iriver T30 MX 1GB

More pocketable than the SanDisk Sansa and much more flexible than the iPod shuffle, this is a fine choice if the iPod nano is out of your budget. The metallic cherry red case is not only attractive, it's sturdy too, and the 16.5-hour battery life is great. Unlike the iPod's, this battery is a single AAA cell. Armed with a pack of these, you'll be able to listen to music through a long holiday away from electricity, freeing you from recharging hassles.

Audio quality will keep you happy too. With the decent bundled earphones, we enjoyed the funky bassline of James Brown's Sex Machine as much as Gaz's vocals on Supergrass' Moving. We needed to adjust the SRS settings and boost the mid-to-high range, but once set there was nothing to complain about.

Finding these settings was easy, as the navigation buttons are logically arranged around the clear, bright screen. Similarly, cueing up a track is no problem, and we found the dedicated volume buttons responsive. Volume is loud, which helps when you use the line-out mini-jack connection. It's a great flash player, especially if you opt for the better-value 1GB version.