Creative Zen Stone 1 GB MP3 Player (Black) by Creative
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Digital camera reviews of Creative Zen Stone 1 GB MP3 Player (Black)
Digital camera Review: Clarification of "portable subscription WMAs"
Summary: 4 Stars
In the Amazon review, it says "And while the player is compatible with for-purchase WMA DRM files, it does not support portable subscription WMAs." What are portable subscription services?Digital camera Review: Could have been four stars.
Summary: 2 Stars
I picked one of these up after losing my shuffle due to it's unacceptably weak clip.
The Good
It is half the price of the shuffle. It is very light and small although a bit bigger than the shuffle. It looks pretty good.
You can drag and drop folders and files to the player directly from explorer. Folder support is great so you can create folders for different moods, genres, etc. I did not understand why the shuffle required syncing when it forced you to dump everything in one folder anyway.
The Bad
I liked that the headphones were long enough that I could keep the player in my pocket. Unfortunately, they are the type where the right earbud is supposed to loop around the back of the head. I prefer the earbud cords to be even length. It does not matter though, since the headphones literally started falling apart within days. The rubber on the buds kept falling off and you were left with piece of metal covered with tacky glue to shove in your ear. Not fun.
I was willing to forgive the headphones though. The major problem is despite the recessed play button and the fact that you have to hold said button in for several seconds to turn it on, I found that it repeatedly ends up turning itself on in my pocket. So of course the battery is drained when I want to use it on the way home since it has playing music for no one all day while I work. I would have returned it but already tossed the POS headphones.
Other issues are minor, the slow startup time and the LED flashing every few seconds while playing.
Overall, though I wanted to like this player, I can not recommend it. Maybe if I could find a pair of headphones that allowed me to wear it as a pendant, I could use it. Assuming the powering on is happening due to movement in my pocket(with my wallet, nothing else bouncing around)and it is not just turning on completely on its own. My nano used to do that occasionally, even when sitting unmolested on my desk.
Digital camera Review: Creative Zen Stone 1GB - Nice starter or spare MP3
Summary: 2 Stars
The Creative Zen Stone 1GB is a nice value in starter MP3 players. It has the same capacity as the iPod Shuffle at $40. For $20 more, you can get the 2GB Stone Plus which also has a screen, FM Tuner, voice recording and more.
Pros -
+ good stereo sound
+ nice capacity for a decent price
+ light-weight
+ simple design with more color options
+ Nice format compatibility (MP3, WMA, Audible)
+ USB 1.1 and 2.0 connectivity
+ Can be used as a USB drive / mass storage
+ Can sync music with drag & drop or via Creative software
Cons
- below-average battery life of 10 hours or less
- software issues - Creative software is buggy
- DRM song transfer issues with some firmware versions
- not expandable from 1GB (no SD card slot)
- no FM tuner or voice recording
- larger than the 2nd and 3rd generation iPod shuffles
- for just $20 more you get the 2GB Stone Plus with added features
Creative's Zen Stone line was meant to be the upgrade to the Zen nano, aka Muvo mini. The 1GB Zen Stone is decent but not perfect. It suffers from quality issues and is really ideal for specific uses. I love the new Sandisk Sansa's. The Sansa Express has the advantage that you can plug it directly into your USB port without a cable. SanDisk Sansa Express 2 GB MP3 Player (Black) Still, the Creative Zen Stone feels nicer in the hand. It's not as sleek as the Sansa Express nor as cool as an iPod shuffle or iPod nano. But it is priced very attractively. It's good for a starter, workout unit, or gift for a kid.
The Creative Zen Stone is lighter than the competition, but is still larger than the new iPod Shuffle 2nd and 3rd generations. The controls are an improvement from the Zen nano days. While I didn't mind the toggle wheel, it has been replaced by intuitive buttons for the standard functions (select, play, pause, forward or reverse). There's a headphone jack and a USB port.
Another change from the Zen nano days is the Lithium Ion battery, which gives you about 10 hours if your lucky. This burns out faster than the old battery operated unit, but is more convenient.
The sound is nice, and it comes through in stereo. As usual, you will hear complaints about the earbuds, which most people replace.
The Zen Stone Plus is the only larger option at 2GB. For those needing more space, you will have to explore the Creative Zen, Sandisk Sansa or new iPod Nano. All of those units have higher price tags.
Creative Zen 4 GB (Black)
Creative Zen 8 GB (Black)
Creative Zen 16 GB (Black)
Sandisk SDMX4-4096 Sansa e260 4 GB MP3 Player with SD Expansion Slot
SanDisk SDMX4-8192 Sansa e280 8 GB MP3 Player (Black)
Apple 4 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Silver (3rd Generation)
Apple 8 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Black (3rd Generation)
The price isn't a give-away, and the plastic case could be more durable. Creative has fixed some of the software issues. Still, this is a nice starter unit that can last you a while. Check it out. Enjoy!!!
Digital camera Review: Creative Zen Stone 1GB MP3 Player
Summary: 5 Stars
I love this product. It is small, lightweight, has a gig of memory and great sound reproduction. I bought it to listen to music and e-books that I download from Netlibrary. The software that comes with it won't transfer the books to the player because of license protection. Not a problem, however, since Windows media player will grab the license from the Internet and then transfer the file easily to the Zenstone. The controls are simple and intuitive. If you just squeeze the dial to the right or the left you can FF or Review what you are listening to without jumping to the next selection--very handy. It charges up quickly when you plug it into the USB port and can play for hours without needing a recharge. And it's a bargain! Couldn't be happier with it.Digital camera Review: Creative Zen Stone MP3
Summary: 5 Stars
I got this product for my daughter for Christmas. She is in her twenties. From what she has told me, she loves it. We were both amazed how small it is! She is very happy with the gift and has not experienced any problems with the product at all. She recently purchased portable speakers for the unit that are battery operated. This allows you to listen to your music out loud without the earphones. When I asked her if she would recommend this MP3 player to someone else, she stated that she would, although, she really didn't have anything else to compare it to.