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m:robe 100 vs Zen Micro, which one to take ???

Feb 25, 2005 at 11:08 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 27
Gonzothegreat

Gonzothegreat

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Hi,

I've finally decided to get an mp3 player
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I have a difficult choice between the m:robe 100 and the Zen Micro.

They seem to be pretty similar, but which one is best?
no I-pod, I believe they are uggly...

Thanks for your time
Stephane
 
Feb 25, 2005 at 11:18 PM Post #3 of 27
the m:robe is one sexy player but i just doesnt compare feature wise to the micro. also the screen is impossible to read unless you turn on the back light, so if you have it on hold you have to unhold and turn the backlight on just to see what song is playing. might be a big deal for you or it might not but i know i dont like it. i read a review of the m:robe 100 a few weeks back and they said that the SQ was good but wasnt great, the micro has gotten nothing but fantastic reviews on SQ. but again you should see if you can audition them both at like a compusa to see if you can even tell a difference.
EDIT: I could NEVER live with a player that didnt have on-the-fly playlisting. once you go on-the-fly you'll never go back
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here's a good review from DAPreview http://www.dapreview.net/content.php?review.149
 
Feb 26, 2005 at 4:56 AM Post #5 of 27
Micro, as stated over and over on these forums, is a really great player. The m:robe, in my opinion, looks like crap, but I haven't heard it so I can't say if its good or bad. I have a micro and know it sounds good. On the m:robe, the entire front is all reflective which is annoying in my opinion and it looks like some high-tech 80's gadget. Lame.
 
Mar 31, 2005 at 3:27 AM Post #6 of 27
sorry guys for resurrecting a really dead thread... but i would also like some insight...

i was almost pretty set on the m:robe, i didnt think the little minor sound issues / software useability (or the lack thereof) would bother me.

i think the touch screen feature is pretty cool, but i dont know how long / durable it would be.

today i stumbled across the zen, and although it looks kinda diff, and has buttons, i am starting to like it because it comes with 2 batteries.

i am still torn between these two players!

someone SAVE MEEEEEE!!
 
Mar 31, 2005 at 3:35 AM Post #7 of 27
Hard for me to compare, but I do own a Zen Micro and am 100% satisfied.

My son has a 20gb 4th gen iPod. In comparison, the Zen sounds better (with or without the 5-band equaliztion in use), the removable battery is a plus, and I like the looks and feel of the Zen Micro.
 
Mar 31, 2005 at 3:50 AM Post #8 of 27
You should get this!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...onics&n=507846

It's super tiny, has 1GB of flash memory and runs for 40+ hours on a single AA. No interface software required, so you can use it for regular file transfer too. No DRM crap. Of course, if you wait a month or so, you can get the one that's even smaller that runs on a single AAA. It's also 1GB. Of course, battery life is a paltry 20 hours. They're both USB 2.0, so transfer rates are fast enough that having to swap music files around isn't a big deal, unless you really want all your songs with you, all the time. I think the only drawback might be that it doesn't support any lossless codecs. Needless to say, I will be buying one soon.

But if you're definitely going either Zen or m:robe, I say go for the Zen. Creative has a lot more experience with DAPs, and it shows. Sure the Olympus looks really cool, and initially I really wanted one too, but the price and the performance both lose by a significant margin to the Creative player. Looks alone can't justify that sort of compromise.
 
Mar 31, 2005 at 5:12 AM Post #10 of 27
Quote:

Originally Posted by mrobenoob
alrighty... thanks for the quick input guys!

looks like the zen it is!

JWFokker - thanks for the suggestion, but i need something more than 1 gig


Just note, unless creative has restarted their 2 battery special, your micro will probably only come with one. It was a special deal that the first 35,000 micros came with an extra battery. It's possible that some stores might have some limited editions left, but I would make sure with them first. Of course, you can always buy a second battery, but it will be $40

However, I highly recommend the micro. It's a great little (and I mean Little) player. As I remember, the mrobe did not get very good reviews.
 
Mar 31, 2005 at 5:22 AM Post #11 of 27
Luckily the extra battery is something that most people never use unless going on trips.... and when the power goes out
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Its a nice bonus but if i only got one im pretty sure i would be fine with just one battery.
 
Mar 31, 2005 at 7:03 AM Post #12 of 27
I tried them both and kept the m:robe, m:robe the good - good SQ (compared to HD1,H320,Micro, carbon and H10 - better than all except the Irivers), great software (but you have to use it) synced correctly first time, contrary to dapreviews review you can select any tunes you like to sync.
Looks stunning, also very easy to use, it has top 20 , favourites , unplayed lists. Nice Package contents , case , dock etc all included.
Cons - Isnt the loudest player but i manage on 80% volume on most songs. No on the fly playlisting.

The Micro is a great player but i hated the look of the thing , its like Barbies mp3 player and it feels and looks cheap in my opinion. Radio is a plus and drag and drop through windows is always welcome.
If you dont care about build get the micro.
 
Mar 31, 2005 at 9:09 PM Post #13 of 27
aww man... lol

still torn.

i do agree that the ZM does look kinda funny, but it seems like they have better support for their products. afterall if you wanted a firmware update for the m:robe, you have to go to their japanese website to just find it.

doomlordis, did you update the firmware yet? any issues?

somebody convince me :P i cant make my decision, and i hate that
 
Mar 31, 2005 at 10:07 PM Post #14 of 27
Quote:

Originally Posted by mrobenoob
aww man... lol

still torn.

i do agree that the ZM does look kinda funny, but it seems like they have better support for their products. afterall if you wanted a firmware update for the m:robe, you have to go to their japanese website to just find it.

doomlordis, did you update the firmware yet? any issues?

somebody convince me :P i cant make my decision, and i hate that



3 firmware upgrades already, all available on UK or US olympus site. I have had no issues with mine at all, the 2.13 firmware is solid as a rock and actiually gives you MORE capacity by making the system file smaller - useful!
 
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