Creative Zen Nano Plus (1GB) review

Given the recent launch of Apple's iPod nano, the Creative Zen Nano Plus -- which came out first -- has been pushed into the shadows. This is unfair, because they're aimed at different markets: the Zen Nano Plus is half the price, has only 1GB of memory and a small black-and-white screen. While the iPod nano is the more glamorous of the two, the Zen Nano Plus is usable, compact, relatively functional and good value for money. Though Creative doesn't come close to matching the interface offered by Apple, the Zen Nano Plus does have one unique advantage: it can record through a tiny internal microphone. For this reason it will particularly appeal to journalists or other professionals who use voice recorders.

We're hesitant to recommend the Zen Nano Plus to audiophiles, though -- the output stage falls short of what we've heard from some other players. Nirvana's Drain You lost a perceptible degree of clout -- the high end felt slightly cramped and the bass sloppy. But these are very picky criticisms and casual listeners will find the Zen produces a pretty fair sound for listening during a commute or jog.

Design
The Nano is small, not much bigger than a cigarette lighter (34 by 66 by 13mm and just 22g). Our review model came in a relaxing shade of aquamarine (ten colours are available). The LCD on this player, while extremely small, isn't difficult to read and is covered by a very sturdy layer of protective plastic -- it should be safe from keys when carried loose in your pocket. The front panel only has one control: a play/pause button. All the other navigation controls are located on the side of the player. These include a simple two-button volume control and a rocker wheel that lets you scroll through menus and, by pressing it, select an option.

The Zen Nano Plus is tiny and weighs just 22g

The Nano has a slightly cheap feel to it, not exactly like it fell out of a Christmas cracker, but not a million miles away. Our initial impression was confirmed when the battery cover snapped off, never to return. This cover is held in place by a small plastic tag that's liable to break off the very first time you drop the player. For the rest of the player's life you will have to either do without the cover and leave the battery exposed (our choice) or use a small piece of Sellotape to hold the battery cover on. It's astounding, given the millions of television remote controls with battery covers held on with Sellotape, that manufacturers haven't grasped this very basic concept: don't use little slivers of plastic to attach big panels.

A single AAA alkaline battery powers the Nano and is easily replaced (especially after the battery cover has snapped off). Headphones insert into the top of the player and a line-out and USB port are located at the opposite end.

Features
Available in 512MB or 1GB versions, the Nano will accommodate enough songs for a few days' worth of commuting. Although recording through the built-in microphone is restricted to 32Kbps WAVs, the line-in port will record a source at 96 to 160Kbps. None of these bit rates are much of a joy to listen to, but for voice recordings they're more than sufficient -- certainly better than most tape-based voice recorders are capable of. In addition to playing MP3s, the Nano has a built-in FM radio that uses the headphone cable as an aerial. Reception on this is understandably erratic at times, but for the most part you'll get decent reception.