Those seeking an affordable secondary MP3 player could do far worse than the YP-U5. Its battery life is good, it offers above-average sound quality and it supports a decent range of audio formats, although AAC is notably missing. A fitness app also ...

Inexpensive ; plenty of file format support ; an above-average voice recorder ; FM radio ; doubles as a USB stick ; useful fitness app

Miniscule screen ; no support for AAC or Audible files

If you're looking for a small, practical MP3 player to throw in your gym bag, the Samsung YP-U5 is a great option that won't break the bank

Up close, its plastic design leaves something to be desired, but the YP-Q2 budget MP3 player still represents excellent value for money. Its overall performance is good, there's a decent array of features, and the relatively large screen makes viewing ...

Inexpensive ; solid sound quality ; good screen ; decent array of features

Cheap, plastic design ; no dedicated volume switch ; touchpad interface won&apos ; t be ideal for all users

The Samsung YP-Q2 offers excellent value for money, thanks to a low price tag, lovely screen, solid sound quality and plentiful features

With its sleek aluminium body and large screen, the gorgeous iriver P7 touchscreen portable media player looks like it belongs in a modern art museum. The included PC software isn't great, but the unique touchscreen interface makes for a refreshing ...

Gorgeous design ; good audio capabilities ; impressive battery life ; unique touchscreen interface

Relatively inflexible when it comes to video-format support ; sluggish touchscreen response ; included PC software is nearly useless

The iriver P7 is like a beautifully crafted concept car with a frustrating lack of horsepower, but the price is compelling and it's prettier than most of its rivals

It's not a stretch to say the touchscreen YP-P3 is an audiophile's portable media player. It sounds stellar, packs an enormous amount of features into a compact package and boasts a gorgeous display. The user interface might take a while to get used ...

Sleek, sturdy design ; gorgeous full-colour touchscreen ; fun interface ; includes a host of features ; supports a wide variety of audio formats

Interface may take some getting used to ; no Wi-Fi ; podcast support is inelegant

The Samsung YP-P3 is an excellent multimedia device that packs a grand amount of features into an impressively compact package with one of the best screens available. It also sounds superb, making this a top contender for audio enthusiasts

The easy-to-use YP-S2 Pebble doesn't just look like a very attractive, shiny skipping stone -- it also offers impressive audio quality, a number of useful features and a super-affordable price tag. Its battery life isn't fantastic, but, at this price, ...

Excellent value ; sounds great ; sleek and stylish design ; useful on-the-go playlist feature

No screen ; operating the extra functions takes some practice

The Samsung YP-S2 Pebble is a simple, appealing MP3 player that offers a super-affordable price tag, good sound quality and some compelling extras. It's a great option for those who like to wear their devices pendant-style

The D2+ is a great touchscreen MP3 player that's packed full of useful features and offers outstanding audio quality, thanks to its sound-enhancement settings. Users of its predecessor, the iAudio D2, won't notice a great deal of changes though, and ...

Rich sound; long battery life; seamlessly integrated memory expansion

No AAC support; most videos require conversion; line-input and video-output features require extra cables; menu scrolling can be tedious

The Cowon D2+ is a sturdy little touchscreen MP3 player with flexible sound-enhancement settings and plenty of useful features, but it hasn't changed much from the iAudio D2 that we saw in 2007

The cordless Walkman NWZ-W202 is a great alternative to the latest iPod shuffle for those who prefer their MP3 player to have great sound quality rather than minuscule dimensions. While the eye-catching design may put some people off, gym fanatics ...

Comfortable design; excellent sound quality; quick-charge battery; magnetic headphones act as power switch

Silly Zappin song-navigation system; no EQ options or noise-cancelling functions

Good things sometimes come in daft packages. The Sony Walkman NWZ-W202's comfortable fit, ear-pleasing audio and rock-solid build quality more than compensate for its laughable Zappin song-navigation system and Bluetooth headset-esque styling. It's a ...

The third-generation iPod shuffle is the smallest MP3 player currently available, and only slightly larger than a paper clip. While its unobtrusive design feels sturdy and the voice feature that tells you what you're listening to is useful, quirky ...

Light as a feather; small as a paper clip; synthesised voice feature tells you what you're listening to; improved support for podcasts and audiobooks

Pill-sized remote control on the headphones is the only operation method; battery life isn't great; few features

Apple's third-generation iPod shuffle is the next best thing to an invisible MP3 player, but quirky controls, limited features and a diminished battery life mean it won't appeal to everyone

The tiny, wearable GoGear Spark offers a good feature set and decent sound quality for the price. One of the first MP3 players in its class to offer a colour display, the Spark's unique design and excellent battery life help to make it a real rival to ...

Impressive colour screen ; many features packed into a tiny package

Light on format support ; voice recordings are noisy ; meagre storage capacity

The Philips GoGear Spark is great for a budget MP3 player, offering an attractive balance of features, style and usability. It's also one of the first MP3 players in its price range to sport a colour display, and sound quality isn't bad either

The gorgeous Archos 7 portable media player is an impressive performer that's especially good for watching movies on the go, thanks to its 7-inch TFT LCD touchscreen, which offers excellent picture quality. Unfortunately, if you want to use all ...

Brilliant picture quality ; high-resolution LCD display ; massive storage capacity ; slick design

High-quality plug-ins cost extra ; touchscreen not sensitive enough for Web browsing comfortably ; expensive

The Archos 7 portable media player is an impressive performer and, in particular, an absolutely killer device for watching movies on the go. Unfortunately, you'll have to pay extra if you want to use all the features it can offer, which is ...