Creative ZEN Stone 1 GB > Reviews (34)

Overal, the Zen Stone is a decent MP3 player however there are several design flaws which a company like creative which has been i the industry for years should have been able to overcome.

The MP3 player is clearly aimed for use by people who use the gym, go running or jogging or listen to music while on the go. It is incredibly light which is one of the reasons I like it. You can hardly tell it is in your pocket which means it causes no discomfort whilst working out or playing sports.

I recently bought a Zen stone as an alternative to an Ipod, this is for a few reasons:

ADVANTAGES

It doesn't use itunes (this makes it easier to drag and drop music).
music doesnt have to be converted before it can be played
Cheap but still made by a reputable company
Aesthetically appealing: the smooth facia is very attractive
Ergonomic (no sharp edges)
Light weight: you can hardly tell it is in your pocket which makes it a brilliant player to use whilst at the gym or playing sports.
Warranty and support available

MAJOR DISADVANTAGES:

The Stone is made from a very poor quality plastic (PP or PET? LDPE?) which gets scratched VERY easily. So be warned! I was cleaning my car and it was in my pocket the whole time, I looked at it when I had finished to find several large and very deep chunks had been cut out. I may have caught it against something but it should not get scratched this easily! shame on you creative!

Organising music is very difficult, the best option is to put it on shuffle as trying to arrange it in a particular order is a challenge. There is no real way of doing it. The shuffle feature is of course fantastic but if you want to listen to a whole album through then it can make mistakes.

Head phones: no MP3 player comes with good headphones - fact. the Zen is no exception, the headphones supplied are comfortable but it may be worth buying some higher qualty ear phones like those that rest in your ear for a better experience.

Considering the size of the player, the buttons could have been bigger however due to the circuit board layout i doubt it would have been possible to make the buttons larger without reducing the players durability even further (bigger button connected to a small contact on the circuit board will break easily). The small buttons are a good thing in this respect.

OVERALL

The Zen stone is a good MP3 player but be warned, it does get scatched easily and it is worth buying a new pair of headphones. A protective case is a must have it only takes a small amount of effort to damage the smooth shiny plastic facia.

CONCLUSION

Buy this Mp3 player, but also buy the case to go with it. It is a fantastic device dispite it's design flaws.