Housed in a square case, the MuVo² comes across as a smaller MiniDisc player. The device's diminutive dimensions will appeal to commuters who like to travel light. Compared with the 160g iPod, the MuVo² is a good 30 percent lighter and more pocket-friendly.
There's a simple explanation for the extreme differences in size. Whereas Apple uses a bigger 1.8-inch hard disk for its iPod jukebox, the MuVo²'s miniscule proportions are achieved by using a 1-inch Hitachi Microdrive. Assuming each MP3 is about 4MB in size, you can store close to 80 hours of music on the Microdrive's 4GB capacity.
What's not explained is how Creative still has a lot of catching up to do in the style stakes -- with its pedestrian design and plasticky finish, the MuVo² looks painfully industrial rather than inspirational. There are other setbacks as well: The smallish four-way rocker button doesn't grant much operational maneuverability for those with podgy digits and we're not keen either on the fragile battery cover which dangles loosely each time we try to access the compartment.
The MuVo² offers plenty of customization options, most of which are pretty easy to access thanks to the player's single button menu design and clear two-line backlit LCD. The device's on-the-go editing features include the ability to browse, delete and arrange tracks or playlists, and music playback customisation is available with the software equalizer -- you get four EQ presets (Rock, Pop, Classical, Jazz) plus a customisable one. The MuVo² is powered by a single Lithium-ion battery with a claimed life of 14 hours, though in use we got about 12 hours from a single charge. The cell recharges via USB and is removable so you can bring spare sets along for those long road trips.
Getting your MP3s or WMAs onto the unit is easy: You can either drag-and-dump entire music directories via Windows Explore or use Creative's Media Source application, if you prefer your songs to be arranged in a more tasteful manner. Media Source is not just a mere conduit for importing songs to the MuVo²; it performs a myriad of other audio tasks as well. The program lets you edit ID3 tags, create M3U playlists and even convert CD audio into MP3s using the built-in ripping mechanism. AAC and Ogg Vorbis playback support are other sonic niceties that will please desktop audiophiles.
As comprehensive as the MuVo²'s feature set was, we did spot a few notable omissions. First was the lack of a remote. Creative offers this as an optional accessory. We also felt the inclusion of an FM tuner or voice recording function would've added more value and usability, especially for a portable priced at AU$699.
Though small in size, the MuVo² features outstanding audio quality: A 98dB signal-to-noise ratio and power rating of 15mW per channel delivered clear, hiss-free sonics, and the unit's total harmonic distortion is less than 0.05 percent. The overall result is the MuVo² sounds great on our reference AKG 240S headphones -- loud and with sufficient low-end grunt. Creative's bundled in-ear phones are ok for casual listening but serious listeners will find the sound quality tinny.
The MuVo²'s performance is equally tip-top. The unit runs silently and we weren't bugged by any unnecessary clicks and track skips that plagued earlier generations of hard drive players. With USB 2.0, we shifted 120MB worth of MP3s in 21 seconds (or 5.1 megabytes per second), meaning you can fill the entire device in under 14 minutes.
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Chungi
19/11/2004, 11:04 AM
Great MP3 player
What more can you say, other than for value for money on a 4 gig player, don't go past the MuVo2.
Brilliant sound reproduction and easy to use.
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km
13/10/2004, 08:53 PM
its good
yeh its a good player
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