Sony NWZ-A15

Sony’s entry-level player includes much of the same tech as its more expensive brothers, including NFC and a system to reduce noise in high frequency ranges. OK, so the NWZ-A15 packs less internal memory ( 16GB) than its rivals on these pages, but there’s a Micro SD card slot for adding more. Battery life is excellent, with around 30 hours of Hi- Res playback.

£153, sony.co.uk