Customer Reviews

Creative Zen Nano Plus 1 GB MP3 Player 1GB ( Pink )

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I love my Zen Nano Plus. I've refrained from giving it a review until I've used it for a couple of months--make sure it's reliable and sturdy. It's been about four months now and all I can say is: Fantastic.
You can pretty much read about all the specs from the manufacturer's provided product description. I'm just going to tell you why I like this gadget.
1. It's tiny and light. You can just forget it's there. It comes with a silicon case with belt clip...OR...you can buy a cellphone lanyard. There is a notch on it for you to attach one and wear it around your neck. I have a decorative cellphone trinket on mine but I believe that is what the notch is for.
2. Simple loading of music and files. With folder navigation, you can sort your music any way you want! You don't have to deal with making playlists or installing software since it just shows up as a removable drive on your computer. Just drag and drop files singularly/grouped in folders. I never use shuffle mode but that's available. You can also directly upload your music from your CD player. It will convert the music into digital files for you.
3. The battery lasts forever. I use rechargeables but alkalines last a long time too.
4. I love all the functions! Why would anyone want an iPod (heavy as a brick)that needs additional accessories just to do what the Zen Nano can, built in? It has a microphone feature. Records anything you want and is stored as WMA files. It has a FM tuner and presets. Signal is pretty good. It can get a little fuzzy at times but it's absolutely PERFECT for when you want to watch TV at the gym... and the show you want to watch has a corresponding station for you to tune into to be able to listen to the audio. I use that ALL the time when I get sick of listening to music on the treadmill.
It's great great great!!! Yes I've tried, iPod, iPod mini, iAudio (which I recommend to serious music people. It has all the same functions but it plays more digital formats and it has way stronger/richer audio output than anything around)--I chose ZNP for it's size, ease of use and price. I didn't even have to read the instruction manual! In case you're trying to decide whether you need 1GB or not...let's just say, YOU WILL. If not right this minute; you will two months later when you start collecting digital music like crazy.
NOTE: I had a Creative Muvo Micro...which looked EXACTLY like this and many people believe that Creative just renamed the product. The Muvo Micro had a backlight problem and some software issues--which I did experience and returned back to Amazon. I haven't had any of these problems with my Zen Nano Plus. And since I only have one unit, I don't know if Creative has resolved their issues or if mine is a fluke. But you can't go wrong ordering from Amazon. 30-day return policy. Wahoo!

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.

The Zen Nano is a great MP3 player.

It is not bulky, does not skip when playing sports, easy to use and is more affordable than the overly priced iPods. You will not be disappointed.

I have a Zen Nano, soon to upgrade to a Zen Nano Plus. The Zen Nano is so easy to use, has great sound, easy instructions. I can't wait to get the Plus!
Stay away from iPova from iDaptek! Its horrible! I replaced mine with the Zen Nano and have been happy with my choice ever since!

I like it, I just wish the display was bigger and that some of the options were easier to use. The folders function is kind of confusing, skipping folders is difficult and the manuals (both on line and the paper one) don't give much information. If I had it to do over, I would probably buy a SanDisk- my son has one and his display is much bigger (though the mp3 player is about the same size) and his options are much easier to use.

BUT I do have to say my batteries last longer on the Creative MP3 player than his do on the SanDisk.

This was a birthday present for our granddaughter. She loves it and especially the color. It was hard to find until I went to Amazon.com

I love everything about this player--except for the fact that you can not use a brand new battery in it, If you do, the device powers off within 10 seconds. This isn't just a problem I have, several customers have it. I only wish I had gone to the Creative Discussion Forums before I purchased this (or the first Creative Zen Nano 1 GB I returned to Wal-Mart because it did the same exact thing). There are a few threads full of complaints from customers who all have the same powering off issue and Creative doesn't seem to be doing anything about it.

So, if you're willing to use rechargeable batteries or partially drained batteries, this product is for you. It's compact, easy to use and very simple to add songs to. I really liked the silocon case with a belt clip that came with it.

Hopefully, by the time you read this, they will have finally fixed the issue. My advice--check out the Creative forum boards before purchasing the Creative Zen Nano and look for threads about the device powering off.

I now own a Sansa c250 and love it.

I bought this player a few months ago. I researched and compared here on Amazon, and settled on this one. This is the first mp3 player I've owned, and I have not been disappointed at all.

It's very small and lightweight; I forget it's in my pocket. I use it primarily for work; my job is one where I can listen to a device like this with no problem. It holds much of my music library, so I can listen to what I want to, or I can listen to the radio. The radio comes in pretty handy when you want, say, sports scores or weather updates.

I didn't give it a five star rating because the earbuds it comes with are not the greatest. I went to WalMart and bought a set of those over the ear phones, and have had no complaints since. The sound quality is great. And I've had this thing since September and the battery indicator is just now showing one bar.

It's simple to use; not a lot of bells and whistles. It does what it's designed to do, and for the price, I don't think you can beat it. I'm getting some to give as gifts this year.

Got the blue Creative Nano Plus at Circuit City about 5 months ago because it was a cheap way to "catch up" with my wife and daughter... and I have really enjoyed using it! Easy to understand and navigate menu with side dial. Easy to pause and adjust volume with dedicated buttons. Easy to transfer files on and off since no proprietary software needed (like Apple). The little player even helped out at work as a flash drive when network was down and I needed to transfer a presentation. Battery life is amazing for a single AAA. Nice that I don't have to worry about changing out hard-wired battery (like most Apple products). My complaints are pretty minor: 1. Carrying the cable around to transfer files (but it is a standard USB type), 2. Lack of neck-strap (although belt-clip is fine), 3. Takes about 7 seconds to boot up when 1GB is full. I think a 2GB version would be perfect! I highly recommend the player and will be getting one for my daughter to replace her dead Apple shuffle (lasted only 7 months). Good work Creative!

I just recieved my Nano Plus and am very happy with it so far. The only disappointment is that the colour of the Nano showed above is not the same colour when it arrives. I would describe it as being more of a Hot Pink . Although listed as an accessory included there is no neck strap that comes with it but you do recieve a sports band and clip cover. Overall for the price it's a good buy!!!!