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More…Though the old 30GB Zune didn't go over too well, Microsoft's kept at it and managed to produce an impressive pair of players in its second-generation Zunes. The $250 80GB hard-drive model I tested would make a capable alternative to an 80GB iPod Classic if wireless syncing or built-in radio interest you.
Microsoft Zune 80GB Media Player (Black)
Pricing
$169.99 - $184.99 From 3 Vendors Get Best Prices »
- Spec Navigator
- Battery
- Display
- Disply
- Features
- General
- Included Hardware
- Included Software
- Interface Connections
- Music Subscription Service
- Software
- Storage Included
- Storage Media
- Supported Audio Formats
- Supported Image Formats
- Supported Video Formats
Features
| Equalizer Settings | 0 |
| FM Recording | No |
| Plays For Sure | No |
| Replaceable Battery | 0 |
| Video Output | No |
| Video Support | Yes |
Included Hardware
| Firewire cable | No |
| Included Hardware |
|
| USB cable | Yes |
Interface Connections
| Firewire | No |
| Headphone output | Yes |
| Line Out | No |
| Microphone input | No |
| USB | Yes |
| USB Host Adapter | No |
Storage Media
| Compact Flash | No |
| Memory Stick | No |
| Memory Stick Micro | No |
| micro SD | No |
| mini SD | No |
| SD card | No |
| Smart Media | No |
| xD Picture Card | No |
3.5
5 User Reviews Add your own »
$169.99 - $184.99
From 3 Vendors
Get Best Prices »
- Lab Tested
- How We Test MP3 Players »
Pros
Wireless syncing
Intuitive controls and interface
Cons
Comparatively low-res screen
Bottom Line
An FM tuner and wireless syncing make this second-generation Zune a capable iPod alternative.
Microsoft Zune 80GB Media Player (Black)
Zune 80GB Media Player (Black) Review, by Eric Dahl, PC World November 12, 2007
The 80GB Zune is just about the same size as Apple's 160GB iPod Classic, which makes it a bit thicker than the 80GB model it's competing with. In our objective audio tests and my listening tests, the Zune performed well, producing clean sound with little distortion. One tiny annoyance, though: The player's 20-step digital volume control doesn't provide much granularity. Occasionally, I'd reach points where one step was too low and the next too high.
The 80GB Zune comes with premium in-ear headphones that are easily better than the standard earbuds you'll find with most players. While most included headphones I test get tossed after a brief listen, this model would actually be worth keeping--a nice addition.
The Zune supports MP3, WMA, WMA lossless, AAC, and its own DRM format for Zune Pass subscriptions. If you'd rather listen to radio, the Zune includes a built-in FM tuner. It also plays back video and displays photos on its 3.2-inch 320-by-240-pixel screen, and the Zune now supports h.264 and MPEG-4 encoding in addition to WMV.
Video playback looked nice on the Zune's screen, though compared with other players the screen's low dots per inch (dpi) stood out as a negative. Pixels are very noticeable.
Touch Controls
All of the new Zunes center on a rounded touch-sensitive control that also doubles as a clickable D-pad-style controller, much like the Click Wheel on Apple's iPods. Flick your thumb up or down the pad repeatedly, and you begin to build up momentum while scrolling through long lists. At any time, you can tap to stop the scrolling, though it will eventually come to a halt naturally. In my experience, it's a very fun way to navigate through a music collection, even in a long view of artists on the 80GB player.
As you browse through the interface, you'll find that you can often scroll left and right as well. So if you've selected an artist and an album, scrolling up and down will take you through songs on that album, while scrolling left and right will switch to other albums by that artist.
Though the touch control is the highlight of the interface, you can also click your way up and down through lists using the hard buttons of the D-pad. (The Zune is still very responsive in scrolling through lists, too.) That allows for simple blind navigation, such as adjusting volume or fast-forwarding a track or two without taking the player from your pocket--always a nice option.
Unfortunately, the player's lock switch doesn't include a way to lock out the touch control but not the physical buttons. That's not much of a problem with upward and downward swipes that simply adjust the volume, but it can be annoying when an inadvertent horizontal swipe fast-forwards you out of the song you're playing.
Wireless Syncing
Ever since Wi-Fi-equipped media players such as the Zune and the Sansa Connect came out, users have been clamoring for wireless syncing. Well, it's finally here. To set up a Zune for wireless syncing, you first select the appropriate wireless network using the PC you'll sync the Zune with. Enter the appropriate security key, and you should be good to go.
When your Zune is within range, you enter 'settings, wireless' on the player and select 'sync now'. Your PC reports that it has found new hardware--a 'Zune Wireless'--and installs the proper driver. Then, if the Zune software isn't running already, it pops up and your sync begins. Over my 802.11g wireless network, transfers weren't exactly lightning-fast, but I could easily imagine buying a stereo dock for my player and setting it up to charge and sync overnight without ever coming near my PC.
At the same time, Microsoft has made a few tweaks to the Zune's wireless music sharing feature. Originally, shared tracks could be played only three times over a period of three days, and couldn't be passed on. Now you can pass along shared tracks to other users and play them up to three times over any time period you like.
Subscriptions and Software
Among other additions, the Zune's software now includes support for podcasts. You can browse for them and subscribe to them easily, and the player will download new subscriptions whenever you sync it.
Microsoft has spent a lot of time rethinking the social aspects of the Zune player, removing several restrictions on how you can share tracks between Zune players and adding an online community called the Zune Social. At the time of this review, the Zune Social wasn't available for testing.
All in all, the 80GB Zune is a decent choice as an 80GB MP3 player. It sounds great, its interface isn't a hindrance, and its pricing is right in line with the competition. Accessories and features such as premium headphones and an FM tuner give it at least one area where it's a step up from an iPod Classic, and if you're interested in wireless syncing, this could be the player for you.
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PCWorld Lab Results
- Rating Breakdown
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68
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68
-
88
- See Complete Lab Results »
Performance Comparison with Similar MP3 Players
68
60
88
Performance
| Crosstalk, Average (dB) | -34 |
| Frequency Response Deviation, Average (dB) | 3.1 |
| Maximum Usable Output Level, Average (dBV) | -4.9 |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio, Average (dB) | 77 |
| Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise, Average (%) | 0.15 |
User Reviews
Review Now! Already own it? Tell us What You Think
User Reviews From Around the Web
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Reviewed by: mick16
Strengths: Good Battery Life, Video Screen Size, WiFi abilities, Works with Xbox 360, Radio
Weaknesses: Can't play AVI files, Zune Software isn't very good compared to Itunes, no equalizer
Overall: Let me preface this review by stating that I've owned Ipods for about 6 years prior to getting the Zune as a gift. As far as a music player, the Zune isn't really any upgrade over the the Ipod. The Zune shines though in watching movies in comparison to the Ipod Classic and also allows you to watch movies on the Xbox 360 when hooked up via USB. The 80GB drive is more than large enough to hold my collection of movies and music. The headphones that come with the player are a big upgrade of what comes with the Ipod, but still not as good as my Shure e2c ear buds. My single biggest complaint is that the Zune Software. It doesn't have nearly the flexibility in column headings as Itunes and its more difficult to modify the information on the song (i.e. Artist name, Album name, etc.). If Microsoft can upgrade the software application (just copy Itunes and be done with it), I think they'll have a real winner on their hands.
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Reviewed by:
Strengths: beautiful huge screen, earphones, soundquality, user interface, fun to use, squircle, video quality
Weaknesses: battery slightly less better than ipod classic, software needs work, but software has nice interface
Overall: zune comparison vs ipod classicipodhas games which are fun,and battery life is bettercomes in silverzunebigger screen, better quality sound earphones much better than ipod. sound quality double better than ipod. looks sexier than ipod, video quality side by side comparison to ipod looks way way better.zune is really fun to use and very easy to navigate throughand menu is faster than ipods menuipod may be slighty slimmer than zune but most people always carry in a case since it gets easily scratched so it defeats the purpose of it being slimmer. i like the zune because i never carry it in a case and it still looks like new.zune is very durable i dropped my 20 backpack on it and not even one stractch on the screen- ofcourse it was an accident and i was so glad nothing happened to it.
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Reviewed by:
Strengths: screen is awesome, scroll wheel is so fun to use, design, quality of headphones, sound quality of music, share music wirelessly
Weaknesses: their aren't any weaknesses with the device itself-because it's great, but the software could use some small tweeks to make it more efficient.
Overall: i have both the ipod 80gb classic and the new 80gb zune.ipod advantages over zune-itunes is a bit better than zune markerketplace-battery life-has extras like clock timer and games(which i love)-ipod is only a bit slimmer than zune-but this does'nt count for me bcuz you have to definetly get a case for the ipod so it does'nt scratch- so they end up being the same size.zune advantages over ipod-screen( i luv watching movies on this thing- and they look 10x better than on the ipod screen)-user friendly interface(my 40 year old mom things the zune is way easier to use) and it's and fun to use the zune-zune pad is better than and funner to use than ipod clickwheel.-radio-video output through headphone jack unlike the ipod which you have to buy like a 50+dock to view ipod movies through tv. for the zune to watch on tv i only paid 10 for av jack.-zune also has a very sleek cool design and won't get scratch easily like ipod chrome back which got some scratches despite always having it in a casein the end i love my zune so much more-im 16 by the wayalso me and my friend share music wirelessly in school- so you can listen to each song that you get from them 3x then it expires- who cares though it's still very cool. you can any pictures from them forever and also keep podcasts forever.also in cnet it is the top mp3 player and ipod classic does'nt even make the top five. the ipod nano is in 4th place but not the 80gb ipod classicby the all of my friends are impressed with my new zune. and one of my friends when i told her that i got a zune she's like -eww you got a zune why? ipod is so much better. then i said well have you even used one -then i let her use it at the end of it she loved the wheel and she said- screw the ipod this is better
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Reviewed by: alam125
Strengths: functional and easy to use device
Weaknesses: wish it has touch screen features
Overall: I am pleasantly surprised by the new zune. it is aesthetically a beautiful device. the new device is thin and smaller versus its predecessor. it surely can rival the ipod for marketshare in the any consumers' minds. the apple ipod better watch out.
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Reviewed by: sylvan37
Strengths: Huge Screen.Easy Navigation.Lots of Space.Great Design.Radio.
Weaknesses: None worth mentioning.
Overall: This is hands down the best mp3 player I have ever used. Before this I had an ipod 60GB (5th gen). I had so many problems with that ipod I had no choice but to get rid of it. The zune 80GB is easy to use and the user interface is just great. No freezing problems like that ipod I had. The radio feature is a great added bonus. It's easily the best player on the market right now. Highly recommended.
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