Creative shows no signs of deviating from its plan to offer feature-packed players at impressively low price points -- their new MP3 player, the Zen X-Fi, is a compact multimedia machine that's the first portable device to integrate Creative's X...

The Creative Zen X-Fi is an incredible value given its low price and laundry list of features, which include photo, video, Audible, and subscription music support; an FM radio and voice recorder; an SD card expansion slot; WiFi capability; multiple EQ set...

The Creative Zen X-Fi's plastic construction does not feel high-quality, and the SD card content does not get integrated into the general libraries. Videos often need to be transcoded through the included software, and the button pad can be confusing...

The Creative Zen X-Fi's plastic design leaves a little to be desired, but that doesn't detract from the fact that the player is an incredible value overall: for an extremely competitive price you get a boatload of features and great sound qualit...

To put it simply, the Woo Audio WA2 is the best headphone amplifier in its price category by a mile. It provides an experience that is completely luscious -- deep, smooth bass, rich vocal reproduction, and a sweet, spacious, notably airy treble that's sm...

Best performance we've ever heard at this price point; stunning design

Gets extremely hot; no protection for valves

The WA2 breathes phenomenal new life into even the greatest headphones on the planet. It may not rise to the greater heights reached by the more costly Woo Audio gear, but at this price point it blew away everything we've ever heard

Sony's NWZ-S639F Walkman S series is an affordable model that delivers. It supports BBC iPlayer downloads, so you can take full advantage of its crisp -- albeit small -- screen. Its stylish design and incredibly easy-to-use navigation system is coupl...

Sound quality; smart design; good price; SensMe feature; BBC iPlayer support; crisp screen; drag-and-drop file management; podcast integration; great battery life

No stereo Bluetooth; no gapless playback; DivX or Xvid support would've been superb

Its older, larger, more expensive A-series brethren offers wireless audio and a whopping screen, but for ease-of-use, sound quality and sheer enjoyment to use, the S639F is a terrific choice. BBC iPlayer support is an awesome bonus for UK users

Sony's B-series Walkman is tiny and cheap, and is clearly designed for on-the-go use with its built-in USB interface and simple design. While it offers a good range of features, such as an integrated FM tuner and voice recording, it's not laden...

Its low price; convenient to use

No USB extension cable or software provided

It's not an exciting player, but it's well-priced, easy to use, pleasantly designed and it sounds great once you've upgraded the bundled earphones

This could very well be the best Samsung MP3 player to date. Not only is it remarkably affordable at £99 for 16GB, but with support for lossless FLAC audio, BBC iPlayer, FM radio, drag-and-drop file management and a cracking little screen, it's going

Design; screen quality; FLAC support; BBC iPlayer support

No gapless playback; control pad too sensitive; no WAV or AAC support; no Bluetooth

This could be the best Samsung MP3 player to date. Not only is it remarkably affordable at £99 for 16GB, but support for lossless FLAC audio, BBC iPlayer, FM radio, drag and drop file management and a cracking little screen, means it's going on our l

Cowon's new O2 PMP follows on from the smashing Q5W and A3 of last year, but scraps hard disks in favour of flash memory and SD cards. It's one of the most exciting product releases of the year in the PMP category, so we were thrilled to get one...

Huge list of supported audio and video formats; terrific sound quality; supports 720p HD DivX and Xvid content; Subtitle support

We've seen crisper screens; plastic design isn't as sexy as the Cowon A3's enclosure

If you download a lot of content from the Internet, we've got to say that unless you can afford the more costly alternatives mentioned above, this is one of the best candidates for the job

The Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet offers outstanding video performance and great Web capabilities, with the Opera Web browser pre-installed and support for Adobe Flash content included too. Though Archos has fixed some problems from earlier models, you s...

Amazing screen; design; decent capacity options; revised interface; video subtitle support; accessories; optional PVR functionality; Flash 9 support

Additional-but-essential codecs cost more money; no 720p H.264 support; can't output to TV without costly adaptor

If you can afford it and want the best combination of Web access and outstanding video performance, this is one of the only players in the world you need to consider, despite its flaws

LG's latest CD micro system is the FA163DAB -- catchy, huh? -- and with it comes DAB radio and iPod docking functionality. There aren't a million iPod-compatible DAB systems in the world, and even fewer that conform to this form factor. Plus, th...

Above average sound quality for price; affordable; good iPod functionality; great accessories

Build; dot matrix screen isn't great; not good for all types of music

Overall this system is okay to use, with good radio offerings, seamless integration with iPods and, for the most part, good sound quality. For pop, jazz, vocals and electronic music, it's a sound offering for £200, despite its questionable constructi

It can't be avoided: any new MP3 player is in direct competition with the Apple iPod, and manufacturers are well aware of this fact. The Sony E-Series Walkman is just as easy to use as the iPod nano, offers a similar array of features and delivers gr...

Cheap; easy to use; desirable extras such as an FM tuner, user-customisable EQ and support for Rhapsody To Go and Amazon Video On Demand; great sound quality

No memory expansion; no integrated podcast support; subscription-content syncing is slow

The Sony E-Series Walkman is an excellent option for anyone looking for an easy-to-use MP3 player with a pocketable design, a long battery life, handy features, and solid sound quality

Sony's B-Series Walkman is tiny and cheap, and is clearly designed for on-the-go use with its built-in USB interface and simple design. While it offers a good range of features, such as an integrated FM tuner and voice recording, it's not laden...

Ultracompact design; handy quick charge feature; inexpensive; works with both Windows and Mac

Rated battery life is unimpressive; tiny display

The entry-level Sony B-Series Walkman is a solid choice for the gym thanks to its ultracompact design, quick charge function and integrated FM tuner -- but beware the eye strain from the small screen