Creative Labs NOMAD Jukebox 3 20 GB MP3 Player

Product Review

If you're looking for MP3 player innovation that delivers feature-rich functionality and unsurpassed audiophile quality, the Nomad Jukebox 3 is the player for you. The Jukebox 3 offers audio quality that makes other players sound pale and lifeless by comparison. With the leading audio specifications in its category, even the toughest critic will be delighted by its crystalline clarity. Add to this a suite of powerful music-management and audio functions, and you're set to tailor your musical experience through an easy-to-use interface with intuitive scrolling file navigation.

The Nomad Jukebox 3 connects to everything audio: it works with PCs and stereos and other devices to let you transfer, store, and even record at will--analog and optical digital line inputs allow direct high-quality recording from external audio devices. Top it off with a massive 20 GB storage with both USB and SB1394/FireWire connectivity, and you can listen to your favorite music anytime, anywhere. The unit holds up to 333 hours of MP3s encoded at 128 Kbps, or an incredible 8,000 songs encoded in WMA at 80 Kbps. Store your entire music library (and other files) in a compact package that's completely portable.

The unit's second battery bay gives you up to 22 hours of uninterrupted playback with two lithium-ion rechargeable batteries (or 11 hours using only one). Smart Volume Management (SVM) normalizes audio output to compensate for different mastering levels between songs, while time scaling lets you speed up or slow down playback without distortion. Finally, anti-skip protection extends to seven minutes of buffering for smooth listening.

Product Features

20 GB storage space holds up to 8,000 songs encoded in WMA at 80 kbps or 5,000 MP3s encoded at 128 kbps
High audio quality (relative to other MP3 devices): 98 dB signal-to-noise ratio playback, frequency response of 20 to 20,000 Hz
Analog and optical digital line inputs for direct high-quality recording from external audio devices
Super fast SB-1394/FireWire (IEEE-1394 compliant) and USB 1.1 file transfers from your PC
Up to 22 hours of uninterrupted playback with two lithium-ion rechargeable batteries

Accessories

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review

(109 customer reviews)

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful

Not the same Nomad!, August 3, 2002

Nicholas Van Dusen (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Creative Labs NOMAD Jukebox 3 20 GB MP3 Player (Electronics)

Ignore all the reviews by people who don't even OWN this product - they're clearly unable to give you a comprehensive overview. As an owner of both the original 6GB Nomad Jukebox, and now the 20GB Nomad Jukebox III, I'll try to give a fair opinion.First, let's start with the specs. It costs the same as the 10GB iPod, and offers BOTH FireWire and USB, although USB2 would have been nice - it's faster than FireWire. Unlike the iPod, which has one version for Windows and one for Mac, the Jukebox can connect to either, for $100 less. The battery lasts 11 hours on a ~3 hour charge, and you can add another battery to it for a total of 22 hours. It's a bit bulkier than the iPod, but more compact than an average portable CD player.This player is ages ahead of the original Nomad. A scroll wheel akin to recent Sony Vaio notebooks lets you quickly whiz through your playlist - a plus for those of us who like to add 3000 songs at a time. The backlight is also brighter and makes the track...Read more

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful

The total package (well, almost...), June 13, 2002

Kevin S. Goff (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Creative Labs NOMAD Jukebox 3 20 GB MP3 Player (Electronics)

I reviewed the original Nomad Jukebox two years ago, and gave it 4 stars, though I felt it really deserved 3.5 stars. The sound quality was decent, but the interface was kludgy and the battery life was horrible. But I lived with it, because until now it was the best product out there.It took Creative a long time, but they finally got it right. I'm listening to Miles Davis right now on it, and Birth of the Cool never sounded so cool. The sound quality [with a good pair of headphones, I use the SportaPros] is indistinguishable from CD quality. Gone is the 'tinny' sound that is so common among even good MP3 players. The sound is every bit as rich as the reviews claim. [I still think that EAX is still a bit gimmicky, but I found the sound setting that works for me, and I ain't changin' it!)Battery life seems to be about 11 hours, as advertised. I plan to buy a 2nd battery very soon.As far as the size - it seems to weigh about the same as the original Nomad, but is smaller...Read more

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

Best MP3 jukebox out, June 11, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Creative Labs NOMAD Jukebox 3 20 GB MP3 Player (Electronics)

The creative nomad jukebox 3 is small enough to take with you anywhere, but has enough hard drive for your entire cd collection, even if you have a very extensive collection. The unit is very easy to use and so is the software used along with it. The eax audio features provide for outstanding listening quality. With the line out jack, it connects very easily into any home stereo system. I have music playing all the time and I haven't had to play a CD in months. My jukebox goes with me on trips, to the gym, my car(w/adaptor)and back to my home stereo. Great all around product. Only complaint would be creatives short lived warranty(90days).