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Below is a carefully selected list of the best MP3 players, Portable Media Players, Earphones, Wireless Audio Systems and DAB digital radios.
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Like anything in life, you get what you pay for. We stock lots of players below £30 in price. There’s nothing wrong with these players, but in our opinion, it’s worth spending £10 or £15 more for the better quality players we’ve recommended below. We promise that you’ll thank us in a year’s time when your player is still going strong, and continuing to pump out your favourite songs. |
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| Made by iRiver (Ferrari of the MP3 player manufacturers) |
- Average rating of 5/5 by previous customers
- Built in USB connector. No need for a cable!
- Plays all the main music formats and has an FM radio
- Simple, easy to use with great sound quality
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| Sensational sound and tiny size! |
- The best sound quality of any player in this price bracket
- Plays WMA DRM and even Audible audio book files
- FM tuner
- Voice recording via built in microphone
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| M-I-C, K-E-Y, M-O-U-S-E |
- Mickey Mouse design by Disney.
- Unique controls with twistable ears for volume and track change.
- Available in black, pink and vanilla!
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At this price range, you should expect 4 - 8GB of internal memory (enough to store up to around 2400 music tracks). Nearly all of the players in this price range can play movies as well as music, and many will have unique features such as memory expansion slots, removable batteries or Bluetooth. |
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| L-Player is iRiver’s new portable media player – with video, incredible sound quality, minimalist design featuring iRiver's superb, user-friendly D*Click interface. |
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We’re getting into the premium end of the market now, think Aston Martin, Lamborghini and Porsche territory. All of these players combine excellent sound quality with class leading design and features. |
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| Manufactured by Cowon Systems from Korea, famous for the best sound quality and packing their players with features and customisation |
- The iAudio 7 is the player you should choose if you want the best sound quality
- The player’s screen can play movies, but it’s too small for this in practical terms – you buy this player because you want the best audio reproduction and customisation options
- Other memory sizes available - click here
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| With the "S" Range of Sony MP4 players, you will have access to FREE content from the BBC and Napster. |
- Compatible with BBC iPlayer. Download and watch content up to 7 days after broadcast.
- Free 3 month Napster trial.
- Superior sound quality.
- Battery life up to 40 hours.
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If you want the best player, this is the price range to look at. These players combine excellence with something unique – some unique feature such as Bluetooth, a DAB digital radio or WIFI, to make you want to pay that bit extra for them. |
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| Probably The Best Sounding MP3 Player Ever. |
- Display - 16 million colours, 3.3" 16:9 Wide AMOLED, 480x272 Features Capacitive touchscreen interface
- Max output Stereo, Left 29mW + Right 29mW
- Battery Life 55 hours audio, 11 hours video
- Other memory sizes available - click here.
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| iRiver have taken the best player they can physically make and then added a revolutionary operating system that makes everything else seem clumsy. |
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| Top of the range player with built-in Wi-Fi! Use the Wi-Fi connection to stream & download content from a home network, or chat to friends using MSN Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger clients. |
- X-Fi Technology restores the quality of compressed music.
- SD Card Memory expansion slot.
- Immerse yourself in the brilliant 2.5" TFT screen with 16.7 million colors as you watch your movies and view your pictures.
- Other memory sizes available - click here
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Portable Media Players or PMPs as they are often known, are designed for playing back movies. Compared to normal MP3 players, they feature much larger screens (generally 4” and above) and are ideal for travelling or taking on holiday (you won’t believe how fast a flight can go with one of these). |
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| If the Cowon iAudio Q5 was a super car, it would be the Bugatti Veyron. Technologically advanced, super powerful, exclusive, and reassuringly expensive. |
- The Q5 is not so much an MP3 player or even a Portable Media Player, it’s more akin to an ultra-mobile media PC.
- Built in Wi-Fi, Wireless Internet Support
- Multi-codec Video Playback (AVI, ASF, WMV, MPG, OGM, DivX, XviD, MPEG4, WMV 7/8/9)
- Bluetooth Headphone Support
- Other memory sizes available - click here
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| Uncompromised Web surfing in the palm of your hand |
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| Based on the adaptable and flexible solid state flash memory, the O2 is incredibly robust and isn't affected by jarring, bumps or knocks. |
- Da Vinci chipset maximizes playback of all supported video files
- 4.3” 16.7 million colour TFT screen
- Huge Video file compatibility: AVI, WMV, ASF, MP4, MATROSKA(MKV),MPG/MPEG, DAT, MTV, (DivX 3.11/4/5/6, XviD, MPEG-4 SP/ASP, WMV 9/8/7, H.264 MP, M-JPEG, MPEG 1/2)
- Other memory sizes available - click here
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| It redefines the high-end portable device with its ultra-thin design and a black stainless steel body, a high resolution 5” touch screen, combined with the horsepower of a laptop from the world’s first implementation of the ARM® Cortex™ superscalar microp |
- Full Web surfing, including Flash, with high-speed browsing and full email application.
- Your entire digital library in a thin handheld tablet.
- Playback all your content on TV.
- Record TV with included TV program guide.
- Other memory sizes available - Click here.
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From tiny speakers that pack a mighty punch to the latest in e-book technology that'll make you think you are in the future, we've got a unique selection of gadgets and gifts for every budget! |
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| Vibram FiveFingers is different than any other footwear on the planet. Not only does it bring you closer to nature, it delivers a number of positive health benefits—by leveraging all of the body’s biomechanics so you can move as nature intended. |
- Individual toe slots enhance dexterity, control and stability to deliver a natural walking motion
- Thin, abrasion-resistant polyamide stretch fabric fits low on feet and offers quick-drying comfort
- Rip-and-stick closures at heels and insteps provide a comfortable, secure fit and keep shoes on in fast-moving water
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| Popcorn Hour A-110 allows you to pull in digital video, audio and photos from various sources for your enjoyment on your HDTV or Home Theater setup. |
- Stream or playback your digital media content from a variety of sources.
- Supports peer-to-peer Internet TV streaming technology from SayaTV, as well as popular unicast internet TV such as YouTube.
- Serves as a NAS and a BitTorrent peer-to-peer downloader.
- 500GB SATA HDD included.
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| With the A2 speaker system, Audioengine have managed to duplicate the signature sound of their flagship A5‘s in a much smaller package perfectly suited for your desktop or a smaller space in your home or office. |
- 2 audio inputs (RCA and mini-jack)
- Built-in power amps (left speaker)
- Hand-built cabinets with high-gloss finish.
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| The Dane-Elec Zpen is a unique device that will convert your handwriting into digital text! |
- Write notes, drawings and tables with Zpen on any type of paper
- Download your notes directly onto your computer (PC/Mac/Linux) to read them on screen
- Find keywords in your notes easily, thanks to Note Search, a cutting-edge software that uses a real Search Engine
- Convert
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| If you love books, you’ll love the new Reader from Sony. Invented especially for book lovers, Reader is the best way to enjoy the new generation of electronic books |
- Choose from around 25 000 titles available from waterstones.com.
- Store up to 160 books at a time on your Reader.
- E-Ink display with no back-lighting, gives a near 180 degree viewing angle
- Over 7500 page turns on a single charge.
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| Play your favourite music through the radio without cables and without installation. |
- Range: 5-10 m.
- One AAA battery lasts up to 30hrs.
- Includes car cigarette lighter adapter.
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A good set of earphones is the best way to improve the audio performance of your MP3 player. All of the earphones below are in the budget end of the market but will substantially improve the sound quality of your MP3 player compared to the earphones supplied with an MP3 player as standard. |
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| Denon's entry level earphone provides high quality audio to suit any budget. |
- Sound isolating canal-type inner ear headphones.
- Reduce ambient noise allowing you to enjoy more of the music than ever before.
- Denon's Acoustic Optimizer creates a powerful sound with a dynamic clear bass.
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The premium earphone market is dominated by Shure, Sennheiser, Denon and Ultimate Ears. Why not treat yourself to a set of earphones that allows your MP3 player to show its true quality? Earphones in this price category feature superb sound clarity, bass response and comfortable design. |
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| The Denon AH-C551 inner-ear stereo headphones are machined from a high quality aluminium. |
- Acoustic optimizer structure, to bring out ideal acoustic characteristics.
Canal-type inner ear headphones reduce ambient noise and lets you enjoy the music more. Gold-plated stereo mini jack.
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| The JayBird Wireless Headset is designed to disappear and be forgotten no matter what the activity or setting. |
- Lifetime warranty against sweat.
- Secure on-ear fit for any activity.
- Pair your headset with your phone and other device simultaneously.
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| Ergonomic and lightweight sound isolating earphones offer the most accurate audio reproduction. |
- Shure earphones provide excellent balanced sound with plenty of bass and a superb fit.
- Sound Isolating Design.
- 2-Year Limited Warranty.
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| Used by artists such as The Rolling Stones and Robbie Williams. |
- Ultimate Ears earphones are some of the best earphones money can buy. The super.fi 5EB are mid-range in the Ultimate Ears range and are a great balance between quality and price.
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If money is no object, these earphones will deliver superb sound - you’ll hear instruments and vocals you never heard before in your music tracks. |
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| These Shure earphones are optimised for listening to high quality recordings and lossless formats. |
- They Feature three balanced armature driers per earphone (one dedicated tweeter and dual woofers) to produce superb rich sound reproduction.
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| The AH-D5000 has been designed for music lovers who want to enjoy a realistic sound in complete peace. |
- Employs housing made of natural wood with superior acoustic characteristics that are rich with a broad, natural sound.
- Microfibre has been used to form the diaphragm so that it faithfully reproduces the sonic details and delicate reverberations that occur in concert halls.
- Light-weight magnesium frame lets listeners enjoy maximum comfort during extended listening sessions.
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| These are the closest earphones to the personal monitor earphones professional studio artists like The Killers and The Rolling Stones use. |
- With three micro-speakers per earphone, every aspect of sound reproduction is represented to the highest quality.
- Professional sound quality.
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Don’t trap your music and video in your MP3 player or PC – with the systems below, you can free your digital music and video files and listen/watch them in any room of your house. The best bit is that all of these systems are really easy to set-up. |
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| All you need is a wireless Internet Router and a set of speakers and you’re good to go. |
- Place the Squeezebox Duet in any room of your house, connect some speakers and your entire music collection, streamed wirelessly from your PC, can be played instantly.
- Supports all of the main audio formats and can even stream Internet radio stations.
- The market leader with excellent customer support.
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| With the Squeezebox Boom you can connect to your home WiFi network and wirelessly access all the content on your computer, access Internet radio and online music services, and play it all with the superb, powerful built-in speakers. |
- 30-watt digital amplifier and speakers: Enjoy big, rich, vibrant sound that will satisfy even the most discriminating ears.
- SqueezeNetwork™ online music service: Gives you access to world of music, including services such as Last.fm™, MP3tunes, RadioTime, Radio IO and Live365.
- Music everywhere: Add more Squeezebox players and listen to a different song on each one, or synchronize them to hear the same music in every room.
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| With thousands of radio stations to choose from, welcome to the world of WiFi Internet Radio. |
- The Blik RadioStation combines both a DAB Digital Radio and Internet Radio in a single unit. Listen to thousands of radio stations from all around the world - including virtually all of the UK’s most popular stations along with thousands from around the world
- The Blik RadioStation can also stream music stored on your PC to anywhere in your house.
- With rock solid build quality and the ability to double as a portable speaker system for iPods or other MP3 players, the Blik is a great all rounder.
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The first thing you’ve got to decide is whether you want your DAB digital radio to be fixed or portable. If it’s going to be fixed, where are you going to put it? If it’s going to be by your bedside, you’ll be wanting one with a built in clock radio so that you can wake up to music. Or perhaps you want a DAB radio more suited to the kitchen. With over 50 model to choose from, we’ve got your perfect digital radio. |
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| The world's first solar powered DAB radio. |
- Solar, battery or mains powered.
- Built-in rechargeable battery pack
- Once fully charged, the batteries power the radio for up to 27 hours.
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| The Ecologic 1 is a superb idea - a great Roberts digital radio product, with an inbuilt AA battery charger! |
- DAB/FM wavebands.
- 10 station presets.
- Easy to read 16 x 2 character LCD display.
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| As well as a DAB clock radio, the iDream houses an iPod dock, allowing you to charge and listen to your iPod. You can even wake up to your favourite tune, from your iPod's library! |
- Dock for iPod – listen to your iPod whilst it charges.
- Two independent alarms – wake to iPod, radio or buzzer.
- Infra red remote control.
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