Creative Zen Touch 40 GB Audio Player

by Creative Labs

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 2.7 x 0.9 inches ; 7 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0006VYGRG
• Item model number: HD0014-40
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (82 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #76,751 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)

Product Description

Amazon Product Description

Palm-size and pocket-friendly, the Creative Zen Touch digital music player is a treat for your eyes as well as your ears. And--with features like touch-sensitive navigation, 24-hour battery life, light weight (under half a pound with battery), and a staggering 40 GB, 10,000 song capacity (64 kbps WMA)--the tiny unit leaves little room for wondering if it's right for you.

Features Touch pad control for fast scrolling Up to 24 hours continuous playback Up to 97 dB signal-to-noise ratio--as good as expensive hi-fi systems 40 GB hard drive holds up to 16,000 WMA or 10,000 MP3 songs Create and customize playlists on the go Unique search function locates any song, album, or artist USB 2.0 for faster transfer 4-band custom equalizer and advanced EQ presets let you customize your music playback AudioSync lets you seamlessly update your Creative Zen Touch with your latest music on your PC at the touch of a button FM radio, voice, and FM recording via optional wired remote control (available separately)

The Zen Touch model HD0014 is compatible with both MP3 and WMA (Windows Media Audio) music files, and its super-fast USB 2.0 PC interface loads your music in record time. Use the player's search function to locate music by song, album, or artist, scrolling quickly and easily through your library with the handy touch pad while viewing your playlists and song selections on the Zen Touch's 160 x 104 blue EL (electroluminescent) backlit LCD. You can create and customize your playlists on the fly, or listen in random order at the touch of a top-panel button.

The unit's four-band custom equalizer and preset EQ curves help you tailor the sound to your preference or environment. If you're delving into the world of digital music for the first time, supplied Creative MediaSource software readily converts your CDs to MP3s or WMAs, while Creative AudioSync seamlessly updates the Zen Touch with your latest music on your PC at the touch of a button. Creative Explorer (also included) permits drag-and-drop transfers for data and music files to and from the Zen Touch.

What's in the Box
Creative Zen Touch Player, a pair of stereo earphones, an AC power adapter, a travel pouch, a USB 2.0 cable, an installation CD-ROM, and a quick-start guide.

Product Description

Playing music is easy and fun with the Zen Touch navigation. However long your trip, with 24 hours of battery life and up to 16,000 songs to carry, your music filled journey will never be cut short, all in the palm of your hand. 4-Band Equalizer Display - 160 x 104 pixel resolution, blue EL backlit LCD Signal Noise Ratio - 97dB Compatible with Microsoft Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP / USB 2.0 Creative USA Warranty - 1 year Hardware/90 days service

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

202 of 206 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars iPod be damned..., January 27, 2005

By 

M. Bridges (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Creative Zen Touch 40 GB Audio Player (Electronics)

I brought this player in early January after a LOT of research. I was really looking for something in the 20gb - 40gb category that could handle all of my mp3s, as well as backing up some of my data files. And when I research, I REALLY research.

I was first interested in the Sony NW-HD1 for it's sleek, small design. Then I leaned towards an iPod for both it's popularity and it's design. At the end of the day, I went with the Zen Touch, because it claimed lengthy battery time, large disk space and exceptional sound.

So far, it has exceeded my expectations. I listen to my music as I work in 4-6 hour strecthes, and I'm still listening to that music on my first charge. Sound is fantastic. The earphones provided aren't brilliant quality, so do yourself a favor and fork our for the Sennheiser PX 100 or PX 200.

Be aware that the player recognizes audio files by their id3 tags, and not by file name. It takes a little time filling out missing ID3 tags in the supplied program, but it is well worth in the end -- because it gives you the ability to choose by song, artist, album and genre.

I have found the touch pad a breeze to work with. Maybe it's because I was forewarned about its sensitivty, but it's pretty easy to get a handle on.

Unit response time is lightning fast. I only experienced a slight lag between songs when I skipped through dozens at a time.

Now for the bad part:

The supplied software is okay for managing music, but is near impossible to manage data files. And even as a music manager, it is needlessly complicated. I uploaded all my data files, only to have them stuck there and unable to be deleted or added to. This was a problem I worked at for days, with no solution. Turned out that the 'Nomad Explorer' softwareis just generally terrible.

An ESSENTIAL program to go with your Zen Touch is Red Chair Software's NOTMAD Explorer -- it handles both music and data files easily, with a simple drag-n-drop interface. Since using Notmad Explorer, I've had no problems with the unit or its functionality.

Unlike iPod, the Zen Touch feels expensive. It's tough, well-designed and durable. I've used an iPod before and it felt like a kid's toy. The Zen Touch is something you'll feel compelled to be careful with. Although, I take mine to the gym for my weight training and cardio workouts. I wouldn't suggest sprinting with it or throwing it around, but it is very well-built.

The only reason this product gets 4 stars, instead of 5, is the terrible software included. But if you pay the extra to get the independently produced Notmad Explorer, then the software bugs are a non-issue.

Highly recommended.

122 of 123 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Build Quality, Great Sound, some minor Quirks, January 4, 2005

By 

Eric Dubuis (Tinton Falls, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Creative Zen Touch 40 GB Audio Player (Electronics)

Some brief notes on the 40GB Zen Touch from Creative. I have used it now for about two weeks and am very pleased with it after I got around some quirks.

The player seems to be built very nicely. It has a very solid and quality feel and has this substantial touch to it. Another way would be to say it's heavier than expected and certainly heavier than a comparable iPod (the size difference is quite neglectable).

The sound is very good and the equalizer works well too. It's usually not necessary, but it can help to customize the sound. I do not think, like some reviews of the 20GB version suggest, that the sound isn't loud enough. I don't have to crank it up to 25 even in my MCC Smart @85 mph (a rather noisy car, trust me).

The operation of the player is on the fast side. Skipping tracks is instantaneous and selection of tracks happens without noticeable delay (my player is loaded to about 80% with 5000+ songs @192kbs).

There are a few things I didn't like about the Zen Touch though. First, the touch pad is rather sensitive and while this is great to scan through thousands of songs, it's bothersome when selecting a single entry.

The second weak point is the file organization on the player. All mp3 files are stored in one directory, which inevitably leads to some clashes for songs with the same name. I had to convert the ripped files with a little script to include the artist and album information in order to create unambiguous file names.

Battery capacity seems very good when the player is used as a player. Downloading songs or managing play lists on the other hand is using up a lot of battery power.

All things considered, I am very happy with the player so far.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New Software (10/31/05) Makes A Big Difference!, December 7, 2005

By 

John Hale (Plano, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Creative Zen Touch 40 GB Audio Player (Electronics)

Many of the negative comments about the Zen Touch involve the difficulty of using the software that comes with it. After loading the latest firmware updates, I downloaded the Creative Software Suite dated 10/31/05. The new software is much easier to use.

A major use of the Zen for me is listening to audiobooks. I was having trouble creating playlists that put the many .mp3 files in the correct order. The new software solves all that.