The Creative Nomad Zen Xtra is one of the new generation of MP3 players combining style, impressive capacity and, perhaps most importantly, extremely good value.
It’s hard to believe that any of us would fill one of these little beauties up that quickly, available capacity ranges from 30-60GB allowing you to store up to 16,000 WMA/MP3 tracks in a player that is still small enough to fit in your pocket.
This kind of capacity also means that you can comfortably use the player to store other stuff than just music. These players can also store documents, data files and photos, they can quite easily double up as external hard drives. There is also a built-in synchronization system "AudioSync" so you can synchronize your music with different computers.
In keeping with the general Creative range the Creative Nomad Zen Xtra uploads your files via the Creative MediaSource software pack so uploading, converting and managing your music collection is kept real simple. If you use a USB 2.0 connection then you can upload tracks in seconds, even if you’re working with a 1.1 port you’ll find that uploads are still fast and painless.
Using the Zen Xtra is a no hassle process. As soon as you upload a song it is automatically sorted by artist, genre, track and album. The product’s navigation system works on a handy little Scroll button which zips you through menus, like any other MP3 player this takes a little playing around with but the navigation system itself is very intuitive and should cause no problems.
Playlist creation can be done via the supporting software or even on the player via the "Add to Play" function. If you want to surprise yourself then the Play Any Track facility gives you a real random jukebox experience!
One of the really big plus points with the Zen Xtra is the battery - for a start it is removable (and therefore replaceable in the future if need be). The big deal here though is the robust battery recharge life. Creative Labs isn’t joking when they tell you you can get 14 hours playback from one charge!
Creative Labs are also justly proud of the audio quality of their players, the company is one of the world leaders in audio technology and they really have used their sound expertise here. This Nomad player comes with EAX technologies built in. These allow you to use equalizers to customize playback, Smart Volume Management to keep track playback at the same volume level and Environmental Effects to give you specific types of listening experiences (i.e. arena, auditorium etc).
The player comes with a pair of stereo earphones, a rechargeable Li-ion battery, universal power adaptor, USB 2.0 cable, travel pouch and all the necessary installation software in the box. A quick start guide is also included. Current accessories include: car chargers and adapters, FM transmitters, new batteries, external speaker systems and a range of headphone/earphones. If you shop around on the Internet for a discount you’ll be able to pick up a 30GB model for less than $200 and a 60GB for less than $300.
Pros:
- Capacity - The Zen Xtra’s capacity is huge compared to a lot of similarly priced MP3 players.
- Cost - You won’t find a player of this quality/capacity for a lower price, it’s significantly cheaper than comparable models.
- Audio - Creative are the experts and the sound is good (they claim a 98dB Signal-to-Noise ratio) - some say it’s even better than an iPod! The EAX functions really do let you customize your listening experience.
- Hard Drive Facility - You can use the player to store much more than music; it’s an ideal extra portable hard drive.
- Software - Creative MediaSource is easy to use and effective, it also has automatic links to the CDDB/Gracenote database so it can automatically recognize your tracks for you.
- Sleep Timer/Alarm Facilities - A couple of extras that really do make the Zen Xtra a bit more special!
- Functionality - You’ll find all you need and more with this player’s functions including a range of personalization options.
- Support - You’ll get comprehensive support and firmware upgrades on the Creative website.
Cons:
- Buttons - All of the Zen Xtras control buttons are on the sides of the player rather than on the front which may not suit every user.
- Size/Design - Although this model is a lot smaller than earlier Creative MP3 players it is still relatively large in comparison to many other players; it also doesn’t look as sleek as the iPod.
- FM Tuner - The player doesn’t come with a built-in tuner.
Usage Tips and Tricks
If you’re taking your Zen Xtra out and about with you then carry a paperclip with you. If you do have problems with the player then you’ll probably need to reset it; to do this you need something small enough to hit the Reset button and a bent paperclip is just the right size!If you need to clean up your player at any point or have problems with the hard drive there is a hidden Rescue Mode menu that might help you out. To access this menu you’ll need that paperclip again! Put the paperclip in the Reset hole, at the same time hold down the Play/Pause button on the right side of the player. When the player boots up remove the paperclip but hold down the Play/Pause button until the Rescue Mode menu appears.
You can use this menu to reboot, reload your OS or Format. The Clean Up function here can solve a multitude of problems (i.e. "bad" files etc) so might be worth a try before you panic if you have problems. Do remember though that you could wipe your drive with this menu so use it with care!