Sound Quality Creative Zen

I recently purchased a Zen 8gb which I had to return due to a minor problem. I am not convinced that the sound quality of the new one is not as good as the previous one. Is this possible or am i paranoid. I have also been doing some blind tests with my old muvo n200 which sounds superior every time. Peoples opinions would be appreciated.

multocco wrote:
Bump, is it true that going back to the original .xxx firmware improves sound quality? If so, where can I find it's
If, by sound quality you mean increased bass, than the original firmware won't make any difference.
What phones are you using? If you are using the stock Creative earbuds, your first step should be to get some better ones. They are of poor quality, and don't produce a very good bass response - partly because they don't fit most people very well, and the only way to get a good bass response with earbuds is to have a good fit. There are many phones that will give a heavy bass output.
I have found that Creative players aren't as bass-heavy as some other players, but it isn't as though the sound is tinny. I find it very natural, but of course that is my own opinion and preference.Message Edited by Artemesia on 2-26-2005 04:06 PM

Similar Messages

Sound quality? (Zen Mic

Hey everybody~ I'm new here. I just bought a Zen Micro on boxing day and I love it! The sound quality is great at 98dB SNR but there's one problem I have with it. On more powerful vocals the sound seems to go all staticy and distort a little. I know it isn't a problem with the mp3 because most of mine are encoded at 320kbps and they are distortion/static free on my computer speakers. I don't know if the player being an open box item has anything to do with it (last zen micro on boxing day) but has anybody had problems with a bit of static/distortion on louder/higher vocals? Is there a fix for this problem? Thanks in advance~

i to have my music encoded at 320kb
ps.
the headphones they include are not too bad but they are a little weak in the high end of the audio spectrum. i've upgraded my earbud headphones and it's a little better but it does seem hard to get any amount of treble/high end boost with the EQ without it sounding like crap. i'd suggest messing with the EQ a little more and possibly upgrading the earbuds.
- Scott

Creative Zen V + recording: no feedback of sound while record

hi,?i am trying?to record with mic input in my creative zen V +. but while recording, i can not hear the sound of what is recording. is there any solution to get a sound feedback in that mode ?Message Edited by loorent on 08-26-200709:25 AM

kthirumal wrote:
Thanks. But please explain me whether i will have to spend something to change / replace the product.
I don't know. I'm nothing to do with Creative. You'd need to contact their customer support people for India:
http://in.creative.com/support/contact/

Poor sound quality zen sleek 20gb URGEN

The sound on my Zen Sleek recently became horrible and scratchy and distorted. I think it was caused by me turning the car on while the player was plugged in to the car stereo via the headphone jack. I really need this problem fixed ASAP.Message Edited by Jacob22 on 0-8-20072:00 PM

I own a 20GB 4th generation iPod, as well as a new 4GB nano. One of the things that absolutely FLOORED me was that my nano sounds WAY, WAY, WAY better than my old 4th generation iPod!! And, my 4th gen sounds great---it's just that the nano is SOOOOOOOOOOO much clearer, cleaner, crisper, etc.! I used the same set of Apple ear buds to do extensive A/B comparison testing. The audio quality of the nano BLOWS me AWAY!
As to the comment that the nano uses the same circuitry as the shuffle, IMHO I'm not sure this is correct. I read the recent interview with Steve Jobs in TIME magazine regarding the new nano. He said that EVERYTHING about the nano is 100% ENTIRELY NEW, from THE GROUND UP. He said EVERYTHING with the nano was engineered from scratch, with nothing borrowed/carried over from previous models. Therefore, I can't see how the nano would share the same audio circuitry as the shuffle. If so, this would be a HUGE carry over from a previous iPod product.
I could most certainly be wrong, though, as I'm only basing my comment on what Mr. Jobs was quoted as saying in this recent TIME magazine article covering the nano.

Creative Zen Vision:M - awful or no sound at

Hello,
I have a problem with my Creative Zen Vision:M. The player has been running extremely slow for about 2 months and it was bought in January 2006. The player crashes when I play an mp3 file. The FM radio works just fine. I hear a lot of noise or the sound is choppy. I have tried formatting the player and update the firmware, but the problem still persists.
Could somebody please help me out with my issue? And also, if somebody has a link to an older firmware release, please provide one just to check if it is from the firmware.
Thank you in advance!
Regards,
PavelMessage Edited by LittleGrave on 09-04-200706:8 PM

Sounds like a hard-dri've problem - I'd try formatting the hard-dri've, if that doesn't help then I think you may need to return it to Creative to get it repaired. Sorry i can't be more positi've!

Travel Sound x-fi work with normal Creative ZEn?

does the Travel Sound x-fi work with normal Creative ZEn?

Hi Seanyt23,
TravelSound X-Fi is designed for ZEN X-Fi only.

Mp3 player Creative Zen V plus sound recor

Regarding the Creative Zen V Plus Mp3 player, how do I get the sound recording function to record mp3's instead of wav. My player is nearly full and I can't afford to store so many Wav's. Also, how do I change the settings for sound recording on either the player or in Windows? Thx

Sounds like you have a bad or weak battery in your player. How are you playing your music? Are you using wins Media player or another player to play your music? Do you have the orginal Creative Zen V Plus CD Installation Driver? You might try and uninstall the drivers and reinstall them again. Just some things to think about. I am having a problem w/ my Zen V plus. Read my Post about my problems. (Help w/ Zen V +) Keep posting here for help. ODIE

Zen Vision M - help with mp3 sound quality - decreases after trans

I use the Media Explorer to transfer songs from cd to the player. After?recently upgrading my OS to the XP service pack 2 (even though I don't know if this has anything to do with it), the sound quality of the mp3's has decreased when playing back on the player. Sound is real tinny. I checked the settings and?it's set to the highest quality. I always keep it at that and never change it. What am I missing here?

Check the transfer settings on WMP, it will often override and convert content when you transfer it even when you don't want it to.
Plug in your ZVm and wait for it to be recognized by your computer.Run Windows Media Player(in WMP)Tools->OptionsClick on "devices" tab (You should see your ZVM displayed in list)Click your ZVM in the list, and select propertiesClick the Quality TabChaing the settings from "Automatic" quality detection to manual and set alll the settings to the highest quality. Then give your transfers a try again.

Creative Zen Review With the AudioBook Listener In Mi

Here is a copy of my review of the Creative Zen which I just published on the amazon.com mp3 player forum in the thread I started over a year ago entitled "What's the best player for AudioBooks " It is the longest thread in the forum with little indication of slowing down, and it can usually be found as the first thread in the forum.
http://www.amazon.com/tag/mp3%20play...MxM6KCQW5Q9B6C
I wound up getting the Zen 4GB a few weeks ago but delayed posting until I figured out how I liked it.
- I like that it has a big screen with big text that I could get by using without my reading glasses (old eyes) in a pinch. That is a very toughtful touch I have't seen on any other players (not that I've seen them all.)
- The big screen will also show pictures and videos which I don't care much about but is a nice feature if desired.
- The big screen doesn't come with a cover and it will get scratched up fast. It took me a while to figure this out so my screen got a little scratched up before I realized it.
Consider screen covers mandatory. They are sold seperately in a 3 pack for around $8. This is so important the device ought to have come with at least one screen cover in the box, even if it raised the price $2. My screen cover has been on for a few weeks and shows no sign of wear or coming loose. I did combine it with a rubber device cover I got on amazon for $3 which protects the whole device and covers the edges of the screen and screen protector. The unit is now protected. The cover comes with a little strap and D-Ring clip which is good for hanging onto some piece of clothing.
- It has a built in battery which is good. It supposedly takes a long time to recharge but that is not an issue for me. I just plug it in to a USB port with the included 4" long cable and it has plenty of time to charge during the day for my use. A fast AC charger is available at extra cost (~$25 I think.)
- Defect: The unit shuts off after being on pause for a few minutes (good) but it starts up at the beginning of the track when you restart (bad.) If you turn it off, it restarts where you left off as it should. This would not be an issue for music listeners, but it is for audiobook listeners when the track may be an hour to several hours long.
- Defect: Bookmarks are not at the top of the Menu list and although some menus are customizable, the one with Bookmarks is not.
- Defect: You can't get to Bookmarks when in the book. You have to back up to Music Menu, click to get to menu, and scroll 2 spots to get to Bookmarks. Not a deal breaker when you get used to it, but clearly not designed properly with the audiobook user in mind.
- Sound quality: very good. Even with music, very nice.
- Included headphones: Nice sound. They fall out of my ears and get tangled up a lot but I think thats true of most earbud headphones. I'm going to get the Sony Sport headphones I've had before with a foldable over the head strap.
- Bookmarks: 0. Plenty for me. (Who listens to more than 0 books at a time )
- Price: $90 for 4GB. I thought that was quite reasonable.
SUMMARY: With a few menu enhancements and the ability to return to it's place after a pause/shutdown, I'd consider this device close to perfect for the audiobook listener.

Try going into "Control Panel->Administrati've tools" and clicking on "Computer Management". Find "disk management" in the left pane and click it. Your Stone should be in the right somewhere. I think you need to right click, then "choose dri've letter and paths" and give it a dri've letter with the "add" button. Let us know if that works.

Helpful hints for new Creative Zen MP3 2/4/8/16/32 GB (flash) Users On

Summary of helpful hints (from this forum and me) for new Creative Zen MP3 2/4/8/6/32 GB (flash) Users Only!
Rev..
Date: 4/28/2008
Author: ZenAndy
Creative terminology:
MP3 Player Recovery Tool - A program that resolves the majority of player problems quickly.
One click is all it takes to update your player to the latest available firmware, and to give your player a clean bill of health.
Link: http://www.creative.com/products/mp3...me.asp region=
Note: You can also go to "Creative" "Support" "downloads" choose your MP3 Player type to obtain the latest firmware and software releases.
Note: On your Zen you can look under "System" & "Information" and then compare the firmware download
releases OR you can have the "MP3 Player Recovery Tool" (above) do it for you automatically.
Note: Creative Zen 4/8/6 GB "MP3 Recovery Tool" DOES NOT stop on a firmware comparison match.
Note: All firmware releases/revisons for the 4/8/6 GB Zen also works (is the same as) for the 2 GB & 32 GB Zen.
Recovery Mode - If you experience one or more of the following symptoms, it is recommended that you boot the player into its unique Recovery Mode, and then clean up, format or reload the firmware.
. The player is not detected in Creative MediaSource or Windows Media Player
2. The battery does not last as expected
3. Your computer stops responding during file transfers
4. There is a power outage during file transfers
5. There is an error about firmware
6. LCD displays a "Firmware Problem" message
7. Your player is not responding.
8. The player is performing erratically.
Getting Started
. Load your Creative Zen software from CD FIRST and BEFORE plugging the Zen MP3 player, using the short cable, into the PC USB port to charge it.
2. Try charging the Zen MP3 player directly from the USB port on the PC. If not, make sure the USB Hub you are using is adequately powered to provide full charging current to the Zen player. Also, try to have the Zen MP3 player as the only USB device, if possible, on the USB hub.
Some/most Creative Zen flash MP3 Music players come "fully discharged" so, in the mean time, just read the manuals.
FULLY charge the Zen MP3 player for several hours (~4.0 hrs max) until the battery symbol is NOT flashing AND the battery symbol/icon has a small plug/key symbol in the middle.
After the first full charge - additional charging is much quicker about 2 /4 hours. (From 0% empty to full)
3. Go to Creative/Support/Downloads and check for the latest software releases for the Creative Zen. Then check on your Zen MP3 player under System/Information for your firmware revision. Make sure you have the latest software downloaded on your PC and firmware on your Zen MP3 player. < Latest revision [.2.0] 28Feb08>
OR
You can run MP3 Player Recovery Tool - see above.
4. In some cases you might have to do the Recovery Mode "paper clip reset" to get the Zen MP3 flash player started.
See the Zen User's Guide FAQ. The paper clip reset hole is on the bottom edge below the music pause/run switch.
(Not the slotted mic hole on the top edge of the player near the earphone jack and SD card slot!!!)
5. My preference is to have the player shutdown/off before inserting and removing the earphone/headphone plug.
Recovery Mode Using The Paper Clip OR
Alternati've Method For Recovery Mode Without The Paper Clip.
Why use it's
If you experience one or more of the following symptoms:
. The player is not detected in Creative MediaSource or Windows Media Player
2. The battery does not last as expected
3. Your computer stops responding during file transfers
4. There is a power outage during file transfers
5. There is an error about firmware
6. LCD displays a "Firmware Problem" message
7. Your player is not responding.
8. The player is performing erratically.
Save a copy of your player's content, if possible, before cleaning up the memory!
Recovery Mode Using The Paper Clip Reset Method
#. Turn off player if not already turned off
#2. Press/hold play/pause button. If you accidentally release
the button, start this reset procedure over again.
#3. Gently push the end of a metal paper clip into the reset hole on
the botton edge below the play/pause switch.
(Do not use the slotted mic hole at the top edge near the earphone jack)
#4. Slide the on/off/lock switch towards the on position - slide it to the botton hold
until the display lights up and then release.
#5. The recovery mode screen appears and four menu items are shown - see below
<Alternati've Method For Recovery Mode Without The Paper Clip>
#. Turn off player if not already turned off
#2. Press/hold play/pause button. If you accidentally release
the button, start this reset procedure over again.
#3. Slide the on/off/lock switch towards the on position - slide it to the botton hold
until the display lights up and then release. Be patient and wait!
#4. The recovery mode screen appears and four menu items are shown:
< Clean Up> - cleans, rebuilds and reorganizes your player's memory and restores it to optimal efficiency.
When the cleanup is complete, select Reboot. Your player restarts and starts rebuilding its music library.
Note: Your player's firmware is reset to default settings after your player's memory is cleaned up.
Note: This procedure the hide/show password is reset.
<2 Format All>- Warning - Formatting your player erases all content on your player's memory and resets your player's firmware to default settings. If possible, back up all data on your player before proceeding.
Also, you can do this from the PC see Zen User's Guide. FAQ
<3 Reload Firmware> - Caution !!!! Selecting Reload Firmware erases your player's firmware.
DO NOT select Reload Firmware unless you have downloaded a newer firmware version for your player, or have been advised to do so by Creative Customer Support.
Note: My advice when loading/replacing firmware is to connect directly
to the PC USB port without using a USB hub.
<4 Reboot> Restarts the player just like the "on/off/lock switch" when switched ON.
Note: Having NO battery energy/charge/juice this procedure will not work.
Lithium-Ion Polymer Battery Hints
Ref:
http://www.omnica.com/omniview_electronics2.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_ion_battery
. Allow the battery to completely discharge from time-to-time then recharge it fully.
2. Lithium-Ion batteries loses about 5%- 0% capacity per month.
3. Lithium-Ion polymer batteries have about 300-500 discharge/charge cycles.
4. A half full battery indication (50% @ /2 the battery color) used up about 24 hrs worth of battery. Below 50% the indication goes fairly fast to the max of 30 hrs. Note: The battery level indication seems non-linear through out its range.
5. Battery is Empty~0% - warning screen will appear on LCD and player might shutdown.
6. Battery is Full- 00% with battery symbol NOT flashing AND plug/key symbol in the center of the battery.
7. It takes about 2 /4 hours to charge the battery from empty to full.
8. It takes about 4 hours max to charge a "New" Zen player shipped from the factory.
9. There is a battery manufactuer's failure rate, which is normal ~ % or less, in which the Lithium-Ion Polymer battery refuses to charge. Creative, ships the Zen MP3 players with some or no charge so there is very small probability that you could have one. I call it the "Deep Six Discharge Battery" Contact/call Creative for replacement.
Documentation
There are several pieces of documentation you might need to read to fully understand and use your Creative Zen MP3 flash player to its fullest capabilities.
#. Zen Users Guide "English" - For Zen MP3 Player - download from Creative/Support/Product documentation
#2. Zen Quick Users Guide /Front/Back - download from Creative/Support/Product documentation
#3. Sync Manager (Creative Zen) Click on sync symbol on PC task bar then help
#4. Creative Zen Media Explorer - Just look under the main help menu
#5. Windows Media Player <if used>(Microsoft)Use the help files with this program.
General Tips to increase/decrease the playing time on your Creative Zen flash player.
<Creative Battery Spec: 5 Hrs. Video & "UP TO" 30 Hrs. Audio/Songs>
Please do the following:
. Volume control lower/higher - higher volume settings will decrease playing times. This is logical. More output "volume power" decreases the battery juice.
2. Audio Settings: EQ, Smart Vol, & Bass Boost will effect your playing time but I believe they are not critical as the Volume & Bit Rates(28 kbsp and others) / File Format (MP3,WMA) & Lock Switch.
3. Bit Rates & File Formats Do Matter. Bit Rates and File formats will increase/decrease your playing time.
Per Catherina-CL
"WMA files will use up more power than MP3 files, and higher bitrates more so than standard ones (like 28kbps MP3). Best thing to do is rip an album in 28kbps MP3 and leave it playing in a loop on a normal volume level. See how long the battery lasts then."
Please Note: The main difference between MP3 and WMA is the compression. According to Microsoft a 64KBPS WMA file is the same quality 28KBPS MP3. This is of course up to a person's preference but you may find you can get better compression out of WMA.
4. FULLY CHARGE your Zen. This means the battery symbol is NOT flashing AND there is a plug/key symbol embedded within the battery symbol. The battery is 00% FULL under BOTH conditions. Having just the battery symbol all green will not do it.
From the link:
http://www.omnica.com/omniview_electronics2.htm
Regarding lithium-ion shelf life, one of our engineers recently met with a battery-house representati've. It has come to their attention that repeated charging and re-charging of a less than fully discharged Li-ion cell affects the battery "gas gauge" included with many devices. Over a number of cycles there is a resultant loss in accuracy. Frequently, the indicated remaining charge has little relationship to the actual amount of life left in the cell! Fortunately, according to the battery expert, the gauge will reset itself if the battery is allowed to completely discharge from time-to-time.
5. Having different types of earphones/headphones will increase or decrease the playing time by how much "electronic load" the earphones/headphones create on the Zen player. There are some power hungry earphones/headphones out there.
The 6 ohm earbuds conserves battery power more than the 32 ohm earbuds supplied by Creative. (About 0% more)
6. Always, always lock your Zen player while playing music. This cuts off the power drain from the color 2.5" LCD and blank the LCD screen. After all, you can't read the LCD screen if it is in your shirt pocket and playing music!
7. Make sure you have the latest firmware upgrades in order to get the best of your Creative Zen Flash MP3 Player.
Troubleshooting
Your Creative Zen is extremely complex.
Check this link to peek inside player http://www.anythingbutipod.com/archi...isassembly.php
Also, this link:
http://arstechnica.com/journals/hard...ssor-behind-it
There could be a million things that could go wrong with your player so you will not be the FIRST or LAST to have a problem. Keep in mind, there are many, many others that have the Zen with no problems whatsoever. Things happen, but Creative is there to help.
Dropping a Zen or any other player might/will/possibly ruin the player for good!!!
Since this player is solid-state (no moving parts e.g. mini-disk dri've) then the only thing that will keep it from running for years is the non-user replaceable Lithium-Ion battery. I will concentrate on some troubleshooting tips which are battery related but I hope you have already the latest firmware downloaded and installed on your player
Battery - Lithium-Ion Polymer
#. Battery won't charge "out of the box" new player.
A. First, read above "Getting Started"
B. Next, try a different USB mini cable.
C. Next, there is a battery manufactuer's failure rate < %, in which the Lithium-Ion Polymer battery refuses to charge.
Creative, ships the Zen MP3 players with no charge so there is very small probability thatyou could have one.
I call it the "Deep Six Discharge Battery" Call / Contact Creative.
#2. Battery won't charge properly after using the player for some time.
A. When you plug in your player into the USB port via mini USB patch cable, the connection resets the player to the "docked screen" with the battery level gas guage , in the right hand corner.
Sometimes this action does not reset the player properly but there is no indication to you that the player is charging.
Just disconnect/connect the USB cable again.
B. Sometimes, the Zen player gets confused and you have to do a Recovery Mode "paper clip reset" which forces the player into a "special menu screen" to clean-up the player and to reset the player which allows showing the "docked screen" while charging the unit. See Zen User's Guide for explicit instruction und FAQ.
C. Since the Zens came out late in 2007, the maximum of 300-500 charge/discharge should not apply YETbut users beware, as with any other Lithium-Ion Polymer battery it will not charge fully "like new"because of a " fixed shelf life" (2-3 yrs) OR too many charge/discharge cycles. A battery replacement is in order.
Methods of charging the Creative Zen MP3
. The short mini-standard USB cable provided by Creative from the factory. Plugs into a PC USB port.
2. Uni'versal Power Adapter (Creative) plugs into the wall. Works "anywhere in the world"
Note: Different countries have different wall AC voltages and hertz requirements. This has adapters for different countries/locations wall outlets and a uni'versal power supply for all voltage and hertz requirements.
Note: This is a heavy duty high/fast charging wall outlet charging adapter. (2400 ma)
3. Auto/Vehicle 2 VDC charger (Creative) or other compatible vehicle 2 VDC to USB charger.
4. EARHUGGER IPOD POWER POD - MP3-8370 (White compact module)
http://www.earhugger.com/powerPod.html
http://www.amazon.com/Earhugger-MP3-.../dp/B000QTTKSS
This compact module will solve all the following travel modes and conditions:
. Camping, hiking or outdoor travel - no PC or noAC or maybe no auto/car.
2. Airplane travel - no PC or no AC or no auto/car.
3. Train/subway travel - no PC or no auto/car
4. Car travel - no PC or no AC
5. Foot travel - no PC or no AC or no auto/car
It uses 4 ways to charge the Zen:
. Retractable mini-standard USB cord for PC charging. <--- does not communicate with PC! - only for charging
2. Retractable mini USB cord for auto/vehicle charging (Fused)
3. Retractable mini USB cord for wall 0-20 VAC 50/60Hz charging. (non-international use plug style)
4. 9 VDC battery terminal for using standard alkaline 9 VDC or high ma Lithium 9 VDC to charge the Zen via
mini USB cable. Note:You might need several alkaline batteries to charge the internal 550 ma hr Zen battery!
Great for remote destinations.
5. Rechargeable portable battery packs.
Black & Decker has several "Power To Go"models CPI0B-C & CPI20XB (not for international use because of 20 AC 60Hz only charging wall wart)
Note: There are other brands that also do this method of charging.
http://www.blackanddecker.com/Produc...Path=4033.4040
You charge this portable NiMH battery pack from the AC wall outlet so you can carry with you on trips to charge the Zen.
6. Mobile phone chargers. Some have a mini-USB plug for charging the phone but it could be used to charge the Zen BUT BEWARE IT COULD RUIN THE ZEN IF IT IS NOT COMPATIBLE! The output should have a voltage of 5 VDC +- 5% (4.75-5.25 VDC) ON THE PROPER MINI-USB PINS and a charging current at least 200 ma to 2400 ma. See this forum for the recommend phone phone chargers to use with the Zen.
Note: You are charging an internal Lithium-ion polymer 550 mahr battery in the Zen so the lower the charging current the longer it takes to charge.
Note: You will find that charging the Zen from the wall charger is much faster than the "current limited" charging on the standard PC USB port.
Note: For diagnostic purposes and emergency charging of the Zen it is wise to have an external (non-PC) charging device for your Zen.
Note: Only the battery charging symbol shows up on the Zen when using an external charger.
Scratches
All plastic screens will scratch, doesn't matter which type you have.
For minor scratches you could use the Novus three part cleaner, polish and scratch remover system. Do not use the #3 coarse abrasi've in this system! Be extremely careful in using this product !!!! Please check the web.
OR
Low abrasi've toothpase <--- some say this works
OR
CD scratch remover/repair kit <---- have not tried this.
The Zen (Flash) MP3 glass LCD screen is covered by the overlay plastic you see on the front. Worst case, you can have only the outer shell repaired and replaced by Creative.
To prevent scratches in the first place:
Use the Zen cloth bag which comes with the unit (sometimes ) to prevent scratches.
OR
Buy the Zen clear plastic case (Clear Case #70AB2600002). Sold by Creative.< I use this>
OR
Buy an clear plastic overlay. (Screen protector #70AB2600003) which goes over the LCD protector screen for protection. Sold by Creative.
OR
Also, you can cut up a "generic" PDA screen protector to fit the Zen.
OR
Obtain a "digital camera lcd screen protector" from a camera store or internet
OR
"Invisible shield" -The best protection money can buy
http://www.zagg.com/invisibleshield/...ns-shields.php
How to destroy your Zen - WHAT NOT TO DO
. Leave it in the auto/car/vehicle - the vehicle inside heats up 20-35 F higher than the outside temperature.
2. Leave it outside in freezing temperature 0C 32F. The LCD will freeze/discolor/absorb water.
Note: It is remotely possible it could recover when warm-up at room temperature.
Note: Just keep the Zen near your body heat when outside in freezing temperatures.
3. Dropping it might cause the LCD screen to crack or loosen up the internal connections to the electronics or short out the internal electronics.
Note: Use a protecti've case to cushion the blow from dropping the Zen.
4. Dropping or submerging or getting the Zen wet in water might short out the electronics and battery.
You could prevent destruction by immediately shaking the Zen vigorously in open air to dry it out.
5. Sitting on it could flex the electronics and short or open circuits which would cause a defecti've/faulty Zen.
<A bit of humor ... There is No Santa Claus, Easter Bunny or Tooth fairy and Creative does NOT give away money. If you destroy or damage your Zen you will pay not Creative>
How can you tell if your Zen is defecti've/faulty
. A "white screen" or a "totally blank black screen" shows up on the Zen LCD.
2. You cannot force the Zen into the special "Recovery Mode" menu screen.
3. The Zen refuses to "take a charge"(To charge up the internal Lithium-Ion Polymer battery)
4. The Zen LCD is cracked or distorted due to dropping or handling abuse.
5. The Zen clock does not keep accurate time (within 2 mins max per month)
Contact Creative if any of the above faults occur - the Zen is bad and nothing you can do will fix it!
WSOD "White Screen of Death"
The "White Screen of Death" is really caused by a hardware problem. You see, the internal Freescale/SigmaTel STMP3700 MP3 processor has to write to the LCD. If this operation is prevented by internal electronic opens or shorts, bad STMP3700, locked-up firmware, bad LCD or any other electronic component failure then the CPU might/will halt and refuse to write to the LCD which will be reflected in a "white screen of death" I cannot cover all the causes of the "white screen of death" but rest assured Creative should pick these problems up in their quality control manufacturing process with a 99% success rate. Problems do show up after the manufacturing process but Creative has warranty protection for this other % fault rate. (Which is normal in electronics manufacturing)
Media Content
Listening to the built-in music on the Zen is OK but after a while your question now becomes "What else can I do with my Zen "
Note: The "How to" instructions for adding Media content can be found in the Zen documentation.
Terminology:
Album: Collection of tracks or songs under one "album" title.
Artist: Track or song artist
DRM: Digital rights management - copy protection scheme - Zen cannot use music with this music protection scheme. (itunes) (But "itunes plus" will work)
Genres: Type or kind of music
<The following genres are defined in ID3v>
Blues,Classic Rock,Country,Dance,Disco,Funk,Grunge,Hip-Hop,Jazz,Metal,New Age,Oldies,Other,Pop,
R&B,Rap,Reggae,Rock,Techno,Industrial,Alternati've ,Ska,Death Metal,Pranks,Soundtrack,Euro-Techno,
Ambient,Trip-Hop,Vocal,Jazz+Funk,Fusion,Trance,Classical,Instru mental,Acid,House,Game,Sound Clip,
Gospel,Noise,AlternRock,Bass,Soul,Punk,Space,Medit ati've,Instrumental Pop,Instrumental Rock,
Ethnic,Gothic,Darkwave,Techno-Industrial,Electronic,Pop-Folk,Eurodance,Dream,Southern Rock,
Comedy,Cult,Gangsta,Top 40,Christian Rap,Pop/Funk,Jungle,Nati've American,Cabaret,New Wave,
Psychadelic,Rave,Showtunes,Trailer,Lo-Fi,Tribal,Acid Punk,Acid Jazz,Polka,Retro,Musical,Rock & Roll,
Hard Rock
<The following genres are Winamp extensions>
Folk,Folk-Rock,National Folk,Swing,Fast Fusion,Bebob,Latin,Revival,Celtic,Bluegrass,Avantg arde,
Gothic Rock,Progressi've Rock,Psychedelic Rock,Symphonic Rock,Slow Rock,Big Band,Chorus,
Easy Listening,Acoustic,Humour,Speech,Chanson,Opera,Cha mber Music,Sonata,Symphony,
Booty Bass,Primus,Porn Groove,Satire,Slow Jam,Club,Tango,Samba,Folklore,Ballad,Power Ballad,
Rhythmic Soul,Freestyle,Duet,Punk Rock,Drum Solo,A capella,Euro-House,Dance Hall
<A bit of humor: I think the above Genres lists are missing two - "elevator music" & Crying and Whining e.g. Country Western>
ID3 Tags: Internal file information associated with an Mp3 or wav audio file. This format contains
Track number, Album name/title, Genre, Artist and Song Title which can be sorted and indexed by
the Zen device.
IPTV: Is a system where a digital television service is deli'vered using Internet Protocol over a network infrastructure, which may include deli'very by a broadband connection. http://zencast.com/
JPEG: Is a commonly used method of compression for photographic images.
This is the only photo format used by the Zen.
MP3 and WMA music tracks: Music format used by the Zen.
Note: Having the wrong bit rates will drain the Zen battery faster. (See above)
MP3: Is a digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression.
Non-protected AAC: Files are regular AAC files without any DRM: they can be converted to other formats (like MP3) and can be played on an unlimited amount of devices and burned an unlimitd amount of times. They have no restrictions.
Podcast: Is a series of digital-media files which are distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds for playback on portable media players and computers. http://zencast.com/
Protected AAC: Files are AAC audio files that contain DRM (Digital Rights Management), most often music purchased from the iTunes store. The Creative Zen cannot use these files.
Note: "Itunes Plus Store" have songs without DRM which the Zen can use.
Ripping CDs: Copying tracks from an audio CD on a PC and downloading tracks to the Zen.
Note: Use the Creative Zen Media Explorer for ripping audio CD is one method.
Song Title: Name of song or track
Track Number: Numerical number of track of CD album.
Track: General name for song or song title.
Unprotected AAC format: Music format used by the Zen
WMA:Is an audio data compression technology developed by Microsoft. The name can be used to refer to its audio file format or its audio codecs.
WAV: (or WAVE), short for Waveform audio format, is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs.
Note: The Zen's built-in microphone produces this audio file format.
Zen Audio Format:MP3, WMA, WAV, non-protected AAC (.m4a), Audible (2, 3, 4)
Zen Media Content: Video, Music, Audio, Photos/Images transferred/dowloaded into the Zen
Zen Photo Format:JPEG
Note: You can copy/drag/paste JPEG photos from your PC to your Zen for viewing.
Note: You can import photos & view photos from the SD card.
Zencast Organizer: Seamlessly integrates ZENcast media files with Creative portable media players and/or your computer
Zen Video Format:MJPEG, WMV9 and (with transcoding - MPED4-SP, DivX 4/5 and XviD)
Warning - In some countries (including the US) its illegal to do:
Copying audio DVD & DVDs
Defeating DRM MP3 Music (Digital Rights Management)
Intercepting/copying (non purchased) music.
Downloading music/songs from an illegal or "free" rouge website.
General Media Content links:
http://pro-music.org/Content/GetMusi...lineStores.php
Note: Check to see if your music files/tracks contains ID3 tags.
Note: ZEN also supports iTunes Plus tracks from the iTunes store,
Note: The following media content is only a small fraction of means and ways
of collecting/dowloading media content to the Zen.
Media Content from Creative Website(s)
Note: The Media Content can be found under "Fill your Zen" on the bottom of the Creative Zen product page.
http://zencast.com/
ZENcast is the ultimate source for free IPTV channels, video blogs and podcasts on the Internet. It provides quick and easy access to a wide range of interesting and entertaining video and audio content online.
http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/cre...seBVCookie=Yes
Audible.com - Audible.comis the Internet s leading audio provider of bestselling audio books, comedy programs and today s most relevant magazines and newspapers
http://creative.vongo.com/
VONGO is the video download service that gives you instant access to over 2500 hit movie and video selections from Starz .
Watch movies whenever, wherever on your ZEN. A great entertainment venue for watching movies while on the road or on the go.
http://www.napster.com/creative/
Transfer unlimited music to your ZEN without paying per song.
With Napster To Go you can:
Choose from over 5 million songs, plus new releases every week
Play music instantly from any internet-connected computer
Find old favorites and discover new music by exploring playlists, radio, Billboard charts and more
Create a library of your favorite music and build custom playlists.
http://www.emusic.com/ZEN
Choose from over ,500,000 songs
Burn unlimited CDs
Compatible with every MP3 player
No confusing restrictions-Own your music!
http://www.lala.com/frontend/action/...=user:2672@223
Why pay 99per song when you can get the whole album for $At lala.com, you can trade your used CDs for new music.
.8 million titles available for trade. CD quality guaranteed.
Every CD you receive is yours to keep - no restrictions.
Pay only $ per CD received. No monthly fees or commitments. Sign up is FREE.
http://www.amazon.com/b/ &node=62663
Buy or Rent Movies Online
Watch DVD-quality video downloads on your PC or ZEN
Conveniently download from your PC at work to your PC at home
Discover thousands of TV shows & movies available for download
I started this thread in April 08 to help other new Creative Zen MP3 (Flash) users. If there are common threads that are posted from new users then I try to make a section to inform other new users in solving their similar problems. I cannot believe that this thread was viewed over 0,000 times! Thank you for your "viewing" support.
Please note: This thread is constantly changing so check back for any new helpful hints, problem solving, troubleshooting and practical solutions for the Creative Zen.
"The Creative ZenR O C K S"
Zenandy
Message Edited by Zenandy on 08--2008 08:26 AM

Hi,
I'm from germany so no 'best buy' but I think I will lock around sleeve/bag for a different product with same measures. Any tip?
The clear plastic case is not what I want. I would like to use the player without such protections. I just want a sleeve to protect the player while its in my jacket/pants.
Btw, i have bought this version: Creative Zen (maybe european version?). I also doesn't seem to have your mentioned sleeve. I also couldn't find it on the website.
Anyway, thank you,
Chris

I'm so disappointed with my new Creative Zen

hi Amy,Its probably best to go into Zen Media Explorer, assuming you have loaded the software from the supplied disc, the open up your song files anf delete using your delete button on your keyboard, Try it once just to make sure yHey everyone, I was hoping one of you may be able to help me. My mp3 is playing up in that when I try to skip tracks or do anything using the push buttons nothing happens. I have emailed Creative and they have emailed back with some instructions but all of the answers need me to be able to select things on my mp3 which I can't do without clicking the buttons....which don't work! I have searced through this site for a contact number (I'm in England btw). If anyone can help, please give me a shout. I go on holiday in 2 weeks and can't stand the thought of being MP3-less! Cheers Jess xu I've been a loyal Creative customer for over three years now. I've never been one to follow the crowd, so when I looked to purchase my first mp3 player over 3 years ago, I bought a Zen Touch 40gb instead of following everyone else and buying a very well-known brand made by a rival company. I found the build-quality, sound quality and ease of use to be far superior to my friends' rival brand mp3 players, so much so that when I was looking for a replacement mp3 and video player, I didn't hesitate to buy a new 60gb ZV:M from my local Comet store. That's when my problems started. After two months my ZV:M gave up the ghost. I took it back to Comet for a replacement, only to be told that the ZV:M had been discontinued (despite the 60gb version only having been available for a few months!) and that I would have to have a refund or another brand of mp3 player. I was told by the salesperson in Comet that Creative were releasing a new brand of multimedia player, called the Zen at the end of September. I decided to wait for it's release. I decided to wait for the 6gb version. I waited... and waited... and waited. Eventually, my parents, panic-stricken at the thought that it was getting close to Christmas and I had no present, went ahead and bought the 8gb version. The Zen disappointed me in many areas. The finish is that gloss, scratch-if-you-look-at-me black. The screen got smudges just by sitting on my bedroom cabinent and when I tried to wipe them off it made little difference. The screen, although looks good, is just too small to watch any videos for any length of time and the smudges make the videos appear distorted. The buttons are clearly designed to be used by right-handed people (what about us lefties ). SD card is not intregrated into your music or video library. 8gb is simply not enough memory and there's no choice in Creative's product line-up for a large capacity, compact HDD-based multimedia player. I almost feel as though Creative have concided defeat to their rivals, when it's so clear that a lot of the technology that has made Creative's rivals so popular were developed by Creative themselves. Come on Creative, pull your socks up and take the fight to your rivals. I know you may consider flash-based memory devices as the future, but at the moment flash-memory is just too expensi've to use and a market for the higher capacity HDD-based player is still out there (imagine the possibiliies - listening to all your music in a lossless format with Creative's renowned audio quality!). I have, reluctantly, decided to take my Zen back tomorrow and until Creative decide to overhaul their entire multimedia player line, I cannot see me coming back to them. I suppose then this is kind of a goodbye. I'd like to thank all the people who have taken the time on these forums to help me, especially the mods (Cat and Dale spring to mind!) and I hope that on my way I've been able to help others who needed it. I hope to be back on here one day! Take care and have a Happy New Year!re doing it correctly then go for your life Kev

Well, in his defense, his parents bought him the player so I guess we can't blame him. Though the 6 GB versions were available in November so I guess they really did get 'nervous' about Christmas and like to get their shopping done early! Kudo's to you for trying to remain with the Creative line but for what you're looking for it's obviously not the player for you. Creative seems to be fine-tuning their line for the audio crowd. I'm into mp3 players for the audio. Sure, the ability to watch video's and look at pictures on a decent screen is a plus but for me at least, it's all about the music. And with music, 6 GB is more than enough. Heck, 8 GB would have been more than enough for me. I'm a subscriber to Napster-to-go, so I don't feel the need to carry 00 plus GB of stuff on my portable player. I honestly don't understand the desire to watch movies or TV shows on tiny little screens. But you're also talking to a guy who doesn't watch television. What a complete waste of time and brain cells. Probably the **competitor products we can't discuss here** or one of those players would better suit your needs. Companies are definately picking their niche markets carefully and Creative's decision to not offer hard dri've players any more seems to definately be saying bye-bye to that market. I can't say I blame them. Hard dri'ves eventually give up the ghost and are quite delicate for people on the go. Good ridance, I say. Let Apple, Zune and all the others cater to the Z generation's need to be spoonfed their video/TV addictions anywhere and everywhere. I'll pass. It's one thing to be able to enjoy some music on the go and enhance an otherwise dull work day or dri've. But movies/TV shows at work, school, or wherever? Please. Cut the cord! Just my $.02 - YMMV! M.Message Edited by Dale-CL on 2-26-2007 :4 AM

How to make best videos/audios for Creative Zen/Zen Vision W/Zen Vision M/Z

4Easysoft Creative Zen Video Converter is an all-in-one Video Converter for Creative Zen software with high output quality and powerful video editing functions, which can help all the zen users to make the best video/audio effect.
First of all, let’s make clear what kinds of videos/audios can get the best effect in the zen players.
Video:
MPEG, WMV, and AVI (MPEG-4 SP, DivX, Xvid), while MPEG-1, and MPEG-2 are supported, but must be transcoded with the included software.
Audio:
MP3, AAC, WMA, WAV, and Audible 2, 3, and 4 formats.
Settings:
Video resolution: 320×240; Video Bitrate: 500 kbps; Audio Bitrate: between 96 to 128 kbps.
Then, let me show you how to make a full use of this powerful converter.
Preparation:Download and install 4Easysoft Creative Zen Video Converter
http://www.4easysoft.com/guide/creative-zen-video-converter/main.jpg
Step 1: Run this software and add video/audio files.
Step 2: Select output video format from the profile drop-down list.
Click the “Profile” button to select the output video format from the drop-down list button.
Step 3: Customize output settings.
Click “Settings” button in the output settings area, you are allowed to customize the output parameters, specify output folder and select output format.
Step 4: Start conversion
Click “Start” button on right bottom of the main interface, you can begin the conversion. All the tasks of conversion will be finished at fast speed and high output quality.
http://www.4easysoft.com/guide/creative-zen-video-converter/steps.jpg
Tips on editing videos:
1: Capture your favorite picture.
Just click the “Snapshot” button to save your favorite image.
2: Merge videos into one file.
Just check the “merge into one file” option if you want to merge the selected contents into one file As default the merged file is named after the first selected file (either a title or a chapter)
3: Select preference
Click the “Preference” button and a dialog pops up, you can select the output destination, the Snapshot foler, the format of the snapshot image. You can also choose to shut down your computer or do nothing after your conversion. You can also select the CPU usage.
4: Trim video
You can get any clip of your video and put it on your zen.
5: Crop video
You can crop your video by selecting your video mode, setting crop values, or drag the frame.
http://www.4easysoft.com/guide/creative-zen-video-converter/tips.jpg
Ok, just enjoy movies and music with your Creative Zen player now!
More useful tools:
MP4 Converter is a powerful MP4 Video Converter which is designed to convert almost any video formats to MPEG-4 standard formats; WMV Converter provides perfect solution to convert common video formats to WMV with the best quality of picture and sound; Apple TV Video Converter is the excellent Apple TV converter software to convert all video files such as AVI, MPEG, WMV, MP4, MOV, RM, ASF, 3GP, VOB, etc, to Apple TV movies.
Edited by: user11254370 on 2009-6-9 下午11:58

Just wanted to mention - I bought the IR Remote thinking to make the player useful without navigation keys. Now I feel like I wasted more money instead of shifting to some other player by some other company with better customer service.

Several questions - new to Creative Zen Touch - please help (ripping/accessori

Hi, I just ordered my new Zen Touch 20gb online last night with a set of Sony earbuds (MDR-EX5LP). I'm pretty excited, get it this Friday.
I just had a few questions in advance:
A) Which programs are best for ripping, allow you to adjust the quality of the songs, and won't cause problems when burnt cds are ripped (saw a thread earlier that complained of bad quality when burnt cds were ripped to MP3 that worried me)?
B) What different types of cables/accessories would you recommend for wiring the Creative up to a stereo? On CNet.com and various other sites, they talk about how the Creative sounds great through speakers, and I'm really excited to hook that up, but I don't know A) Which cable to buy that will work well with the Creative/have good sound quality, B) Where to plug it in - headphone jack? (no analog Line Out, right?)
C) Has anyone had any experience with the remote? Is it pretty durable? I'm not going to plop down 50 plus shipping and handling, wait 2-3 weeks for the backorder, only to have it fall to bits in a few weeks.
Thanks SO much! I appreciate any and all help. I'm new to Creative/Mp3 players as a whole, so forgive any ignorance/mistakes.

I have used WMP0 exclusi'vely for ripping CDs. I rip WMAs at 28kbps, though you may want to go up to 92kbps if you can hear the difference (some people recommed ripping a song at both and deciding which is best). I sync all my CDs with WMP0 too, and have had no issues. One thing to caution you is to make sure your ID3 tags are correct before you sync up. What I mean by this is to make sure the album name, track titles, and artist names are to your liking. 90% it is not an issue, but sometimes, the titles have extra characters you may not wish to have. If you have more than one artist listed on a track, only the first one is loaded. So if you have, say: "EmmyLou Harris; Buddy Miller", the track is stored under artist Emmylou Harris only.</LI>
Belkin sells this Dell DJ base that the ZT will fit into (there is another thread on that here). That seems like a nice option. You do go out of your headphone jack. Any chord that has the headphone jack on one end, and stereo RCA (red, white) jacks on the other end will do.</LI>
See other threads about the FM remote. I read some concerns about their durability, but read for yourself and decide.</LI>

Creative Zen Radio Issue

Creative Zen Radio Issue?Hey,
I've had this creative zen player for some time now whilst im overall happy with my product, sadly there is all of a sudden a issue with it.
When i listen to the radio then lock it to just enjoy it - if i then unlock it, some times the screen locks up and stays black.
Whilst a reset solves this it doesn't stop it happening again.
But (this is a big but)...
The volume which i have on safely low - goes to compelte maximum with sound safety option off. It almost defeaned me when it occured and had ringing in my ears. I have booked an appointment with doctors as the ringing yes not really gone since.
Additionally im pretty sure my headphones are screwed as they were totally distorted when this occured which has probably ruined the quality of the speakers which were only a few months old.
So is this well known ? Cos im surprised no one has sued for loss of hearing if others have had this issue. I've yet to have my medical results on it - but would mostly prefer to have my mp3 fixed or replaced cos i cannot risk using it and having it do it again and make my hearing become damaged.
Thanks for reading.

Does the radio stop working right after lock? I locked the player right after choosing a radio station and the player continues to play. You might want to contact our Customer Support to see if they can help you further.

Creative Zen V. Is it any go

A bit of a stupid question to ask on a creative site I know. I'm just interested in geting an idea about how the Zen V (or plus) compares to other MP3 players. I'm not really interested in one myself. I don't know a thing about them. It will be a gift for the wife (appox00 ish)?but seeing as though Ive been happy with creative products (i.e. XFI soundcard)?in the past I thought I'd start here. I was thinking either Zen V or?Apple Nano for starters. I doubt that she'll be downloading music. It will be music from CD's (am I alowed to say that?)?Anybody got any thoughts on why I should or should'nt choose one above the other?What about sound quality. Is there any difference?What else could someone suggest in the same price range?Can anybody suggest any unbiased review sites (if there is such a thing)?Is there any benefit in bying a Zen when you have XFI?Any advice would be deeply appreciated?Thanks?

Yes the Zen V is quite a good mp3 player. It's small and compact, but the sound that comes out of it is incredible. I only use stock earbuds, but I'm pretty satisfied with the sound. The only problem you might?have with it is getting it to recognize on your PC. If you do, just look back in the threads for one concerning people that are having trouble getting it recognized. It's a matter of personal preference, but should you get the nano, be prepared to use I Tunes and such. As for reviews, you could check www.epizenter.net for their Zen V Plus review. Even though it is a fan site,?they judge the players fairly, state facts and show you?the competition's similar products. Some other DAPs you might want to check out could be the iRi'ver Clix or?the Sansa e200 series.

Sound Quality Creative Zen

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