ZenWav
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Creative's Zen Wav gets reviewed
Although hearing this thing on video is probably the only review you need, where's the harm in taking a more in-depth look at the rest of the Zen Wav? Apparently sharing our sentiments, the folks over at AnythingButiPod were able to snag a unit to test, and while it did point out that there's really nothing outstanding here beyond the integrated speakers and MSC support, we're sure there's a niche who'd find that enough to warrant a purchase. As you'd probably expect, design and construction were ho hum, controls were basic and lacking a dedicated volume button(s), the FM tuner was deemed "solid," and the rest of the amenities (photo viewing, sound quality, video playback, etc.) seemed satisfactory enough. Overall, Creative's Zen Wav looks alright if you're particularly interested in the unique features it offers, but if you're not mesmerized by built-in drivers or the MSC connection, you'll likely be served better by something else.
Zen Wav washes up on US shores
We don't know how many of you were patiently waiting for the Zen Wav to hit our fair shores, but it looks like the tiny black DAP has finally made it out of Asia. Other than the tinny built-in speakers, there's not a lot you haven't seen from Creative before: 4GB of flash, 1.5-inch screen, line-in, smug sense of non-conformity, and an FM tuner. All yours at Wal-Mart for $99. [Via EpiZENter]
Creative's Zen Wav caught on video
We know, no one was expecting the minuscule integrated speakers within Creative's Zen Wav to be anything more than a mild joke, but just in case you wanted to hear this thing with your own two ears before plunking down the cash to pick one up (or point and laugh), TechEBlog's got you covered. In this brief hands-on look, Creative's Zen Wav is videotaped in a cradle pumping out a sample jam that admittedly highlights treble, but at least it's at least somewhat listenable. Of course, judging the audio quality based on a handheld camcorder is a far cry from scientific evaluation, but click on through anyway for a quick listen and look at the Wav in action.
Creative's Zen Wav tossed onto the DAP pile
If DAP choice is your thing then Creative's certainly got the bases covered. Now you can officially add the Zen Wav to the Zen Stone, Vision W, Vision, Vision:M, Neeon 2, Neeon, V Plus, V, MicroPhoto, Nano Plus, and Touch to the list of Creative Zen devices. Oh, and we haven't even mentioned the 6 other MuVo DAPs from their portable audio/video portfolio -- that's 19 now, in case you're counting. The all aluminum, all the time Zen Wav features a 1.5-inch, 65k color TFT LCD, mic with line-in dubbing, FM tuner, and a pair of itty bitty speakers which should support the built-in alarm clock well enough. Otherwise, they'll likely prove them selves to be just loud enough to annoy. And despite the name, it plays back MP3, WMA, and transcoded AVI in addition to WAV files. While the WAV does appear on the Creative Singapore website, it was launched without a press release and just that janky pic you see to the right. We'll take that as a measure of its potential to dominate the MP3 player market. 2GB of flash will cost you about $121 in Singapore-only for now. [Via GererationMP3]
