About to purchase Zen Micro; Last minute questions need answers!

[Mr.Pants]

alright, i JUST got back from CompUSA, and playing with the Zen Micro. this thing is small! i'm about ready to place my order with Amazon, but i have some questions:

1. does the ZM get as loud as the iPod (mini)? I played with it, but forgot to bring along headphones

2. problems: what are some common problems with the ZM that i should be wary of?

3. what is Amazon's return policy? how long will they take it back for, and what is Creative's warranty on the ZM?

i think that's it for now, if i think of anything, i'll add it! thanks guys, i'm so pumped!

 

[LoveablePuppy]

1. i cant answer that question, i dont own a mini. but the micro gets pretty loud. the max volume goes to 25, i only use 15, and at 18, its way too loud for me.

2. the major problems:
headphone jack problem. this is the most common, where the headphone jack gets broken according to the micro owner, the sound gets cut off, static, goes to one side of the ear. this problem is a major issue.
freezing- expect freezing for your micro. it occured once per week for me, but its no so bad.
battery life- the battery life drains faster if you keep using the touchpad when browsing through menu's or albums etc.

3. i ordered mine from amazon.com. i returned it because i read too many problems with the headphone jack, i decided to return it after 2 weeks before the problem occured to me. i wanted to get my money back. i sent my return last week, they are still processing it, which takes 7-14 days. once they process it, they will let you know by email. i am still waiting for that email.

creative warranty, they will fix the micro or replace for a new or refurbished one for free for the first 3 months if the problem is through no fault of your own. the next 9 months, they will fix your micro with a charge fee.

 

[Cyclone]

1. the mini gets a bit louder but both get loud so it doesnt matter.

2. the headphone jack problem i guess. i never heard of it till a couple of days ago so i dont know how widespead it is. we dont really know if the translucent face plate is a problem or not but it wont effect anything like the headphone jack will. the freezing stops once you get all your drivers installed and firmware upgraded. mine hasnt frozen since i updated my firmware. as for battery it isnt a problem really, it just takes a few cycles to get worn in and working optimally.

3. i dont know about amazon's or creative's return policy so i cant help you there. the warranty is for a year thats all i know about that.

 

[rlswim]

I've only had mine a week, so there I don't have much of a track record to go on, as far as reliability goes. I enjoy the Micro. The sound quality is fine, and plenty loud. The first thing I did with it was to flash the latest firmware 2.10.05 so I could take advantage of Napster To Go, which has been great so far.

 

[Mr.Pants]

cool, thanks for the info guys. just ordered. hey cyclone, will you be getting another Zen Micro, or going elsewhere for your needs?

 

[PLCorndog]

I have had my micro since December 4. It gets much louder than my friends mini, using stock buds. I havent had problems with the headphone jack at all. Im pretty sure it happens because of the straight plug on the headphones, and if you really crank on it, it breaks free from some solder points.

 

[crazychimp132]

I have a Micro, it is fine. It is sufficiently loud, although the Mini is louder. Also, I suggest the Micro since it is fun to build cases for it using altoids tins. Also, yes, there is a group of people at the Nomadness forum who complain that it has a flimsy headphone jack. I however, have not had that problem. My one problem was that when I first got one, the clicker didn't work. The replacement has worked fine for 2 months now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PLCorndog I have had my micro since December 4. It gets much louder than my friends mini, using stock buds. I havent had problems with the headphone jack at all. Im pretty sure it happens because of the straight plug on the headphones, and if you really crank on it, it breaks free from some solder points.

I find that hard to believe since the Micro has an output of 5-7 mw while the mini has 30 mw. Unless the mini your friend has is the european version or something.

 

[PLCorndog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazychimp132 I find that hard to believe since the Micro has an output of 5-7 mw while the mini has 30 mw. Unless the mini your friend has is the european version or something.

Please dont call me a liar, i know what i heard. Playing the same song, my micro got louder, using each players stock buds.

 

[Mr.Pants]

hey, i got another question for you guys: how well does the ZM drive the KSC-75 headphones??

 

[Penten]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PLCorndog Please dont call me a liar, i know what i heard. Playing the same song, my micro got louder, using each players stock buds.

Are you sure the stock buds aren't what's changing the volume?

 

[Jmmmmm]

i think that if youre really turning the volume that loud, you need to get some new headphones or check your ears. either you have trouble hearing, or you will soon (after you damage your eardrums)

the micro gets plenty loud. i remember the mini being a little louder, but volume was never an issue.

(note: that sounded meaner than i meant it; just saying you'll be fine, don't worry)

 

[Cyclone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Pants cool, thanks for the info guys. just ordered. hey cyclone, will you be getting another Zen Micro, or going elsewhere for your needs?

do you mean a replacement micro? mines doing fine unless you mean an in-addition-to micro in which case i still dont need one yet

.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Pants hey, i got another question for you guys: how well does the ZM drive the KSC-75 headphones??

i dont know but i would suspect that it doesnt do to well, seeing that those are 60 ohm cans i think that any microHD player would have trouble working with those. and im pretty sure that the mini doesnt have 30mw. thats the 4g ipod that has that. im not sure how man mw the mini has but i would estimate it to be in the 12mw range.