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Reviews: Hard Drive MP3 Players

Creative Zen VisionM

Built-in Capacity: 30GB • Screen Size (inches): 2.5 • Voice Recording: Yes • FM tuner: Yes • Video Support: Yes • Photo Support: Yes • Price When Reviewed: $250

Last updated
April 11, 2007

Reviewed by
Eric Dahl

Pros

High audio quality High audio quality
Great screen for photos and video

Cons

Audio codec support somewhat limited
Requires dongle to charge and sync files

Pricing:

anomaka	$194.99
CYBER_WORLDS	$224.99
See all

Top 10 MP3 Players (Flash-Based)

Top 5 MP3 Players (Hard Drive-Based)

See All MP3 Players

Review

Test Report

Pricing

User Reviews

Add Your Review

Pricing: Inexpensive: $250 (6/29/2007)

Performance: Very Good: 86

Features: Good: 76

Design: Very Good: 85

Find out how these four scores, and their relative weights, combine to produce the PC World Rating.

Pricing

Inexpensive: $250

Performance

Very Good: 86

PC World Tests
Maximum Usable Output Level, Average (dBV)	-2.1
Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise, Average (%)	0.06
Signal-to-Noise Ratio, Average (dB)	83
Crosstalk, Average (dB)	-55
Frequency Response Deviation, Average (dB)	3.9

Features

Good: 76

Capacity
Built-in Capacity	30GB
SD card	No
mini SD	No
micro SD	No
Memory Stick Micro	No
Compact Flash	No
Smart Media	No
xD Picture Card	No
Memory Stick	No

Battery
Replaceable Battery	No
Hours of Play (Per vendor)	14

Screen
Screen Size (inches)	2.5
Screen Resolution	320 by 240
ScreenType	Color

Size
Dimensions (inches)	2.4 by 0.8 by 4.1
Weight (oz.)	5.8

Connections
Line Out	No
Firewire	No
Headphone output	Yes
Microphone input	No
USB	Yes
Video Output	Yes
USB Host Adapter	No

Playback
Signal to Noise Ratio (dB)	97

Audio Formats
AAC	No
AIFF	No
Apple Lossless	No
ASF	No
Audible	No
FLAC	No
MP3	Yes
MPEG4	No
OGG	No
WAV	Yes
WMA	Yes
WMA Lossless	No
Other	WMA DRM
Equalizer Settings	8
Voice Recording	Yes

Radio
FM tuner	Yes
FM Recording	Yes
Presets	32

Online Music Compatibility
Itunes	No
Rhapsody	Yes
Napster	Yes
Sony	No
Yahoo	Yes

Online Subscription Compatibility
Plays For Sure	Yes

Video Formats
Video Support	Yes
H 264	No
MPEG4	Yes
MPEG2	Yes
MPEG1	Yes
DivX4	Yes
DivX5	Yes
WMV	Yes
Motion JPEG	Yes
XviD	Yes

Photo Formats
Photo Support	Yes
JPG	Yes
BMP	Yes
PNG	Yes
GIF	Yes
Other	TIFF

Hardware List
USB cable	Yes
Firewire cable	No
Dock	Yes
AC Adapter	Yes
Case	Yes
Remote Control	No

Other
Included Hardware	Earphones, pouch
Included Software	Creative MediaSource, Creative Media Explorer

Warranty & Support
Labor Warranty (years)	90-day
Parts Warranty (years)	One
Weekday Support (hours)	9
Saturday Support (hours)	0
Sunday Support (hours)	0
Toll-Free Support	No

Reliability & Service
Summary of results for all of brand's products in this category	A veteran of the MP3 wars, Creative received average grades everywhere except on ease of use, where readers rated it below average. Note, though, that seven other MP3 vendors also received subpar scores on ease of use.

Reliability of brand's products in this category
Reports of product arriving with problems	Average
Reports of products with any significant problems	Average
Reports of problems that render a product unusable	Average
Buyers' rating of product's	Worse than Average
Overall satisfaction with reliability of brand's products in category	Average