Customer Reviews

Refurbished Creative ZEN MP3 Player 2GB (Black)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Since the product description for the refurbished unit does not have any details, I will list them here. (For expediency, I am using CL in short for Creative Labs)


Unboxing
========
The package arrives in an A3 Amazon box. Inside the package there is padding and a Creative Labs branded box. On the front of the Creative Labs box there is a sticker that lists the contents and states that this is a "Creative Certified Refurbished" with a 90-day limited hardware warranty.

Inside the CL box, I found the following items:
* the mp3 player sealed in bubble wrap and another layer of wrapping
* USB cable
* earphones, sealed, inside a smaller box inside the CL box
* installation CD (standard CD size)
* quickstart leaflet
* warranty for refurbished products paper
* paper with instructions on how to download the manual in different languages


Cheapskate Tip
==============
Remove the player carefully from the bubble-wrap, use a cutter to carefully slice the one piece of sticky tape that holds it closed, so you can use the bubble wrap as a poor man's protector case for safety or long-term storage. But probably not a good idea to store it in the non-ventilated bubble wrapper during regular use?


Connecting to the computer
==========================
* The computer shows 1.8GB of storage available when you plug it in (not a surprise, just an FYI)
* you can't use the player while it is docked (connected) to a computer via a USB cable, even if the computer is not doing anything
* it appears to come almost fully charged, because when I plugged it in, the battery level was high and it finished charging quickly


Playing Video
=============
* The videos you buy from Amazon Video (Unbox) include in their price a mobile version of each program, in addition to the full size. I tried the free "Making of the National Parks" among others and they play straight up with no need for conversions!
* conversions themselves are painfully slow and cpu-intensive on the computer (not a surprise)
* Fast forward starts slow but after a little bit it picks up momentum so you can cover a lot of ground quickly


Bookmarks
=========
* The Zen has 10 bookmarks for audio files. You can do this on any music file, but they are ideally suited for audio podcasts and audio books and such. Very handy feature.
* you cannot bookmark things on the SD/SDHC card, only on the 2gb on-board memory


Music Fans Beware
=================
* On the 2gb of on-board memory, you cannot play the music files sorted by filename, so the old trick of "01 Song1", "02 Song2", etc does not work. It needs ID3 tags to play songs in the proper (album) order.
* However, there is a workaround - if you put the mp3 files on an SD/SDHC memory card using your computer (eg Windows Explorer), and the files are named "01 Song1", "02 Song2", then they will play in order. But the SD/SDHC card does not have the cool playback features.


Zencast
=======
I downloaded one Zencast (MAKE podcast) using the included Zencast program (on the computer), and it downloaded, transferred and played on the Zen without any problems.


FM Tuner
========
I was using a cheap line-out speaker when I did the FM radio autoscan but it did find some of the FM radio stations at a reasonable sound level. The internets say that the in-box headphones also serve as an antenna, but I haven't tested it.


Microphone recording
====================
I did a quick test of the microphone (in a quiet room) and both the recording and playback were good and clear enough.


Podcasts
========
You can quickly locate Podcasts in the "Music" area of the player by selecting "Genre" and then "Podcast".


SD/SDHC memory card
===================
* the memory card slides all the way in the device, so you don't have to worry about it bumping into things or falling out
* a number of features (eg bookmarks and browsing) don't work when using the memory card
* used a 4gb OCZ SDHC card with no problems (it was about half full)


Quick Start Leaflet Translation FAIL
====================================
One of sections in the otherwise english-speaking "Quick Start" leaflet is actually written in French! The rest is in English. Ironically this is a section titled (in French) "Important - Read Carefully". It covers (I am translating and paraphrasing) things like don't play with it while driving, don't break your ears with loud volume and other warnings of that sort.


User Interface
==============
The user interface is very fluid and easy to pick up without reading the leaflet or the user manual. A very organic user interface that you don't actually have to think to use.


Annoyances
==========
When you reach the end of the main menu, and scroll down, it won't roll over to the beginning and start over. You have to scroll up. Most of the other menus however do roll-over.


Overall Impressions
===================
I don't have a musical ear, so I can't really make any strong comments on the audio quality. It is more than good enough for me.

So far so good - considering the price of this refurbished unit, this has definitely exceeded expectations.

Also a big plus, the fact that Creative Labs has included all the accessories, even though it's a refurbished item!

My rating is based on the refurbished price, not the full list price of a new-in-box unit!

I liked the idea of the Zen because it is one of the few which accepts SD cards for extra storage. I bought the cheapest refurb too see how it operated. The thing rocks. The menu is what you are used to if you spend time on a computer. I'm ready to invest in the higher end product line memory. The screen was difficult to watch in direct sunlight, but I use the ZEN to listen rather than watch.

The Zen player has held up well in the 6 months I've owned it. I use it primarily for audiobooks. It supports Audible files and the WMA DRM and mp3 audiobooks from Overdrive and Netlibrary (both from public libraries.) The bookmark and resume feature make it easy to keep your place in multiples books or files. Also the audio quality is very good. This is important because most audiobooks are recorded at 32 kps. Although the 2gb size is small by music player standards it is plenty for books. You can store 6 to 8 typical length books on the player.

My refurbished Zen worked for 1 month. I sent it back to be repaired or replaced. Creation claims that my ZEN was repaired. The Zen worked for a few days and failed again. My refurbished Zen was a piece of junk. Too bad since it has a nice screen and easy to use. I will not buy a refurbished one again.

I actually bought one of these on eBay as an "open box" item (not refurbished -- "used, like new"), and it worked great, except for the one potentially fatal flaw of the White Screen of Death (WSOD). Whenever I put the player on hold while a song was playing adn left it on hold long enough for the screen to go dark, I'd get a blank white screen when I brought it out of hold. Annoying and inconvenient though it was, the "hold" function wasn't 100% necessary for my usage, and there was a reasonably easy fix; I just had to put it back on hold, let it go dark again but pull it out of hold within 3 seconds or so. Supposedly there's a hardware issue common to these players that causes the white screen due to a loose connection somewhere, although that doesn't entirely make sense in my case because the screen is dark when powered down, of course, and yet it always powered up and started perfectly. I guess it was specific to the "hold" mechanism. Anyway, I should've counted my blessings, because I loved the player despite the flaw. Screen was nice and bright and colorful, menus were easy enough, and the sound is fantastic. I'm a paid rock critic; my job is to listen to music, and I thought this player sounded far superior to others I've tried.

I've heard that this flaw can worsen over time, though, and so I returned the eBay purchase citing WSOD as the reason, and promptly purchased this Creative-certified refurb on Amazon. I figured that since this is such a common issue with Zens and other products, the odds were decent that this or any unit would be returned due to WSOD, and that the refurbishing work might well have specifically addressed the associated loose connection. A refurbished unit would therefore be considerably less likely to get the White Screen of Death, plus it was cheaper, and the reviews here seem overwhelmingly positive. How could I lose? The logic was flawless!

Unfortunately my WSOD theory has yet to be tested, as the refurb I received was basically DOA. I purchased it on 9/23, received it today (9/29), and was happy with the speed of delivery, the neat and sturdy packaging and the immaculate appearance of the unit. I plugged it into the usb and left it charging for several hours, as per instructions. As the unit absorbed the charge, first the blue power-indicator light started to flash, then the screen came to life, then my PC recognized it and activated the drivers, and then I left it alone to nourish itself. When the charging icon indicated that it was fully charged, I proceeded to drag and drop a bunch of albums in mp3 format. It started to transfer, but then it hit a snag; either one file was unsupported or maybe it refused to copy the file because it was also playing at the same time on my PC, I don't know. But when I opted to skip the track and continue, the transfer froze. The PC told me the program wasn't responding, so I canceled the tranfer and unplugged the unit. The Zen's screen was frozen. It wouldn't power down. I used a safety pin to hit the "reset" button, and the screen went black. After that it wouldn't power back up again.

Wondering if maybe there was a battery issue, I plugged it back onto the usb cord. My PC no longer recognized it, and it wasn't charging or anything. Just black.

When it comes to snazzy gadgets and great deals, however, I'm an unabashed glutton for punishment. I've gotten the return forms from Amazon and will mail it back tomorrow, but since Amazon didn't give me the option of requesting a replacement, I also already went ahead and purchased yet another refurb from Creative, through Amazon. I'm giving them, and my "refurb vs. WSOD" theory, one more chance. I'll let you know what happens.

UPDATE 10/15: My 2nd refurb has been holding up quite nicely! No complaints so far. As long as it keeps working, I'll stand by this little player a solid choice. If it dies, I might even consider getting yet another if I can find the right deal.

i have had many products from creative and though not perfect, i have always been satisfied with their customer service and the ease of using their products. this was no exception. a couple years ago, i got one for myself first, then got 3 more for the whole family. the creative software is easy to use and interchangeable with each new product we get, so there is no need to reconfigure or reorganize any of our files. we can rip cd's or download or transfer virtually any music, and not have to deal with i-tunes. the kids have gotten i-pods since, but they still use these as a backup. this is not an i-pod, or anything great, but does a great job for me as a music player. you can watch video on it but if i get to that point i would be looking at the creative 7" tablet or something like that. actually hoping for a refurbished one to come out soon. never had any problems with their refurbished items, they come in a new box and everything.

screen went out after about 6 months. it seems as though the contrast gets set to max and whites out the screen. i bought this as a gift for my 9yr old daughter and she was thrilled to get it. now it is gone and she has my PSP as a replacement.

This a nice player, with good functions, and great video quality. The installation CD was no good, but fortunately I was able to download a similar pack at creative.com.

Don't ever purchase a refurbished item. I ordered & received a creative mp3 player. It was very nice for ONE day, then it just stopped working. It won't even turn on now.

The big issue is the memory card. I bought it thinking you could expand it with memory card, but if you want to use memory card for your music, it is almost useless. Any music you put on memory card can only be played by browsing and playing a specific track or album. After wasting a lot of time I found out: "SD card is accessed as a removable drive, advanced features of the player such as; playlists, searching by artist, album, etc., will not be available" which means to use these features you have to transfer or import files to internal memory.