Sony Walkman WH series (Price TBA; sony.co.in)
In the Walkman W series, Sony has been incorporating tiny music players into some very trendy earphones. With the WH series, Sony takes it to the next level. Available with 4GB of internal memory under the name NWZ-WH303, or with 16GB of internal memory under the name NWZ-WH505, the WH series promises beautiful headphones in either black or white with built-in MP3 players. But they don’t stop there. Pull the caps off the headphones and you can turn them into xLoud tech speakers with Virtualphones surround sound. Apart from great sound, these 3-in-1 devices also pack solid batteries that give you 20 hours of playback on full charge.
SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip (From Rs 5,200; ebay.in)
CNET describes the SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip as the Swiss Army Knife of mp3 players. That is because it plays almost any audio format, works with audiobook and subscription music services, lets you tune into FM radio and because it also works as an audio recorder. The Clip Zip is built with a very wearable clip design which makes it the ideal choice for travelling and at the gym. Despite its compact body, the player has a 1.1-inch colour display, is available with 4GB or 8GB of internal memory that can be expanded up to 32GB using a microSD card.
Cowon X9 (From Rs 11,025; flipkart.com)
At a time when most Portable Multimedia Players seem to be jumping on to the Android bandwagon, the X9 from Cowon takes a different route. The first thing that will strike you about the X9 is its unique user interface. Available in black or white colours with 8GB, 16GB or 32GB of internal flash memory that can be extended using a MicroSD card, the X9 has a 4.3-inch touch screen display. It packs a solid battery that will give you 110 hours of audio playback and 13 hours of video playback on a single charge. With its custom equalisers, the X9 explains why audiophiles prefer dedicated music players.
Philips GoGear RaGa (From Rs 2739/ flipkart.com)
Available in different colours and with 4GB or 8GB internal memory, and a one-inch full colour LCD display, the GoGear RaGa from Philips is a compact, stylist music player that weighs just 24 grams. Capable of playing practically any audio format, the RaGa packs a 220mAh battery which means you get 22 hours of music playback and eight hours of FM radio on a single charge. When the battery runs out, using the Fast Charge feature you can get 90 minutes of playback from just a five-minute charge. Comes with six preset equaliser settings like Hip-Hop and Jazz.