CNET Editor's rating: 8.3 out of 10
Reviewed by
Jasmine France
Review date: 06/20/06
The good: The Creative Zen V Plus offers a cute, pocket-friendly design without sacrificing screen real estate, and the vivid OLED display is viewable from any angle. The player is packed to the gills with features, including an FM radio, voice and line-in recording, photo and video playback, and compatibility with subscription WMA tracks. It's the first flash player to be offered with up to 16GB of memory. Oh, and the sound quality and battery life are great too.
The bad: The Creative Zen V Plus's joystick is really small and has a cheap feel to it, and we wish Creative had included all the buttons found on the Vision:M. The screen is difficult to see in bright sunlight, and there's no UMS support.
The bottom line: The Creative Zen V Plus is a superb choice for anyone looking for a compact and feature-filled flash MP3 player with great sound quality. If you're looking for a more sophisticated design (or have large thumbs), look elsewhere.
Creative Labs has a history of turning out
great MP3 players, and the Zen V and the Zen V Plus--available in July and August, respectively--are no exception. These cute and pocketable flash devices are packed with features and offer impressive performance, making them an excellent option for anyone looking for a lower-capacity, solid-state MP3 player. Of course, since the Creative Zen V Plus adds two desirable extras to the package (an FM radio and video playback), yet costs only about $25 more than the Zen V, we think that the Plus is the way to go--more bang for your buck. You can pick up the 2GB for $79.99, the 4GB for $109.99, the 8GB for $169.99, or the 16GB for $249.99. Comparatively, the Zen V lists at $59.99 for the 1GB, $74.99 for the 2GB, and $99.99 for the 4GB (Creative discontinued other capacities for this model). In either case, it's a better deal than the iPod Nano.
The accent colors are functional in that they indicate the capacity of the device, but we also appreciate the added flare.
The curvaceous design of the Creative Zen V Plus echoes that of its larger sibling, the Zen Vision:M, though its small size makes the style a bit more toylike (in a good way), almost reminiscent of a Tamagotchi. Also, The Zen V Plus isn't available in the same color palette as the Vision:M. Instead, you choose from white or black versions, and you get different color accents shown around the joystick, on the volume rocker, and through the seams of the player: orange for 1GB, green for 2GB, and blue for 4GB and 8GB (black only). Creative is also set to release a blood red-accented version of the 8GB, though that model was not yet available at press time. It's a nice look, complemented even further by the vivid 1.5-inch OLED display. Unfortunately, while the screen is viewable from any angle, it's tough to read in bright sunlight.
The Creative Zen V Plus's controls leave just a little to be desired. We like the dedicated volume rocker and the combined power/hold switch, but the joystick is tiny and seems prone to collecting dirt or sand around it. Also, we're not sure why Creative didn't include all the buttons found on the Zen Vision:M, as there's plenty of room to the left of the joystick. Gone are the contextual menu and shortcut buttons; however, you can hold the Back button to get to the contextual menus. That said, the player's compact body (2.6 by 1.5 by 0.5 inches), light weight (1.6 ounces), and smooth, rounded edges make it a pleasure to hold. Also, the Zen V Plus can fit easily into any pocket, and because it's not long and thin like the iPod Nano, it has a much sturdier feel. Also, owners of the V Plus get an extra option for selecting the orientation of their screen; the aspect ratio remains the same, but you can orient the controls as you see fit.
The Zen V Plus's small size and light weight make it perfect for working out. Creative will offer an optional belt-clip case and armband package for $29.99.
There's a lot to like about the Creative Zen V Plus, including its ease of use. If you're already running Windows Media Player (we recommend version 11), you don't even need to install any software to start syncing content to the player. However, the included Creative software is a worthwhile install, as it includes several useful apps, particularly the ToolBox, which can convert and transfer video files to the player, and ZenCast, a program that offers a one-stop spot for subscribing to, organizing, and transferring podcasts. Unfortunately, the device uses MTP, so you won't be able to sync it with any machines that aren't running Windows XP.
Once you get some content on to the Creative Zen V Plus--supported formats comprise MP3, WAV, WMA (including subscription), and Audible audio; AVI video (natively; other formats such as WMV and MPEG-4 can be transcoded with the included software); and JPEG photos--it's a breeze to navigate through the options. All menus are straightforward. Music is sorted by playlist, album, artist, and so on, while photos are conveniently sorted into folders. Open these folders, and you're greeted with an attractive three-by-three thumbnail grid of your pictures.
The Zen V Plus is covered in a scratch-resistant coating, but if you want to dress it up, you can pick up one of six colorful skins for $19.99.
There's a lot to like about the Creative Zen V Plus, but it really shines in the features department. There's photo and video playback; an FM tuner with 32 autoscannable presets; FM, voice, and line-in recording; an alarm clock and calendar; and even PIM functionality, with the ability to sync tasks and contacts from Outlook. Plus, you can set any of your photos as wallpaper and choose from several color themes for the interface. The only things missing are USB host capability and built-in Wi-Fi, but since these extras are more of a luxury, we don't count their absence against the player.
The Creative Zen V Plus is a splendid little performer too. Music played through the included earbuds sounds decent, but if you really want to experience the player's high-quality audio, swap in a pair of premium 'phones, such as the Shure E4c. And we're happy to report that this Zen--unlike previous versions--gets plenty loud. Battery life was also impressive in our CNET Labs' tests, lasting more than 20 hours (and much longer than the rated 15 hours). Transfer times over USB 2.0 were a subpar 1.25MB per second. Photos and videos looked good, though small, on the bright color screen; there was a noticeable screen-door effect, but it wasn't too big a deal, since you likely won't want to stare at such a small display for very long.
Intro:
The Creative Zen V Plus is a 4 GB, large capacity player.Compared to other large capacity MP3 players on the market, it is very inexpensive at around $90.
Noteworthy Features:
Has a 92 dB signal-to-noise ratio, which is more favorable than some similarly priced MP3 players.In fact, the typical cost of a product with this favorable a signal-to-noise ratio is $115.(Signal-to-noise ratio is a measure of the strength of the audio signal in comparison to that of the background noise.A lower signal-to-noise ratio means that the device produces more hiss and static, while a higher number (closer to 100) means clear-sounding audio.)Also, this MP3 player comes with 4 GB storage, which is more spacious than some similarly priced MP3 players.By way of comparison, the typical cost of a product with this roomy a storage is $130.This unit comes with a radio tuner.
Weaker Features:
None noted, given available product data.
Suitability:
Suited for those with a large library of music.Listen to your favorite local stations on this radio equipped player.Comes with equalizer presets to easily tailor your listening experience.According to the manufacturer this player will last approximately 15 hour(s) between charges; your run-time will vary based on use and power management configuration.Comes with a 1 year warranty, which is standard in the industry.
Value:
In general, this MP3 player's features are as expected for this price.
Suggestions:
Audiophiles may wish to buy aftermarket headphones for better sound reproduction.
10 out of 10 - Perfect BETTER THAN IPOD NANO 2ND GENERATION!!!!!!
I bought ipod nano 2nd gen. I thought its cool, yes its slim but its kinda long but zen v ...
I bought ipod nano 2nd gen. I thought its cool, yes its slim but its kinda long but zen v plus is more smaller and easy to carry. I have been having problems with Itunes 7 the Ipod nano's software, it needs a good computer and lots of bugs. I'm happy that I retuned my nano because zen is more cheaper, cute, a lot more better hardware. And there's a lot of option than nano's. Ipod nano doesn't have voice recorder, a line in to record directly to your cd player, no video,no microsoft outlook, fm radio, can't angle the screen, use your personal picture as your wallpaper wow!!!!! and many more. That's why zen v plus is better or I can say far more better.
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by vladbarrios (see profile) -
September 15, 2006
28 out of 34 users found this user opinion helpful.
4 out of 10 - Mediocre Died on me after a month
After using a few larger, hard drive-based mp3 players (iPods, Creative Jukebox Zen Xtra, Toshiba Gigabeat), I figured it was ...
After using a few larger, hard drive-based mp3 players (iPods, Creative Jukebox Zen Xtra, Toshiba Gigabeat), I figured it was time to get a small, flash-based model that could fit and go anywhere. I did my research on what would be the best all-around flash player that would give me the most bang for the buck, and decided to buy the Creative Zen V Plus. I fell in love with it instantly. Great features, terrific design...a solid 9.5 on a 10 scale. The only gripes would be that there is no avi video compression on it (even a few-minute vid clip is over 100 MB) and no Windows 2000 support.
Earlier today, in the middle of a battery charge, the Zen V died on me. I got nothing but a black screen, and no response from the buttons. I scoured the internet - including the Creative site - to see if anyone else has had similar problems. It seems like dozens out of hundreds of Zen V Plus owners have had numerous freeze-ups or even a dead player even after only having it a short time. I tried every trick in the book to revive it - pushed the reset button numerous times; tried holding the on/off slider for extended periods of time; tried pressing various combinations of buttons; tried restarting my Zen sofwtare on my PC; rebooted my PC; reinstalled my Zen sofwtare; all to no avail. All I have is a dead piece of plastic.
I'm very disappointed. I'm torn between returning it to the store and either getting a new Zen V Plus or trying my luck with another mp3 player. Given the number of times this has happened to others (just look at the Creative forums), I say with a heavy heart that I'm leaning towards the later choice. Creative had a winner on it's hands; but due to freeze-ups/dying players, it looks like a lemon. It's only because (when it was working) it may have been the best overall player on the market that I give it a rating of 4. Otherwise, it deserves a 1 simply for reliability. Purchase this at your own risk.
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by wdfadude (see profile) -
February 28, 2007
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Very Very Cool
Just bought the Zen Plus a few days ago at Best Buy. Simply a wonderful masterpiece. I installed the CD ...
Just bought the Zen Plus a few days ago at Best Buy. Simply a wonderful masterpiece. I installed the CD Software on my PC and synched to the Zen in a matter of 10 min with no problems. I immediately started downloading songs from Napster. Napster recognized Creative Softare. Was a breeze!!The Zen Plus has a glossy black finish with accents of Blue. Very bold, yet subtle. The Zen Plus is about the size of a Tic Tac Box with the Zen being slightly thicker. Screen is very very nice. Video is also very nice. Perfect for people who work out or those who are on the move. You will not be dissapointed.
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by Apache7777 (see profile) -
September 12, 2006
10 out of 10 - Perfect An amazing TINY device!!!
Just bought this on September 18th, 2006. Yes I live in the United States...in Ohio to be exact. I'...
Just bought this on September 18th, 2006. Yes I live in the United States...in Ohio to be exact. I've waited for what seemed like forever for this to come out...and somehow Best Buy has them in stock. Trust me...it is the Zen V Plus 4GB brand new and sealed. Funny thing was that I even called Creative when I read a post about how someone had bought this already. They don't even sell it on their site, and they were surprised to know Best Buy was selling it already. Creative said that Best Buy probably got some of special "1st shipment special" or something to that extent. But I thoroughly checked out the box just to make sure =0). As for the device itself...it was well worth waiting for. Again, trust me on this. I hate reading these biased articles from different people just "hyping" up products or slamming them just because they are made by so and so company. this little thing does all of the good that you've read about and more...plus it has great sound. Since everyone already knows the specs, let me point out 1 good and 1 bad. Good: even smaller than I imagined. Bad: the headphone cord is a bit too long...that's the worst I can say about it...truthfully. I am trully happy that I waited for this and even happier that I ran out and bought it before they are all on backorder. An extremely nice product!
Updated Just got the Creative Zen Aurvana headphones for my Zen V Plus. As you know, the stock headphones sound great...but I wanted a little more...plus they didn't really fit my ears too well. These Aurvanas make the stock headphones sound like string tied to tin cans...honestly. The difference in the sound is like night and day...plus they seal off...and I mean seal off...the outside world. By the way...they match the Zen V Plus perfectly...that was what did it for me, lol.
2 out of 10 - Terrible Creative Zen V Plus let down, fails to much to be classed as a good player.
I bought the Creative Zen V Plus after reading millions of reviews and looking at loads of different MP3 players. ...
I bought the Creative Zen V Plus after reading millions of reviews and looking at loads of different MP3 players. I was looking for good battery life, good sized memory and FM radio would be a bonus.
The Zen came top in most reviews and was at a great price on Amazon. With 4GB memory it is the perfect size for loads of music and with radio + Video as a bonus. It looked great when it turned up, small shinny and stylish. I charged it, installed the software and started to copy music to the player, I was copying an album at a time, all was going fine, then around reaching the 2GB full mark it would stop the USB connection, freezed on my laptop and the player would stick on the USB docked screen. You have to reset at this stage and it tries to rebuild the library, but never completes. Tried cleaning files option, no change, only option is to format and start again. I tried to get it working for 3 days, with the same problem happening. I tested every way to copy music to it, I tried different albums. I had it working once, by copying less that 2GB to it. Great sound etc, but I wanted it for the 4GB size, tried to put more music on it when only 1.5 GB used, froze again when over 2GB mark was reached, had to format again. I am gutted, as I had spent so much time looking for the ideal player. Ebuyer has hundreds of great and fantastic reviews about it. I am sending this one back for a replacement, hoping that there are only a few dodgy one's out there, but I may get lucky the next time. I am giving it one more chance, but if the same thing happens, I will be getting my money back and looking well away from buying creative labs products.
It is not until you buy it and then go on to www.creative.com to register, that you then see that amount of freezing etc issues that everyone has had with a number of creatives players. I don't understand how they get rated so highly. There forum is full of hundreds if not thousands of complaints and fault discriptions.
If I get one that works properly with no issues i will be happy, but for a first time experience, I have to rate this player as a 2. I would give it a 9/10 for style, options, sound quality (when using different earphones)and accessories, but it's the music you need it for first and fore most. I wouldn't recommend this product, maybe the second one will change my mind, but I think I am clutching at straws.
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by honestopinion04 (see profile) -
June 1, 2007
9 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 out of 10 - Perfect The best MP3 player EVER
I just picked up one of these things a few days ago, and it is absolutely the best MP3 player ...
I just picked up one of these things a few days ago, and it is absolutely the best MP3 player I have ever used. I've been through iPods and most recently a 20GB rio karma, and this is easily the best. 4GB seemed small to me at first, since my library is close to 20GB, but realistically I don't listen to my entire library every day, or even every week, so I figured I'd be able to change around the contents every so often. I found that I don't even have to do that, I was able to easily fit all of my favorite songs. In the future I might get a bigger player for long trips, or just load my library on my laptop, which is usually close by.
You can read a hundred reviews that say this player is tiny, but seeing it in person will blow your mind. This looks like a small toy, but in a good stylish way, and it is extremely light. It fits easily into any pocket, including the change pocket in my jeans! If you take this thing out, it turns heads everywhere. People will be asking what it is, and immediately after they'll comment on how tiny it is and want to play with it.
The screen is simply gorgeous. It is by no means too tiny, the size of the player makes the screen look comparably large. Viewing angle is amazing, it's like looking at very vibrant paper. Resolution is great! I've loaded an episode of family guy on it, and it looks awesome. A cartoon like that can easily be watched and enjoyed on a screen of this size.
Sound is of course out of this world. If you crank it up to max, you'll wonder just how something so tiny pumps out such LOUD music! The quality is perfect, which is what I would expect of creative.
Battery life is amazing. I don't know how something this tiny can have such a great life, but it does. The first day I got it I listened to it every chance I got, played some videos, was showing it to friends, and when I got home it still had a full battery!
I love the clicky buttons, they feel great when you press them. The joystick is OK. At first I thought it was going to be a dealbreaker, but I quickly got used to it. All of my previous players had some sort of scroll wheel, so it was a bit of a change. It would be nice to see a scroll wheel, but only if it doesn't mean an increase in size. The joystick is fine, and after you get used to it, it works really really well. The software helps alot, and responds nicely to rapid joystick movement.
Also, creative threw in some nice search features that makes finding certain tracks, artists, etc. a breeze.
If the player stopped at MP3/video playback, it'd still be perfect, but it doesn't! It plays FM radio, and does a great job at it! Reception is amazing for such a tiny device, features such as presets and autoscanning make using it a breeze. Voice recording is an awesome feature that I love having! I was expecting low-quality, tinny recording, but to my surprise, the recordings are of amazing quality, and the mic is as sensitive as it should be, without being over sensitive. Voice quality is not at all tinny, it's very accurate, perhaps a little bassy (but that could be because of my EQ settings)
I think I covered every feature, I haven't tried line-in recording, but I'm sure it's excellent, I can't wait to find a use for it!
One thing that might annoy some people is that out of the box you have to charge it with the supplied USB cable, if you want to use a wall outlet, you have to purchase an adapter. This isn't a problem for me, although I'll have to get one to go on a week or longer vacation (weekend getaways probably won't even require a charge!)
SUMMARY: This player has got all the right hardware buttons, and in all the right places. It looks amazing, will turn heads, and feels great in your hand. The software is intuitive and responsive. The display is unbelievable! It's bright, and the viewing angle is truly 180 degrees.
Pair this with a set of Sennheiser CX 300s, and you'll have your music sounding great wherever you go, and when you're done, you'll put the player and buds in your pocket and not even know they're there!
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by Jimbro727 (see profile) -
November 7, 2006
3 out of 10 - Poor Looks great... but looks don't play MP3's!!!!!
I love this player in theory. Unfortunatly, it does not work. I have had two, and both have broken. The ...
I love this player in theory. Unfortunatly, it does not work. I have had two, and both have broken. The first one, the screen just slowly died over a 48 hour period, losing colors one at a time until it just showed as orange. I took it back and exchanged it, loved it...until the second one died after less than two months. Dealing with Creative is no joy either.
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by zeketheridgeback (see profile) -
April 12, 2007
6 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
6 out of 10 - Good Requires software, driver problems
I have purchased other Creative MP3 players, and loved them, so I was quite suprised with my disappointment with the ...
I have purchased other Creative MP3 players, and loved them, so I was quite suprised with my disappointment with the Zen V. It looks great and the player itself is easy to use, but due to driver problems, it took me two days just to get music on the friggin' thing.
It requires software to load music or even transfer data files. This makes it difficult if you want to transfer data to another computer that does not have the software without installing drivers.
I prefer an MP3 player that acts like a jump drive and you can connect to any computer without jumping through hoops. The software for tansfering isn't that great.
If you are new to MP3 players or not comfortable with a computer, you may appreciate the wizard like software. If you prefer freedom from software, look somewhere else.
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by tsilence25 (see profile) -
October 29, 2007
5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
3 out of 10 - Poor Returned 2 of these already!
Big disappointment....I researched all the players and decided on this unit for a Christmas gift. The first unit froze ...
Big disappointment....I researched all the players and decided on this unit for a Christmas gift. The first unit froze up within 5 minutes of use. I upgraded the firmware and the unit froze again. The unit was replaced and the exact same thing occurred. The firmware was upgraded and the unit still does not work. This is disappointing because Creative products have great sound quality and are unique. This level of production quality is unacceptable for a $160 piece of electronics.
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by loopba (see profile) -
December 31, 2006
5 out of 10 - Average Standard, downhill Creative product
This is my 3rd Creative MP3 player, and I expect that it will be my last. The size, form, and ...
This is my 3rd Creative MP3 player, and I expect that it will be my last. The size, form, and sound quality of the player are fine, but the controls are unacceptable to me. Personally, I find devices that rely on the elasticity of pieces of plastic often wind up not working well down the road. The mini-joystick is fine, and feels good, but the play/pause and option buttons frequently do not work as intended. As a result of the player design, those buttons feels squishy and most of the time don't provide any positive feedback to let you know that the button has been pressed. Furthermore, I've several times pressed the option button only to have the play/pause function activate.
The FM reception is a joke. My local public radio station, which comes in among the strongest in my area on all other sources, barely registers in the Zen. FM radio navigation also leaves a lot to be desired. Clearly a feature added as an afterthought by marketing people.
What bothers me most, however, it that my computer constantly fails to recognize the Zen. I do not have this problem with other devices. I frequently have to reinstall Creative's software in order to use my player. For as much as I payed for this toy, I feel as though I should not have to constantly perform maintainance.
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by Benzene77 (see profile) -
March 14, 2007
Manufacturer: Creative Labs Inc. Specs: Digital player / radio, 1 GB, MP3, WAV, WMA, ADPCM, Audible, Protected WMA (DRM 9), Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
Manufacturer: Creative Labs Inc. Specs: Digital player / radio, 2 GB, MP3, WAV, WMA, ADPCM, Audible, Protected WMA (DRM 9), Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
Manufacturer: Creative Labs Inc. Specs: Digital player / radio, 2 GB, MP3, WAV, WMA, ADPCM, Audible, Protected WMA (DRM 9), Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
Manufacturer: Creative Labs Inc. Specs: Digital player / radio, 4 GB, MP3, WAV, WMA, ADPCM, Audible, Protected WMA (DRM 9), Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
Manufacturer: Creative Labs Inc. Specs: Digital player / radio, 2 GB, MP3, WAV, WMA, ADPCM, Audible, Protected WMA (DRM 9), Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
Manufacturer: Creative Labs Inc. Specs: Digital player / radio, 8 GB, MP3, WAV, WMA, ADPCM, Audible, Protected WMA (DRM 9), 1 x Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
Manufacturer: Creative Labs Inc. Specs: Digital player / radio, 8 GB, MP3, PCM, WAV, WMA, ADPCM, Audible, Protected WMA (DRM 9), 1 x Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
Manufacturer: Creative Labs Inc. Specs: Digital player / radio, 16 GB, MP3, PCM, WAV, WMA, ADPCM, Audible, Protected WMA (DRM 9), 1 x Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
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