this will be my next mp3 player

if you know me, then you know how much of an audiophile i am. and because of this, i refuse to get an ipod. i value function over form, refuse to be part of the masses, and always go against the grain.
so it was a relief to run across the new zen sleek from creative. things i definitely need in my next mp3 player: fader; good, quality sound; long battery life; fm tuner; large hard drive capacity... these things i cannot get from an ipod.
the biggest IF here is the fader. i love when my rio karma seamlessly moves from song to song. being an ex-dj, it's important to me to feel the music flow. no stupid silent stops.
and the sound. i need good, high quality, high bit-rate music. no AAC for me, thank you.
so i'm watching this one closely. cuz i've beat up my beloved rio karma for 3 years and it's served me well. but an errant mini-jack insertion sent my ultra-stereo-phonic player into mono-land. so right now, i'm using my psp for music, but oh, do i miss my hard drive mp3 player...

The Creative Zen Sleek - www.engadget.com
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