, and have a line in that can record high quality. As for sound quality, this player is really great. And it is so small and light and so doesn't weigh you down, and that is really nice. The included software is very useful --- it has features to automatically translate music transferred to it for optimizing space; I set it to translate everything to 96 kbps WMA which is supposedly CD quality or close to it (sounds good enough to me anyway) and really packs songs in --- I got about 25 albums on this way (if you go down to 64 kbps, which Microsoft claims is CD quality, but is probably more close to FM radio quality) you might get up to 40 albums on there at still pretty good quality (I keep my albums backed up to my PC's hard drive at very high quality, however, just translating to fit more on to this player). It is also nice that you can just drag and drop onto the player if you want, which gives you complete flexibility and lets the player double as a portable flash drive if you want (although you have to carry the usb cable around to do this, which is a bit of a pain, but understandable and no big deal given how compact the player is which more than makes up for this deficiency). I also love that it is powered simply by a single AAA battery --- no propietary expensive battery, just go to your local drug store to replace it (or better, use rechargables). Finally, the included headphones (ear buds) are actually very good in my opinion (I usually expect to have to throw the included ones away and get better ones myself, but not in this case).

My only complaint with the player is the voice and FM recording quality. The FM radio is really nice and reception is sharp and clear. However, when you record the radio the quality is noticably inferior --- it is in WAV format (same as CDs), but the recording is probably only sampling at 32 or 22 or lower khz (CD quality is 44 khz). So if you want to use this to record music from FM radio, the quality really isn't good enough for that (although if you just want to record talk radio the quality is probably fine). The voice recorder suffers the same problem, and seems like even worse quality than the FM, but perfectly fine for recording voice memos to yourself (although a lot of cell phones have that ability, so not sure how useful that is). The saving grace for recording, however, is the line-in jack, which you can use to record any external source to the player at up to 160 kbps mp3 (which is excellent quality, good enough for all but true audiophiles). Thus, to record radio in good quality, I can hook this player up to my stereo system through the line-in and record very nicely. If you can get a microphone with a preamp, you could also record voice or live music in very high quality.

Anyway, aside from the FM and voice recording issue, this is a great player and I recommend it. I haven't had it that long, so I haven't encountered any quality issues, but I'll update the review if I do.

I have owned my NanoPlus 1GB for about 3 weeks. I have enjoyed the player with a few glitches along the way, making this a 4 star instead of a 5 star product.

The box comes with the player, a silicone carrying jacket with belt clip, an arm band and earbuds. Also included is a (very)short USB 2.0 cable, software, and a brief user's guide. The earbuds have very nice sound quality, but were a bit big for my ears, so I used a smaller pair of Sony's. That allows me to play a bit lower volume due to the Sony's better efficiency (or maybe smaller drivers?). Either way, the battery last a bit longer with the Sony earbuds.

Size. It's VERY small and light. It uses a AAA battery and that will last about 18 hours, plus or minus depending on how loud you play your music. I use a rechargeable 850mAh NiMh AAA, it lasts about 12 hours or more. The tab that holds on the battery cover is a bit weak -- there are some reports on the Web that say the tab can break-off easily. It appears that you can get a replacement from Creative for free or almost free.

The function of the player is simple. There are 3 buttons and a jog switch. Play/Pause/Off/On is on one button. The other 2 buttons are for volume up or down (+ or -). The jog switch does everything else (move you through menus, etc.) It is spring loaded and moves right or left and also pushes in to select a function. It took about 10 seconds to figure out the menus.

The NanoPlus comes with a nice FM Tuner. It can auto scan and save the stations. This seems to work fine. Reception has been good, with a bit of static now and again.

The EQ is effective and allows for a custom setting beyond the preset stuff.

What I found disappointing and a bit of a problem that took an email to Creative to fix was the file system in the NanoPlus. My 1GB player initially wouldn't allow me to load over 525mb into the player for some reason. That reason turned out to be the file directory structure. The system has a limitation to the total length of the folder directory. So if you put all your music (With long ID Tags) into the player's top folder, you end up filling the directory with Track title info, and the player will error out and not load to fill the available memory. It seems Creative assumes we are all going to transfer albums onto our players, so there would be subdirectories with artist or album titles.

Also annoying is that the directory uses the track number (if available) to order the music. This is great when tracks are broken into albums, they will play in order. But individual songs will be ordered based on their track number, not how you load it or otherwise. This is bad when you want a general mix of music and don't want all track number 1's being played first. There is a shuffle option which will re-arrange the music, but it's random.

The software that comes with the player is not that great. It works and will let you establish file folders on the player easily, which will help with the above problems. The NanoPlus is compatible with MusicMatch Jukebox, so that's another option to avoid the lame Creative jukebox in general. The Creative software didn't recognize many of my mp3's ID Tags, and just assigned them unknown for each category. Anything with full tags seems to work fine, but many that work in MusicMatch don't in the Creative Software.

The firmware is flashable, and I have already updated my player to the latest firmware. It took about 5 minutes to download, and flash the NanoPlus's ROM. This is a nice feature, allowing any addressed bugs to be fixed without much hassle.

Overall, I love the player. It's better than the Apple Shuffle, and [...] less! I do wish the PC software was better. USB 2.0 is super fast and transfers take very little time (I spend more time looking for what I want to transfer than waiting for them to move). Well worth the money.