Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen (60GB, USB 2.0)

The 60GB Nomad Jukebox Zen features a sleek, silver, compact design that's smaller than that of previous Creative Jukebox models. It's still significantly larger than the iPod but has twice as much storage as Apple's highest-capacity player. Its USB 1.1/2.0 connection is a nice combination of compatibility and speed, and it features the same great sound as other Creative models. However, in creating a more affordable and compact player, the company has ditched the recording capabilities and the additional outputs of the Zen's siblings. Whether you miss those extras will depend on what you're looking for in a hard drive-based MP3 player.As noted, the Zen's style is a departure from Creative's CD-player look and feel. The unit's clean, brushed-aluminum, rectangular-shaped case is, well, Zen-like. Although the 2.99-by-4.43-by-0.95-inch, 9.5-ounce (with the rechargeable battery) Zen is smaller and lighter than many hard drive-based players, it doesn't quite fit into a front pants pocket like the similarly shaped iPod does. However, you can hold the Zen comfortably in one hand, and if you're right-handed, the inset jog dial will line up perfectly with your thumb, making for easy navigation of the Zen's extensive menu. The 1.7-by-0.8-inch, backlit LCD presents all information legibly and includes icons, sliders, and other graphical elements.

Creative includes wraparound headphones; an AC adapter; and a heavy-duty, black, padded carrying case.

Creative includes support for USB 2.0 (backward compatible with USB 1.1). The USB 1.1 aspect ensures compatibility with most Macs and PCs, while the high-speed USB 2.0 connection solves the problem of transferring gigabytes of music or data to or from the Zen's gargantuan 60GB hard drive.

Like its predecessor, the Zen comes with Creative's stable PlayCenter software, which rips and encodes CDs, organizes your library, and syncs music--Zen to PC, PC to Zen, or both. The File Manager app transfers other data types to or from the Zen. While we're on the topic of software, the Zen can sync with multiple PCs if they have PlayCenter installed. The iPod, in contrast, has light, built-in copy protection that allows you to sync to only one computer. What's the big deal about multiple-PC syncing? Well, it means that you can trade entire MP3 collections in a relatively short period of time.

For users who prefer a slimmed-down interface, Red Chair Software offers a $25 program called Notmad Explorer, which integrates smoothly with both Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer for easier file transfers.

Once you have your MP3s, WMAs, and WAVs on the player, you'll notice a myriad of playback features; you can browse by artist, song, playlist, album, genre, or all tracks. Pressing the jog dial while selecting an album, a track, or another item brings up a number of options, including Play Now; Add to Play (list); Bookmark; and in the case of genres, albums, or artists, Open, which lists everything from that category. Playlists created in this fashion can even be saved and named on the fly.

One gripe: You can access random and repeat functions only by selecting a song in a playlist. So if you want to shuffle all tracks, you'll have to make an all-tracks playlist on your PC, then transfer it to the Zen. That method works, but we'd have preferred an easier solution.

The Zen's DSP settings maximize Creative's substantial experience with audio processing, giving the device a wide range of sound-tweaking options. Settings include a DSP that simulates auditorium or bathroom environments (among others); eight EQ presets, none of which are manual; Time Scale, which changes music from half-speed to time-and-a-half without altering pitch; a spatialization option (Wide, Narrow, or Full); and Smart Volume, which tailors the sound for trains, cars, or quiet environments by calibrating EQ to compensate for outside frequencies. This last feature can also normalize volume across all tracks, preventing you from having to frequently adjust the loudness.

Considering all the sound options and the near-flawless 98dB signal-to-noise ratio, the Zen is one of the best-sounding MP3 players to date. Audio quality was loud and clear through our test headphones. More-demanding listeners may want to upgrade from the included wraparound headphones, but they sound decent enough to keep.

The internal, lithium-ion, rechargeable battery lasts up to 12 hours on a single charge, which is slightly above average. If you don't have the AC adapter handy, the Zen can also charge itself while connected to a USB port.

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