If you are wondering whether to buy a dedicated MP3 player or a multifunction mobile phone you have a tough decision to make. Music players are facing stiff competition from top-end phones that can play not only music but video as well. But the dedicated MP3 player still justifies its place in your pocket with better sound quality and easier operation, as our tests discovered.

InGear trialled six of the best models, listening to a wide range of music at a variety of sound-quality levels through standard headphones in addition to the supplied pair. The first thing to note was how much MP3 players had improved on those of just two years ago. Even the cheapest of today’s players, such as the SanDisk Sansa Clip at £25, boast the functions, sound quality and storage of music machines that cost five times as much in 2006.

Established manufacturers have responded by offering products that are cleverer and more sophisticated. Apple’s swanky iPod Touch, for example, tempts buyers not with its price but with built-in wi-fi and the excellent internet browser and touchscreen menus of the even more expensive iPhone.

Another recent advance is the ability to show photos and video clips. All of the machines we tested, with the exception of the tiny SanDisk and Creative players, were able to do this. The one feature that hasn’t necessarily improved is sound quality. In fact, in some cases it has worsened. The iPod has dominated the market since its launch in 2001, yet the player’s sound quality has deteriorated as it has shrunk in size and added features, especially when compared with the competition.

All of the players on test used flash memory rather than the hard drives that featured in older machines. The result is the players are now more resilient but their storage capacities have shrunk. Typically an 8GB player will hold 2,000 songs, though it depends on the quality and the format in which the music is compressed on a computer before being transferred to the player. The only model we tested that exceeded this was the iPod Touch 16GB but much of the extra capacity will soon be eaten up by large video files. An important consideration when choosing a player to buy is the audio formats it can handle. If you listen to MP3 only, no problem, but if you prefer the better sound of AAC, or even lossless files (see Jargon buster), you may have a nasty surprise, since several players cannot handle it.

The mechanism for sifting through and selecting music has proven to be the Achilles heel of many music players, and the trademark iPod scroll wheel is a big part of its rock-star success. It is odd, then, that Apple has ditched it on some iPods, including the Touch, just as rival players have started to find ways to compensate with combinations of buttons and, in the case of the Samsung, touchscreen menus.

The biggest factor in Apple’s success is the iTunes software that gives users unparalleled access to songs, videos and podcasts and that only iPods will work with. No other suite is as flexible and easy to operate but the gap is closing. All the nonApple players work with Windows Media Player and can also be loaded up by simply dragging and dropping a folder of music files on a computer. Finally, as most MP3 players feature an in-built rechargeable battery, consider the cost of replacement when it dies. Otherwise your pocket rocket may have a financial sting in its tail.

Reviews by David Price. All prices include Vat & delivery

JARGON BUSTER

Codec Type of compression used to make music files a more manageable size. The most common is MP3 but Microsoft has its own standard, known as WMA, while Apple uses a variant of another, called AAC. Audio-book downloads are usually supplied in a codec known as Audible.

Hard drive Older MP3 players had a built-in hard drive to store their music. Newer models have flash-memory chips, as used by digital cameras

Lossless Type of codec (see above) that can compress music files from a CD without reducing sound quality. The best known is FLAC, but Apple has its own format, called ALAC.

RETURN OF THE KING

Sony Walkman NWZA818 8GB – typically £129, or £100 from Play.com

Well made with superb sound; a class act

This Walkman challenges the iPod Nano in several respects, and first and foremost is audio. The Sony sounded so vibrant and powerful that it made both iPods seem anaemic. The oblong-shaped body weighs less than 2oz and the battery delivered 30hr of music or 8hr of video. Its classy 2in display was topped by only the iPod Touch, with which it shares the neat trick of reorienting if tipped 90 degrees to show a photo. Previous Sony Walkmans had awful navigation, limited file support and clunky, PC-only software. This Sony fixes most of this: navigation has been made less fiddly, and it can play most audio formats. The metal finish felt plasticky, though, and the lack of iTunes compatibility grated. Overall, a powerful rival to the iPod.

FOR GADGET FANS

Apple iPod Touch 16GB – typically £269, or £234 from shop/BT.com

Excellent gizmo but with no sonic boon

Those who enjoy video or the web on the move will love this top-end iPod. Its glass and chrome case and touchscreen controls are stunning and the wi-fi web browser is excellent. The large, scratch-resistant 3.5in screen switches to landscape if tilted. Its battery dished up 5hr of movies or 20hr of music. The Touch’s screen was susceptible to fingermarks, though, and like the Nano the device supports limited types of video. Sound quality was decent, albeit lacking bass, but the single navigation button made changing volume or track a bit of a faff. As a canvas for images or web browsing, the Touch is superlative. As a music machine, it has flaws.

SNAPPY SOUNDS

Sandisk Sansa Clip 1GB – typically £32, or £25 from Amazon.co.uk

Surprisingly capable entry-level option

This matchbox-sized music machine costs about half as much as an iPod Shuffle and has the advantage of a neat two-colour screen with four lines of legible text. Navigation was easy, helped by a clear, back-lit screen. Sound quality was excellent, especially for dance or R&B but less so for classical. There is a rough-sounding FM radio and voice recorder, too, but it’s music that matters, and the battery delivered 15hr of it. A removable belt clip dominates the Sandisk’s rear, but the 10z player is eminently pocketable. The plastic casing soon showed up scratches but a bigger drawback is how few audio formats it plays (MP3, WMA and Audible). Still, it’s remarkable value.

STYLE GURU

Apple iPod Nano 8GB – typically £129, or £117 from Amazon.co.uk

Polished mini-player with insipid audio

This Nano is wider at 2in than its predecessor, accommodating a new 2in screen that can show video. The smart metal casing is better finished, too, with a chrome back and tapered edges, and Apple has wisely retained the trademark iPod click wheel. This made it child’s play to swoosh through a music library, and the “Cover Flow” feature lets you browse by album cover. As ever, the ace in the hole was Apple’s class-leading iTunes software. The battery provided 24hr of music or 4hr of video. The audio has improved, sounding clean and detailed, yet it lacked the punch of some far cheaper rivals. Still, an excellent package.

TOUCH OF ECONOMY

Samsung YP-P2JAB 4GB – typically £110, or £100 from www.empiredirect.co.uk

Cool features, poorly executed

If you find buttons or headphone cables a fiddle, you will like the touchscreen operation and Bluetooth cordless earphones on this Samsung. The 3in screen can switch to landscape for widescreen video action, and image quality was great. The touch screen worked well, though without the Apple’s speed or flexibility. The YP-P2’s greatest strength is the smooth, powerful sound with trenchant bass. Battery life was 30hr for audio, 4hr for video, but at 3oz this player felt heavier than it looked. Wire-free listening was easy to set up via Bluetooth but did seriously impair sound quality. However, the Samsung’s biggest disappointment was its lack of support for some common audio formats, including AAC. A poor man’s iPod Touch.

DASHING PEBBLE

Creative Zen Stone Plus 2GB – typically £50, or £35 from www.play.com

Swanky little player with weak battery

This pebble-sized audio player is sold in a choice of six colours and features a neat display that shows what you are listening to. The 2GB Creative is surprisingly versatile, boasting an FM radio, a stopwatch and a voice recorder. The five-way controller gives easy access to all the main features and at just ¾oz it will disappear into a pocket. The sound was refreshingly crisp and lively, despite the modest price tag, but the battery lasted only a feeble 3hr, and like the Sandisk the Zen Stone supports few audio formats (MP3, WMA and Audible). A nice design and decent value but poor battery life lets it down.