So....should I buy a Zen Mic

Hi there! I'm a newbie who is looking to buy an zen micro, but having had a bit of a look around on here, I'm really concerned about the possibility of major software/ headphone socket problems. I don't know if these were problems with some of the early batches, or are atill going on. ?60 is a lot of money for someone who is on a student budget, so i'd really appreciate any feedback- especially as to the helpfullness of creative labs customer services if somsething does go wrong- i don't want to be stuck with a busted player 3 months down the line, with a company who are unwilling to replace/ refund me. Thanks!

I just ordered the micro on amazon.com. the headphone jack problem does exist. if it happens to me, i will return it and give micro another shot. btw, if the micro is faulty, and you return it to creative, will they send in a new one?
even the reviews on amazon.com are not that valid because once they received their micro, they more than likely posted that review a few days later. few days later is not enough to warrant a "no headphone jack problem". the headphone jack problem might occur much much later: weeks to months. so all those reviews were made in a rush. i think they should make reviews of the product after 3 months of constant/intermittent use to see how durable it really is.
go buy it, i know i did. it came down to carbon and micro. but micro is a superior player, except battery wise.

Similar Messages

Should I buy a Zen Mic

I really want to get a Zen Micro, but I'm worried about the headphone jack problem. Does anyone know if Creative has fixed the problem in the newer Zen Micros? and if so, how do I know which ones are the new Micros?

bberenbaum wrote:
Every player has problems, some more than others. The iPod has more problems than the micro, but the Rio has less (at least thats what I was told).
One thing to remember is that all of these MP3 players are essentially a new technology. They haven't been around all that long. So I think all models have their own set of issues at this point due to the fact that these devices are fairly new. Its gonna be a few years before everyone starts getting everything closer to perfect.
But I did some comparison shopping and tried out a few idfferent units and found the Zen Micro to be the best choice for me. I travel about 3 weeks out of every month and the size and functionality seem to work great for someone like me who is running their player on an average of 4-6 hours per day on a near daily basis and who wants something small enough to stick in my jacket pocket, but has a hard dri've to overcome the space limitations of a flash player, which typically top out at gig from what I could find.

Should I buy a Zen Tou

I'm thinking of getting a refund for my 30 GB zen xtra because it doesn't play audiobooks with the proper length and buying a Zen Touch. Is this audiobook problem just with Zen Xtra or with all Creative players? Does anybody know of this problem disappearing with the newer Zen models? Thanks!

XtraGuru wrote:How do I found out if the file has variable bit rate? Should I try to convert into something else? Will that help?
Windows Explorer properties don't seem to tell you, but a program like Winamp can under the file properties.
Yes, try converting to a CBR file.

Should I buy the Zen Micro or the Zen Touch Playe

I am trying to decide whether to buy the Zen Micro or the Zen Touch. They are roughly the same price. I do not think I need 20GB, but I <EM>hate </EM>to constrain myself.
On the other hand, the Zen Micro appears to offer a few extra features like FM radio, replaceable battery, voice recording and advanced song handling (DJ, for example). The Zen Touch seems to have just the most basic functions.
So what do I do, get a gigantic player with minimal functionality (less than an iPod or Nomad) or a smaller player with more functionality (I am unlikely to use voice and FM recording, and use the FM radio minimally)?
It just seems like the overall Micro firmware is more robust than the Touch firmware, but I'm not sure the tradeoff is worth it.
What are your thoughts?

I have a Zen Touch. I do not have an enormous music collection, but have maybe 50 or 60 albums on the player. This is something like 6 or 7 GB. It is WAY too much for me (even this much music). I do not need even that many songs on it at once. With support via WMP0 to synchronize, you could just synch up your favorites every time, switch them around, eventually synch up Napter 2 Go stuff and still have a ton on a 5 GB player. Features on the Micro that sound flashy but I would NEVER use are the calendar, contact thing. I have this on my phone, too, and don't use it. I have a PDA--I DO use that. An MP3 player is a pitiful substitute for a PDA (and a PDA is a lousy MP3 player). I would use the Audible Audio support in the Micro. Touch does not have this. I am a huge Audible fan. I had seriously looked at a Rio Carbon, but now that the Micro is out, that would be the player I would buy if I had it to do over again. They do need to develope a way to charge your extra battery for the Micro. The ability to swap batteries is pretty stupid the way it is now--you can only charge it in the player. They need a charger for the spare. Just my opinion, but I think some people get carried away with hard dri've potential. I can't forsee EVER wanting to carry that much music around with me, especially when it will be so easy to change what is on the player once full support for WMP0 comes out. I am just not away from my home computer library for that length of time that I would want to carry most of it around with me. I vote for the Micro.

Should I buy the Gtrack mic

I just learned the Gtrack records at 44.1. I work mostly at the 48k sample rate so the audio can go right into a video editor. This mic seems like what I need but if I were to record in Soundtrack, would it only record at 44.1k and could I resample it to 48k within STP. I dont want to jump through a lot of hoops to make it work...........I'll buy a mic that functions at 48k if I need to............I dont HAVE to get this.
thanks

Souleffecx,
I ordered a Zen Micro Silver from Amazon, on /20. I paid $249.99, with free shipping. I received the unit on /24. WalMart Online was also offering the Silver model at a few cents less, but no free shipping. Tell me, how did you qualify for a $25 discount? <gr>
If you have experience using Creative's Touchpad operating system, and if you're familiar with the concept of Creative's MediaSource Organizer/Player driver package, then you can probably purchase a mail-order unit and teach yourself how to use it. But, if you don't know what I'm talking about in the previous sentence, you really should find someone who is familiar with Creative players and can give you advice on how to get up and running with the new Zen Micro player.
Believe me, learning how to operate a Zen Micro is more difficult than learning how to ride a bicycle... you're gonna lock up the dri've a few times, and you'll have to use the "recovery cycle" to reset your player. Also, you will need to clean-up, reformat and reboot the dri've, WITHOUT contaminating the players firmware package. And the written instructions that accompany a new player are grossly inadequate in teaching you how to do these things without screwing up a few times along the way...
If I had it to do over, I would wait until a local electronics shop had the Zen Micro in stock, with some experienced salespeople on hand to help me get started... More than any other electronics product I've purchased in the past 20 years, the Zen Micro requires a much improved user manual and/or good local support to get up and running smoothly.
I don't believe the players are defecti've... It's the inadequate and confusing operating instructions that are responsible for most of the problems that we hear about...

A question before I buy a Zen Mic

I was wondering if you can use the zen micro with itunes. Sense most of my songs were bought off of itunes. Thanks in advance.Message Edited by masterchief35 on 05-06-2005 06:05 AMMessage Edited by masterchief35 on 05-06-2005 06:06 AM

simple google search
The answer's no - but that's not necessarily a bad thing. If you're a fan of iTunes, then an iPod is probably the way to go. If you're not a fan of being tied to just Apple's solution, and want a wider choice, then the Zen's a good bet. Creative supply their own software for copying tracks to the Micro, or you can use Windows Media Player (our preferred option). The Micro gives you more software choice, and you're not tied to Apple's software (which you have to register to use). The iPod supports MP3 and AAC formats, and the Zen supports MP3 and WMA formats, so if you're buying tracks with iTunes in AAC format, you're tied to the iPod. The formats used by the Zen are fine with other products from Creative, Philips, iRi'ver, Samsung, etc. If you're looking to order tracks online, consider the popular Napster

Should I buy the Zen V Pl

Hello everyone,?I'm looking for a new player that's compatible with Raphsody. I know the Zen V Plus is able to work with this program but has anyone ran into any problems or concerns that I should know of? My last player started having issues with Raphsody and it's own software, so I believe it was a player issue. Basicly, I want to know you're overall opionion on how relyable and stable the Zen V Plus is, I want a player that I can transfer music too and not have to fool around with tech support and/or formatt it every 5 minutes. Is the Zen V Plus for me?Thanks!

?I like Zen V Plus very much. I find some good review for it, I quote it here:"The good: The Creative Zen V Plus offers a cute, pocket-friendly design without sacrificing screen real estate, and the vivid OLED display is viewable from any angle. The player is packed to the gills with features, including an FM radio, voice and line-in recording, photo and video playback, and compatibility with subscription WMA tracks. Oh, and the sound quality and battery life are great too. ..."It is from.http://reviews.cnet.com/mp3-players/...7-3228423.htmlI think Zen V Plus is a good choise for you. And it is not expensi've now, I found that a recent deal for?a 8GB?is only $60, you can check it out.http://dealstudio.com/viewtopic.php?t=30774

Which player should I buy? Zen Sleek vs. Zen 2

I currently own a Nomad Zen Xtra 30gb which has served me well for 2 years, but the hard dri've has started to fail (dropped it one too many times) and I am looking for a sexy replacement.
I will not be using a music subscription service so that won't matter to me and I won't be loading photos so the photo future doesn't matter to me either.
I will be loading my cd collection using the fastest transfer software available and listening to music.
So, which of these players is better?
Ease of use?
Physical size?
Durability?
Glitches?
Firmware?
Best software for loading songs?
I know these haven't been on the market for very long (well, not in the US anyway), but any help in deciding would be greatly appreciated.

geeb wrote:
I li've in the Boston area and the Cambridge Soundworks store near me has just received the Zen 20gb and the manager didn't know what the Sleek was. Hard to believe since the store is owned by Creative, but true.
Ah! Now that I think of it someone mentioned this before, so it sound like they have got outside Asia Pacific.
Why would you take a Sleek over a Zen 20gb?
I just prefer the shape of it. Features are pretty much identical from what I can make out.
Ultimately it's down to the originator to look at the players, look at the features, and decide.

Should I get the Zen Mic

I like the iPod mini, but am leaning toward the Zen Micro because it has FM. However I heard some complaints about the Micro freezing up and transfering files to Windows XP. How bad is this problem? Is there a fix for it's Thanks for your help in advance.
What is your overall satisfaction with the Zen Micro?

Aamadi,
From most of the posts that I have seen and from talking with customers I can say that it is unlikely for you to experience problems with this player. Much like with any electronic device on the market there are going to be units that have problems. What I have found is that in most cases the lock up is a one time happening and is repaired by a clean up.
I plan on purchasing a Zen Micro myself and highly recommend it to everyone who is looking for a very portable high capacity player.
Jeremy

IPod, Zen Touch or Zen Mic

I want to buy an mp3 player but I have no idea what to buy. I've read A LOT of reviews and I've basically boiled it down to the iPod mini, the Zen Touch or the Zen Micro. Unfortunately, there are no real reviews for the Zen Micro because people don't have it yet. However, one big advantage is the removable battery. Now, I need someone to convince me why:
a. Choose Creative Zen over iPod
b. Why should a buy the Zen Micro (5GB) when I can spend the same amount of money and get a Zen Touch 20GB? That's a lot of extra space to consider.
If you know any other good mp3 players, please write them down. I'm just looking for strong durability, good sound quality and a sensible interface. The battery issue is also a big concern.
Sep

sepandee wrote:
I want to buy an mp3 player but I have no idea what to buy. I've read A LOT of reviews and I've basically boiled it down to the iPod mini, the Zen Touch or the Zen Micro. Unfortunately, there are no real reviews for the Zen Micro because people don't have it yet. However, one big advantage is the removable battery. Now, I need someone to convince me why:
a. Choose Creative Zen over iPod
b. Why should a buy the Zen Micro (5GB) when I can spend the same amount of money and get a Zen Touch 20GB? That's a lot of extra space to consider.
If you know any other good mp3 players, please write them down. I'm just looking for strong durability, good sound quality and a sensible interface. The battery issue is also a big concern.
Sep
A: Why Creative over Apple? Simple. PRICE. In my opinion, iPods are just ridiculously overpriced. Creative's products are at least priced sensibly.
B: I guess the major issue here is size. While the micro can easily be lost in your pocket, the Touch has more mass.
I, however, would buy the Micro instead of the Touch because the Touch's battery CANNOT be removed, whereas the Micro's can. So if for some reason you come across a glitch with the mp3 player, you can just pop the battery out and pop it back in, resetting the MP3 player. Also, if you need a replacement battery (since all batteries go bad after extended use), you can just buy a new battery instead a whole new MP3 player.
You can check out unbiased reviews/previews, here for the micro and here for the touch.

Playstation portable or creative zen mic

what do you guys think I should do should I buy a zen micro or a plyastation portable because it is one or the other need help deciding?I love music and have lots of it but not alot alot also whats the usual amount of songs that are able to fit on a zen micro alos when using the calander,address book what not how much space does that take up?thanx

Dude, go with the PSP. Not only can you play games, but you can also buy a memory card for the PSP big enough to store all the music you want. They have up to Gig cards now that are compatible with the PSP. (I forgot the name of Sony's cards that they use, sorry). If you want just an MP3 player, buy an MP3 player. If you want a portable gaming system that also has MP3 player and UMD movie capabilities, buy a PSP.

I have a creative zen small wonder wich remote should i buy??? Pleese Te

I have a creative zen small wonder wich remote should i buy, I think i should buy the zen wired remote but would it work?Pleese answer

Yes, the Creative Wired Remote works with my Zen, at least in my test. This is the one I used http://uk.europe.creative.com/produc...=747&product=2

Extreme Battery Heat (Zen Mic

Hi im new here any way, straight to the point i have a Zen Micro had this one for about 3 days (due to sending my old one back and receiving a replacement).
I charged it up over night, unpluged it the following morning and left it on my kitchen table came back after using the bathroom and the whole Zen Micro was really really hot, and when i tried to turn it on it wouldn't turn on, im using the latest firmware ..0.
I was wondering if any one else had this problem i have searched it in the forums and found one post which didn't help.
Also can any one suggest any thing?
Is it my Zen Micro or my battery?
Should i buy a new battery?Message Edited by coolz0uk2003 on 0-2-2005 02:06 AM

The problem might be caused by taking out the charging cable after it's been charge. What I noticed with the ..0 firmware is that the Micro turns on by itself when you plug it in or take it out. I'm not sure why it does that but I did noticed that my Micro freezes when I take out the cable after charging. It may or may not show any lights, I did noticed that mines was left on but it was feint. There was probably one time that it wasn't on. My Micro also got how since it was left on. The heat issue is probably coming from the LEDs from being on for too long. It's like how cellphones get hot after using them for a long time.
One day I change my firmware to the 2.20.05 one and I still see the Micro booting up whenever I plug it in or out but it doesn't freeze anymore. I really do think it's a firmware problem because I did notice it a lot with the ..0. I haven't noticed it with the old one, the one before ..0. Though I don't suggest you install 2.20.05 firmware just to test this out because you'll lose your MP3s during the format.
Pay close attention to your Micro after taking out the cable. See if it boots up or not. Then try turning it on and shutting it off to make sure that it doesn't happen again. If it does freeze, try plugging the cable back in. Also it doesn't matter if you are charging from USB or AC, it happens to both.
I know no one won't believe me on this issue because it's kind of rare for it to happen. A lot of people might think it is an hardware issue but I don't think it is.
Message Edited by Shinryuu on 0-2-2005 0:04 AM

Should i buy a

Hi I have just bought a sony walkman and had to bring it back as the software was a nightmare- would not take any of the music i had uploaded onto i ri'ver or i tunes - and to rip a cd onto it took on average an hour- so i brought i back. Was thinking of buying a zen but concerned same will happen again - can yo transfer your music from i tunes or i ri'ver over to it's software- or is it a big drama?

If you bought music from itunes, nothing will play them except something from the Apple ipod line. Don't blame Creative or Sony or anyone but Apple for this...they like to keep people locked into their system with no easy way out. That said, there are programs available on the web to convert itunes into normal files, but they are not considered exactly legal. Burn a CD with your itune collection if possible, then rip the CD into MP3 format.
Many of the players let you rip CD's directly, but it's kind of silly when you have a computer that's much more capable of handling it. Rip the CD to your hard dri've in MP3 format, and then just copy the songs, or the ones you want, to your MP3 player. Or let the "synchronize" feature of Windows media player or Creative's software do it automatically if you prefer.
I can't answer specifically about iRi'ver music, Napster, or whatever, the whole digital rights management thing is a mess. If you can burn them to CD in normal audio format, you should be able to get them into MP3 format which virtually all players will handle. I say "should" because if you've ever played a Sony music CD in your computer, it may very well have installed software (rootkit) to block you from doing this (without asking, and not easily removable).
The "plays for sure" logo is somewhat of an indication that the player will at least work with windows media protected files (WMA). However, it's not a guarantee of the player's features, so read carefully to see if they've left anything out that you need. The best way is probably to stay away from subscription music services, itunes, etc., and buy the CD or else individual tunes in MP3 format; basically all of the proprietary services want to rope you into their format, so you just send them a monthly payment and have no choice in the matter.

I have a Micro but should i buy an Xtra? is it worth

I just received my zen micro about 4 months ago. Guess what? I already have used up 32% of my hard dri've space on that little thing. That was pretty fast, and now I'm kinda disappointed because of that. I like it alot but i don't like the small hard dri've it contains. Because of that I'm thinking of buying a zen xtra.
Should I or should i not buy an xtra? I know that it cost 30 dollars less than my current mp3 player (Zen Micro). And I know I'm going to miss the touch pad. Do you think i should buy the zen xtra or stay with my micro?
can you plz state the pro's and con's?
thanks for the valuable information if you donated any.

Shinryuu wrote:You haven't used up 00% of the micro yet, only 32%. Try not to worry about it right now. Micro is portable, Xtra is not, The Xtra is about double the size and a half of the Micro.
Careful when talking explicitly. The Xtra is very portable (it's a portable player!). It's not *as* portable or small as the Micro, but this is a given.
Xtra is more sturdy and reliable, the Micro is a mixed bag.
Having seen them both they *both* feel the same in terms of build quality to me.
Micro looks cooler, Xtra doesn't.
Again this is subjecti've. Some will prefer the Xtra.
Xtra's battery life last longer than the Micro.
Not by much though, only an hour or two.
Micro is light, Xtra is heavy.
A given. The Xtra is a bigger player using a larger hard disk.
Xtra does not charge when connected to the USB, plus the battery drains a lot if you keep it in dock mode long enough.
So will the Micro.

So....should I buy a Zen Mic

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