Compare MP3 Players

Creative Zen X-Fi Disassembled

creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-main.jpg

For those who were wondering what’s inside the new Creative Zen X-Fi, here is your chance for a peek. The Zen X-Fi opened up similarly as the Zen did with clips around the edges holding the face to the back. However, this time the face separates from the backing with the circuit boards and such attached to the back plastic plate. Also this time around there is a little bit of glue applied to each clip holding it together; this likely the reason the Zen X-Fi feels a little sturdier than the Zen.

I would only recommend opening your Zen X-Fi for repair and not just for fun since you may not get it back together with the same tight feel it had before. If you are planning on surgery I would recommend checking out the Zen teardown video for some pointers on getting the case cracked. Otherwise below are lots of pics of the wireless player splayed for your viewing pleasure.

Also be sure to check out the Zen X-Fi review.

creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-01.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-02.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-03.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-04.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-05.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-06.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-07.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-08.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-09.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-10.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-11.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-12.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-14.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-13.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-15.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-16.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-17.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-18.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-19.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-20.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-21.jpg creative-zen-x-fi-teardown-22.jpg
  • Submit this article to Del.icio.us
  • Submit this article to Reddit
  • Submit this article to Furl
  • Submit this article to StumbleUpon

Comments

dragnandy on July 20, 2008 10:07 PM

very nice. few days after its release and you guys already opened it up. grahm this is your own zen x-fi right? do you use it as your main player? or what do you use mainly?

Feng on July 21, 2008 2:23 AM

omg you guys are my hero!!! first day review is broken into already!!! :) my question is, can someone post a guide to replacing the zen v m hdd to compact flash?

Grahm on July 21, 2008 9:48 AM

@dragnandy
Yes it is mine. I have been using it as my main player for the last week or so. But im not sure i have a "main player" although the Sansa Clip and the Zune are frequent in my rotation. However, i could easily use the X-Fi as my main player since it does play nicely with my Shure SE530s.

Barron on July 21, 2008 11:25 AM

Does it have an x-fi chip or is it just software.

keybowvio on July 21, 2008 9:22 PM

^^^Yeah, that's what we really want to know, is there a chip in there?^^^

sundog on July 23, 2008 12:05 PM

I feel so... dirty, somehow.

srozzman on July 24, 2008 7:11 AM

It doesnt have an X-fi chip in it, for it would drain the battery way too fast; instead, the X-Fi features are just software emulating the effects of an X-fi chip

The_Handy_Andy on July 24, 2008 6:06 PM

not knowing what an x-fi chip looks like but looking at the PCB of this player and the PCB from the zen there seems to be at least 2 additional chips (the square ones). One is the gold/bronze coloured one. I am going to guess here and suggest that this could be an x-fi chip. I don't think its something to do with the wifi as I read somewhere tonight that the existing zen chip already had this in it, it just wasn't implemented.

sam on August 1, 2008 6:42 PM

if wanna just open it into half u could have given it to me

BPK on August 15, 2008 10:14 AM

Does this support Napster like most of the other Creative products?

jasmine on September 17, 2008 7:54 PM

hey grahm my names jas & i got my zen x-fi about 3 weeks ago & still cant seem to download songs on it, how would i download songs on it wut should i use...?

Dave C. on October 4, 2008 11:39 AM

Testing.

Dave C. on October 4, 2008 11:43 AM

Some have raised the issue of battery replacement. From the above pictures, a ruler, and research at a local electronics outlet, it seems no big problem to get a two-lead Li-ion of proper size to wire in. Cell phone replacement, or "recharger". (Lenmark is big in that area.) Advantage: the replacements I've seen have somewhat greater capacity -

Leave a comment

  • Name:
  • E-mail:
  • URL:
  • Remember info?

Type the characters you see in the picture above.


abi Editor's Choice
  • Samsung P2
    Samsung P2

    The Samsung P2 has been gaining quite a following lately and rightfully so. If you are looking for something well designed, innovative, and feature packed; you should look into this full touch screen wonder. The Bluetooth feature set is what I find to be the most intriguing, with the ability to tether to your phone to make calls or wirelessly transfer with no restrictions to other P2s. Check out the review or stop by our ever growing P2 forums to get the latest info.

  • Toshiba Gigabeat T400
    toshiba gigabeat t400

    The Gigabeat T400 is without a doubt my favorite flash player at the moment. It does have one major setback in that it only comes in a 4GB, shame on you Toshiba. What makes me love this player is it's ultra slick sexy design, very easy- just pick up and use interface, and killer sound quality that would make Cowon users envious. This player is a must buy for anyone who sports a premium set of headphones. Full review to come but you should really just buy one.

  • SanDisk Sansa Clip
    SanDisk Sansa Clip

    The Clip has a fantastic little form factor; cheap in build quality but very rugged. The interface is simple and relatively straight forward. The features on the clip are more or less average, mostly identical to the Sansa Express. However, what earns this player a spot in Editor’s Choice is the superb sound quality; you will not find another player at this size and price that can match it. Read the full review or go ahead and buy it.

  • Cowon iAudio D2
    Cowon iAudio D2

    The D2 is a fantastic sounding PMP with a very nice looking screen and a tone of features. One of the best features of the D2 is the SDHC slot allowing you to add another 32GB to this small wonder. The touch interface does not lend well to on the move operation, but it is not enough to keep it from being an editor’s choice. You can find usually find it at Amazon for the best price and before to check out the review.

  • JAYS q-JAYS
    JAYS q-JAYS

    The q-JAYS are great in ear phones. They offer excellent clarity, silky treble, realistic midrange, and a nice bass response. They're comfortable, incredibly tiny, and come with a huge selection of accessories. While they certainly are analytic phones, they're still fun to listen to. The q-JAYS respond well to EQing, and can be tweaked to fit almost anyone's sound preference. Recommended for anyone owning a good sounding player and well encoded audio files. Check out our review.



anythingbutipod>>News

↑ Grab this Headline Animator