My Arcade Bases Loaded Pocket Player - Collectible Handheld Game Console with 7 Games (DGUNL-3278)

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i-Box’s portable DAB is one of the most popular radios available on the market. Since the establishment of the brand in 2012, i-Box have always had a strong focus on high quality audio and attractive styling. You should also consider recharging options: would you rather charge the radio via USB or use batteries?

Yes, once you own a DAB radio it doesn’t cost anything to listen to digital radio (except for the electricity costs of recharging your radio). Some people enjoy listening to MP3 players when they work out, so they don't have their phone with them. Whether that's also to keep calls and messages at bay or keep their phone safe. These radios are popular among people staying in hospital for extended periods of time as well as people with solitary jobs, for example postal workers. Sony describes its NW-WS413 as the “ultimate training partner” and we’re not about to disagree – we gave it a five-star review when it came out. The unusual design is both music player and earphones in one, and while its head-hugging design holds firmly in place while jogging or cycling, it’s also completely waterproof to a depth of 2m so can be used in the pool.

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We have state-of-the-art testing facilities in London, Reading and Bath, where our team of experienced, in-house reviewers tests the majority of hi-fi and AV kit that passes through our door, including the higher-end portable music players that might well be used in a portable hi-fi or desktop scenario. However, this is a capable hi-res player worthy of your consideration if your budget doesn’t stretch to the more premium Astell & Kern SR35 player above. The interface is easy to control. Tap through options using the touchscreen, and select the music you want to listen to. It could be more responsive, but you get used to it. Battery life is around nine hours, which isn't amazing, but not terrible either. It supports a huge range of formats, including DSD(DFF, DSF, ISO), FLAC, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, APE, MP3, WMA, OGG and DCF. Music sounds brilliant and with Bluetooth, you can listen on a range of different devices. Although there's no Wi-Fi streaming available.

And there's style to match the substance, with manufacturers also competing on design to deliver players that look as good as they sound. Fan of brutalist architecture? Astell & Kern is the name for you. Something a bit more colorful? See SanDisk or Sony. Want something about the size of a matchbox? Cowon's Plenue D3 is the one – see them all in our guide above. Why do people still use MP3 players? Speaking of phones, you may find the touchscreen to be a little sluggish, compared to what you’re used to, but with some patience, it’s easy enough to navigate for anyone familiar with the Android launcher. If you can overlook these minor flaws, the Sony NW-A306 is more than worthy of the Walkman legacy and a great way to enjoy your favourite music. Most important in our reviewing process is that each product is compared with the best in its price and class. What Hi-Fi?is all about comparative testing, so we keep our Award winners nearby to enable comparisons between new products and ones we know perform highly in the category.But all of the products in this list have one thing in common: excellent sound quality. And if you're here, that is probably the aspect that's most important to you in a portable MP3 player. How we test portable music players Others might not have a great deal of space on their phone if it's an older model, so want to store music elsewhere, and some people might not want to use up battery or data when they're on the move. No, DAB radio doesn’t require an internet connection. You use it just like you would listen to FM radio. The Sony player is adept enough to turn its hand to various genres and can even discern the differences in file qualities, while all sounding comfortable to listen to for long periods. It's a pleasingly detailed and clean performance. In fact, there’s a familial throughline from the high-end NW-WM1ZM2 player to the A306 in terms of how mature and evenly balanced it sounds. It can also play at loud volumes without ever sounding harsh or confused. We'd like more dynamic punch and drive to songs that need it though; the Sony can sound a touch reserved when a song demands outright fun or aggression.

While digital radio is growing in popularity, many people still find they can get better reception on AM/FM radio. The Sony Walkman has long been a staple of the MP3 player market, and this latest model keeps the brand firmly in the game. The Sony NW-A306 is a remarkably petite and light device, but still capable of putting out powerful, authoritative audio with a wealth of detail. You’ll get the best results using decent headphones and playing high-resolution files – lower-quality headphones and compressed files lose a lot of the detail, to the point where you may as well be using a smartphone. Whilst we will do everything we can to meet the delivery times above, there may be factors outside of our control and we cannot guarantee delivery within this time frame.Of course, these can be considered optional extras; experimental paths that can be taken or completely ignored. After all, the SE180 is an all-in-one player in itself, with the default module containing the ESS ES9038PRO DAC. It supports 32-bit/384kHz PCM, native DSD256 andMQAaudio and has 2.5mm, 3.5mm and 4.4mm outputs to cater for a wide range of headphones. If you live in the UK, you will normally be able to receive all of the popular BBC and commercial stations such as Radio 4, Radio 5 Live, TalkSport etc. as well as at least 10 extra stations you wouldn’t get on an AM/FM. There are other benefits: if you’re out and about without your phone charger, playing music through a portable music player isn’t going to drain your phone’s battery. You’ll also be able to take your entire music collection with you, without filling up smartphone storage that you’d rather use for apps, photos and videos. With built-in wi-fi as well as direct access to streaming service apps in its menu, the SE180 doesn’t make hard work of your music however you would like to play it.Whether you consider the modular design valuable or not, even straight from the box, the SE180 is among the best performance-per-pound offerings in the company’s line-up. If you need a device for your workouts, look for one that’s small, light and ideally water and sweat-proof. The Sony NW-WS415 in this list is a definite winner on that front, and can also be used for swimming if that’s more your thing.