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Welcome to epiZENter. You are seeing this message because you are either not registered or not logged in. If you're new to this site, I'll tell you what we're all about. This is a Creative fansite that focuses on their various players such as the very popular Vision:M. We make it our duty here to provide you with all the latest news and information to help you with your player, and to aid in your buying decision if you don't own a player yet. epiZENter is part of the DAPreview webring.
Our Forums are very friendly and include a number of different guides and resources to help you with your player. If you are attempting to see pictures but seeing a message saying image disabled, this means you aren't registered or logged in.
Once registered, you'll get full access to everything this great place has to offer. Compare our site to other Creative forums and you'll see it gets updated more, is more friendly, and is better organized. If you want to take a look at the wealth of information available for your player check out the Vision:M Information Portal
Creative showing off new X-Fi products at COMEX and IFA 2008
Creative sure are keeping themselves busy lately. They'll be attending two conventions at the same time. The first is COMEX, which is in their hometown of Singapore. It takes place from August 28th to the 31st and is a huge consumer event filled with great deals. The other convention is IFA, which is one of the largest consumer electronic shows in the world. It's located in Berlin and will run from August 29th to September 3rd.
Creative won't be showing off any new players at these two expos. Instead, they'll be showcasing their recently released ZEN X-Fi and Mozaic. Additionally they have several new audio products that have been infused with their X-Fi technology and a brand new pair of earphones. Here's a summary of each:
Sound Blaster X-Fi Go!
Remember the Sound Blaster Play!? It was a portable soundcard with a USB drive form factor. In typical Creative fashion, they've put out an X-Fi upgrade to it called the Sound Blaster X-Fi Go!. In addition to X-Fi, the Go! improves on the original by incorporating 1GB of storage. The device has your typical X-Fi enhancements including the Crystallizer and CMSS-3D. It also has EAX Advanced HD 4.0 and OpenAL support built-in (for gaming). The X-Fi flash drive also comes pre-loaded with a bunch of software including Alchemy, and WaveStudio, The X-Fi Go! will retail for 79 Singapore dollars, or roughly $56US.
Creative designed the N400 speakers with Notebook owners in mind. They're USB-powered and surprise surprise! they have X-Fi built-in. The N400 looks a little larger than your typical pair of notebook speakers, but Creative packs in a handy zippered case to help with portability. Another nice feature that separates this from the competition is the addition of media control buttons directly on the speakers. They'll retail for 119 Singapore dollars, or about $86US. Specs:
Finally, there's the EP-430's, a new pair of in-ear earphones. They're a bit different from the EP-630's on paper and come in 6 different colors. They'll retail for 29 Singapore dollars, or just $20US.
Driver Units: 10mm Neodymium magnet
Frequency Response: 10Hz ~22kHz
Impedance: 16ohms
Sensitivity (1kHz): 103dB/mW
Cord Length: 1.2m Oxygen-Free Copper cable
Net Weight: 11g (without packaging)
It seems like Creative will add X-Fi to all of their products eventually. Whether it's their webcams, or their mice and keyboards (tap keys with X-Fi sound!). I'm not sure if that's truly a good thing. X-Fi is good in small amounts. Adding it to everything just creates saturation of the brand and it just doesn't have the same appeal to me anymore. Plus, using two X-Fi products in tandem usually leads to some bad sounding results.
Hurry! Zen Vision:M In Stock at Creative for $119 Shipped
Just a quick heads-up to let everyone know the Zen Vision:M is now back in stock at Creative's US store. They've been sold out for months, and I've seen plenty of members who have been eagerly awaiting its return. They're selling the 30GB model (refurb) for $119.99 and Free shipping. I paid $200 more for the player, but it was worth every penny. The ZVM might be a little dated compared to the newer DAP's available today, but I still consider it one of the Top 10 players released to date. These probably won't be in stock for long so if you've always wanted a ZVM this may be your last chance to get one from Creative.
The ZEN X-Fi has been out a little over a month now, and reviews for it are starting to trickle out. The latest comes from PC Magazine, who provides a fair analysis of Creative's new flagship DAP. While they seemed pleased with the WiFi features of the player (wireless streaming, instant messaging), and the included premium earphones, they weren't too happy about the player's user interface, or its excessive amount of buttons (13 face buttons!).
It seems anytime you're using the player's WiFi functions and jump back to the home screen, you lose your wireless connection. That seems counter-intuitive for a player these days and I can see it getting pretty annoying after a while. Here's a summary of the review:
Pros: Streams and downloads music wirelessly. FM Radio and voice recorder. Quality earphones are included.
Cons: User interface needs work. Most videos need to be converted with the included software. Loaded with buttons.
Bottom Line: Armed with wireless streaming features, but hindered by an irksome user interface, the affordable ZEN X-Fi is a solid player, but lacks the graceful navigation of devices from Apple or Samsung.
Score: 3.5/5
I've yet to get my hands on the ZEN X-Fi since it sold out pretty quick earlier this month, and now that it's back in stock I have no money! (being on vacation will do that to you). I'll try and pick it up within the next two weeks, as well as the Mozaic.
Creative's colorful EP-610 earphones - Designed for Dell
I just received a brochure from Dell and inside I found a colorful assortment of Creative headphones. I quickly searched Creative's website, but they weren't listed. It appears to be an exclusive specifically made for Dell. Lately Dell has been releasing their computers in a variety of colors, and the EP-610's from Creative were designed to pair up nicely with that setup. On paper, the specs don't seem to differ much from the popular EP-630's:
Specs:
Driver Units: 9mm Neodymium magnet transducer
Frequency Response: 6Hz ~ 23kHz
Impedance: 16ohms
Sensitivity: 106dB
Input Plugs: 3.5mm stereo gold plated miniplug
Price: $23.99US
Additionally, Creative has also color-coordinated their line of Inspire T10 speakers to match Dell's computer line. You can check them out at Dell's site.
Will this be the last we see of the Dell DJ? Creative has lowered their prices on these classic DAP's in an attempt to clear inventory. They currently have all models in stock, but that won't be the case for long. Here's what they have:
5GB Dell DJ Pocket (refurb) - $19.99 20GB Dell DJ (refurb) - $34.99 30GB Dell DJ (refurb) - $44.99
Other deals:
Xmod (refurb): $19.99 (currently out of stock) Zen Stone (refurb) $19.99 Travelsound Zen Stone: $11.99
You can find these deals and many others at Creative's Savings Center (link below):
Creative is back to their old selves again, announcing their 3rd new player in the past two weeks. This time it's the Zen V replacement I hinted about a while back, and it comes in the form of a quite unusual looking player called the Zen Mozaic.
As you can see, the design of the player stays true to its name, having an assortment of grey and black titles across the front. On paper, the player is fairly similar to the ZEN V series, but increases the screen size to 1.8" and adds a built-in speaker. One notable improvement is in battery life. The Mozaic will provide 32 hours of audio playback. Another difference is the interface, which is closer to the ZEN series than the Zen V. Features:
Capacity: 2, 4, and 8GB
Display: 1.8" TFT display (64K colors)
Audio: MP3, WMA, WAV, and Audible
Transcoded video support
FM Tuner
Voice Recorder
Built-in speakers
Battery life: 32 hours for audio
Colors: Black, Silver, and Pink
Dimensions: 79.5 mm x 40.0 mm x 12.8 mm
Creative already has a nice lineup of accessories to go along with this new player, including a travelsound speaker system, a skin pack, and a carabiner case. It's nice to see Creative being well....creative with their designs, but I'm not sure if eccentric patterns will gain the appeal of the masses. The ZEN Mozaic is currently selling at Singapore (and Japan) at prices ranging from 99 to 169 dollars, or roughly 73 to 124US dollars. No word on a worldwide release, but we'll update you when we find out.
Creative will be releasing a new player called the Zen Krystal. As you may have guessed from looking at it, it is the follow-up to the Zen Stone series. The Krystal sets itself apart from its predecessors with the addition of a pedometer. According to Creative the pedometer "can track the distance ran, the speed you were running at as well as the amount of calories burnt during your exercise workout.". It also has a stopwatch ( just like the Stone Plus).
Another puzzling addition is game support. I've been asking for games for years now and Creative's first attempt comes in the form of a dice rolling game, dodgeball, and some racing game on a microscopic 0.7" screen. It's a start I guess.
Features
Capacity: 4GB
Display: 0.7" monochrome OLED
Audio: MP3, WMA
FM tuner and Voice recorder
Built-in pedometer and stopwatch
Games included: Hurdle Race, Catch & Dodge and Dice Roll
Battery life: 10 hours
Dimensions: 57 mm x 37 mm x 10.8 mm
UMS support
The Zen Krystal has only shown up at Creative's Hong Kong site, but it will be released in other regions eventually. It must be a strategy of Creative to release the same player every few months. First the Zen Stone, then the Stone Plus, then the Stone with built-in speakers and so on. Expect the Zen Krystal Plus in another few months! The Krystal does looks nicer than the Zen Stone Plus. The boxy shape is reminiscent of the Sansa Clip from Sandisk. Hopefully it sounds as good as that player too. Sadly, not much has changed from the original Stone series. I do like the addition of games, and I hope that becomes a trend for Creative. With all the buttons the ZEN X-Fi has you could cover a wide-range of games. Make it happen Creative!
Usually when a player is announced in Singapore (Creative's HQ), we usually have to wait a while for it to show up in the US and other regions. Well this time it only took four days for the US (and UK regions) to announce the ZEN X-Fi. The player has shown up at a number of retailers as well including Amazon, and Buy.com.
Here are the prices for the US (and UK):
Models:
8GB: $149 (£109.99)
16GB: $199 (£139.99)
32GB: $279 (£199.99)
Accessories:
ZEN X-Fi Docking Speaker System: $49.99
Leather case: US$24.99
Silicone skin: $12.99
Armband: $19.99
Three-pack of screen protectors: $7.99
I'm really glad Creative kept the same pricing as the original ZEN. Considering this model is a significant upgrade to its predecessor and comes with premium earphones, I thought the price would be a lot higher. I'll hopefully be getting my hands on one in the near future so look out for my impressions. In the meantime, check out this great user review from one of our members.
It's Official! Creative has just announced the ZEN X-Fi on their Singapore website. Of course, I've spoiled it for most of you already, but there's a few new things to find out about. As we predicted here, there are two different versions, one with WiFi built-in and one without. The WiFi versions will come in capacities of 16 and 32GB's, and the WiFi-less version will only be available for the 8GB model.
Features
Capacity: 8, 16, and 32GB with SD expansion slot
Display: 2.5" with 16.7 million colors and 320 x 240 resolution
Audio: MP3, WMA, AAC (unprotected), WAV, and Audible
Video: WMV, MPEG4-SP, Divx 4/5, Xvid, and MJPEG
Built-in X-Fi technology with two effects (Crystallizer and Expand)
Built-in Wi-Fi for instant messaging (Yahoo! and Windows Live!) and wireless streaming
FM Tuner and Voice Recorder
Built-in Speaker
Premium quality earphones included (ep-830)
Battery Life: 36 hours for Audio, 5 hours for Video
Dimensions: 83mm x 55mm x 12.8mm (original ZEN was 83mm x 55mm x 11.3mm)
Surprisingly the ZXFi is already on sale at Creative's Singapore site. The prices for the 8, 16, and 32GB models are 229, 329, and 399 Singapore dollars respectively, which directly converts to prices of $169, $242, and $294US dollars. Those prices seem to be in line with the original ZEN model. Creative announced a few accessories as well including a Travelsound Docking speaker system (shown below), an armband, a leather case, and a silicone skin pack.
ZEN X-Fi with Travelsound Docking speaker system
After thinking about the ZEN X-Fi these past few weeks, I feel Creative has not done enough to make a product that differs greatly from their previous models. I mean, this is just the ZEN with X-Fi added. Sure it also has WiFi, but its uses aren't that practical for most people. A lot of the new features could have (and should have) been available in the original.
Like others here, I would have liked to see a larger screen, and one with a touchscreen interface. I'm also disappointed by Creative's refusal to add new codecs. In their press release they say the following: "We addressed the issue of the poor quality of digital music by inventing X-Fi technology, which restores the quality of music that is lost during the digital ripping process". There's another way they could have addressed the issue of poor quality music, and it has four letters: FLAC. While I think X-Fi is a nice sound enhancer, there's no way it compares to lossless quality. If Creative truly cared about delivering the best sound possible they would have supported lossless formats in addition to X-Fi.
On the positive side, the ZEN X-Fi looks quite nice. I was turned off by the chrome edges initially, but it is an improvement from the typical cheap plastic toy look that Creative has been using lately. I'm also impressed by the player's battery life, but I do wonder what the numbers will be with X-Fi turned on. Compared to the competition, I'd say the ZEN X-Fi holds up pretty well, though I still think should have done more. I'll have plenty more to say about this player later, but for now I'll let the members here give their opinions.
In the future, man will head to the skies, leaving the Earth in the hands of robots. At least according to the adorable movie Wall-E, which I saw this past weekend. Wall-E was created to clean up all the waste that we left behind. That's nice and all, but what about our history? Surely we need a robot to maintain a database of our past. A robot that has recorded such great events as the dawn of epiZENter. Wonder no more, for we have...The Creative Robot (TCR-2000). He might not be as cute as Wall-E, but he loves Creative players! Take a look at what he had to say about our site:
Wonderful isn't he? You can find his previous videos after the jump
Hurry! Zen Vision:M In Stock at Creative for $119 Shipped
The ZEN X-Fi has been out a little over a month now, and reviews for it are starting to trickle out. The latest comes from PC Magazine, who provides a fair analysis of Creative's new flagship DAP. While they seemed pleased with the WiFi features of the player (wireless streaming, instant messaging), and the included premium earphones, they weren't too happy about the player's user interface, or its excessive amount of buttons (13 face buttons!). 
Creative will be releasing a new player called the Zen Krystal. As you may have guessed from looking at it, it is the follow-up to the Zen Stone series. The Krystal sets itself apart from its predecessors with the addition of a pedometer. According to Creative the pedometer "can track the distance ran, the speed you were running at as well as the amount of calories burnt during your exercise workout.". It also has a stopwatch ( just like the Stone Plus).
Usually when a player is announced in Singapore (Creative's HQ), we usually have to wait a while for it to show up in the US and other regions. Well this time it only took four days for the US (and UK regions) to announce the ZEN X-Fi. The player has shown up at a number of retailers as well including Amazon, and Buy.com.
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