Creative Zen X-Fi with Wireless LAN 16GB

Verdict: [+] ZEN
Top-notch sound; good bundled earphones
[-] VISTATerrible navigation; incredibly fiddly to use; some features are gimmicky

The Zen X-Fi includes some of the technology from Creative’s X-Fi sound cards – namely the Crystalizer and Expand, both of which aim to make lossy audio files sound better. The Zen X-Fi has a similar specification to the new iPod Nano as it costs about the same for the same storage capacity. Like the Nano, the Zen X-Fi with Wireless LAN uses flash memory and is available in 16GB and 132GB versions, with the smaller model costing just under £140 inc VAT. An 8GB model is available, but it lacks WiFi.While the Nano is just 6.2mm thick, the Zen X-Fi will bulge your pocket by 12.7mm. Weight also isn’t a strong point of the Zen X-Fi as it weighs in at 68g while the Nano is just 36.8g, however it was still practically unnoticeable in your pocket. Instead of a scroll or touch interface, Creative has gone back to basics with a daunting array of buttons adjacent to the 2.5in, 16.7 million colour LCD. We found it impossible to navigate the Zen X-Fi’s menus without reading the instructions first. This may sound lazy, but most players are far simpler to use. SOUND QUALITY The Zen X-Fi is awash with features though. Sound quality is brilliant with the Crystalizer and Expand both working well on our MP3 tracks. The Crystalizer remasters the full audio spectrum to make treble sound less tinny and bass far richer, generally eliminating the need to add any extra bass or adjust the equaliser. The Expand feature paradoxically made the sound appear to come from in front of you, as if you’re at a concert rather than having the simple left/right stereo effect. All this gadgetry comes to nothing without a good pair of headphones, and thankfully Creative hasn’t bundled the Zen X-Fi with a horribly cheap set. Instead, you get the in-ear, sound-blocking Creative EP-830 earphones. These sound great, with their 9mm drivers, and have several sizes of rubber surrounds to ensure a comfortable and snug fit. FEATURES GALORE The WiFi of the Zen X-Fi allows you to stream music and photos from your WiFi-enabled PC relatively easily. You can also sign up for a Zen X-Fi chat account and link to various messengers such as MSN and Yahoo. However, typing takes so long on the 9-buuton pad to the right that it’s nearly impossible to have a decent Instant Message chat. FM radio is also present, although you’ll need to be outside or have exceptional reception to get a clear signal. The Zen X-Fi also has internal speakers, although these aren’t much better than those on most mobile phones. Annoyingly, if the headphones are disconnected with music still playing, these horribly tinny speakers will engage. Further, even if you disable the speakers of the X-Fi, it will still continue playing tracks through the speakers when you unplug your headphones. This can be quite embarrassing if you’re in a public place, and is in contrast with Apple players, which will pause the music when the headphone cord is unplugged. The Zen X-Fi also has a calendar with tasks and contacts that can be synchronized with Creative Centrale, the new jukebox software that comes with the Zen X-Fi. There's also an SD card slot, and the Zen X-Fi will let you dump photos onto it, which could be handy if you're incredibly snap-happy with your camera.
CONCLUSION While the Zen X-Fi is loaded with features and boasts superb sound quality, it’s too slow and frustrating to put many of these features to good use. Creative clearly wanted Instant Message capabilities for the X-Fi, but this had lead to the clunky keypad to the right as a touch-screen interface would have added too much to the price. However, this clunky keypad and the other extras that are of limited use massively detract from the excellent sound quality. You can buy the Creative Zen X-Fi 16GB from Dabs for £139.82 inc VAT (price correct at time of writing)For more information on the Zen X-Fi, visit Creative's website