ZEN X-Fi - award-winning X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity Audio

Experience your MP3 music as the artist originally intended with ZEN X-Fi - the first player to restore the quality of compressed music with award-winning X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity Audio technology.

Indulge in rich audio where you can hear your music in crystal clear clarity. Take in guitar strumming, crisp cymbal clashes and deep pounding bass as detail lost during file compression are now beautifully restored. The built-in X-Fi technology intelligently moves a conventional left/right earphone stereo source away from your ears, virtually expanding it for an audio experience with a breathtakingly realistic depth of field. You'll feel as if you were listening to your music from a pair of high end speakers.

Built with X-Fi technology
Experience the very essence of music perfection as you listen to audio in crystal clear clarity. Hear your music the way it was always meant to be heard.

True mobility
You can now stream music and photos wirelessly from your PC to your player within a home network. With the ZEN X-Fi, experience the sound of perfection wherever you go.

Wide audio support
Listen to your music in multiple supported formats such as MP3, WMA and AAC, including non-protected .m4a files from iTunes® Plus. Download Creative Centrale to rip, transfer and manage your media content easily.

The X-Fi has better sound, superb headphones, an amazing feature set, expandable storage via an SD card slot, an easy-to-use interface that will please users who don't want to work with a touch screen, and--here's the kicker--the ability to stream and download music from your PC wirelessly. It looks great, too, and it costs about half as much as Apple's current Wi-Fi-enabled iPod Touch players.The masses may continue to think iPod first when they need a new MP3 player--but it will be a shame if they do. The X-Fi is arguably the most innovative, feature-packed player on the market, and it's an absolute steal for the price

Samsung YP-S5 mp3 player

Samsung Electronics announces at IFA 2007 that it continues to develop market-leading technology, with the releases of a new music player, the Samsung YP-S5. The new Samsung YP-S5 mp3 player combines awesome design, incredible sound and convenient connectivity options. Millimeters have been shaved off to create a player that fit comfortably in one’s hand, while slipping easily into pockets and purses. Samsung’s proprietary sound technology, Digital Natural Sound engine (DNSe.) provides high quality acoustics aiming to facilitate the best sonic experience to the end user. Better still, the new Samsung YP-S5 enables boasts Bluetooth-enabled wireless stereo- providing the ultimate ‘easy listening’ experience!

The Samsung YP-S5 MP3 player will be available in the third quarter of 2007. Samsung’s new Samsung YP-S5, the follow-up to last year’s groundbreaking Samsung YP-K5 MP3 player, offers musical freedom in an evenslimmer, sleeker and more compact form. The portable 14.95 mm player has integrated 1.5 W stereo speakers, so everyone can listen together and share the music without an added speaker device. When Samsung EP-150 earphones are used, the bass sound quality is enhanced.

The S5 is the thinner nearly-identical twin of the K5, so the slide-out speaker that makes up about half of the player's matte casing is still the stand-out feature of its refined design.

Samsung’s new MP3 player features MPEG4 video playback, text viewer, photo viewer, flash games, FM radio and alarm clock with 24 hours of playtime using earphones, and 5.5 hours with its slide-and-tilt speaker. The Samsung YP-S5 can transform into a speaker phone when used together with a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone. It is available in black or white with 2 GB, 4 GB and 8 GB memory.

System Specifications

Capacities:	2GB, 4GB, 8GB
Supported audio:	MP3, WMA, WMA-DRM, AAC
Supported video:	SVI (MPEG4/MP3, 208 x 176, 15 fps)
Extras:	Slide-out speaker, audio-in, Bluetooth, photo viewer, FM radio, FM and voice recorder, datacasts, alarm, text viewer, games, world clock
Display:	1.8" QCIF+ TFT (176 x 220)
Dimensions:	1.83" x 3.78" x 0.59"
Weight:	3 ounces
Colors:	Black, white

Altec Lansing InMotion IM4 Portable Audio System

You've got a CD player, an MP3 player, and a portable DVD player, but until now you were the only one listening. Introducing the Altec Lansing inMotion iM4 portable audio system. This tiny, portable, battery-operated stereo system lets you share the sounds at home, at the beach, on the go... where ever. A highly efficient Class D amplifier powers four full-range micro drivers to deliver a full spectrum of pure, distinct sound, while the revolutionary MaxxBass™ technology allows listeners to enjoy deep bass without lugging around a subwoofer. Place your small portable audio device on the rubberized base, plug in the retractable audio cable, and fire up your system. It' s great sound that everyone can enjoy.

Features

- Crystal-clear sound
from four custom-designed neodymium 25 mm Micro Drivers.
- Surprisingly deep bass
Revolutionary MaxxBass® technology creates quality bass without a subwoofer
- Extra long battery life
Highly efficient Class D amplifier delivers more than 18 hours of continuous playback with four AA batteries (not included).
- Convenient Retractable Signal Cable
Provides clean cable management and connects to virtually any audio device, such as MP3 players, CD players, and laptops.
- Dual inputs
Allows you to connect two audio players at the same time (second cable not included).
- Rubberized Base
Provides a non-slip platform for your MP3 or CD players.

Griffin SmartShare Headset Doubler

The SmartShare is a headset cable multiplier that enables you to share your music from any walkman, MP3 reader or audio system. In addition, it has an independent volume control for each headset. The SmartShare headset doubler is an ideal solution if you want to share your music with someone.

Features

- Cable: Headphones splitter
- Dimensions: 13.5 x 3.7 x 20.3 cm
- Weight: 91 g

Sony NWZ-A828 8GB MP3 Player

Sony has yetagain lived up to its reputation in the digital music player market with the NWZ-A828! The NWZ-A828 iscompatible with MP3, MP4 and MPEG4 and works on the Drag & Drop principle. Simplyslide your files into the internal memory to enjoy hours of music, photos store up to 1,850 songs or up to 30 hours of video for an expansive mobile multimedia collection that fits in the palm of your hand.andvideos. The NWZ-A828 is equipped with Bluetooth A2DPtechnology, meaning you can transfer and exchange data with other devices, anduses Windows Media Player 11 and Media Manager to manage your music collection.Music lovers will be swept off their feet with the Sony NWZ-A828!

Features: - Built-in Bluetoot® Connectivity - 8GB Built-in Memory - High Quality Video Playback - With up to 36 hours of audio playback 7 and up to 9 hours of video playback you don't have to worry about charging your player. - 2.4" QVGA LCD Screen - Allows for easy viewing of your videos and photos in either a portrait or landscape position. - Compatible with Secure Windows Media Audio - MP3/WMA/AAC Audio Codec Support - Time Machine Shuffle11 - Search for music on your Walkman® video player by All Songs, Album, Artist, Genre, Release Year, Folder and Playlists. - Operating System : Windows XP, SP2 or newer - Battery Life (Approx.) : Up to 36 Hours (Music: Approx. 36H7 Video: Approx. 10H8) - Dimensions: 50.2 x 93.6 x 9.3 mm - Weight: 65g

Cowon iAudio 7 16GB

The brand new iAudio 7 supports not only MP3 files as well as WMA, OGG and FLAC. Navigating through the iAudio 7's menus on the 1.3-inch LCD screen promises to be fun with the state of the art Swing Touch function which allows you to slide your thumb up and down to select your desired option. Also included is a FM radio tuner and recorder, voice recording and photo viewing capabilities.

Features: - Storage Capacity: 16GB - MP3, OGG, WMA,, ASF, FLAC, WAV, MPEG4 (video) playback - FM Radio listening and recording, voice recording, Line-In recording - 1.3 inch 160x128 dot, 260,000 color TFT LCD - Long Play Time: Up to 60 hours (Based on company test result) - Clock, Alarm, Scheduled Recording, Sleep Timer, Auto Power-Off - Dimensions: 7.6 x 3.5 x 1.9cm - Weight: 53g

Roberts Radio - Sound 40

The old-style FM radio is rapidly being replaced by multi-function devices that offer additional features such as digital broadcast reception. The Roberts Sound 40 admittedly forgoes Internet radio and media streaming but does offer an FM radio, DAB support, CD player and the ability to access media stored on SD cards.

At first glance it may not appear to be the most attractive of devices; some might argue that it resembles the appearance of a rather tacky modern kettle. This certainly won't be to everyone's taste but what the Sound 40 (CRD-40) lacks in aesthetic appeal it makes up for in usability and performance.

Setup is straightforward and, provided you have the aerial sufficiently extended when you turn the radio on for the first time, it automatically sets the time and then scans for and stores DAB stations. These can be browsed using what initially appears to be a confusing array of buttons placed haphazardly atop the device. Admittedly these would be rather difficult to find by feel but since most will be only used occasionally to set up and configure the various features it's not too much of a problem.

The main display makes tweaking settings pretty easy and, while it is quite basic, there's enough room here for a decent amount of information. This makes details such as the current station, genre and scrolling text reporting the currently playing song, artist or radio show particularly helpful and we were impressed by how accurate and responsive this was.

In addition to the DAB radio you'll also find an FM radio, though this takes longer to configure since you'll have to search for and store stations individually. Again, there's a nice array of information available provided the station is strong enough to maintain an RDS signal; you'll find the current frequency, station name and genre available at a glance.

The CD player is capable of handling standard audio CDs and discs burnt with collections of MP3 or WMA files. ID3tag information is shown where relevant and you'll find you can bookmark playback to continue where you left off and create playlists of tracks. There's also an SD card reader on the side to attach digital storage containing MP3 or WMA files for playback in a similar fashion.

Finally, the clock and range of configurable alarm functions, which includes a snooze button, let you configure the device as an alarm clock, and a light sensor will automatically adjust the display brightness according to the level of ambient light.

There's an impressive array of features here, then, and all of them are pretty accessible and easy to manage thanks to the large display and range of controls. Two large speakers mounted around the base and sides offer impressive sound which doesn't distort even at high volumes. In most cases the device can find and maintain a clear signal well, but a signal indicator will help you reposition it in a more suitable location if you're having problems.

Zen Mosaic for Creative

Creative has carved out a well-deserved reputation for producing high quality audio equipment and sound cards, and its Zen range of MP3 players has built up a solid fan base for those who can't afford or simply don't wish to follow the iPod route.The Zen Mosaic is essentially a replacement for the Zen V Plus and storage comes in the form of 2GB, 4GB, 8GB or 16GB of flash memory (the 16GB version due at the end of the summer). No prizes for guessing why they dreamed up the new name for this player, as the distinctive tiled design on the front comes in three colours: black, silver and pink.

It's designed to be ultra compact, fitting snugly and smoothly in your palm. It weighs in at a feather-light 43g and measures just 79.5mm x 40mm x 12.8mm. Instead of the usual touch control dial, Creative has opted for button controls, using nine of the mosaic tiles to guide you around the menus. Although this cleverly conceals the function keys, it also makes them virtually invisible to operate which could prove frustrating, especially in low light conditions.

In place of the V Plus's 1.5inch OLED screen, the Mosaic has a larger 1.8-inch LCD colour screen and an additional attraction is a built-in speaker which allows you to take your headphones out for a while and listen both to music and to the FM radio, the latter with up to 32 preset stations. One battery charge gives you a more than reasonable 32 hours of audio playback and you can perform voice recordings via the discreetly positioned microphone.

The price range is competitive, with the 2GB model costing £49.99 (and holding around 1,000 tracks), moving up to the 8,000-song 16GB version coming in at £119.99.

Designed to store photos and videos as well as music, the Mosaic comes with the new Creative Centrale software, a media management application that organizes, tags, creates playlists and transcodes video to AVI format. It swiftly and efficiently gathers all the relevant media folders on your hard drive and catalogues them, ready to be made into playlists. Supported audio formats include MP3, WMA, WMA-DRM 10 and Audible (Format 4).

The interface is the standard Zen menu system which is easy to navigate but is only Windows XP and Vista compatible. The only annoyance is there's no immediately accessible volume control so you have to dive into the menu every time you want to adjust it. The sound quality, however, is as exceptional as ever and for sheer listening pleasure you'll get maximum enjoyment for a small outlay.

Creative has also announced a number of useful peripherals including a Docking Speaker System, a soft pouch with carabiner clip, an armband and the set of all three skins.