So you’re buying a media player for someone this Christmas (or you’re just treating yourself to one) but you (not unlike our News Editor) can’t tell a MP3 player’s arse from it’s elbow. Don’t despair, we at Toms are here to tell you that buying a media player is like buying a fine wine. More often than not, the more expensive, the better However, this is not always the case so our intrepid editors have taken it upon themselves to compile what they believe to be this seasons top notch Media Players.

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Sony NW-A800 series

Sony’s media player is an affordable choice for those wishing to give their loved ones music on the move. The smooth form factor sported by the A800 series is a modified version of the popular NW-3000, expanding on it with a 2” full colour screen. This it uses for both video playback and picture viewing. The real draw here is the audio, with Sony providing its usual excellent sound quality for music lovers. With models ranging between 2GB and 8GB the NW-A800 series isn’t the best option for those who want movies on the go, its hard drive space limits it to music videos and the occasional television show episode.

What it does it does very well though, with a display that is clear and bright, as well as adjustable to allow either landscape or portrait display to maximise space usage. On the audio side of things the NW-A800 series feature a complete customisable equaliser for those who like to tweak their music to best effect, and the included pair of headphones are surprisingly high quality. Sony’s SonicStage software ensures maximum use of the space provided by each of the NW-A800 models, but is unfortunately Windows only, and no option exists for the NW-A800s to be used like an external hard-drive with drag and drop support.

The NW-A800 series is an excellent media player for those who love their music more than anything else while on the go, and the mixture of sleek design and high quality output means that it will be enjoyed regardless of how scrutinizing the recipient is about their audio.