creative zen style & zen xfi style

Not until they make a true successor to the ZV:M

Not until the SQ can come decently close to the Z:VM. Creative is DOA,...........so lets all move on.

I've been using a ZV:M for nearly four years. does it have a popular SQ, or did creative somehow really drop the ball afterwards?

They dropped the ball,....the SQ has become flat and lifeless - w/no volume.

I never had the ZVM but when I chose my Zen it was after reading a lot of reviews that the sound quality was good and my first 4 gig player was a great value. I have a 32 gig now because my 4 gig ran out of room. I checked reviews from all over the net and there are a bunch on youtube as well. I like the sound of the Zen, I think I might get a Xfi style this winter, don't know as I'm pretty happy with what I have.
Nytwytboy68 is going to flame me as he always does when I mention how I like my Zen. I'll add the first year Zens were junk, but Creative got them right and both of mine have worked flawlessly. The Xfi style is a tactile version of the Xfi2 as I understand. I've read a lot of posts praising the Xfi2's sound but problems w/it's navigation.

Hmmm... To me it would sound like the Head-fi audiophile's dream. Often I read the ideal SQ described as something similar. EQ on flat which makes the music neutral, i.e. lifeless...

Jokes aside, my first Creative player was a Nomad Jukebox 3. I gave it to my sister and brother-in-law and they still use it as a portable stereo when they go on vacation. The IR remote is quite handy.
After I gave away the Jukebox 3, I got a Zen Touch and I still use it. The HDD died, but I have replaced it with a CF card. I have found a cheap HDD so I will probably go back to a HDD, but then I need a new battery.

I also have a ZVM which I bough with a broken HDD off Ebay and modded with a CF card.

My wife has a Zen 8GB, and while I do not really remember the SQ of the Jukebox 3, I can compare the Zen Touch, ZVM and the Zen. Overall I think the Zen Touch is a step above the ZVM and the Zen with a very clear SQ. The ZVM and the Zen sounds pretty much the same. None of us use headphones that are difficult to drive, so we have not experienced any problems with volume.

I have not heard newer Creative players than the Zen, but I would say that in regards to SQ they have become worse, or at least going from great to good or okay.

That's about the fifth direct comparison of the ZVM and Zen and same result. They sound the same. I did come across a review of the Zen 32 on youtube and the guy mentioned that with the release of the 32 Creative corrected the low volume problems on previous Zens. I'll take your word on the Touch.
I've read a lot of posts of the Xfi 2's sound quality and they all say it's great, but the touchscreen is buggy. I think the Style version is going to be great as it's tactile. I'm hoping a 64 gig version comes out. One nice thing about Creative is they offer a lot of features and don't cost a lot.

Creative's name is a bit ironic considering that they haven't been creative lately. They have been releasing the same player (in which they throw in a gimmick or two) and call it a new player. Instead of releasing rehashes of the same players every year, they should release the Zii in other form factors.

Are you telling me the ZVM had a better SQ than that of the X-Fi and X-Fi II ?

A bit out of topic here, but what was your view on the SQ of the Creative Zen Nomad Jukebox ?

Referring to one of these:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41KTKWNZNDL.jpg

I think it's the right time for Creative to launch hard drive mp3 players with better sound quality than Vision:M and 3.5mm line-out but they are not interested in making hard drive mp3 players.

or maybe a line-out DAP