This Electronics CE item from Creative Labs was reviewed on 6-Oct-2008.
Creative Zen X-Fi 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Wireless LAN and Built-In Speaker (Black/Silver) Reference CE. Classifications : Flash Drive-Based MP3 Players Audio & Video Categories Electronics MP3 Players & Accessories Creative Labs Custom Brands Custom Stores Specialty Stores Electronics Features Electronics New in Electron . Click the following link to view the cover of Creative Zen X-Fi 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Wireless LAN and Built-In Speaker (Black/Silver). Related topics: 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. Flash Drive-Based. MP3 Players. Audio & Video. Categories. Electronics. Creative Labs. Custom Brands. Custom Stores. Specialty Stores. Electronics. requestid: eff874dc-cbee-4d74-b0c7-92cd737a8878
requestprocessingtime: 0.0586900000000000
salesrank: 365
color: Silver
model: ZXFI16GBBK
packagedimensions: 17061055410
1) Electronics CE Creative Zen X-Fi 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Wireless LAN and Built-In Speaker (Black/Silver) by Creative Labs. The software that comes with the Zen X-FI is horrible. I installed Creative Central, which is the player´s organizer onto my Vista and it crashed all the time. I tried uninstalling and re-installing the software but I can´t seem to get it completely off my computer. When I try putting the disc back in it says I already have a copy on my PC and asks me if I would like to continue with the installation and remove the old copy. I click OK and it crashes. Even downloaded CCleaner as suggested by tech support at Creative and when I go to uninstall the original copy of Creative Central I get error messages saying that Creative Central has stopped working.¤ 2) Electronics CE Creative Zen X-Fi 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Wireless LAN and Built-In Speaker (Black/Silver) by Creative Labs. Summary: the Creative Zen X-Fi 32GB MP3 player provides incredible quality in sound even without ´X-Fi Crystalizer´ and/or ´X-Fi Expand´ enabled. I´ve owned several MP3 players (and borrowed others from friends) one of which is the Creative Muvo T100 but this is by far the best sounding player I´ve listened to, bar none. I have not tried the wireless feature yet so this review does not cover it.
Pros: Sounds excellent with or without the X-Fi stuff enabled. Big storage space even if you rip songs @ 320 bit rate like I do. You can also add a SD flash memory card to increase storage space even more. Considering the size of SD cards out today, storage space will not be a concern. Cool interface that is intuitive and easy to use without needing a manual. Size is small, about the size of a credit card but obviously thicker. Controls are adequate even when driving and not looking at the buttons.
Cons:
- A bit pricey.
- Occasionally after a full battery recharge, the player won´t boot. Thankfully the ez fix is to depress the reset button. Again, thankfully nothing is lost during these periodic events. If you buy this player now, it ships with the updated firmware that obviously makes this defect much more tolerable than some of the older reviews you´ll see on this site and others.
- X-Fi Crystalizer/X-Fi Expand settings enabled...results in a dramatic volume increase right after a quiet period in the song or at song starts. If you have the volume cranked up, get ready to have your eardrums blown out. Say you´re listening to a hard driving, loud rockNroll song with a quiet period in the middle followed by a loud finish...the volume will auto-increase way high during the quiet period. This is a downer when you´re not ready for it. If you can get past this odd problem, the X-Fi settings really do enhance the sound quality and depending upon configuration can make the song sound like a live recording. Thankfully, this player really sounds incredible without the X-Fi settings enabled. Rip your songs with a high bit-rate and you really won´t need what X-Fi has to offer.
- The Creative software that goes on your PC to allow import and management of the MP3´s and playlists is at first non-intuitive. But keep at it and you´ll figure it out. To make things easier, I use Windows Explorer to copy/paste songs into artist_name/album_name folder structure in the player. Then use the Creative provided software to manage playlists, genres etc.¤ 3) Electronics CE Creative Zen X-Fi 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Wireless LAN and Built-In Speaker (Black/Silver) by Creative Labs. I bought this after doing a lot of research. I was deciding between Ipod Touch, Microsoft Zune and Creative Zen.
I decided on Creative because they replied 2 of my queries promptly with detailed explanations. Ipod gave me no reply and Zune replied 1 of my 2 queries briefly.
The video was great as promised. So was the music. Been using it for 2 months and had no problems at all.
Friends are just amazed by the video quality of this toy of mine.
No regrets. Fantastic value for money.¤ 4) Electronics CE Creative Zen X-Fi 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Wireless LAN and Built-In Speaker (Black/Silver) by Creative Labs. I must admit I was very skeptical about purchasing another creative product, due to experiencing their lack luster customer service when you have an issue with their products. I previously owned a Zen Micro Photo 8gb, that went dead and all I got from creative was an invitation to view the refurbished stock to purchase a replacement. That really sucked, but not as bad as realizing that there were not many choices by way of decent, affordable mp3 players on the market. Yeah my player was out of warranty, had been dropped more times that I could count and there was an incident involving a cup of water and some spillage, but all that is beside the point, I think. Anyway, After looking at Ipod´s for about 2 weeks while going through withdralw without my tunes (did I mention I hate the Ipod and all Ipod related items) and having to stop my self from making that purchase several times, I came across the Zen X-Fi 16GB.
Pros :
X-Fi Sound Enhancement, Large Screen, Wi-Fi Video and Music Streaming and Downading, Album Art on Screen, Price/Memory ratio, Expandable SD Memory Slot, FM Radio, Speaker, Exceptional Earphones, Battery Life, Chat Feature, Sleek Look and Feel(It´s gorgeous), Overall Size
Cons :
SD Memory Not Integrated With Built-In Memory, Small Buttons(I have large "Man Hands", so ladies you should be fine)
What You Should Know:
If you purchase this player check for updates to the firmware regularly.
Firmware updates have already fixed issues with the shuffle feature, X-Fi Enhancement, and Chat feature set-up.
The button layout for texting is tedious, not laid out like your phone.
Video files need to be converted w/ included software before playing.
All things considered if you are an "anything but Ipod" type of person, this is hands down the player for you, the 16gb is affordable and you get the Wi-Fi feature with the 16 and 32gb players. I love mine so much I even bought a clear plastic case for it, the fingerprints were driving me crazy. Also, If I decide to sell this one it will be in mint condition.
Hope this review helps, Good Luck!¤ 5) Electronics CE Creative Zen X-Fi 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Wireless LAN and Built-In Speaker (Black/Silver) by Creative Labs. I bought this product in late August. I was initially pleased with it. It has a beautiful screen and nice interface. Easy to download files. I had a little trouble at first with videos but worked that out. I will say you might consider the regular zen since I didn´t find a big enhancement with xfi.
Now for the problem! I bought a case for my player and a silicone skin. I had my player in the case and had no problems for over a month. Then, I got my player out one day and the screen was obviously cracked (internal led screen). I was dumbfounded. I had no trauma that I was aware of. The only thing I can imagine is that there must have been enough pressure in the case to squeeze the player and I noticed the back case was pushed out a little. I sent the player in to Creative Labs hoping it would be covered by warranty, but not really expecting that, but I wanted to have the screen fixed and was prepared to pay for the repair. I found out after they looked at it that it wasn´t covered by warranty and they don´t fix this product! The only option they gave me was to buy another player at a 10-15% discount. I was furious and opted not to do that. I won´t be buying from that manufacturer and recommend you consider a player with a metal case (or even a harder plastic case) or buy replacement insurance, if offered.¤ 6) Electronics CE Creative Zen X-Fi 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Wireless LAN and Built-In Speaker (Black/Silver) by Creative Labs. 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. Build 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 in 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, USB 2.0 cable¤ Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 3-Nov-2008, 054651157873, AWB-PAB-YMB-E6B-R4B-Z8B-FAB-U6B-UGB-RSB-T0B-QMB-FEB-QUB-SGB-4EB-5GB-8 
Creative Zen X-Fi 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Wireless LAN and Built-In Speaker (Black/Silver), CE, Image © Creative Labs
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