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people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #176,069 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★★★★★
Best Mp3 Player Ever!
After much research I finally decided to purchase the Zen Sleek 20gb Mp3 Player and I'm quite happy with this unit. I also considered the Dell DJ, Zen Touch, and Zen Micro. I also thought about the iPod for a few seconds - but it doesn't take long to realize that beyond a pretty case, the Zen and DJ line just offer so much more, for less $$$!
As is the case with many folks shopping for a good mp3 player; I needed an Mp3 player that was compact, had above average battery life, at least 20gb of storage, and a few extra features to keep it interesting. But most important of all, it MUST have good audio quality (97db SNR)! Well, this Zen Sleek met all of my goals and more!
Here is what I found while doing some research this weekend both on-line and in the local stores. The Dell DJ, while cheap, simply didn't offer any of the features or battery life the Zen Sleek offered. The iPod had "average" battery life, no nifty features, too expensive, and isn't fully compatible with other music formats. The Zen Touch does have the best battery life ever - but it's way too bulky and the LCD isn't very bright. And with a max storage of 6gb, the Zen Micro just didn't have enough space for my needs. Otherwise, it would have been my 1st choice.
And just to sum everything up, here is a list of Pro's and Cons.
Pro's:
- Considering the storage, it's quite small and light
- 20gb of storage (I'm hoping for more in the future)
- 18 hrs of battery life (As expected, I got slightly less with 192kbps WMA's)
- 97db SNR for the best possible audio quality. I tested the audio quality with everything from a high-end car stereo to a top of the line home theater system. All sounded excellent. It even sounded rather good with a tape adapter!
- FM Radio (not needed, but very handy)
- Awesome and very easy to use touchpad feature as well as Creative's well known interface.
- And it looks great with the silver and white color scheme!
Con's:
- Slighty on the expensive side ($249.99 US)
- Not enough accessories at time of release
- Not a big fan of the velvet-like carrying pouch. Sorry, I just refuse to use that thing. :)
So, basically I can't find anything wrong with the unit itself. :) For this reason, I'll give it 5 out of 5 stars and consider this unit highly recommended.
September 2005 · Electronics