Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen Xtra 30GB ReviewIntroductionApple may have popularised hard disk-based audio players with the sleek iPod, but Creative is the company that's taking it mainstream. The biggest deterrent to getting the iPod is the price. A 20GB model costs around USD399. Compare that with the Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen Xtra 30GB model for just USD220, or the iRiver iHP 120 20GB model for just USD299! So for those on a budget, the Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen Xtra is the best choice.
Package ContentsPictured above is the contents when you open the box. From left, the power adapter, USB2.0 cable, travel pouch, rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery, Quick Start guide, the player itself, stereo earphones, and the installation CD. Creative decided to save some money and skimped on the manual, opting for an electronic manual on the CD. This is rather disappointing, because although the Nomad Jukebox Zen Xtra is cheap compared to other players, it still is a load of cash to pay for a portable audio player. The battery was surprising. It looks just like a mobile phone battery. The Nomad Jukebox Zen NX and Nomad MuVo2 also use the same battery. The removable battery is supposed to counter iPod's irreplaceable battery.
If you like anodised aluminium, which is like the standard for electronic products now, then the player would look rather nice, although a little big. The travel pouch looks like a PDA pouch, and allows easy access to the buttons and the USB and 3.5mm stereo jack. The pouch also has a belt clip. Too bad there's nowhere to keep the earphones when you're not using it.
Speaking of the earphones, I was surprised of the quality of the earphones provided in the package. Of course, sound quality is subjective, so all I'll say is the earphones sound great. There's only one problem. The earphones are rather big and they are rather tight-fitting. In fact, reviews on other sites have mentioned that this particular earphones cannot fit medium-size ears comfortably, whatever "medium-size ears" are...
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