Creative Zen X-Fi 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Wireless LAN and Built-In Speaker (Black/Silver)
by Creative
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Category: Network Media Player
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: CreativeBrand: Creative
Edition: Electronics
Audio: English (Original Language); French (Original Language)
Model: ZXFI16GBBK
Color: Black and Silver
Publisher: Creative
Studio: Creative
Music Label: Creative
Product features:
- A firmware bug could result in the player locking when playing the FM radio; to fix the problem, upgrade the latest firmware (1.04.08) posted on support.creative.com
- Capacity: 16 GB (4,000 songs or 60 hours of video); up to 30 hours of continuous audio playback or 5 hours of continuous video playback on one charge
- 2.5-inch TFT LCD with 320 x 240 pixel resolution: 16.7 million colors
- Supports MP3, WMA, AAC5, WAV (ADPCM), Audible 2,3,4 audio formats; MJPEG, WMV, MPEG-4 video (including DivX and XviD); and JPEG photo formats
- 1-year limited hardware / 90 days service warranty
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Creative Zen X-Fi 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Wireless LAN and Built-In Speaker (Black/Silver)
Customer Review: Zen X-Fi Boasts Great Sound And Display For A Great Value
Summary: 5 Stars
The Good:
* Amazing sound quality
* Smooth video playback
* Sharp display
* Navigation Shortcuts
* Upgraded earbuds
The Bad:
* Display is always on
* Tedious network setup
* Wireless stream drains battery quickly
* Windows 7 support limited to Creative Central only
Overall:
Background: I have used the following mp3 players prior to purchasing the Creative Zen X-Fi: Sandisk Sansa M-230, SanDisk Sansa Clip 2 GB MP3 Player (Black), Apple iPod shuffle 1 GB Silver (2nd Generation) OLD MODEL , and SanDisk Sansa Fuze 4 GB Video MP3 Player (Black) (I have used product links for the ones that I have also reviewed).
Setup: Following the quick start guide, I installed the software from the mini-CD which included Creative Central, Creative Zen X-Fi Video Converter, and Audible Manager (for audio books). The installation prompts you to register the software and your player after connecting the player. The screen asked for the serial number but didn't give any instructions where to find it. There are a lot of numbers on the device, and I guessed at one. The screen took it, so I assumed it was correct. However when I went to register for chat service, I found that this number was invalid. Still without guidance, I rotated the package around until I found yet another number with S/N next to it on the side of the packaging. It shouldn't be this hard, but at least you only have to do it once. Finally, I setup wireless networking, and I was glad that this is also something that you only have to do once. I have a 128 WEP encrypted network with a hidden SSID. I had to key in both my SSID and the 26 character hex network key in order to connect. The interface for doing this on the X-Fi is similar to a standard cellphone, and it is brutal. Creative should add network setup as a feature from within Creative Central to give a better user experience.
Music Transfer: After leaving the device to charge, I came back to transfer music using Creative Central. I have used Windows Media Player and iTunes in the past, but this software isn't too hard to learn. The help screen gives instructions for how to transfer music that are easy to follow. I selected music album by album from the artist view and used the "Transfer" menu to queue them up for transfer. I liked that you can add items (at the artist, album, or song level) to a transfer queue rather than having to drag and drop to a sync list. However my favorite feature on this is the ability to rip a CD to your computer and transfer to the X-Fi in one command. The only knock I have on Creative Central is that it will not allow the same song by the same artist to be transferred to the player from multiple CDs. This seems like an odd limitation because it is unreasonable to expect a live version of a song to have a different name. This is a minor nit that can be worked around, but I thought it worth mentioning.
Video Transfer: All of my videos of interest are from Amazon, and I was pleased that I was able to transfer these to my X-Fi using the Amazon Unbox software. Unbox was able to detect the X-Fi, and it was a simple matter of clicking the transfer button after downloading the portable version of the videos to my computer. I don't anticipate making heavy use of this, but it was nice for it to be so easy.
Audiobook Transfer: Audible (the online audio book download site) supports the X-Fi directly from their software. I was able to easily select The Unabridged Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and transfer both part I and II to my X-Fi with no problem.
Music Playback: I am not what anyone would consider an audiophile, but I am flat out impressed with the music playback on the X-Fi. I listened to the demo on Creative's site, and it piqued my interest in trying out this feature. The difference is subtle in some instances, but it is much more obvious in others. A perfect example is on the lead track from Guns 'N Roses Chinese Democracy. I had always thought that this song had a long, dull opening; however, that's because I wasn't hearing all that was there. There is a Chinese dialog that I had never heard before. Chinese Democracy is a great album for demonstrating the difference that X-Fi makes because there is a lot of variety in instrumentation.
Video Playback: Video playback is very good. I watched the pilot episode of Community that I got from Amazon's video on demand service. The video transferred over from Unbox was not exactly the right size for the X-Fi screen, and it was like watching a letterbox version of a movie on an old narrow screen TV. This probably took 10-15% of the real estate, but I was able to see the picture well enough. I consider video transfer a nice to have, and I do not expect to make heavy use of this. One final thing of note is that the videos from Amazon cannot be processed by Creative Central or Creative Zen X-Fi Video Converter due to copy protection.
Navigation: One of the features that I really like on my Sansa Fuze was the navigation wheel, and I wondered what it would be like switching to the X-Fi that is button based. It would have been awful with 16 Gb of media, but Creative added a nice feature for navigation. If you press the left button, it takes you over to the alphabet, and you can skip to the beginning of each letter within the artist, album, or other menu.
In the Music menu, I like the "DJ" feature. It has an "Album of the Day" option that will choose something from your collection to play. I use this from time to time if I don't have something specific in mind when I turn the player on. There are some additional features of the "DJ", but you need to build up a usage pattern for them to be meaningful.
Wireless Functionality: I enabled the Creative Media Server on my computer. I used this to stream a CD that was on my computer that I had not transferred to my X-Fi. While sound quality was good, this was (as you might expect) quite a drain on the battery. A 35 minute album took about one third of the battery level.
As for the chat functionality, I cannot imagine anyone making use of this. As mentioned in the setup, the interface for entering text is like a cellphone, but there is no T-9 or Word option for easing data entry. Sending more than one or two words would make me pull my hair out.
Conclusion: The Creative Zen X-Fi is a feature packed mp3 player with great sound quality and a great display. It is easy to setup and use. You may wonder why you should choose this player over the non-wireless 8 Gb player. Here are the keys that set this apart for the price difference: an additional 8 Gb of storage and upgraded earbuds. If you consider the earbuds alone, their price is greater than the price difference in the 8 Gb player and the 16 Gb. If you have any questions that I have not addressed, please feel free to ask in the comments section below.
More Creative Zen X-Fi 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Wireless LAN and Built-In Speaker (Black/Silver) reviews:
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Description of Creative Zen X-Fi 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Wireless LAN and Built-In Speaker (Black/Silver)
Experience your MP3 music as the artist originally intended with the Creative ZEN X-Fi--the first player to restore the quality of compressed music with award-winning X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity Audio technology. Indulge in rich, crystal-clear audio when you listen to your music, as the detail that's lost during file compression is now beautifully restored and played through premium-quality, noise-isolating EP-830 earphones. Creative ZEN X-Fi, built with X-Fi technology and wireless LAN--the sound of perfection. Click to enlarge. |
 A pocket-sized player that weighs a mere 2.4 ounces, the ZEN X-Fi sports attractive curves with a graceful finish. Click to enlarge. |
 The included EP-830 earphones provide optimum comfort with excellent noise isolation. Click to enlarge. |
 A control/feature schematic. Click to enlarge. |
 Immerse yourself in the brilliant 2.5-inch TFT screen with 16.7 million colors as you watch your movies and view your pictures. Click to enlarge. |
Sleek Beauty
A pocket-sized player that weighs a mere 2.4 ounces, the ZEN X-Fi sports attractive curves with a graceful finish. Immerse yourself in the brilliant 2.5-inch TFT screen with 16.7 million colors as you watch your movies and view your pictures. Built with X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity Audio technology, the player lets you experience the very essence of music perfection as you listen to audio in crystal-clear clarity. Hear your music the way it was always meant to be heard. Plus, the included EP-830 earphones provide optimum comfort with excellent noise-isolation capability. Or, be the life of the party as you share your music out loud with the powerful built-in speaker.
True Mobility
You can now stream music and photos wirelessly from your PC to your player within a home network. With the ZEN X-Fi, experience the sound of perfection wherever you go.
Stay connected with friends on Yahoo Messenger or Windows Live Messenger on the go (at region-specific public wireless LAN hotspots).
More Content, Endless Enjoyment
Listen to your music in multiple supported formats such as MP3, WMA, and (non-protected) AAC (m4a) from iTunes Plus. Download Creative Centrale to rip, transfer, and manage your media content easily. Enjoy the ultimate collection of free video and audio podcast channels on www.zencast.com. Manage all of your favorite subscriptions with ZENcast Organizer, and experience the best of the free-to-share formats available. Tired of your own music? Switch to the FM radio. The 32 station presets let you switch stations with ease. Increase the size of your portable media library with an SD or SDHC card. Transfer your files easily to enjoy more videos, music, and photos on your player.
Packed with Features
Record your important meetings or personal audio memos with the integrated voice recorder. Set audio effects to enhance your overall music-listening experience. Choose from eight EQ presets or customize your own EQ, and enhance it all with bass-boost and smart-volume controls. Start the day on the right note with your very own alarm tone. You can even set the alarm for any day of the week.
What's in the Box
Creative ZEN X-Fi 16 GB, installation CD, quick start guide, wireless function quick guide, EP-830 noise-isolating earbuds, and USB 2.0 cable.
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