audio_freak's Full Review: Creative Technology Zen Micro Silver (5 GB) MP3 Pl...
I guess it all started with those white headphones, really. You see them everywhere; dangling out of pockets, looped around necks, or more often blasting music into ears everywhere. From five-year-olds to grandmothers to celebrities to that guy on the street walking his dog, it seems like everybody in the world has an iPod, and everyone one of those iPods is connected to a pair of those damn white headphones.
Fans of Apple's mp3 player may rave about how great the Click Wheel is, how great iTunes is, etc., but in all truth the reason why everybody in the world has an iPod is due to Apple's sheer marketing genius. It's almost as if CEO Steve Jobs had come to every person in the country as they slept and whispered into their ears, "The iPod is the only mp3 player that exists. The iPod is the only mp3 player that exists…" and everyone woke up believing it. The reality is that there is a plethora of music players today that can do the job just as well as the iPod (if not better) while looking just as cool. With that in mind, I went on a mission to find a music player that could take down the iPod mini in every category. In the end, I discovered one that matched the iPod in basically every way and went beyond.
Creative Zen Micro: Giant killer?
The Creative Zen Micro was perfect. I wanted something that would preferably hold at least as many songs as the iPod while still being small and easy to use. More importantly for me, I really needed something that would look good and get positive attention, without the boring 'I-follow-the-crowd' statement that the iPod mini conveys. The Zen pretty much fit all of those criteria. It held up to 2,500 songs (versus the iPod mini's 1,000), looked great, and was actually shorter than the iPod mini (3.3" vs 3.6"). With a big smile on my face, I drove to Fry's, picked out my mp3 player's color (there were ten to choose from, I chose silver) and purchased my Zen Micro for $185 (August 2005).
Note: Yes, I realize that the iPod Nano is out now.
I know that the iPod mini is no longer being manufactured by Apple, since the release of the iPod Nano. Still, the iPod mini is still much more common than the Nano at this point and can still be purchased used for about the price of a new Zen Micro. Due to the widespread nature of the iPod mini, I'll be using it as a benchmark for comparison purposes. The iPod nano is currently much more expensive than the Zen Micro and therefore is not really a competitor.
Out of the Box
I was really excited and opened the box right there in the parking lot, sitting in my car. I have to say that Creative did a good job with packaging this time. In the past, Creative has turned people off by packing fantastic players in really ugly, ugly, boxes with enough tech specs written all over the place to scare away even the most experienced users. This time was different. The outside of the box was attractive, taking after the Apple by featuring an actual-size photograph of the Zen Micro front and center. I opened it up to find the silver Zen Micro staring at me, ensconced in all-white packaging. Underneath the initial layer were all of the accessories: USB cable, power adapter, rechargeable Lithium-ion battery, a plastic case with belt clip, and the drawstring bag. This was all good, very good in fact, until I noticed the pair of white headphones, almost like the iPod's with the exception of the words 'Creative' on the side. Grr. Oh well, I figured I'd just get a different pair later.
First impressions
The first thing I noticed about the Zen Micro was that it was small. Really small. It's actually just about as tall as my middle finger. Also, the back of the player was an attractive smooth white plastic curved to fit the palm of one's hand. The front of the player featured a screen about the same size as the iPod mini's with a large touchpad directly beneath it. There was even a line running all the way around the edge of the player's front face that would glow the color blue when the player was active. Sweet!
My first impressions of the player's interface were good. The menus were laid out in a very similar way to the iPod's, and were much improved from interfaces seen on previous Creative mp3 players. The one thing that bugged me was the touch strip. The iPod mini has a circular wheel where you draw your finger clockwise to move down a list and counter-clockwise to move up, and then click a button in the middle to make a selection. Instead, Creative opted for a rectangular touch-sensitive strip in the center of the touchpad area below the screen. You brush your thumb downwards to scroll down, and brush your thumb upwards to scroll up. To make a menu selection, you gently tap the touch strip once. Unfortunately, the touch strip was much too sensitive for me at first: the player often interpreted small brushes as taps, causing me to make many accidental menu selections when all I wanted to do was scroll down a notch or two. Besides that, it seemed easy enough to use.
Beginning of a beautiful friendship?
Needless to say, I went home and installed Creative's software right away so that I could get songs on my player. It was simple, and using the included Zen Micro Media Explorer, I loaded about 500 songs on the Zen (taking about 20 minutes) and headed out. The week that followed was a blur. I accustomed to the Zen very quickly and mastered the touch strip. I put some more songs on it. The included white headphones actually sounded pretty good and so I kept them- I didn't have much money to get a better pair, anyway. Besides, they said 'Creative', so I wasn't being like everyone else with their iPod headphones. Overall, everything was working out fine. I even disassembled and reassembled my Zen within that first week (more on that later). It's now been three months since I began using my Zen Micro, and trust me; I've gathered enough impressions that I could tell you anything you ever wanted to know about it. I'm going to give you a very comprehensive review detailing basically everything about this mp3 player, from how to use it well to a rundown of the features. And when I say everything, I mean everything.
Features/Using the Zen Micro
We're going to start with the features of the Creative Zen Micro. Basically, the important things to consider when deciding on an mp3 player are storage space, ease of use, physical size, how you're going to use it, and extra features. The Zen Micro has five gigabytes (5 GB) of storage, which is equal to about 1,200 mp3 songs or 2,500 wma songs (more on that in a second). The iPod, in comparison, holds 20% less than the Zen at four gigabytes (4 GB). This is one thing to think about if you have a large music collection.
Another very important part of any mp3 player how easy it is to use. The Zen Micro is very easy to get used to, and using it is pretty straightforward. There are no real buttons on the Zen; everything is touch-sensitive. On the top of the player is a hold switch (one of the only moving parts in the whole player), the headphone jack in the center, and the USB port for connecting the player to your computer. In order to power on your Zen, slide the hold switch to the left for about two seconds and the screen lights up. Shifting the hold switch to the right 'locks' the player by disabling the touch pad.
No more going around in circles: The touch strip
The touch area is divided into six sections: Previous Track, Play/Pause, and Next Track on the top; Back and Menu on the bottom with the touch strip in the center. Tapping Previous Track or Next Track plays the previous track or next track in the Now Playing list. Tapping the Play/Pause button starts and stops the music. The Back button goes back one menu level to whatever menu you were just viewing. The Zen's Menu button simply pops up with a very handy menu full of extra options for whatever you have selected. Finally, the touch strip in the center is your main means of navigation: move your thumb up along the touch strip to scroll up, and move it down to scroll down. Tapping the touch strip gently makes a menu selection, the equivalent of a mouse click on the computer. The advantage of having everything touch-sensitive is that there are no moving parts, and nothing will get jammed or stuck or broken.
Side note #1: How Do You Use That Damn Touch Strip, Anyway?
There are a lot of complaints about the sensitivity of the touch strip from all kinds of Zen Micro users. Often times the player interprets a small brush as a tap, or overshoots the menu item you're trying to select. There's a simple trick to overcoming all of this: when using the Zen Micro's touch strip, slide your thumb up and down along the strip instead of brushing. When you brush your thumb (e.g. a quick movement with your thumb lifting up each time), the player often gets confused between whether you're moving up and down or making a selection. When you slide (e.g. keeping your thumb in contact with the touch strip) it makes things a lot easier.
Side note #2: The Menu button
The Menu button to the right of the touch strip (not to be confused with the Back button) is a handy little button that pops up with, you guessed it, a menu. Depending on what you're currently looking at or what you've selected, pressing the menu button will pop up with a list of extra options. These options range from changing the volume (so that you can change the volume at any time without navigating all the way back to the Now Playing screen), deleting a song, viewing extra song details, adding songs to a playlist, and more. Think of it as an 'advanced options' button. Creative designed the Menu button so that nobody would ever really need to use it, but would be perfect for users looking for extra convenience and functionality. Try it! It's useful.
Menu Layout
The Zen Micro's menus are laid out in a very similar fashion to that of the iPod's. Upon startup you are greeted with the main menu, listing "Music Library", "Now Playing", "Play Mode", "FM Radio", and "Extras". Tapping 'Music Library' brings you to a menu you'll be seeing often, with different options to display all your songs by Playlist, Album name, Artist name, or Genre, and a DJ option with fun features like 'Album of the Day', 'Random Play All', 'Most Popular' and 'Rarely Heard'. It's all easy to use, and if you've ever used an iPod mini you'll find yourself getting accustomed to the Zen in no time.
Now back to the main menu for a rundown on the rest of the Micro's features. Tapping 'Now Playing' right underneath 'Music Library' brings you to the screen that you see most often, which is the Now Playing screen that automatically shows whenever you are playing a song. In the top left is a logo telling you whether the player is currently stopped, paused, or playing. In the middle are three lines of info: The name of the song, the album, and the artist name (In comparison, the iPod mini only shows the name of the song and the artist name). Running across the screen below the song information is a progress bar showing how much of the song has been played. At the very bottom are two numbers showing exactly how much of the song has been played and how much is left. It all makes sense and provides a lot of information at the same time.
Hit back a few times and we'll be at the main menu once more. Right beneath 'Now Playing' is 'Play Mode'. Selecting this gives you the choice of normal playback, repeat track, repeat all, shuffle, shuffle repeat, and track once.
FM Radio
One selling point of the Zen Micro for me was that it had a built in FM Radio. This can be accessed through the main menu, right under 'Play Mode'. Upon selecting it, we're greeted by a large number in the center showing the radio frequency, from 87.50 MHz to 108.00 MHz. Tapping next track or previous track scans up and down. If you hit the Menu button, you'll find very useful options for assigning presets (you can store up to 30 preset radio stations), auto scan, and even a function for recording from the radio so that you can save radio broadcasts. The one weakness of the Zen Micro's FM Radio is that reception is usually pretty fuzzy, even in open areas (The Zen actually uses your headphones as a sort of antenna, so make sure your cord isn't covered up by clothing or tangled up).
Extras/Voice Recording
Underneath 'FM Radio' in the main menu is an item labeled 'Extras'. These extras consist of the clock, microphone, organizer, and removable disk. The clock needs to be set upon your first use but after that it should keep running pretty well forever (there's a little battery inside the player that keeps it going even when you take out the main battery). You can also set an alarm to play the radio or a random song at a given time.
The voice recording abilities of the Zen should not be underestimated. It records voices up to about 10-15 feet away remarkably well, with little distortion and pretty good clarity. There are even two level meters. Hitting the Menu button at this screen brings up the option to begin recording.
The organizer features Calendar, Tasks, and Contacts. All of those need to be synced with Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express, meaning everything is done on the keyboard and then transferred over. I don't really use any of these functions, it's too much of a hassle to whip out my Zen at various times of the day and navigate through some menus to read my to-do list for the day or find a phone number- I have paper and a pen for that. It's still a nice touch, though.
The removable disk function is another feature I don't really use. The way it works is that you can set aside a portion of your Zen to act as a removable disk when you plug it into your computer, where you can copy data files like a USB drive and use them on any computer without needing to install the Zen Micro software.
Changing Settings
The last item on the Zen Micro's main menu is System. This is where you get to tinker with the way the Zen works and customize it to the way you want it. The System menu has the items 'Information', 'Audio Settings', 'Player Settings', 'Language', and 'Reset Settings'. Information shows you how much space you have left and the number of songs/albums/artists/etc you have on your player.
Audio Settings lets you toggle the Equalizer Settings as well as 'Smart Volume' (which is actually not smart at all and doesn't do anything but drain your battery). The Equalizer settings are really nice. You get a bunch of great presets from 'Acoustic' to 'Rock' to 'Vocal' and many more. If none of these works for you, the Custom EQ feature is really handy for getting the bass, treble, and midranges just right.
Under Player Settings you can change the owner name, the backlight time, the idle shutdown time, and the touchpad sensitivity (this is useful). Customize Menu lets you change what entries appear on your main menu.
The Language menu lets you choose what language your player is in. English is the default, but there's a lot more to choose from (I've always wanted my mp3 player in Russian!).
What the iPod can't touch
So that's the rundown on the way the Zen Micro's menus work. But in the end, it really boils down to the big question: Zen Micro or the iPod? Here's a short section on some of the most important technical advantages that the Zen has over the iPod.
1. WMA Playback. WMA stands for Windows Media Audio, a way of compressing music that Microsoft invented a while back. The advantage of WMA over MP3 files is that WMA can achieve nearly the same sound quality of an MP3 with about half of the file size. This pretty much means that if you use only WMA files, you can store twice the songs in the same space. The iPod can't play WMA files (after all, it's an Apple product), and the Zen can.
2. FM Radio/Voice Recorder. As explained above, the Zen Micro has an FM Radio and a Voice Recorder.
3. Removable Battery. While all iPods have a built-in battery, the Zen Micro's is removable. This means two things: 1) When you're out of batteries, you can swap in a fresh one and keep the music playing, and 2) when your battery refuses to charge any more, you can buy a new battery instead of sending the whole thing back to the factory to get a costly replacement.
4. Now Playing list. The Zen Micro features a handy Now Playing list, which is basically a queue of songs to be played. Any song you add to the Now Playing list will play after the last song already on the Now Playing list. It's easy to use and very valuable.
5. Higher-Resolution LCD. The Zen Micro's LCD screen displays more pixels meaning that words are sharper and easier to read. It also means that more text can be displayed in the same size screen- the iPod mini's Now Playing screen only has room for the track title and artist name, while the Zen Micro's screen shows the track title, album name, and artist name.
Durability, Data Transfer, and Charging
Let's start off by saying that the Zen Micro is pretty darn durable. I've dropped it numerous times on accident (often from great heights to a hard floor, accompanied by loud curse words from my mouth) without the player getting hurt at all. The hard, smooth white plastic doesn't scratch that easily, and the screen is pretty scratch resistant, too. All in all, it's pretty solid.
Transferring data is usually pretty easy, but can sometimes be a hassle. As of this review's writing, you really should upgrade your player's firmware immediately to version 2.20.05 (link below). This fixes a number of things such as idle battery drain and more importantly makes your player able to sync seamlessly with any computer running Windows Media Player 10. This means you can bring your Zen and cable over to a friend's computer with Windows Media Player 10 and it'll work perfectly with their computer without even needing to install anything. Creative's bundled programs (Zen Micro Media Explorer and Creative MediaSource) are pretty much horrible; they're slow and clumsy. For that reason, upgrade your firmware and use Windows Media Player 10 instead. I personally use Notmad Explorer, a third-party program built for Creative mp3 players that costs $25 but has a bunch of nice features.
Charging is simple. You can either plug it into the computer and charge it off the computer's power, or use the bundled wall adapter to charge off of a power outlet. It takes about three hours for a full charge that will last you around twelve hours until you have to charge it again. I like to charge it every night as I sleep, it saves time.
Sound Quality
Let me say a few things: the Zen Micro's sound quality is spectacular. This thing is seriously the Ferrari of mp3 players when it comes to sound quality. It has a higher signal-to-noise ratio than any iPod on the market right now, including the high-end video iPods. This means that the sound is amazingly crisp, with rich bass, clear midranges, and devoid of the all-too-common tinny, grating high-ranges that make you want to claw out your hair. It's great, and I couldn't ask for more.
Appeal
The original reason why I got the Zen Micro was because it was unique and at the same time very cool and very functional. It's true, a lot of people will be very interested in your Zen Micro. Nobody pays attention to you if you strut around with an iPod, because they already have one themselves. A lot of people have come up to me interested in the Zen Micro, though, with comments ranging from "It's sooooo cute!!" to "Where can I get one of these?" I even found a tutorial on the internet for how to turn an Altoids tin into a case for your Zen Micro- how much cooler can it get?
An Important Problem: The Loose Headphone Jack
The Creative Zen Micro is a very capable mp3 player perhaps only marred by one thing: the headphone jack. I was surfing the internet one day about three days after purchasing the Zen, when I came across a site in which some users had reported their headphone jacks breaking down. Apparently, the headphone jack has a small chance of getting detached from the circuitry inside the player over time (some say this is due to the design of the included headphones) and you lose sound in one ear, or both. There were many do-it-yourself fixes submitted by other users, ranging from slipping a piece of paper between the headphone jack inside the player to re-soldering the headphone jack. I made the mistake of deciding to 'fix' it at once using the paper method before the problem even happened. I opened up the Zen (voiding my warranty) and followed the instructions. In reality, the fix was useless. About a month ago, I noticed that the sound was only coming out of one side, and slowly deteriorating. I felt a sense of dread (again accompanied by loud curse words from my mouth), knowing that I didn't have my warranty any more. Fortunately, I found a friend who knew how to solder, who re-soldered the jack (the only real effective fix), resulting in a functional Zen Micro once again. This was a huge relief.
However, my advice is to definitely NOT try and fix it yourself. You'll end up voiding your warranty, and probably costing yourself a lot of money in the end. If your Zen DOES end up having the headphone jack problem, either return it to the store you bought it from or Creative will replace it for free (all you have to pay is about $5 shipping). It's a little frustrating that Creative had to taint an otherwise perfect mp3 player by not properly reinforcing a cheap little headphone jack.
An amusing part of this experience was that I ended up switching to using my friend's iPod headphones after hearing that the long plug of the included Zen Micro headphones could have been a cause of the problem. So much for individuality. :P
Conclusion
Overall, I really love this mp3 player. It does its job perfectly and has a lot going for it. The Creative Zen Micro is original, cool, and performs a lot better than its competitors in many categories. With the exception of the headphone jack problem, my Zen Micro experience has been great, and you should seriously consider this player. The Zen is a really simple yet powerful little music player that refuses to be the same as everyone else. To top it all off, prices have been falling since the introduction of the Zen Micro's big brother, the Micro Photo (essentially a Zen Micro with a color screen and a larger hard drive, in a slightly slimmer package). You can find a 5 GB model for $170 new, easily (as of Nov. 2005). You definitely won't regret your decision if you ever decide upon a Creative Zen Micro. Trust me.
This review will be updated every once in a while as new things come up. If you have any questions about the Zen Micro, please feel free to ask! I can tell you a lot. Thanks for reading my review! Comments are greatly appreciated!
Creative Zen Micro Specifications
Storage: 5 GB (1,200 mp3 or 2,500 wma)
File formats: .mp3, .wma, .wav
Dimensions: 3.3"x2.0"x0.7"
Weight: 3.8 oz
Display: 160x104 pixel backlit LCD display
Radio: FM Tuner with 30 presets
Voice Recorder: Built-in microphone
File Transfer: USB 2.0
Battery Type: 1x Lithium Ion Rechargeable Battery
Battery Life: Up to 12 hours
Warranty: One Year
Links Creative's Official Zen Micro Website, Includes 360 Degrees View
http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=213&subcategory=214&product=10795
Creative - Upgrade Zen Micro Firmware
http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/download.asp?Product_ID=10795&Product_Name=Zen+Micro&OSName=Windows+XP&OS=10&DriverType=4&details=1
Anatomy of a Zen Micro (Hardwarezone.com)
http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?cid=9&id=1331
Zen Micro - Altoids Tin Case
http://www.uberreview.com/2005/02/creative-zen-micro-tin.htm
Zen Micro vs iPod mini: Side by side view (image)
http://shop.tsukumo.co.jp/img/tsukumo/041114a09.gif
Comparable Players: (Prices as of Nov 2005)
iPod Mini 4 GB~ about $160 (used)
Dell Pocket DJ 5 GB ~ about $160
Iriver H10 5 GB ~ about $170
This review written by audio_freak for Epinions.com only. Comments appreciated!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 180 Recommended for: Music Lovers - High Capacity Storage for an Entire Album Collection
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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