The days of the Sony Walkman are well and truly gone. Although one can get a bit sentimental when the sound of a tape being chewed brings back memories of those chunky cassette players with the itchy foam headphones, it is unanimous that the latest developments in technology are far superior in many different ways. The tape chewing was secondary to the skin crawling texture of the headphones and the diabolical sound quality of old school portable audio. Now with creations such as the iPod Nano, crystal clear sound quality can be delivered in ultra-slim models and even phones. This article delivers an objective review of the cutting edge releases in portable audio. Now for 30GBP the world is at your feet with 2GB of memory space, enough for hundreds of tracks, or the equivalent of a rucksack filled with cassettes. The Philips GoGear SA2820 2GB MP3 player can be yours, delivering ultra-compact model with acceptable sound quality, although it is a little heavy on the bass. The only problem that generally comes with small packages is that the controls are very fiddly and the display is hard to see in direct sunlight. The size and price are great however you get what you pay for and you cannot really complain for 30GBP. Portable audio devices are in danger of being obsolete due to combination generations of phones that can do everything bar brush your teeth. One of the latest models which has been heavily marketed on musical features is the Sony Erikson W380i which costs around 80GBP unconnected however this varies depending on contract. The phone boasts FM radio, GSM, 1.2 megapixel camera, Li-ion battery and Braille playback keys so is not just all about the music. It is cost effective however very simple and features such as the camera are not up to scratch. The headset as a basic walkman is acceptable however the whole product is somewhat of an anticlimax. It is simple to use however that is because there is a real lack of features to complicate the model, but as a portable audio device it is ok. Fresh off the portable audio devices press is the Samsung Q1 and U4 MP3 players which are being billed as the best sound quality in any MP3 player. They are yet to be priced and are to be launched in October 2008. They have a 2.4 inch LCD display, 2 or 4 gig hard disk and it supports MP3, WMA, OGG. The sound quality is yet be tested so watch this space.
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