Labs

Sony invented portable audio with its Walkman brand, and this latest model is probably the finest example the company has produced to date. Weighing 53g and just 9mm thick, it gives the iPod nano a run for its money in the compactness stakes, though it's nowhere near as good-looking. The 2-inch screen displays MPEG-4 videos as well as photos, album artwork and track information. The decent screen size makes it easy to browse your music, and despite the lack of a rotary scrolling controller, finding

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a specific artist, album or track is extremely quick.

USB transfers speeds were disappointing at 1.19Mbit/sec in our tests, and the slightly cumbersome SonicStage software didn't help matters. The Image Converter software is much better, though, automatically converting image and video files to the correct format and resolution to give superb quality, hassle-free video playback. The screen looks sharp and vibrant, but two inches is still too small to watch a full-length TV programme.

Fortunately, music is just as enjoyable on the A805. The player sounded clean and focused, with comprehensive, problem-free EQ functions. The bundled headphones were by far the best on test, with an astonishingly detailed performance and tons of deep bass. They were also pretty effective at reducing background noise, though not as much as active noise-cancelling headphones.

The A805's Achilles heel is its 2GB capacity. The A806 and A808 take this to 4 or 8GB, but at £140 and £180 they're still uncompetitive. Given the superb headphones, though, you may be tempted.