Music at its peak

Whether it’s looks or performance, Creative has come up with a player that is superlative in every way.

By: HINDUSTAN TIMES
Updated on: Feb 09 2010, 00:58 IST

Share via:

The Zen series is Creative's offering in the personal media players market — consistent and decent performers. We have their latest Touch screen model, the Zen X-Fi2, a sleek looking product that we hope will keep up to the expectations we have secretly summed up for it.

Design
This PMP is easily in the higher echelons of superlatives. Its subdued finish and sleek exterior add to a brilliant, aesthetic scheme. There's a glossy black front panel and a gunmetal coloured back plate. The surface is minimal and clutter-free — there's only one button on the front panel. The 'On' and 'Reset' button are tiny and inconspicuous.

The 3" TFT touchscreen with a resolution of 400 x 240 is glossy and does attract fingerprints. You can play SD videos with a maximum resolution of 640 x 480. Video formats such as WMV9, MPEG4-SP, DivX 4/5 and XviD are supported by the player.

But audio is better equipped with regular MP3, WMA, AAC and FLAC. Photo formats, again, are only JPEG and BMP. Audio, video and picture files all work with drag and drop and there is also a bundled software that allows video format conversion.

Performance
The UI and its subsections are pleasant to view but not flawless. The touch screen is not oversensitive, rather it needs a harder touch sometimes. The system's response is fine. The folders open quickly even when the player is filled with data.
Good bass levels
The audio quality is very good. It's loud without distortion, and the bundled in-earphones do a great job. The bass is wholesome but not the tightest in timing. Highs and mids, too, are levelled all right, and the X-Fi can increase or decrease the sibilance levels as per required.

Battery life
Battery life is basic, with 22 hours of music and 4 hours 20 minutes of video.

Verdict
At an MRP of ₹8,999 for the 8 GB variant, the player is a tad expensive. For about ₹1,000 less, the unit has good value, as the widescreen format and brightness are good.

The looks are impressive and overall audio performance is very good, thanks to the decent earphones bundled with it. If possible, test the touchscreen out on your device before buying it, as it does tend to misbehave sometimes.