Qualify yourself for this product

The Creative Xmod is designed to upsample your music, much like today's hi-definition players can upscale your standard definition DVDs to 720 or 1080p. In each case (upscaling music and movies) a processor and algorithm is employed to analyze the content and decide where information can be duplicated or filled in based on the surrounding content. When done well, the final effect is enjoyably convincing, and the Xmod does what it was designed to do quite well. Nevertheless, there are plenty of things to take into consideration before spending your hard earned money on this product in particular.

The genres and bitrates of the majority of your music: The Xmod works wonderfully with certain types of music and certain instruments. Highs are especially helped, and lows to some degree. Sometimes a certain instrument (like an isolated plucked guitar) will sound extraordinarily enhanced and real, like it's being plucked right in front of you, while others will show no noticeable difference. If you're used to hearing a favorite album sound a certain way, it can be both pleasing and annoying to notice the accentuation and enhancement of certain instruments and slight alterations of others. In other words the Xmod algorithm is in there tinkering with your music, making its best educated guess at what was removed during compression, and sometimes it gets it right and sometimes it gets it wrong. For the most part, it gets it right, and when it does, it's amazing to hear. If you have low bitrate music (128kbps or under) the Xmod works extra well, albeit with the same considerations taken into account as listed above. I used the Xmod with CDs, WAV files, and low and high bitrate MP3s, and the quality of the enhancement effect most often and most noticeably depended on the composition of and instruments in the song I was listening to. So one song on an album might sound very improved, while the track right next to it might sound unaffected, or deproved (yes, it's not a word).

Portability: The Xmod can be taken places and made to work in a variety of circumstances, but not without spending as much as if not more than the actual device, that is if you want to purchase the Creative brand accessories. I purchased the AC wall adapter and the DC car adapter, clocking in at a little over an extra $100 dollars.

Convenience with the Portability: If you do decide to buy the DC adapter to use the Xmod as a dedicated device for your car, keep in mind that every time you turn the vehicle off the unit will power down. And every time you start it up, if you made any changes to the level of crystallization enhancement, it will be lost, though to be fair, I found the default enhancement level to be the best. In addition, the Xmod will require you turn the volume back up every time. And if you don't want a shiny beautiful device left visible in your vehicle, it's that many more wires (3 exactly) to plug in and unplug every time you come and go. These considerations must also be taken into account if you plan to use the device as a dedicated in home enhancement. The power must be kept on, meaning if you're using it with only the included USB power cable, every time you restart the computer you will have to turn the volume on the Xmod back up, and re-define the enhancement level.

Cords and Pops: Moving the Xmod between devices (a computer or iPod) means unplugging at least 2 cords (the usb or power cord, and the audio line cord). With the Xmod connected to the computer I experienced occasional pops in sound. I believe the CNET review also mentioned this, and I've read references to it by other users. This may have been a bug ironed out since I purchased the unit over a year ago, but it's still something to keep in mind if you intend to use it that way and end up getting a new or old one exhibiting this symptom. Of note, no pops ever occurred when used with a CD or MP3 player, making it appear to be a problem with the USB cable, which, as mentioned, is the only included way to power the device. So if out of the box you want to use it with your MP3 or CD player, it won't work, and you'll need to spend an extra $25-50 dollars for the AC power adapter.

It is for all these reasons, that despite my enjoyment of the device, I could not recommend it to someone unless they fell into certain criteria of anticipated use, and acceptance of the inconveniences of the device in its current state. On the flip side I'm very interested (and plan to buy) an X-Fi sound card when I next upgrade my desktop computer. The option is nice enough to have, but as other users and reviewers have said, the execution leaves much to desire and hope for in future iterations. A creative MP3 player with the feature built in would be perfect, or even licensing its use to other manufacturers like HP licenses its LightScribe disc labeling hardware.