Creative Zen Sleek Review
The Zen Sleek is newest line of Creative’s 1.8” hard drive based players succeeding the Zen Touch. Currently it comes with a 20GBs of storage in a sleek aluminum outer shell with a touch pad and tactile buttons on the front. The Zen Sleek is smaller in height and width but is about a millimeter thicker than the 20GB iPod. Some of the standard features of the Zen Sleek include FM / FM recording, voice recording, PlayForSure subscription support, Outlook syncing, and universal mass storage drive partitioning.
Read on for an in-depth review.
Accessories
Included in the box is: USB cable, AC Adapter, Pouch, Software CD, and Earphones. Additionally you can purchase a wired remote and docking station for $20 and $40 respectively.
Software & Transferring Music
There are three different methods to transfer music to the Sleek. Mostly each method is simple, however I would have like to see simple universal mass storage drag and drop support which would make it compatible with any operating system.
Windows Media Player 10: The Zen Sleek transfers music via MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) which is a Microsoft designed protocol. This means anyone without Windows XP is out of luck. To transfer music you don’t need to install any additional software, it can be handled by Windows Media Player 10 and its sync feature. I found this to be the best method to get music onto the Zen Sleek.
Zen Sleek Media Explorer: You can also transfer your tracks with the Zen Sleek Media Explorer which is additional installable software that comes packaged with the player. It is a simple Windows Explorer type interface which allows you to transfer music on and off, rip CDs directly to the player, synchronize Outlook, edit playlists and transfer non-music files.
While you have the Media Explorer open you can drag and drop music to the player as if it was another drive but it will not always work. Some music files don’t properly transfer, they show up as blank files. I don’t know if this is a bug in the software or you are not supposed to transfer in this manner. When I first loaded the player I took 20GB of music and dropped it to the player by this method. When I went to use the player only about 10% of the music showed up on the player. If you use Zen Sleek Media Explorer you need to transfer music with the import media button on the main media page. If you do this it transfers without a problem.
Creative Media Source: This is also additional software that comes packaged with the player. It is just like any other media player suite out there that allows you to play music, burn CDs, rip CDs, organize, etcetera… etcetera… It is just like Windows Media Player, Winamp or any of the other media suites out there. Don’t bother installing it. Use Windows Media Player or the Zen Media Explorer.
Build Quality
The Zen Sleek feels good in your hand. The build feels solid and the aluminum bushed finish feels soft. The extruded metal casing was a good choice for this player. It does not show fingerprints or scratches. The buttons are well placed and easy to reach even for smaller hands.
User Interface
The user inter face is intuitive, simple and easy to use. If you have used a Zen Micro you have use the Zen Sleek, they are nearly identical. The difference which I think is an improvement is that the menu, pause/play, and track selection buttons were replaced with tactile buttons in place of the touch sensitive buttons. Early versions of the Zen Micro’s touch pads had some problems. The touch buttons were too sensitive even with the sensitivity set on the lowest option. The problem has since been fixed in the Zen Sleek, you will get what you select as far as sensitivity in the option menu.
One issue I had with the user interface it is a bit sluggish at times and the start up is slow. I did however see a slight improvement when upgrading to the latest firmware.
Features
Removable Disk: The Zen Sleek allows you to partition a section of the 20GB drive in order to use it for universal mass storage, which is great for carrying around your documents and other files. The player can be partitions from 512MB to 16GB. Keep in mind that you cannot play music from this partition; it is not recognized by the player itself. Sure this is a nice feature, but if they would have made the player a universal mass storage device to begin with, there would be no need for this feature.
Voice Recording: The player will allow you to record with a microphone built into the top. Microphone sensitivity can be set to different environments for say a softer sound setting like a classroom lecture. The recordings can be played back or downloaded from the device in WAV format. The recordings I tested were clear and as good as any dedicated mid-grade voice recorder. The only complaint I have with this is that it is a little bit slow to load and save the recordings.
FM/FM Recording: The FM radio works just as any FM radio would work, and the reception is good. You are able to program in 32 presets to the players memory. I really like the auto scan feature that will automatically load up those 32 presets with pretty much every radio station that comes in clean. You can then hit the forward and back buttons to jump through them like TV. This is also great when you are traveling and you don’t know the local radio stations.
The FM recording worked flawlessly. The playback of the recorded MP3 files sound exactly like what you recorded.
EQ & Sound Enhancement: The Sleek is not loaded with extraneous sound enhancements like WOW SRS or any of those other simulated environments. They sound terrible and they pollute the user interface with stuff you don’t need. The Zen Sleek performs the basics without a glitch or any distortion: Preset/Custom EQ, Bass Boost, and Smart Volume. Smart Volume normalizes all of your music so that one song is not louder than the other.
Outlook Calendar & Contacts: You can use Zen Sleek Media Explorer to sync your contacts and calendar to your player to allow you to view on the go. The downside is that the player will not allow you to add or edit any of the information. The usefulness of this feature would be up to the user. For me this feature is useless due to the fact that if I have my digital audio player I almost one hundred percent of the time have my mobile phone with me which has everything I need. For this feature I say, “…to each his own.”
Battery
I did not do a controlled battery test, but by an estimation I would say it is around 10 to 12 hours. It is more than enough to cover a couple days of moderate use. The battery drained faster when the EQ, Base Boost, and Smart Volume is used which is a shame because these features work well and are very useful.
Sound Quality
The sound quality of the Zen Sleek is very good. I tested it head to head with the Sony NW-HD5. The Sony had a clarity edge over the Sleek especially at lower listening volumes. The Sleek will beat nearly all flash based players and will beat most hard drive based players in a listening test. It may not be audiophile quality but definitely gets high marks.
Conclusion
The Zen Sleek is a good solid digital audio player with its smooth design, user friendly operating system, nice big screen, and great sound. If you need a decent amount of space without the extra frills of photo viewing at a good price you will be happy with the Sleek.
Music is easy to load, but it could be easier by making the device loadable by UMS. Other downsides to the Sleek are its proprietary USB transfer cable, non-removable battery, sometimes slow OS, and support for Windows XP only.
Purchasing
You can pick up the Zen Sleek for a good price at Amazon.If you are in the UK, Europe & the rest of the world, you can pick it up at Advance MP3 Players.
Pros
Simple user interface
Very good sound quality
Large screen
*USB Mass Storage
Cons
Non-removable battery
Proprietary USB cable
Slow Startup
Windows XP only
*USB Mass Storage cannot be used to transfer music.
Comments
Clare on October 14, 2005 7:09 AM
According to Creative, the player needs Windows 98 or newer. It is the PlayForSure support that only works on XP
Mike D. on October 16, 2005 6:02 PM
Hey, first of all thanks for making this website. I just purchased a Zen Sleek on October 14th. I was determined not to buy an Ipod, I like this mp3 player a lot... and having 20GB of space is very cool. I put Volume 3 of Aqua Teen Hunger Force on it. ;)
Heroin on October 21, 2005 7:07 PM
Man that looks ugly. What a cheap-looking bunch of accessories it comes with. Enjoy your crappy cheap products, losers!
John Davies on October 29, 2005 8:26 AM
Getting this player soon. Really looking forward to getting it.
jekkisa on November 1, 2005 12:49 PM
Got it afew days ago. Think it's great, it can hold twice as much songs as the ipod with the same amount of memory(ie 20gb holds 10,000 instead of 5,000) but i cannot find decent accesories for the thing! just want a cover maybe a belt clip is that too much to ask?? any ideas guys lemme know
James on November 5, 2005 10:54 AM
I am getting the Zen Sleek in a few weeks. I went to best buy to check it out, I'll admit, the OS's startup was a little slow, but it was no real inconvenience. i found the sound quality to be very superior to almost any othe mp3 player ive ever used. It's 20 gig HD wil suit my music library just fine, along with being able to carry along some important files. I give it 9 of these line thingys out of ten |||||||||
cari on November 6, 2005 12:24 PM
I've had my Zen Sleek for a few weeks, its great. Just 1 thing i havent dun which is use the Zen Sleek Eplorer because i can't.I have Windows 98se and every time i click on the icon it doesn't do anything.Yes i've loaded everything i'm supposed to, so i dont have a clue whats going on.
PLEASE HELP
if u have any info.
Thanx
yomiji on November 20, 2005 4:23 AM
Hi. Great site! I'm an anti-iPod person as well, and I was wondering if I should get Zen sleek, since my Zen micro broke...Sleek looks deffinately attractive however, I was wondering if I can charge the batteries in 100V since I live in Japan.
btw, the person who wants a case for this, check out ebay. search "Zen Sleek silicone case" and it will pot out. Not sure with the belt though.
EnzoTen on November 20, 2005 8:18 AM
This player is almost identical to the micro. It just has a different form factor.
Yeah it will do 100v because we are 100-120 here in the US.
vince on November 27, 2005 8:33 PM
Can anyone tell me the difference between the Creative Zen Touch and the Creative Zen Sleek? Both are available as 20 GB models. Would you recommend one over the other?
Slackor on December 1, 2005 2:31 AM
id go with the sleek have had both, sleek is just easier to carry around, but you can get up to 60 gigs with the touch, which i kinda wanted, but it ya do grab a cheap flash player. cant jog with either, that sux, what am i sayin im not gonna jog lol. but any how sleek is workin out good for me WMP10 sux though.
steve on December 2, 2005 4:48 PM
Sleek vs Touch ---Sleek has the FM Tuner and recording and is thinner. Sleek is 5.5 oz and(4 x 2.7 x .7 in.) Touch is 7oz (4.12 x 2.7 x .86)Touch has upto 24 hr battery life vs upto 16 hr for Sleek. You can buy a wired remote for Touch that has FM tuner
I can't decide on a name on December 4, 2005 1:36 PM
I am thinking of getting a zen sleek.Does anyone have one with a battery that is so worn out that it can't be used for any length of time?Also, does anyone know how fast a CD can be transferred with USB 1.1 compared to USB 2.0?
Chelsea on December 5, 2005 6:13 PM
why can't you run with the sleek?
Nick on December 6, 2005 2:45 PM
i would imagine since it is an HD based player, yeah? moving parts and all that.
Dan on December 7, 2005 11:24 PM
I bought a Sleek a week ago, but I have Windows 98. NOT Windows 98 SE. I figured that it would probably work, or at least let me install the drivers or whatever, most things that say they need higher than 98 let me use 98 anyway. But it doesn't. The disc on startup says something along the lines of "The operating system in use is not supported by this product." Is there any way to get around that?
Bsha on December 9, 2005 3:54 PM
After hours spent wrestling with the latest bug for my ipod, I'm seriously considering getting the Zen Sleek. It looks way easier, faster and better than the ipod. Merry Christmas, Apple!
Rosie on December 25, 2005 9:13 AM
I got a Creative Zen Sleek this morning for Christmas but the stupid thing won't turn on! I've been charging it for about 3 hours and the little battery symbol up top keeps showing empty, and the blue light around the on/off button keeps flashing. Othere than that there's no sign that the thing is working! Anyone know what I can do??
tony on December 25, 2005 9:24 PM
I got one today for christmas. I'm using Win 98SE, and it won't let me install. It says it's compatible, but I get the "The operating system in use is not supported by this product" message. Any way I can fix this???
Anon on December 27, 2005 1:07 AM
Not so sure about the Sleek, got one for Christmas yesterday, imported only 2500 songs and it says i only have 6gb left (i guess # of songs IS negligible due to the size of sound files, but I didn't think by that much...) also, after only a DAY of usage and putting those files on, it will not let me to import any more music due to having an error message. Thought this was software related, but is universal to all computers. One day of use is simply a joke, I'm returning this and hoping for an iPod.
Adrian on December 27, 2005 3:52 PM
Have had my Zen Sleek for almost a month now. Has performed flawlessly. Easy to use, easy to sync, easy to carry. The proprietary connector is a bit of a pain for charging while in the car, but otherwise, I have no complaints and only happy experiences to report. Some reviews have noted less than optimal audio, but I'm an experienced audiophile with lots of classical music, and with a good pair of earphones, I find the frequency response quite good, especially on the low end. A good solid player all around. I'm about to check out the new Flexiskin cases from Boxwave for the Sleek.
Mika Norén on December 28, 2005 6:49 PM
This MP3 player is performing flawlessly.
But wait a second! "Cons" says: Windows XP only.
And thats not true!
Im a Linux user as well as Windows 2000 Pro.
It works in both envinroments very well.
You might need to download some separate software for this to work, but it's free.
Look at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Zen
for more information
MJK on December 30, 2005 12:08 AM
Got the Sleek for my daughter for Christmas, and like a few others here, was blindsided by the inability to install the software from the CD due to the "incompatible OS" message. I'm on Win98 SE, which Creative's website (if not the packaging) says supports the product.
I've been waiting days for an e-mail response from Creative's customer service on this. Any help from readers here would be greatly appreciated.
brian on January 18, 2006 5:16 PM
i got the zen sleek to work on my windows ME, you need the 'easy start CD'. (you can call and order it from creative if it was not in the package, make sure they send the 'easy start cd' and not a replacement installation cd) anyhow put the cd in and under control panel go to system. click the device manager tab then plug in your sleek. it should pop up but if it doesent then just look for it on the menu (mine was under advanced config, PCI bus, universal host and then usb root) then click on it and click the driver tab and then click update driver and then have it look automatically or look under the cd drive and it should install the drivers you need and then you can transfer music via windows media player. this took me since christmas to figure this out, so i just wanted to tell you guys with windows 98 how i did it, that is unless you already took it back. after creative telling me it was nothing more than an expensive paper weight to me (because i have ME) i figured this out by myself, good luck.
Anjori on February 8, 2006 5:36 PM
Does anyone know if there is any other case/belt clip for the Sleek except for the Flexiskin cases from Boxwave?
Mark on February 10, 2006 1:05 PM
I have found that my zen sleek has frozen up for some reason
I've had it for 6 weeks, and it still plays off the Creative Mediasource PLayer, but it won't work otherwise
EnzoTen on February 10, 2006 2:38 PM
Mark: Same thing happened to mine, just reset it in service mode and do a disk clean up.
Let me choose on February 16, 2006 5:18 PM
Let's talk about choices. I choose to buy the Creative Zen Sleek, but when it comes to accessories, I have no choices. Hmmm... I think I will choose to buy an ipod instead. Heck, even the discontinued Mini and 4th gen. has more accessories than all of the crappy MP3 players here combined! Hey Anjori, you need a belt clip? Try using a bungie cord wrapped around your waist!
Marge on March 7, 2006 12:52 AM
You young hooligans should just use a walkman. In my day, we didn't even have tape recorders or record players. We had to play the spoons for entertainment
Chris on March 7, 2006 2:56 AM
I've had a creative zen sleek photo for about 4 weeks and almost every other day it just won't turn on. It gets as far as saying Zen Sleek Photo on the screen and then it just freezes. I charged it during the night before last and then yesterday I listened to it for no longer than an 1 hour & half. This morning it's frozen again. And there's nothing I can do because the battery is fixed within the player, so it's not as if I can take it out and then restart...No I have to simply leave it to expire and then charge it again, tonight. Is this normal? Am I stupid? Or should I take it back as faulty and ask for a replacement. There is nothing on earth as irritating as this...
Mark on March 17, 2006 10:02 AM
Sleek Photo is great. And I didn't have to install any crappy software - just works with Media Player. Ignore bit in manual saying you have to install the Creative software before connecting. Was a bit annoyed by this as it is simply not true. Now all we need is more capacity and we have the best mp3 player around.
Sukhpal Singh on March 21, 2006 8:49 PM
I want to know please how u put video song on it or send me the software i have to download i will appreciate it very much pleze.
Dave on March 22, 2006 5:40 PM
Chris,
My Zen Sleek is doing the same thing!! Freezes up...let the battery run down, then it's fine. I bought the darn thing right before I moved to South America!!! Can't take it back...what did you end up doing?
EnzoTen on March 22, 2006 6:59 PM
Chris,
When the sleek freezes, send the sleek into operating mode by hitting reset and holding down play at the same time. The select "clean up" and after it is done select "reboot"
Richie on March 28, 2006 11:15 AM
well, i bought a Zen sleek after christmas, and dont get me wrong its a good player but does have its faults, firstly mine also freezes, not good, happened 3 times, just wait till battery runss down, but the most annoying thing is the amount of dust inside the screen, once its there, theres no shifting it, anyone else got this
andy on March 30, 2006 10:24 AM
does anyone know how to take one apart? I smashed the screen on mine and was thinking of salvaging the screen of one with a broken HD.
any help would be appreciated.
Andy
Bethany Kaiser on April 1, 2006 7:50 AM
The screen on my Zen Sleek no longer dislays script. It simply lights up blue. How frustrating! Any advise?
Nathan on April 19, 2006 10:16 PM
Same thing with mine bethany! I dropped it from my hands directly on the ground last night and then the screen only displayed in the bottom right corner. Then today I pressed a little bit on the outercover and now the whole thing only shows blue and no text. Please help! I can't afford a new one so does ANYBODY know how to take one apart or what to do to get the text back or is it permanently broken?
Mike on April 28, 2006 10:42 AM
Anyone know why the sleek photo is cheaper than the standard sleek on some sites, surely it should be th eother way round?
AJ on April 28, 2006 2:12 PM
The Sleek is a pain to take apart! They use Alot of glue. You need to remove the top plastic where the head phone jack and power switch are.. then remove the 2 screws that hold a thin plate on. Remove the key pad and you should be able to slide the inards out as one package. I removed the botom as well because I didn't know how it all came apart. I ended up breaking the small tabs that hold the keypad on, so be very careful, but I don't see how you'd get it apart without breaking with all the glue they used to assemble it.
Devonric on May 21, 2006 2:45 AM
I don't know if I should get this anymore. I saw it on creatives web site and fell in love w/ it instantley. I saw all the cool features and was sold. But now that I've been reading reviews I'm confused. Half of you say that this thing freezes or only has a blue screen, etc. The other half say its one of the greatest mp3 players. Are half of you just unlucky and got a malfunctioning mp3 or is there a big flaw that is common. Somebody just tell me whether to buy this thing or not!
SarahThr on May 21, 2006 2:57 AM
no, your not SUPPOSED to run with this player...but I run with it everyday for at least an hour in track...the ONLY problem is those stupid earbuds this thing comes with...they don't stay in your ears...
SarahThr on May 21, 2006 3:04 AM
I've also dropped mine REALLY hard on a concrete floor and all that happened was that it got scratched...this is a VERY good mp3 player!
Crazy Canuck 187_69 on May 23, 2006 2:25 AM
i am trying to put songs and video files onto my zen player but it keeps giving me an error message after it tries to trandsfer. i am running windows xp and just had a new hardrive installed and all the new software installed so it should be working but everything i try gives me a error message. any ideas???
Raoul Sanchez on May 24, 2006 10:12 AM
I've had only one problem with my zen sleek and that is the fact that after a while i got dust under my screen anyone know how to get it out?
April on May 25, 2006 11:14 AM
hi i got creative zen and it was working a few min ago and now it wont turn on and i dont know whats wrong with it. can someone please help!!!!!
April
crunch on May 26, 2006 8:43 AM
ok firstly this is a great player (sleek photo) they made some hardware and firmware fixes over the sleek.. for those of you with the sleek.. there is a firmware update at the creative web site...
(1) the probelm some of you have with not booting or botting very slowly after it sets long enough to go out of stand by mode.....fix.. this player like most all other hard drive players is tag based.... NOT file based... you can look up the tech diff elsewhere if interested... FIX.... If you have bunches of music before you turn off pause the playing track... then hit the forward or back button but do NOT have it play that track... this shuts down play mode(now playing)... when you trun the player back on it will boot faster then go to the last track you had... this has something to do with a bug in tag based scripting it can slow or freeze if tryinh to boot asnd institute a play at the same time......
(2) ALL hard drivew players that use this code will need a reboot every now and then... just insert a non-sharp pin or paperclip into the small reset hole at the bottom if it freezes......
(3) never fully load the drive..... keep at leat 5 megs open space for file swapping.....
(4)64 bit WMA is SAME quality sound wise as 128 MP3.... hmmmmm.. convert all songs to 64bit WMA and you get 2 tiumes the somgs for drive size>>>(TAKE THAT APPLE)... lol..... btw I'm a musician and believe me 99.99% of the folks ears out there will not hear a differemce between a CD and WMA at 64 bit..
(5)(tons of accessories) do a google search..... "zen sleek accessories"....
(6) The dreaded dust under the screen!!!!! get a case!!!! or keep it out of dusty environs...... to clear dust dissasemble as stated above us air to blow out.. re-assemble... now on mine I went to the local hobbie store and purchased a tube of very light silicone seal that had a very small tip... pin sized... I carefully siliconed around the seal joints on the screen and no more dust entry..... i tested it by the throw dirt at the player test... lol... anyway if i would have gotten a cover sooner i would not of had the trouble...my fault.. now it looks new and you cannot see the silicone in the seam at all..
Great site guys and great forum... mabe as they have changed the sleek photo enough and it replaced the sleek you could do a new review???
hi and by all
Crunch
Joseph on May 26, 2006 11:44 AM
ok i dropped my zen today and the friggin scroll pad only goes up even when i scroll down it still goes up but if i barely touch the bottom it goes down if you know how to fix this please let me know...........
Joseph on May 26, 2006 11:44 AM
ok i dropped my zen sleek photo today and the friggin scroll pad only goes up even when i scroll down it still goes up but if i barely touch the bottom it goes down if you know how to fix this please let me know...........
crunch on May 27, 2006 9:16 AM
Joseph
I'm not sure but I think you munched it in hardware... go to the forum at this site and ask there... as there are many well versed pep's here... you might have to send it in for repair as all the players not just the creatives do not like being dropped..
crunch on May 27, 2006 9:19 AM
you may also get help at the creative forum if not here but I would try here first , the us link is http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs?region=CLI
Cochise on May 29, 2006 12:11 PM
I have heard many bad things said about the zen sleek in this tread, but from my experience, this is the best iPod substitute out there. I just finished taking apart my player using the guidlines above, and I have some advice: when taking off the touchpad, make sure you get all the way down to the metallic, black layer. This layer supports the entire pad area and this is what is connected to the player.
The white cover will need to be removed on: the left and right sides (which are the easiest to dislodge) and the top side closest to the screen (caution should be used when taking this side of the white plastic off, as stated above this tab in particular is very easy to break.) Note that the bottom side of the white covering will not need to be taken off, in fact, it can't be taken off as it is connected to the touch pad. Do not pull on the white plastic on the bottom side.
Once the white covering is off on the three sides, you can start prying off the touchpad cicuit. Remember, the key is to get down to the black layer and use it for leverage. The layer effectively covers the circuitry so don't worry about scarring up the board with your screw driver. I would start on the bottom side and pry upwards, being very slow and careful. Once the back is pried up, it will slide out the back if you pull it. The thing with electronics is to move very slowly and don't rush things. Give yourself a good bit of time (2-3hrs) and just sit down with the player. Don't rush it. Hope this helps.
Grateful to Enzo on May 30, 2006 1:56 AM
EnzoTen,
Thanks so much for the assistance. My Zen was frozen on "Docked" but I hit the reset button and it restarted. It happened so quickly I wasn't able to go through all the steps you gave, but hitting reset did the job, anyway. Thanks :)
Edward on June 4, 2006 7:14 PM
I just got this Zen Sleek Photo for a very good price at just $160. I think that this is a very good price for this player. Compared to my iPOD video, this mp3 player may seem a little crappy because of its features and accessories. However, for less than $200 this is a great player. It does have a slow start-up time, but you can get used to it. Another bad thing is that you need to carry 2 cords to charge this player, and the screen is kind of hard to see outdoors. The touch-pad is also hard to use because it is too sensitive, even if you change the settings. Overall, the Zen Sleek is a great player and is very recommended.
Edward* on June 4, 2006 8:12 PM
Here is the link to get the Zen Sleek for a great price.
http://shop1.outpost.com/product/4748609?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
Suzanne on June 5, 2006 4:48 PM
bethany or nathan.......did your screen ever fix> i have the same problem.
EnzoTen on June 5, 2006 9:45 PM
Check out the Zen Sleek / Zen Sleek Photo Forum for discussion and information
Aaron on June 6, 2006 9:24 PM
I have a freezing problem, on mine it just says "Stan (ft. Dido), The Marshall Mathers LP, Eminem, and it's frozen, I can't do anything, any help is wanted, BTW, where is the reset button?
ACB on June 7, 2006 8:02 AM
aaron- read the posts above
Aaron on June 7, 2006 5:53 PM
I have, but I still didn't know what to do. But I just let the battery drain, then it was good again.
Todd on June 11, 2006 2:47 PM
OK, I am getting a Zen Sleek Photo. However, I can't find a decent case with a belt clip. This thing looks like it's relatively the size of an iPod. Does anyone know if it is and if some of the cases for the iPod (like the ones with clear plastic on them) will work for the Zen?
Thanks
shoo on June 12, 2006 9:39 PM
do any of you guys know how to do a hard reset on this player, i know that the micro you held the power and reset button at the same time and it gave you a troubleshooting menu per-say....any advise would be apreciated
thanks
shoo on June 13, 2006 7:45 PM
todd,
i have a zen sleek and i am using an ipod 4th generation case
hope this helps
shoo
Jane on June 14, 2006 1:30 PM
I think that having so much troubleshooting advice on what (as far as I can see) is a review for the Sleek is giving the false impression that for every one of these players that works, another is similarly faulty. I doubt this is the case, but just to even out the tally a little more, I've had a Zen Sleek Photo since February, and it's absolutely perfect; no problems whatsoever, great audio quality, easy to use, etc etc. Don't see the point in having pictures on it to be fair, but I suppose it's all about keeping up with the competition, and it does make for a pretty screen so who cares?!
As for dust under the screen, I've found that one of those pressurized air spray cans (i.e. what you can use to get the crud out of computer keyboards etc) works wonders, and I didn't need to take anything apart.
But who would've thought that dropping a HD-based mp3 player would damage it in some way? I wonder how many PCs work after being dropped from the same relative distance? Sounds like fun... :-)
Bailey on June 15, 2006 1:00 PM
I just recently got a Creative Zen Sleek Photo and I am having LOADS of problems with it. I have Windows XP and I have downloaded the software but when I plug it in to the USB it doesn't read it. I am currently trying it on my mom's computer (both of our computers are eMachines) and it will read it but I put 1,000+ songs on it and the player itself says that there isn't anything on it. I need some serious help. Nobody I know can fix this!
Bailey on June 15, 2006 1:01 PM
I just recently got a Creative Zen Sleek Photo and I am having LOADS of problems with it. I have Windows XP and I have downloaded the software but when I plug it in to the USB it doesn't read it. I am currently trying it on my mom's computer (both of our computers are eMachines) and it will read it but I put 1,000+ songs on it and the player itself says that there isn't anything on it. I need some serious help. Nobody I know can fix this!
Todd on June 15, 2006 10:54 PM
1. Uninstall all the Creative crap (no offense to anyone who uses it but I think the included software kinda sucks).
2. Make sure you have WMP10 (or WMP11) installed on your computer.
3. Go to Windows Update and install ALL the latest updates.
4. Put all your music into the WMP library.
5. Leave WMP open and plug in your Zen.
It should recognize it now and then when you get WMP to recognize the player, set up a sync relationship w/ the player or just drag your music to it.
Josh on June 16, 2006 3:09 AM
So exactly what is the difference between the Zen Sleek and Sleek Photo? And which one is better, and has least problems?
Josh on June 16, 2006 8:19 PM
Also is there anything that one has that the other does not, other than photo capability. Do both last as long, play as good, etc. Im looking to buy one and would really like to know which is the better player. Help would be very appreciated. Thanks
Ian Griffiths on June 17, 2006 7:55 AM
This looks a lot better than using Creative rubbish software OR WMP:
http://www.redchairsoftware.com/notmad/index.php
zen on June 17, 2006 9:14 PM
i am getting this thing in a few days.(its actually now at my local fedex facility but hasnt been delivered yet).
i ve done a lot of research on various non-Ipod mp3s and found this one the best i can get from this price range: 150-200.
hopefully when i receive this thing i will be satisfied...
Todd on June 19, 2006 11:59 AM
shoo, can you please comment back and let me know which case you are using? like what brand or where you got it?
thanks
Tim on June 20, 2006 11:35 AM
Help! My Sleek Photo has major problems. When connected to the pc the player says it is docked however the pc won't recognize it at all!!! I have tried everything from removing software and reloading, using a different usb port etc. No luck! Also about 800 songs are missing from the sleeks library and no longer does the song that is playing appear during playback. Also all the photos that were on the machine are gone as well. Is there anyway to format it without attaching it to a pc? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. As it stand now I can't add, delete or anything....Please help if you can. This is my wifes' and I since I was the last one using it I am to blame, help out please!
Thanks in advance,
Tim
GS on June 22, 2006 7:47 AM
£109.99. Argos.co.uk. (UK only) Now. While stocks last :)
lisa on June 26, 2006 2:43 PM
Hi
I really want to buy a sleek photo mp3. I'm so confused about what Windows package I should have. I have a windows 2000 service pack 4. Do I have to use PlayforSure software to loads tracks on?
Can anyone help?
GRB on July 2, 2006 1:30 PM
Although I've had it for two weeks, there were no problems with my Sleek Photo. When I read some of the posts above, I keep thinking that some of posters are just dumb computer-wise and that's where all the problems come from.
mike on July 6, 2006 8:13 PM
a few questions...
-does the sleek photo play video, cuz i saw one site that said it did but none of the others do?
-has everyone gotten dust under the screen or is that just one person?
spizzle on July 9, 2006 5:40 PM
wait mike d. how did u get video on it i dont think mine has video
Todd on July 12, 2006 11:50 AM
to lisa:
i'm almost 100% positive you need xp.
to mike:
no it doesn't do video. if it did they would call it the zen sleek video :-P
Kevin on July 13, 2006 4:39 PM
What's the best/least cluttered way to hook up the sleek or sleek photo to your car? Is there like a 3-in-1 charger/holder/transmitter for this player (like the Dell player has)? Does anyone know?
Rad McKenzie on July 15, 2006 1:17 AM
The Zen Vision:M plays video and has a thirty gig hard drive but costs $300, for those wondering about video. But I havea a few questions also:
(these pertain to any of the zen models)
-Is the customer support good? (this is one of the main reasons that I refuse to buy an iPod)
-Can you load music into WMP and then transfer it to the Zen Sleek and delete it from the computer or do you need to keep all your music in a library on pc like iPod/iTunes? Also with this question, could I take it to my friends house and take some music from their PC without messing anything up?
Answers are greatly appreciated. Thanks.
mike on July 16, 2006 9:45 PM
thanks i couldve sworn a site said it did video and i got confused.
max on July 23, 2006 5:31 AM
i tried to fast forward a song to get to the guitar solo and it froze. What should i do ?
blah on July 24, 2006 5:24 AM
^ wow, same here
Arun on July 25, 2006 2:27 AM
Hi Chris/Aaron
If your Creative Zen Sleek Photo freezes are hangs up, dont wait for the battery to expire, just press the resset button at the bottom, there's a very small hole at the bottom.
Arun on July 25, 2006 2:34 AM
Hi Max/blah
If your Creative Zen Sleek Photo freezes are hangs up, dont wait for the battery to expire, just press the resset button at the bottom, there's a very small hole at the bottom
steve on July 28, 2006 7:23 PM
i have a creative zen sleek which i got in october 05. its a really good mp3 player however, i find that it lies about its battery life sometimes and when it gets low it freezes which is annoying. i press the little reset button when it freezes but it takes ages to 'rebuild library'. brilliant mp3 but some flaws should have been sorted before it was released. has annoying charger attached to usb cable.
steve
johanie on July 29, 2006 5:08 AM
Why is it my creative micro cannot play. and everytime turn on, it says that erasing firmware and it shuts down..How can I fix the firmware or How can I turn it on again and back to normal.Please help.
Sean on July 29, 2006 11:23 PM
I have dust under my screen- will be trying the fixes above, pressurized air and silicone, tomorrow, will let you know what happens.
Mavrick on July 30, 2006 2:07 PM
What's the best/least cluttered way to hook up the sleek or sleek photo to your car? Is there like a 3-in-1 charger/holder/transmitter for this player (like the Dell player has)? Does anyone know?
-----------------------------------
Truckstops have a 100watt inverter that also has a usb plug on it (made for ipods) that you can plug the zen into and it will charge it for you. Then you run the headphone into a cassette adapter.
You could probably get the same inverter on the internet a bit cheaper.
Bill on July 31, 2006 4:57 PM
I've only had mine (Sleek Photo) for a couple of weeks so the jury is still out on durability but just from the feel of it I think it will last. I generally take good care of my stuff.
The sound quality is great even with the cheap earbuds it comes with.
The interface is decent and easy to figure out even for a child. It only took me about a minute. Music loads amazingly fast. Pics not so fast but even resized they look good. You can even zoom and make any pic your wallpaper.
My only real beefs are the 2 cord charging(WUWT), the shedding velvet bag and the ultracheap earbuds. It should be able to be accessed as a drive any time it's connected not just if you set it to removable drive first. Check out notmad software to get around this. The scroll is very sensitive but it is actually very controllable once you figure it out.
I can't make any comparisons to the iPod since I won't even entertain the notion of ever getting anything apple for fear of copping an iTude like the third poster here. (cough iTroll cough) Damn I'm copping one now just talking about them.
Bill on July 31, 2006 5:03 PM
By the way, cool site. Helped me decide what to get to meet my needs on my budget and this one was a perfect fit.
At the very least it doesn't look like a make-up compact or a big chicklet.
kevin on July 31, 2006 10:19 PM
Can someone please tell me where to get an FM modulator for the Zen Sleek photo? Great player so far and only complaint is the scroll pad is too sensitive even at the low setting.
Brandon Hoffman on August 1, 2006 2:45 AM
I know this is probably not right, but here it goes. I seen someone put Aqua Teen Hunger Force onto the Creative Zen Sleek Photo, and was just wondering is it possible to add video to it?
darkwing on August 1, 2006 2:52 PM
yo, I have the zen sleek photo, very nice player, more than enough space for all my music(and future music i'll get), don't really find the photo part of it that useful except to make the player have a cool background image
never had problems with it, i have actually ran with it a few times(just short sprints), don't tell creative, or they will come after me >.>
i do have dust under the screen though, gonna try to clean it out someday...
jim on August 3, 2006 1:05 PM
If anyone ever has Tim's problem, you will want to stick a pin in the reset button while holding play. When the recovery screen comes up select clean up then select reboot and it should rebuild your library
Samantha on August 3, 2006 2:56 PM
ive had my player for about a month and a half..i loved it! until a few days ago..i use mine for the car.i have a casseste connector and its always worked ..one day it just wouldnt go on.the blue light on the top is on and ive tried to reset and hold play and it jsut wont show anything.it was at night so it wasnt even hot in my car.anyone have any ideas on what happened??
Neuronite on August 5, 2006 1:43 PM
I think it would be possible to hack the player to play video. After all, look what they did with the PSP... It already has the color screen and everything.. does anyone know how loading the Zen Vision firmware onto the Sleek Photo would work out? I'm not ready to shell out another $70 for the vision.
Wendy on August 5, 2006 5:59 PM
I bought my sister the Sleek Photo back in July for her birthday. Sure, the player has frozen on her, but it's her fault. Mp3 players don't like to be dropped, disconnected before the files have been completely transferred OR when liquid is spilled on them. I'm sure that if something is happening to your player is because you're not taking very good care of it. Sometimes all electronic devices need to be restarted/rebooted. It's just part of life. I love this mp3 player and sometimes I want to steal it away from my sister....lol.
Morgan on August 6, 2006 9:58 AM
ya'll think dust is bad...this morning..i found a little dead bug!!(a no-see-um)...in the screen!!!!
UGHH..ive gotta try some pressurized air or something.
The only other problem ive had with it is when the battery gets low..(3 bars, when it gets to 1)....it freezes and you have to restart (dont worry,it doesnt clear your memory).
lawlor on August 8, 2006 5:46 PM
any1 no where to get the easy start cd?
stefanie on August 9, 2006 3:01 PM
Hi, my mp3 is frozen and it won't turn off. You press the shut down button and the shut down screen just stays there. The backlight won't even turn off. I've already pressed the reset button like 5x and I'll have the same problem. Can someone please help me!!!!????
bill on August 10, 2006 2:36 PM
I have hear that the Sleek has been discontinued - does anyone know why? I have an old-school Zen (yes, it's like a brick...but it was bullet-proof for 4 years!) which has just recently bought the farm (I think...when I hit the Reload OS button it says harddrive problem...). Was thinking of buying a Sleek to replace it as Creative has been good to me (Original Jukebox, then the Jukebox Zen), but I am afraid it may be discontinued for a reason. Anyone know the details?
Thanks!
bill on August 10, 2006 3:04 PM
The zen sleek photo is a very good mp3 player and a good bargain now that it's being discontinued. I have only one majow gripe and that is that it's software doesn't convert audible books format to mp3. the onlt way around this is to burn audible to disc and rip from the disc to mp3. Is there another way.
If you haven't already tried audio books on your mp3 player go to www.audible.co.uk and start to download (yes you can pay in dollars) you will never read another book :-)
If you have a mp3 book and wish to swap then please contact me.
faeriecrack on August 13, 2006 9:42 PM
Stefanie,
on the bottom of the Zen Sleek Photo, right next to the plug, there is a tiny little hole. If your player freezes and you can't shut it down or get it to turn on, grab a paper clip and stick it in the hole. This is a little hard boot button (Macs have the same little hole for when they freeze up, and some older cd ROM's as well). This should get you back on track.
I need help! on August 23, 2006 12:37 PM
My Zen Sleek Photo just froze, so I left it on charge for like four days, and the power button at the top is blue, but the screen is blank. I plugged it in to the pc to see if it worked, but the pc said the usb link i put in was malfunctioned. What do I do? I need it for tomorrow because I'm taking a long trip.
Blattz on August 30, 2006 12:44 AM
Thanks a million EnzoTen did what you suggested and my previously frozen on startup is now running fine :D
much praise
-Blattz-
Ruarc on August 31, 2006 10:55 AM
I'm sorry if someone asked this before, cos there's a LOT of comments to read through! Is my Sleek compatible with Mac OS Tiger? Any advice would be appreciated!
Joe on September 2, 2006 12:38 PM
how do I download songs back from My Zen Sleek and put them on a cd, I can already do this with recordings but cant seem to get it right with songs
Roberto on September 4, 2006 6:29 PM
Hey Crunch,
Great advice on rebooting the Zen Sleek Photo. I was almost crying of disappointment, when I found this forum, and your message save all my hopes.
THANK YOU!
take care,
Roberto (from Brazil_
adrian on September 5, 2006 3:15 AM
My sleek photo shows a frozen screen half way through a song. When I reset using the small hole on the base the screen shows "rebuilding database" then finally returns to the same old frozen screen. The PC does not recognise that any device is connected.
Can anybody help?
r b on September 6, 2006 7:03 PM
please can someone help me my daughter's Zen is completely dead there is no response when u plug it into the computer and no response when u press any of the buttons
peistah on September 7, 2006 4:57 PM
Enzo ten you are THE MAN, thanx, i had given my sleek as dead, and now its playing again, you rule!!!
Tal K on September 12, 2006 5:20 PM
Anybody knows what type of operating system the Zen is running (windows CE or other)? would it possible to run simple games on it at one point?
sam on September 15, 2006 5:22 PM
get an iPod you guys, it's a great peace of technology, way better than any other HD mp3player and has all the acc. and functions and software support one could ask. in almost 1.5Y of usage i had 2 problems. One crash whilest playing which was simply helped by a reboot and iPod cleanup (i still had my songs that belonged to my ipod on itunes, convenient eh?) and one time i dropped it the people of Apple were so kind to give me a new one...service and quality, what could one ask for a little bit of extra money?
MegaKitsune on September 21, 2006 2:50 PM
I bought a ZEN Sleek Photo 2 months ago and it is great, better than iPod IMO! ^_^
However, some minor gripes:
1. It doesn't directly play folders, you have to make a playlist for each folder. >_
brandon on September 23, 2006 9:13 AM
mine crashed, so i did the restart thing. but then i tried to play a song but it said "No license to play this track" please help!!
Envious on September 24, 2006 7:39 PM
I lost my instalation disc ani deleted the software of my computer by mistake, is there any way of downloading the disc?
Franky on October 1, 2006 11:43 AM
Hey there. Any way of fixing the actual buttons on the Sleek - the Play/Pause won't work - doesn't click when pressed either like the others. The bottom left one is starting to go too.
Oli on October 10, 2006 12:01 PM
I have a zen sleek and i want to know if i can play videos can i do this by upgraiding the fimware
anthony on October 10, 2006 3:33 PM
i dont know how to get out of recovery mode is there aney way you could help
raymond on October 13, 2006 12:00 AM
my zen sleek photo doesnt let me listen to the radio. i know my reception is good but it just wont work. anyone know how to fix this?
yumi on October 15, 2006 12:33 PM
i've had my sleek photo for about three months now and am loving it. i want to start using it in my car, but don't want the hassle of setting up the fm transmitter. does anyone know if there's a cassette adaptor that works for this model? thanks!
E.A.M. on October 17, 2006 8:30 PM
Hi i just currently bought a creative Zen sleek and i have had it for about 3 weeks now. I am having a problem and i hope some one in here can give me a clue as to what is happening. My visual for some strange reason is not coming up. The colors on the buttons display and i can actually play the music by guessing were my folders are but i cannot see were it is that i am looking for on the screen it self.
Thank You
bekkahnoel on October 20, 2006 6:34 PM
Anyone have any idea how to transfer playlists made on the computer (with WMP) to the Sleek??
Thanks!
Eduardo on October 21, 2006 7:29 PM
I have my zen sleek for nearly a year, it has fallen into swiming pools, directly to the floor, from stairways and it keeps on running well, the screen is perfect and HD has not any damage, i really recommend buying creative's.. try to drop your ipod to the floor and you'll say good by to him.. zens really rock..
Lisa Cassell on October 29, 2006 8:08 AM
Crutch,
Thank you so much for explaining precisely how to do a re-boot. Mine has been frozen for a couple of days and lots of advice about removing battery (duh, can't do it) press reset and play at the same time (where the hell is "reset"), but your directions were perfect and my Zen is recharging right now.
Thanks bunches!
Lisa
Richard Eagon on November 3, 2006 4:15 PM
Help
I purchased a Sleek Photo 20 gig. i loved it but now when i plug it in to the USB it says the device isnt plugged in. but when i put a memory stick in it reads it just fine. also when i play a song it says ( select music to play from music library) even when a song is playing. i hit the reset button on it and still no change. i dont know what else to do. can you help.
thanks Richard Eagon
Erin on November 8, 2006 5:54 PM
I'm haveing a problem too with my creative zen. At first the lights were all messing up and then i couldn't use my buttons. I don't know what has happened to it. It won't work. Does anyone know how to fix it? What should I do?
ERin
Jacob on November 10, 2006 6:14 PM
I have no idea what you guys are talking about. But i got one 2 days ago and it dosn't connect to my cmputer
help me,
Please,
Sinncerlly.
A man in the USA
Stefanie B on November 11, 2006 5:50 PM
Someone please, please help. Well, my mp3 has been frozen before but this time after i pushed the reset button, it started again but just stops at ZEN sleek. I don't think it freezes. I think I have accidently deleted all my songs. I tried to connect it into my computer to tranfer the music again but it say it's not connected to the computer. All I want it to do now is to turn off but even if I push the reset button and everything ,it still won't turn off or fix itself. I've pressed like 10 times already! Please someone help me please!
kaka on November 14, 2006 11:41 PM
buenos dia me llamo kaka y quisiera saber porque me ando cagando en mis pantalones cada ves que me pongo a escuchar a el zen sleek photo. por favor algien ayuda me. ayy wey ya me kage.
Kevin T. on November 19, 2006 2:32 PM
i have a problem when i plugin the zen sleek to my computer the zen doesnt bring up the docked screen so my zen never connects to my computer so i cant put any songs on it. Does anyone know how to fix this????
Rutger on November 21, 2006 8:18 PM
For the sake of balance I would like to add my vote to the sleek lovers' column. I've had it for about six months now, and I still love it. I've learned the following so far:
- I only charge through USB, which goes remarkably fast on my laptop, so I just need the one chord.
- I bought nice Sennheiser headphones because the buds do suck. Sound is great otherwise.
- At the bottom, next to the USB connector is a little hole, stick a pin in it if the sleek every freezes up (had that once so far).
- Reset with the play button pressed enters you into service mode, which you can use for disk cleanup (I'm just now trying this for the first time).
- Voice recording is good enough for lectures, but by no means hi-fi.
- I've never used the calendar feature, it doesn't seem to be iCal based so it'd be useless replication.
- It does copy your outlook addresses, but again no sort of open standard (or thunderbird addresses), I gather.
- I haven't installed PlaysForSure, which wasn't on it (I gather there are different sleek releases, with older and newer firmwares). Installing PFS means wiping everything on it.
All in all, I'm very pleased with this player - it's holding up quite well, and because it's brushed metal I don't have to polish the backside all the time (like on the old iPods).
Bre on November 27, 2006 12:09 AM
Someone please help me!
Ive only had the zen for two weeks now, it was working great... then i charged it over night on the computer and in the morning, w/out unplugging, ripped a few CDS onto it. i then unplugged it and when i tried to turn it on again nothing happened. since i charged it overnight it shouldve been charged so i was slightly confused, but i plugged it back into the comp anyway and this time it didnt even register it. Ive read every comment and, yes, ive tried the reset button itself, the reset button w/ the power button, and reset w/ play. NO RESPONSE! the only thing it does is the power button blinks blue when i hold the power button down. i dont know what the hell to do. This is extremely frustrating. please help w/ thorough insturctions
Bre on November 27, 2006 12:17 AM
This is very strange... after trying several more times w/ the reset button and plugging... and replugging... the Zen into the computer it mysteriously worked. I dont know wtf the deal is but it finally registered and said "rebuilding library". after it was done everything worked swell. so dont fret if you have problems because apparently all you need to do is mess w/ it for a while. Its bound to work.
Amy on December 4, 2006 2:39 AM
Probably not exactly related to your problem but I have had my Zen for about 18 months now and I have noticed something about the USB cable connection. Several times I have used the mains charger overnight so I know the Zen is fully charged but when I use the USB cable to do anything (transfer songs back and forth) the Zen will suddenly say "low battery" and turn itself off, even though I am certain it is fully charged. It is as though the connection to the PC "drains" the Zen of power. Is this possible? The last time this happened (this morning) is why I wound up here... I am trying to figure out what is causing that. And this morning, after saying "low battery" I plugged it back into the mains charger and it said "rebuilding library". ??????
DENVER MORGAN on December 8, 2006 6:45 PM
Im so satisfied with this player i bought another just in case my first one stops working i have never had a single problem with mine
the only thing i wish is that i could change the battery myself
other than that its fine this player is built like a tank
it has more features than an f15 fighter hee hee
I LOVE IT
DENVER MORGAN on December 10, 2006 5:49 AM
If anybody cares just wanted to let every body know that there is a driver update
for the zen sleek that really seemed to make the software work
better i just downloaded it
blackop555 on December 10, 2006 6:28 PM
you guys and gals need to learn to settle down. use the command ctrl + f and type in keywords and find your answer to your problem. most of these are all repeats.
clairus99 on December 16, 2006 12:51 PM
this product would sell a lot better i reckon if they competed with the amount of accessories that there are for ipod out there. i'm wishing i bought one, so easy are the accessories to find.
i've looked on ebay and there are skins and armbands and belt clips, but I want to play this in my car. no chance!
DENVER MORGAN on December 17, 2006 1:28 PM
its easy to play it in the car they have universal transmitters that will
plug right into the unit you can get skins and things right from creative
thats where i got my docking station and silicon skin they have cases too so if you want accesories they are availble creative takes care of
their customers
I told her "NO" on December 19, 2006 4:10 PM
Anyone else having issues where you can't even connect your Zen Sleek after installing Windows Media Player 11? I connect it to my computer and WMP say's it is "out of date" and then not even my Zen Sleek Media Explorer would sync to it. Suggestions?
Jose on December 19, 2006 6:04 PM
I am having an issue with my ZEN VISION M, there is only white lines on the screen and it is not responing to the power switch. Should I press the reset button to resolve this?
DENVER MORGAN on December 29, 2006 6:47 PM
Hi i told her no
i read there is somekind of issue with media player 11
they said uninstall the media player 11 and upgrade the firmware
if i remember correctly afterwards i think you can install it again
Kelly on January 21, 2007 7:56 PM
well mine is not a repeat, it goes into recovery mode automatically upon reboot.I uninstalled the firmare and attempted to reinstall thinking this would solve the problem, however the firmware update states that my player isn't connected even tho it is, and everything in device manager is set up properly. I've rolled back the driver, reinstalled it, even done the Creative website registry fix they suggested but no luck. I've also checked the USB drivers and they are up to date, and I'm running the right XP service pack....sigh.....any suggestions?? I loved this player until this happened.
Nanette on January 22, 2007 1:24 AM
I have a Zen Sleek Photo, and even with a drop caused by my excited 4yo, it has worked flawlessly. The only real problem was operator impatience, namely, I was too impatient to really learn all the features, and was not selecting my playlist correctly, and now I know what I was doing wrong and love it even more than I did. I selected it after hearing so many problems people had with IPod and so many of them got the "too bad so sad, get lost unless you want to give us another $250" attitude from Apple, so I decided to look elsewhere. My only complaint, not enough accessories. I don't want a silicone skin, I want a leather case.
matt on January 22, 2007 3:56 PM
Anyone have a firmware hack, that I can copy mp3s from zen sleek to any other computer?
marissa on January 23, 2007 9:48 AM
omfg this thing is so fucking stupid it dont even work bitches
mike on January 25, 2007 6:01 PM
well from what ive read here and researched marissa is most likely a fucking retard and or skank hoe
Kenny on January 30, 2007 6:53 AM
I have lost the mini USB Type B cable which I always use to charge / communicate with the Sleek. I've been looking around town and the internet for a replacement. Anyone know a supplier or website to contact? Your response is appreciated.
kevin on February 3, 2007 9:12 PM
ive had the zen sleek for over 2 yrs now. the thing is bulletproof i cant break it. it was my first mp3 so it took a little to learn how to load from computer but once you get it set up its great. screw ipod get a zen you will be glad you did.
listen if u wise on February 5, 2007 2:18 AM
ipods r gay fuck em no one uses em my friends one ddnt even last her a year and did u know that 4 out of 5 ipods dont work or are faulty true fact. they suck i had an ipod video and it kept freezing and turning itself of and it busted itself within 6 months so i got rid of the bastard and got a zen vision w and ive never looked back no way in hell am i eva gonna buy an ipod again!
lucas on February 6, 2007 2:33 PM
some weird thing happened to my zen.
for some reason, the screen wouldnt turn on, and the blue on light was on. i waited till the battery ran out, charged it again but it still didnt work. to fix this, just press a pin or something into the little reset hole at the bottom, charge it up, and it will work again.
celticchrys on February 9, 2007 2:07 PM
matt,
Download the latest version of WinAmp. It will recognize the Zen Sleek Photo, and when you hook it up on a new computer, and go to "Portables" in the WinAmp Media Library, click the "Sync" button. WinAmp will tell you how many songs are on the comp that aren't on the Zen, and how many songs on the Zen not on the Comp. You cna choose to copy songs from the comp to Zen, from Zen to Comp, or both.
It works pretty well, just takes a minute to recognize the Zen. I lost my software CD that came with the Zen Sleek Photo, and I've just been using WinAmp since then.
You can also click on the Player in the "Portables" section of the media library, and just drag songs from the player to the "Local Media" section. This will put the song in whatever folder you've told WinAmp to use for your Media Library.
Kayla on February 12, 2007 7:09 PM
i have this player--i'm acually listening it to it now, it's a really great player, very durable, i've dropped it like three times(but on carpet or other house flooring ect.)and it didn't break or scratch, so it's very compatible if your clumbsy like me=). Anyway, the only thing i have a problem with is trying to find a case, if anyone has any ideas...help?
Wonder Bread on February 26, 2007 9:27 PM
ive got a couple questions about this, just because im going over a new mp3 player to buy. i know creative makes some really great players, so my mother wonders how heavy this thing is, and which would be a better player to buy, this or the zen vision:m?
Dave on March 15, 2007 10:48 PM
I have a Zen Sleek Photo 20gb. I was wondering if anyone knos how to change the internal battery?
Rhonda on March 16, 2007 12:43 AM
Nanette, I found leather cases for the Sleek at Best Buy.
Sara Sheppard on March 25, 2007 3:45 PM
PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN!!...... My beloved Zen Sleek with ALL my wonderful tunes on it gets stuck on the 'Zen Sleek' welcome screen... Do you have any pearls of wisdomas to how I might be able to access my music once again....
Mike on April 8, 2007 6:26 PM
my Zen Sleek keeps freezing on me, even when the battery power is full, does this happen to anyone else?? just curious.
Penberthy on April 16, 2007 1:48 PM
None of my buttons work and I can't gte it out of recovery mode. What can I do or do I just sed it off and forget about all the songs on there?
emdawg on April 20, 2007 8:16 PM
OMG IM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM as the two people right above me. Seriously. any tips becuase i REALLY loved my player.
VanillaXtract on May 10, 2007 10:09 PM
I am having one problem. After being off overnight, the volume setting, time, and playlist reset. So when I turn it on, the volume is at 15 and the playlist is at song 1 at 00:00. This gets pretty annoying. I have tried formatting and reloading the firmware. Anyone have a suggestion?
Steve Pinto on May 13, 2007 5:40 PM
I am having a problem. My Zen Sleek Photo is shooting toxic gas out out of the headphone jack and it is coated with an oily substance which causes the skin on my hands to blister every time I touch it. I have already had to go to the emergency room twice, though the player itself sounds great and the battery lasts longer than the iPod. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Rixon on May 22, 2007 1:53 PM
I ordered a sleek photo zen, paid ten bucks for shipping so it could get here for my birthday, which is Friday, and I absolutely cannot wait for it to get here! The best thing is that I only paid eighty dollars for it AFTER shipping, it being refurbished but from the reviews on the website, the people also bought it were saying they were actually brand-new and sealed. I got a very good deal on this, and from the looks of it, it seems promising. iPods are good too, but the price is asking a bit too much for something that is lacking in some areas. I do not know of any apple mp3 with voice recording, fm tuner and other little things in it.
From all the negative reviews, I still have faith in this player. I'm simply thinking that some of these people aren't too computer-savvy...however I could be wrong. I know alot about software and my Dad knows a sh*t load about hardware, so everything pretty much works out. :)
I've played with an iPod before, they're very cool, especially the Nano...but did anyone know that the storage base that holds the songs and sh*t are, in actuality, flashdisks (AKA just jumpdrives with the capability of playing music files?)
If I'm correct, jump drives do not live long, no matter how well you take care of them. They can last for a year if you're lucky...but I've never seen any of the jumpdrives in my house last longer than six months.
So, if my calculations are correct:
IPOD WITH FLASHDISK MEMORY = will most likely break within a year...though I'm sure there are plenty of great iPods that have outlasted abuse and just keep working no matter what. GOOD. Those things are expensive. If your ipod (or any other flashdisk memory mp3player) has lasted more than a year, KUDOS TO YOU!
I recommend buying a mp3 player that has a HDD, you'd be making a good investment, they tend to last longer. Unless you jog every other day, then it'd be best to get flaskdisk memory player because they do not skip with extreme movement and jossling.
...I do have a question, though...
Do you REALLY, TRULY need WINXP and WMP to transfer the songs and stuff? I was hoping so much to just drag and drop and then it would sync it by itself.
kurt on May 29, 2007 1:59 PM
Has anyone tried using a Zen Sleek with Vista? I'd like to know before updgrading!
Dan on June 5, 2007 12:39 PM
Steve Pinto:
The Toxic gas that is spewing out of you player is actually "Magic Smoke".
this is found in all electronic equipment. the simple solution is to epoxy the headphone jack before it all leaks out The player will still work but you simply won't be able to hear it.
The oily substance leaking out is actually Potassium Hydroxide (A.K.A. DRANO) it seems that at one point creative was designing a MP3 Player/Toilet plunger hybrid and some of these got leaked to the public. My suggestion is to wear proper skin and eye protection when you go to use it (or gaze wishfully at the screen because your headphone jack is filled with epoxy) and try to save as much of the oil as you can. Believe me, It will come in useful the morning after a good chili night.
Good Luck!
Erica on June 8, 2007 2:11 PM
I've had my creative zen for about a year now, and it froze once (after using it for quite some time in the heat in Prague) only thing said, was that the first model i bought froze and stopped turning on within the first 3 days, which i just took back and they replaced. So i wouldn't say it has a reputation for freezing, but i know it happens to all mp3 players (yes even ipod)
and yeah. i want to know if it will work with Vista too. I've been using this for a while, and have figured out the in's and out's of still (sadly) using itunes, and what to do to get the configuration to work if anyone has questions i guess i might be able to help.
Mike on June 11, 2007 10:10 PM
Purchased for $69 from Creative's website - said refurb, but came brand new in sealed retail packaging. Sound quality is great. Easy to navigate. Works with Vista. I didn't try Creative's software - just plugged in and drag'n dropped my collection to the 'music' folder.
kelliz on June 22, 2007 12:59 AM
heroin is a dick dude. its not ugly its tight you can set pictures as backgrounds and shit its fucking sickkk dude.
coco on July 5, 2007 2:08 AM
ok so i charged my mp3 for a trip n then i went to listen to it n its frozen on one song except my battery still keeps goin...n none of hte buttons work..ive tried reseting it and nothing different has happened i really want it to work for my long drive to canada..some please help me :/
Aradat on July 10, 2007 7:04 AM
help! when my zen sleek turns on sometimes, i cant see the text, cos its very faint! And ive got dust behind the screen, please help me. I got it for £50! thats the good bit. And it plays music really well. any help is thanked in advance.
consumerConfusion on August 8, 2007 3:26 PM
I have my beloved Zen Sleek BUT had to change computers. After much PC frustration, I got a Mac. Is there any way I can have my Zen/iTunes/Mac work together?
PSU Bill on August 17, 2007 9:26 AM
I have had a Zen Sleek Photo for over a year. It sounds great, always seemed bulletproof (until I dropped it this morning). Battery was low last night so I'm not sure whether it's out of power or scrambled by the fall. Blue light is on but won't play, won't rest, won't go into maintenance mode.
I bought a silicone skin for it but by the time Creative sent it to me I already had dust under the screen.
I have loaded all of my music on it using RealPlayer. Funny thing, it says that it knows what it is dealing with but drops the music in the root folder instead of the Music folder. It does the same with my kids' Sandisk Sansa flash players.
I could always open a Windows Explorer window into the player and drag and drop music into it.
I listen to it in my car using a cassette adapter I got several years ago with a portable CD player. I use an FM transmitter in my wife's car.
The FM radio function keeps disappearing from the menu. If I fool around enough with resets and reconfiguring the menus it will come back but I rarely use it anyway so I just gave up on it.
I have been able to load podcasts on it using the Creative Zencast Organizer software.
I sure hope I can revive it.
bertie on November 3, 2007 5:14 PM
WAAAAAH! I CRIED WHEN MY ZEN CRASHED........ THEN I FOUND THIS SITE....... WOOHOOOOOOO!! NICE ONE GUYS XXX
Joseph on December 28, 2007 3:29 PM
I've been able to load mp3 files from my FreeBSD (like Linux for those who haven't heard of FreeBSD) laptop using the command line programs provided by libmtp (libmtp.sourceforge.net). I understand that Amarok (from KDE) also can be used to load mp3s from FreeBSD/Linux.
Example:
mtp-sendtr --sendfile song.mp3 --sendtrack song.mp3
You need to be root to run the above command.
KAREN GILLETT on April 23, 2008 7:14 AM
THANK YOU! my zen died yesterday and this site has helped me recover it. thought I was going to have buy a new one.
usman on August 6, 2008 4:48 AM
sir i have zen sleek player but a problem i am facing that i lost the charger so plz help me that how many volts it need to charge plz infom me i purchase the charger thanks regards usman
Anon on September 5, 2008 9:57 AM
I've read alot of these and it seems that many of these problems could of been avoided if the person had done the unthinkable and read the instructions first.
liz on October 13, 2008 10:12 PM
I realize that the zen sleek isn't the hottest thing. but my friend got one a couple of months ago and is upgrading, so sold me hers for like $20. it still works great...the only problem is that i only have the zen and the USB cable...not the manual or anything else...can i charge it by plugging it in to the usb port on my computer?? HOW?? if not, WHAT DO I NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO CHARGE IT?????
Steve on May 20, 2009 11:41 AM
Replace battery steps.
1) remove top plastic cover where earphone plug is located. It is glued and snapped on so you must pry slowly around the side and back where there is metal to pry against. I use a plastic tool from Batteryship.com.
2)Remove 2 screws from sheet metal plate that top cover is glued to.
3)You now have to remove the touch pad and controls. This is where my instructions depart from all others above. You have to carefully pry the bottom to detach the glue from the white plastic and the case. It is glued all along the bottom. Once you have done that there are two metal snaps that you will be able to see when you pry up the bottom. These snap are the main attachment snaps for the controls and touch pad. There is one on the left and right of the bottom side of the control pad. You have to get the screw driver under each snap and pry up. Once they release you will be able to slide the whole control panel down and off. The control panel and touch pad are also connected to the circuit board with a connector so you may have to lift up and pull down at the same time to free this connection. (ps. there is no reason to break the white snaps on the top, bottom, and sides. They don't hold the control pad on, only to the black metal backer that creates the frame for the control panel/touch pad. It comes out all as one unit.)
4) The battery and circuit board and hard drive all easily slide out.