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Technical Details
- 32GB capacity stores up to 8000 MP3 songs and supports mulitple formats
- 3" touchscreen with X-Fi technology and high quality Creative EP-630 earphones
- Music, video and photo player with video out to connect to TV
- Expandable capacity via mirco SD card slot
- Includes built-in speaker, FM tuner and personal memo recorder
Product details
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Product Description
Manufacturer's Description
Engage the sense of touch with Creative's first ever touchscreen digital media player - the ZEN X-Fi2 32GB MP3 and video player.
The Creative ZEN X-Fi2 has a 3 inch touchscreen.
Touch the Sound of Perfection
The ZEN X-Fi gave you the sound of perfection. Now we’ve gone ahead and made it better. No buttons involved, simply let your fingers work their magic across the 3" TFT LCD screen and access all the player's features instantly.
ZEN Xi-Fi2 now allows you to experience the sound of perfection even with your stored movies and FM radio - with X-Fi technology that restores audio to even higher levels of clarity than before. Immerse yourself in a natural listening experience as the state-of-the-art X-Fi technology intelligently moves the earphone stereo source away from your ears, simulating an audio experience from a pair of high-end stereo speakers.
The latest player from Creative is a step up from its predecessor, the popular ZEN X-Fi. Besides a bigger screen size, the ZEN X-Fi2 supports multiple audio formats including the much desired Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC), which delivers audio without compromising on its original quality as well as iTunes Plus (unprotected AAC format), which compresses audio data much more efficiently than older formats. Indulge in true pristine audio where you hear your music played the way it was meant to be heard.
The ZEN X-Fi2 also supports RSS feeds offline, and video out where you can share your videos and photos on your TV.
Take in rich detail from nifty guitar strumming and crisp cymbal clashes and complete the whole experience with the bundled EP-630 in-ear earphones. These premium earphones are designed to block out external noise and even come with three different sizes of ear tips to offer you the most optimum comfort.
The micro SD card slot enables you to expand the memory capacity.
Touch and Go
The ZEN X-Fi2 is the first touchscreen digital media player from Creative. You can navigate with ease on the intuitive 3" TFT LCD touchscreen. There are no tricky buttons involved, just one touch is all you need to access all the media content from the home screen. One tap of the finger will take you through to your, music, movies, photos, radio, and many more features. It also makes controlling your music or movies easier. Once you have opened the movie application, for example, the controls for it appear on the touchscreen. So it is even easier than previous X-Fi players to play, pause, skip or control the volume. The screen has 262,000 colours and a 400 x 240 pixel resolution making it perfect not just for touchscreen navigation, but also for watching movies or viewing photos.
Pump It Up with X-Fi Technology
ZEN X-Fi2 now brings the power of X-Fi to bear on more types of entertainment! Building on the ZEN X-Fi, ZEN X-Fi2 now allows you to experience the sound of perfection even with your stored movies and FM Radio -- with X-Fi technology that restores audio to even higher levels of clarity than before. The adjustable X-Fi Crystalizer allows you to experience the very essence of music perfection as it intelligently restores detail lost during file compression with just one touch. Also included is the X-Fi Expand technology, which brings the most acoustically natural sound staging in headphone audio available from a media player. X-Fi Expand creates more depth to your music by moving the conventional left/right stereo source away from your ears. As a result you will feel as if you were listening to your music from a pair of high end speakers.
The Creative ZEN X-Fi2 can be connected to your TV.
Supports Multiple Audio Formats
There are no worries about having a library of audio files in different formats, as the ZEN X-Fi2 supports mulitple audio formats. Relax and listen to your MP3, WMA, AAC, Audible4 and FLAC files with ease. Pre-loaded into the ZEN X-Fi2 is the Creative Centrale software which makes it easier to rip, transfer and manage your media content. If you prefer, you can even transfer files by simply dragging and dropping them. The 32GB ZEN X-Fi2 can store 8000 MP3 files (approximately 4 minutes per song at 128kbps).
Video Out in X-Fi
Watch movies or view photos with your family and friends on your TV screen by connecting the ZEN X-Fi2 with an A/V cable (A/V cable sold separately). You can connect the cable using the composite connectors on your TV (round yellow jack, and the round red jack) making it quick and easy to plug in and start enjoying. You will be able to watch your movies with X-Fi sound, or listen to the backing music you have chosen for your slide show.
Expandable Memory to Provide More Media Content
In a dilemma over what songs or movies to upload to your player? Limited media capacity is no longer a problem, for the ZEN X-Fi2 comes with a built-in micro SD card slot which enables you access more music, photos and videos in your memory card. You can also transfer files easily to enjoy more media content in your player.
RSS Feeds Download Supported
RSS feeds are downloaded in entirety, including photos (not just article headlines with a few lines of text). Just sync via the USB connection and download RSS feeds from your computer and read them later on your ZEN X-Fi2 on-the-go.
The included Creative EP-630 headphones
provide excellent sound quality and noise isolation.
provide excellent sound quality and noise isolation.
Share Your Music Out Loud
If you are out and about, or even at home, you can share your music out loud thanks to the powerful built-in speaker. With up to 25 hours audio playback you can enjoy your music for hours from just a single charge.
High-Quality Earphones
Included with the ZEN X-Fi2 are the Creative EP-630 earphones, so you can indulge in all your favourite tunes without the noise. The in-ear design reduces background noise and sound leakage significantly while achieving optimum music playback. They are perfect for travelling or commuting where you may wish to reduce background noise, and minimise the sound leakage for the benefit of those around you. Designed to deliver deep bass with balanced tones for all music playback, the 9mm Neodymium magnet drivers enable you to listen to your audio in greater clarity. Get set to enjoy long hours of music in comfort. Three pairs of silicone tips come bundled with the earphones so you can choose the size that offers the most optimum fit. The silicone tips fit snugly into your ears helping to keep them in place whatever activity you are doing.
A Lightweight Masterpiece
With its sleek curves and polished finishing, the ZEN X-Fi2 weighs a mere 70g and fits snugly in your pocket or bag. The 3 inch screen is neatly fitted into a player measuring just 102mm long, 57mm tall and a mere 11.6mm deep. It is roughly the same height as a credit card but a little bit longer.
Never Miss the Latest Hits
Be on top of the music scene and get the latest news with the integrated FM radio. Take your pick from the 32 preset stations in the player.
Record It Now
Never miss out on meetings and lectures. Capture important speeches or whatever you fancy with the integrated voice recorder.
Keep Your Life Organised
With the built-in alarm, calendar, tasks and contacts, you'll never have trouble waking up or missing an appointment again!
Lossless Audio Support
You can now enjoy your music even in lossless audio formats such as FLAC files. In addition, the player also supports iTunes Plus (unprotected AAC format) besides other conventional formats such as MP3, WMA and Audible4. Use the Creative Centrale to rip, transfer and manage your media content easily.
Picture Perfect in One Simple Tilt
The ZEN X-Fi2 features an accelerometer function, which makes viewing your photo more fun and effortless. Simply rotate the player to adjust the orientation of your photos!
More Fun on the Move
Bored while waiting for your next appointment? Stimulate your mental prowess when you embark on a challenging game of Sudoko!
App Developers Welcome
Keen on writing innovative and exciting applications for the ZEN X-Fi2 player? Put your coding talents to good use and develop your favourite games yourself. Visit the Creative website to find out more.
Good Listening Practices
Creative cares about your hearing. The ZEN X-Fi2 comes with a Restrict Volume feature to limit the maximum volume output.
Box Contains
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
33 of 33 people found the following review helpful
I bought this to replace my previous Zen which had developed a fault.
Although I am not a fan of touchscreens in general, this one is okay. As it is a resistive display requiring a little bit of pressure I have found that using a firm touch with your fingernail gives a good and more precise response (with the added bonus of not smearing fingerprints all over the display!)
The unit itself appears as a removable disc drive, so no drivers required. I use Winamp to synchronise with the player, which requires a little bit of setting up (in order to place the MP3 files in the player's Music directory and playlists in the Playlist directory) but you can just use drag and drop to load the player. If there is a memory card present the player and the memory card appear as two adjacent removable drives.
Sound quality is high. I have not used the headphones but cosmetically they are identical to my Sennheiser CX300II ear buds which sound pretty good. Some people rave about the X-Fi functionality, but I find it often makes the music harsh in the upper mid range even at low settings, so I leave it switched off.
I've seen a few reports of albums disappearing in the album list, but I have not encountered this (I have firmware 1.01.01). When playing tracks, the displayed artwork is taken from the track's ID3 tag. One irritation is that the track information is displayed in white text, so if the artwork is light to white then you can't read half the text as it is overlaid on the artwork - a simple change to give the text an outline or a shadow would fix this (are you listening Creative?)
The video and photo quality is good, although not stellar. If I didn't know the screen was only 18 bit I would not have guessed from looking at pictures. Playing video through the AV output is adequate.
The SD card does not integrate with the main library, but it does create its own library. Unfortunately you have to do this every time you access the SD card after the power has been cycled, although this doesn't actually take long (I emailed Creative suggesting that this is modified to be optional). I use the card to keep my audiobooks separate from my music library - it is worth noting that the X-Fi2 will quite happily play Audible files from the memory card provided that the player has been authorised. (Of course it would be nice for Audible audiobooks not to be DRMed at all, buts that's an argument for a different place).
The lack of a volume control separate to the touchscreen is mildly irritating - previously with my old Zen if I wanted to change volume I could stick my hand in my pocket and feel around (stop sniggering at the back) for the volume control and adjust it without having to look at the player, whereas now it has to come right out of the pocket to where I can see it, although I am starting to get the hang of adjusting the volume one-handed (I said stop sniggering!)
The RSS and Calendar functions I don't use at the moment (and probably won't) so I can't comment on them.
Although I am not a fan of touchscreens in general, this one is okay. As it is a resistive display requiring a little bit of pressure I have found that using a firm touch with your fingernail gives a good and more precise response (with the added bonus of not smearing fingerprints all over the display!)
The unit itself appears as a removable disc drive, so no drivers required. I use Winamp to synchronise with the player, which requires a little bit of setting up (in order to place the MP3 files in the player's Music directory and playlists in the Playlist directory) but you can just use drag and drop to load the player. If there is a memory card present the player and the memory card appear as two adjacent removable drives.
Sound quality is high. I have not used the headphones but cosmetically they are identical to my Sennheiser CX300II ear buds which sound pretty good. Some people rave about the X-Fi functionality, but I find it often makes the music harsh in the upper mid range even at low settings, so I leave it switched off.
I've seen a few reports of albums disappearing in the album list, but I have not encountered this (I have firmware 1.01.01). When playing tracks, the displayed artwork is taken from the track's ID3 tag. One irritation is that the track information is displayed in white text, so if the artwork is light to white then you can't read half the text as it is overlaid on the artwork - a simple change to give the text an outline or a shadow would fix this (are you listening Creative?)
The video and photo quality is good, although not stellar. If I didn't know the screen was only 18 bit I would not have guessed from looking at pictures. Playing video through the AV output is adequate.
The SD card does not integrate with the main library, but it does create its own library. Unfortunately you have to do this every time you access the SD card after the power has been cycled, although this doesn't actually take long (I emailed Creative suggesting that this is modified to be optional). I use the card to keep my audiobooks separate from my music library - it is worth noting that the X-Fi2 will quite happily play Audible files from the memory card provided that the player has been authorised. (Of course it would be nice for Audible audiobooks not to be DRMed at all, buts that's an argument for a different place).
The lack of a volume control separate to the touchscreen is mildly irritating - previously with my old Zen if I wanted to change volume I could stick my hand in my pocket and feel around (stop sniggering at the back) for the volume control and adjust it without having to look at the player, whereas now it has to come right out of the pocket to where I can see it, although I am starting to get the hang of adjusting the volume one-handed (I said stop sniggering!)
The RSS and Calendar functions I don't use at the moment (and probably won't) so I can't comment on them.
116 of 118 people found the following review helpful
I love the new Zen X-Fi2, it's what the X-Fi should have been if Creative were not behind the game.
Having read the reviews, I wondered about some of the negative aspects as well as the many positive ones - but I took the plunge.
The lack of bundled software did mystify me, however. Whilst you inevitably need a computer to use the machine perhaps not everyone has internet access or the opporutnity to perhaps use the internet when they wish. Mostly, this is an issue with the manual. It did not take me too long to find my way around the machine bu thtere is no substitute for a manual - even if you only refer to it occassionally for a particular issue - or more pertinently- the technical specs of the allowed codecs and format.
Reviewers have complained about the difficulty of the volume control.... it is not publicised (no manual!) but holding down the home button will bring up the volume bar at any time.
I also like to be able to change play mode effortlessly- and was pleased to find this accessible during playback- rather than settings- once you get used to the standard icon Creative use for menu.
People are inevitably comparing this to the ITouch. Yes, the Itouch screen is a bit smoother- a capacitive screen rather than a resistive one- but I found the X-Fi perfectly easy to use. It requires a more positive touch- but just a matter of getting used to. In fact maybe beneficial in some cases to avoid unwanted touches and means less need to lock the screen.
Going back to the software... does anyone like the Creative Centrale software. It is awful. I have met no-one with a good word to say about it's accessibility and functionality. One of the beauties of the X-Fi2 is that it attaches itself to Windows as a MFT item (i.e. a big memory card/disk) and not a device. This makes drag and drop simplistic but hence also allows the use of the old MediaSource Organiser packed with the Vision M, VisionW and other Zen etc.
The first X-Fi would not communicate with this software but the X-Fi 2 will. However, the downside is that the video converter for the X-Fi will not recognise the presence of the X-Fi2 - as it is not a "device" a Windows 7 does not like the video converter. This stops it transferring directly- although I haven;t ruled out the role of Windows 7 in this.
Anyway - I have gladly reverted to Creative Media Source Organiser 5.25 and use the "Super(c)" video converter provided free by erightsoft to convert files.
It is a professional tool, but select avi, mp4 video codec, mp3 audio codec, direct show ticked and select birt rate and screen etc to suit. Tried and tested with a 1.2GB video file- works a treat.
However, the format in the X-Fi is pretty forgiving and offers more options than the iTouch- so if it's in avi or wmv try it first.
The only niggle with the design I have is that the on/off switch is too close to the edge of the machine and can get pressed when you grip it to extract it from its wallet. I haven't yet...
So, iTouch or X-Fi2?
Basically..... for an extra £30-£60, the iTouch is adding wi-fi and internet access and- admittedly- a large range of apps and games (at a cost). If you need this then great. Here in the UK, outside big city centres, I am rarely in range of Wi-Fi and have no need for a device which accesses wi-fi. I have a wireless network at home but why would I want to access the internet at home through an iTouch?
Therefore, if you want the Apple brand (and arrogance-although Creative's customer care is far from ideal) and have internet access out and about go for the iTouch- otherwise go for an X-Fi2- especially with the deal Amazon are offering.
Having read the reviews, I wondered about some of the negative aspects as well as the many positive ones - but I took the plunge.
The lack of bundled software did mystify me, however. Whilst you inevitably need a computer to use the machine perhaps not everyone has internet access or the opporutnity to perhaps use the internet when they wish. Mostly, this is an issue with the manual. It did not take me too long to find my way around the machine bu thtere is no substitute for a manual - even if you only refer to it occassionally for a particular issue - or more pertinently- the technical specs of the allowed codecs and format.
Reviewers have complained about the difficulty of the volume control.... it is not publicised (no manual!) but holding down the home button will bring up the volume bar at any time.
I also like to be able to change play mode effortlessly- and was pleased to find this accessible during playback- rather than settings- once you get used to the standard icon Creative use for menu.
People are inevitably comparing this to the ITouch. Yes, the Itouch screen is a bit smoother- a capacitive screen rather than a resistive one- but I found the X-Fi perfectly easy to use. It requires a more positive touch- but just a matter of getting used to. In fact maybe beneficial in some cases to avoid unwanted touches and means less need to lock the screen.
Going back to the software... does anyone like the Creative Centrale software. It is awful. I have met no-one with a good word to say about it's accessibility and functionality. One of the beauties of the X-Fi2 is that it attaches itself to Windows as a MFT item (i.e. a big memory card/disk) and not a device. This makes drag and drop simplistic but hence also allows the use of the old MediaSource Organiser packed with the Vision M, VisionW and other Zen etc.
The first X-Fi would not communicate with this software but the X-Fi 2 will. However, the downside is that the video converter for the X-Fi will not recognise the presence of the X-Fi2 - as it is not a "device" a Windows 7 does not like the video converter. This stops it transferring directly- although I haven;t ruled out the role of Windows 7 in this.
Anyway - I have gladly reverted to Creative Media Source Organiser 5.25 and use the "Super(c)" video converter provided free by erightsoft to convert files.
It is a professional tool, but select avi, mp4 video codec, mp3 audio codec, direct show ticked and select birt rate and screen etc to suit. Tried and tested with a 1.2GB video file- works a treat.
However, the format in the X-Fi is pretty forgiving and offers more options than the iTouch- so if it's in avi or wmv try it first.
The only niggle with the design I have is that the on/off switch is too close to the edge of the machine and can get pressed when you grip it to extract it from its wallet. I haven't yet...
So, iTouch or X-Fi2?
Basically..... for an extra £30-£60, the iTouch is adding wi-fi and internet access and- admittedly- a large range of apps and games (at a cost). If you need this then great. Here in the UK, outside big city centres, I am rarely in range of Wi-Fi and have no need for a device which accesses wi-fi. I have a wireless network at home but why would I want to access the internet at home through an iTouch?
Therefore, if you want the Apple brand (and arrogance-although Creative's customer care is far from ideal) and have internet access out and about go for the iTouch- otherwise go for an X-Fi2- especially with the deal Amazon are offering.
296 of 306 people found the following review helpful
When I saw this announced by Creative I had a sudden attack of fanboy. I'm not convinced it was a worthwhile purchase.
Changes from X-Fi 1:
It is even lighter, is thinner, but is a bit longer. Out go the useless wi-fi features (even when they worked the battery wasn't up to it) and the unusual buttons, and in come AV-out (a feature on previous players like the Vision:M which outputs video to a TV), better SD card integration and a touch screen.
Here's what I think about the player generally:
Positives:
It weighs only 75g (for the 32GB version) which is light compared to other players. Compare this to:
Sony X Series: 98g
iPod Touch: 115g
Samsung P3: not sure but it weighs a ton
The size and weight make a difference. I can hardly tell I'm carrying it and it packs a lot in those 75g. It feels about half as light again as the X-Fi 1 which is probably a big achievement. Any lighter and it'll be about as light as a credit card. This must be an area where Creative is trying to differentiate the X-Fi 2 from other products, and only the Cowon S9 is a similar weight.
I love the sound quality of Creative players; this player is no different and improves upon the X-Fi features of its predecessor by having a sliding scale for both "Crystallizer" (fills in mp3 loss) and "Expand" (gives music a live feel). Some won't want to use these and it sounds good even without them. There are also the usual EQ settings and equaliser. Creative players can really only be beaten on sound by more expensive audiophile products like the Cowon S9. That's how good this sounds. It makes iPods sound total rubbish, an area in which Apple is starting to lag behind the competition. FLAC (Free Lossless Audio) is a welcome codec addition which does sound really good.
The touch screen works well and is for the most part an improvement on the little buttons on the X-Fi 1. For the techies out there, it's not a capacitive screen, so you have to apply a bit of pressure. But it works well and feels stylish, not gimmicky like the Braille on the X-Fi 1. Sometimes the screen registers a touch with flashes and sound but the player does not respond, which is a little annoying. Hopefully this can be solved with a firmware update. The GUI looks nice and is customisable, but sometimes not very responsive. Album art is displayed where available so this will please a lot of people, though I wish there was a way of turning it off, as my library looks messy with only about 50% art.
The earbuds are quite good and deserve a mention, but I prefer Creative's other EP830 that shipped with the X-Fi 1. They have a clearer sound but less bass. They sell separately for next to nothing, but don't be fooled by the cheap prices; these earbuds are really good. It'll be a matter of personal preference as to which are best for you.
The micro SD card doesn't exactly integrate with the library, but files imported from the card are integrated, which is a step in the right direction. With the X-Fi 1 files were stored in a separate area which was a bit inconvenient. But this does mean that to integrate, for example, a 2GB card, you need to have 2GB of spare memory on the player. This small niggle doesn't really bother me as I don't use SD cards that much, but note that the card reader is for MICRO SD cards, not the "normal" size. I don't know anyone who owns a micro SD card yet, so Creative might be taking a bit of a gamble on these becoming common (but they probably will). It means that like me, if your camera uses the standard size SD for example, you won't be able to use it with this player to transfer pictures. I've just bought a Canon G10 which uses standard size SD cards, not micro. But then again the camera has a far better screen.
Negatives:
There are no dedicated volume buttons. This is unforgivable and soon becomes really annoying. There is loads of space on the right hand side for volume buttons, so why didn't Creative include some? Even the fiddly buttons on the X-Fi 1 were better for adjusting the volume. The X-Fi 2 has only one button on the front, which returns to the main menu, and a small on/off/lock button on the top. Two more buttons for volume would have been most welcome as I don't want to fiddle around with a touch screen when adjusting the volume. I want to be able to adjust the volume without having to look at the player. Don't underestimate this negative feature if such things bother you.
The firmware doesn't seem to be finished yet. My player rebuilds the library every time I switch it on. And like some other posters to the Creative forums, I've loaded files to it which don't appear in the player's menu. Some video files that ought to play don't. I just get the general feeling that the player isn't working properly and I hope things like this will soon be sorted.
Once again this player has very little native video support. The formats it claims to support are through conversion software (in this case the ghastly Centrale) which seems to take even longer to convert video than does the Creative Video Converter that shipped with the X-Fi 1 (Centrale took about 2 hours to convert a 30 minute video and my PC isn't slow). Apparently there are better alternatives available which I will eventually try out. Also I've not been able to play BBC iPlayer content on the X-Fi 2. The X-Fi 1 has no problems with iPlayer. Maybe it's a firmware thing, or maybe like the Zen MX it no longer has native wmv support. I'm not sure which at the moment, but be warned if you like the iPlayer as it might not be supported.
The screen itself is larger than the X-Fi 1 and is a widescreen. The resolution is slightly higher, but one noticeable downgrade is the number of colours. Only 262K compared to a whopping 16.7M. It doesn't look as vibrant as the X-Fi 1 screen but does look higher resolution. A matter of personal preference again but surprisingly for me I prefer the vibrant colours on the original X-Fi. The touch screen also dulls the image slightly, so coupled with the bad video support I don't recommend the X-Fi 2 for those who like to watch videos. I still use my Zen Vision for this, a product several years old which apart from the dodgy viewing angle is really good and has not been bettered in this regard by Creative (apart from maybe the Vision W but this had a lower resolution). Overall I consider the screen to be nowhere near good enough for my needs so I've listed this as a negative.
Undecided:
I've not tried AV-out but I doubt that it's as good as the Zen Vision:M due to the file resolution limitations. RSS feeds don't interest me either, or synchronising calendars. I don't use the microphone much but this one works well, and the player has a good speaker. The X-Fi 2 doesn't have as many bonus superfluous features as the X-Fi 1. Battery life seems average by today's standards and is probably traded for weight, but then the Cowon S9 is a similar weight and has way more battery life (55 hour audio versus 25 hour) but note the S9 is more expensive.
Overall I don't think this is a better package than the X-Fi 1 for my needs, it's just different. I'd highly recommend it if your priorities are sound quality, portability and a stylish user interface. If your priorities are video, ease of use and ergonomics I would advise you to look elsewhere.
Lastly I should add that my player has a small fault that might mean it goes back to Creative. I won't say what it is yet as it's likely to be particular to my player, but I'm about to find out how good Creative's customer service is. Perhaps more on this later.
Changes from X-Fi 1:
It is even lighter, is thinner, but is a bit longer. Out go the useless wi-fi features (even when they worked the battery wasn't up to it) and the unusual buttons, and in come AV-out (a feature on previous players like the Vision:M which outputs video to a TV), better SD card integration and a touch screen.
Here's what I think about the player generally:
Positives:
It weighs only 75g (for the 32GB version) which is light compared to other players. Compare this to:
Sony X Series: 98g
iPod Touch: 115g
Samsung P3: not sure but it weighs a ton
The size and weight make a difference. I can hardly tell I'm carrying it and it packs a lot in those 75g. It feels about half as light again as the X-Fi 1 which is probably a big achievement. Any lighter and it'll be about as light as a credit card. This must be an area where Creative is trying to differentiate the X-Fi 2 from other products, and only the Cowon S9 is a similar weight.
I love the sound quality of Creative players; this player is no different and improves upon the X-Fi features of its predecessor by having a sliding scale for both "Crystallizer" (fills in mp3 loss) and "Expand" (gives music a live feel). Some won't want to use these and it sounds good even without them. There are also the usual EQ settings and equaliser. Creative players can really only be beaten on sound by more expensive audiophile products like the Cowon S9. That's how good this sounds. It makes iPods sound total rubbish, an area in which Apple is starting to lag behind the competition. FLAC (Free Lossless Audio) is a welcome codec addition which does sound really good.
The touch screen works well and is for the most part an improvement on the little buttons on the X-Fi 1. For the techies out there, it's not a capacitive screen, so you have to apply a bit of pressure. But it works well and feels stylish, not gimmicky like the Braille on the X-Fi 1. Sometimes the screen registers a touch with flashes and sound but the player does not respond, which is a little annoying. Hopefully this can be solved with a firmware update. The GUI looks nice and is customisable, but sometimes not very responsive. Album art is displayed where available so this will please a lot of people, though I wish there was a way of turning it off, as my library looks messy with only about 50% art.
The earbuds are quite good and deserve a mention, but I prefer Creative's other EP830 that shipped with the X-Fi 1. They have a clearer sound but less bass. They sell separately for next to nothing, but don't be fooled by the cheap prices; these earbuds are really good. It'll be a matter of personal preference as to which are best for you.
The micro SD card doesn't exactly integrate with the library, but files imported from the card are integrated, which is a step in the right direction. With the X-Fi 1 files were stored in a separate area which was a bit inconvenient. But this does mean that to integrate, for example, a 2GB card, you need to have 2GB of spare memory on the player. This small niggle doesn't really bother me as I don't use SD cards that much, but note that the card reader is for MICRO SD cards, not the "normal" size. I don't know anyone who owns a micro SD card yet, so Creative might be taking a bit of a gamble on these becoming common (but they probably will). It means that like me, if your camera uses the standard size SD for example, you won't be able to use it with this player to transfer pictures. I've just bought a Canon G10 which uses standard size SD cards, not micro. But then again the camera has a far better screen.
Negatives:
There are no dedicated volume buttons. This is unforgivable and soon becomes really annoying. There is loads of space on the right hand side for volume buttons, so why didn't Creative include some? Even the fiddly buttons on the X-Fi 1 were better for adjusting the volume. The X-Fi 2 has only one button on the front, which returns to the main menu, and a small on/off/lock button on the top. Two more buttons for volume would have been most welcome as I don't want to fiddle around with a touch screen when adjusting the volume. I want to be able to adjust the volume without having to look at the player. Don't underestimate this negative feature if such things bother you.
The firmware doesn't seem to be finished yet. My player rebuilds the library every time I switch it on. And like some other posters to the Creative forums, I've loaded files to it which don't appear in the player's menu. Some video files that ought to play don't. I just get the general feeling that the player isn't working properly and I hope things like this will soon be sorted.
Once again this player has very little native video support. The formats it claims to support are through conversion software (in this case the ghastly Centrale) which seems to take even longer to convert video than does the Creative Video Converter that shipped with the X-Fi 1 (Centrale took about 2 hours to convert a 30 minute video and my PC isn't slow). Apparently there are better alternatives available which I will eventually try out. Also I've not been able to play BBC iPlayer content on the X-Fi 2. The X-Fi 1 has no problems with iPlayer. Maybe it's a firmware thing, or maybe like the Zen MX it no longer has native wmv support. I'm not sure which at the moment, but be warned if you like the iPlayer as it might not be supported.
The screen itself is larger than the X-Fi 1 and is a widescreen. The resolution is slightly higher, but one noticeable downgrade is the number of colours. Only 262K compared to a whopping 16.7M. It doesn't look as vibrant as the X-Fi 1 screen but does look higher resolution. A matter of personal preference again but surprisingly for me I prefer the vibrant colours on the original X-Fi. The touch screen also dulls the image slightly, so coupled with the bad video support I don't recommend the X-Fi 2 for those who like to watch videos. I still use my Zen Vision for this, a product several years old which apart from the dodgy viewing angle is really good and has not been bettered in this regard by Creative (apart from maybe the Vision W but this had a lower resolution). Overall I consider the screen to be nowhere near good enough for my needs so I've listed this as a negative.
Undecided:
I've not tried AV-out but I doubt that it's as good as the Zen Vision:M due to the file resolution limitations. RSS feeds don't interest me either, or synchronising calendars. I don't use the microphone much but this one works well, and the player has a good speaker. The X-Fi 2 doesn't have as many bonus superfluous features as the X-Fi 1. Battery life seems average by today's standards and is probably traded for weight, but then the Cowon S9 is a similar weight and has way more battery life (55 hour audio versus 25 hour) but note the S9 is more expensive.
Overall I don't think this is a better package than the X-Fi 1 for my needs, it's just different. I'd highly recommend it if your priorities are sound quality, portability and a stylish user interface. If your priorities are video, ease of use and ergonomics I would advise you to look elsewhere.
Lastly I should add that my player has a small fault that might mean it goes back to Creative. I won't say what it is yet as it's likely to be particular to my player, but I'm about to find out how good Creative's customer service is. Perhaps more on this later.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Never again
I purchased a X-Fi2 32GB in the summer of 2010 wanting an alternative to an I-Pod. I do not intend to dwell upon the device's pros and cons which are well covered in other reviews... Read more
Published 6 months ago by PhilE
Avoid!
Avoid this player at all costs; it's totally unfit for purpose.
As a former fan and owner of the 'Zen Vision M' I was so disappointed with this inferior "upgrade". Read more
As a former fan and owner of the 'Zen Vision M' I was so disappointed with this inferior "upgrade". Read more
Published 11 months ago by Mr. A. J. Thompson
Creative X-fi2
I recently brought the 64gb, previously owned the 30gb Zen Vision M.
The Zen Vision M was fantastic, the X-fi2 is not. Read more
The Zen Vision M was fantastic, the X-fi2 is not. Read more
Published 12 months ago by shroshirenige
With Apologies to Creative, don't buy this player
I bought this player when my excellent 6 year old Creative Zen Touch eventually died after its 1000th drop and I have to admit to being thoroughly disappointed. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Paul Davidson
"End of the road for life-long Creative customer"
I can live with the terrible interface (ill conceived and simply unresponsive) - it's the music that counts, right? Read more
Published 17 months ago by Stevo
Zen MP3
I suggest you use the creative Centrale software to load this Mp3 other wise you will run into problems with the Mp3 cataloguing everything individually under some kind of internal... Read more
Published 17 months ago by L. Cartwright
Best Yet for Hard of Hearing
This is the best sounding player I have ever heard. I suffer from deafness to high sounds and use a pair of behind the ear aids for tv, music and conversation. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Aitionn
minor problems but great sound
OK so this player has some issues with the touch screen but this is a minor irritation once you listen to the sound quality. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mr. K. Mellor
Very Poor
Spend alot of money every year buying different types of music players. This is a very poor player, ive had it about 3 months. its very poor for selecting playlists. Read more
Published 19 months ago by M. Crabb
More an opinion about Creative
I do not own this product, but I have had a Creative Zen M for 3 years now, without too much problems - I think I've been lucky. Read more
Published 19 months ago by E. Crozat
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