Shop for portable audio devices

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0.5 stars out of 1 review

The Bottom Line: The seventh-generation iPod Nano is an incredibly compact portable media player with gym-friendly features, but it's overshadowed by the superior value of Apple's iPod Shuffle and fourth-generation iPod Touch. Read review

Specs: 16 GB, 2.5 in, 30 hour(s), 1.1 oz, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion, 16 GB, Audible AAX+, Audible AAX, Apple Lossless, WAV, HE-AAC, MP3, Protected AAC, AIFF, Audible, AAC

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 2 reviews

The Bottom Line: The seventh-generation iPod Nano is an incredibly compact portable media player with gym-friendly features, but it's overshadowed by the superior value of Apple's iPod Shuffle and fourth-generation iPod Touch. Read review

Specs: 16 GB, 2.5 in, 30 hour(s), 1.1 oz, 16 GB, AIFF, MP3, HE-AAC, Apple Lossless, Audible, Protected AAC, WAV, Audible AAX+, AAC, Audible AAX, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 12 reviews

The Bottom Line: The iPod Classic refines the formula that put the iPod on the map. None can match its combination of storage capacity, battery life, and intuitive user interface. Read review

Specs: 160 GB, 2.5 in, 36 hour(s), 4.9 oz, Apple Lossless, WAV, HE-AAC, MP3, AIFF, Audible, AAC, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 10 reviews

The Bottom Line: The iPod Classic refines the formula that put the iPod on the map. None can match its combination of storage capacity, battery life, and intuitive user interface. Read review

Specs: 160 GB, 2.5 in, 36 hour(s), 4.9 oz, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion, Apple Lossless, MP3, AIFF, Audible, WAV, AAC

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.7 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 16 reviews

The Bottom Line: The Zoom H4n is a mobile recording dynamo with features that outperform competitors that cost twice as much. It is an outstanding value for musicians and podcasters who demand professional-sounding results. Read review

Specs: Digital voice recorder, Mono, 9.9 oz, LCD

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: The Apple iPod Shuffle is an adorable way to take your favorite songs on the go, but sometimes it's too small for its own good. Read review

Specs: 2 GB, 15 hour(s), 0.4 oz, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion, Audible AAX+, MP3, Protected AAC, Audible AAX, AIFF, Apple Lossless, AAC, WAV, 2 GB

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: The Apple iPod Shuffle is an adorable way to take your favorite songs on the go, but sometimes it's too small for its own good. Read review

Specs: 2 GB, 15 hour(s), 0.4 oz, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion, 2 GB, Audible AAX+, MP3, Protected AAC, Audible AAX, AIFF, Apple Lossless, Audible, AAC, WAV

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.5 stars Spectacular

  Overall score: 9.0 (4.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 142 reviews

The Bottom Line: The second-generation iPod Touch includes features that are light-years ahead of the competition, its design has improved, and its price has finally come down to earth. Read review

Specs: 8 GB, 3.5 in, 36 hour(s), 4.1 oz, 8 GB, Apple Lossless, WAV, MP3, AIFF, Audible, AAC, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.7 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 31 reviews

The Bottom Line: Though the updates are subtle, the third-generation iPod Touch still leaves its competitors in the dust. Read review

Specs: 8 GB, 3.5 in, 30 hour(s), 4.1 oz, 8 GB, Apple Lossless, WAV, MP3, AIFF, Audible, AAC, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.3 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 10 reviews

The Bottom Line: The iPod Shuffle's buttons are back, and the lightest, smallest MP3 player on the planet is now better than ever. Read review

Specs: 2 GB, 15 hour(s), 0.4 oz, 1, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion, 2 GB, MP3, AIFF, Apple Lossless, Audible, AAC, WAV

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 440 reviews

The Bottom Line: The Microsoft Zune, with its intuitive interface and solid playback performance, will please most users. But lukewarm format support and the cool but limited Wi-Fi capability will have advanced users seeking more. The Zune is a very good start, though. Read review

Specs: 30 GB, 3 in, 14 hour(s), 5.6 oz, MP3, WMA, AAC, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 38 reviews

The Bottom Line: The sixth generation of the iPod Nano is the smallest yet, but it comes at the expense of valuable features and practical controls. Read review

Specs: 8 GB, 1.54 in, 24 hour(s), 0.7 oz, Audible AAX+, Audible AAX, Apple Lossless, WAV, HE-AAC, MP3, AIFF, Audible, AAC, 1, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion, 8 GB

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 29 reviews

The Bottom Line: The SanDisk Sansa Fuze is a great value; a slim design, a simple interface, plentiful features, memory expansion capability, and solid sound quality all come with an easy-to-swallow price tag. Read review

Specs: 2 GB, 1.9 in, 24 hour(s), 2.1 oz, WMA, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, MP3, FLAC, Audible, 2 GB, Player battery - Rechargeable

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: The Apple iPod Shuffle is an adorable way to take your favorite songs on the go, but sometimes it's too small for its own good. Read review

Specs: 2 GB, 15 hour(s), 0.4 oz, Audible AAX+, MP3, Protected AAC, Audible AAX, AIFF, Apple Lossless, AAC, WAV, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion, 2 GB

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: The seventh-generation iPod Nano is an incredibly compact portable media player with gym-friendly features, but it's overshadowed by the superior value of Apple's iPod Shuffle and fourth-generation iPod Touch. Read review

Specs: 16 GB, 2.5 in, 30 hour(s), 1.1 oz, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion, Audible AAX+, Audible AAX, Apple Lossless, WAV, HE-AAC, MP3, Protected AAC, AIFF, Audible, AAC, 16 GB

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.7 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 270 reviews

The Bottom Line: The iPod Touch is a beautiful product, inside and out, but prepare yourself for sticker shock. Read review

Specs: 16 GB, 3.5 in, 22 hour(s), 4.2 oz, 16 GB, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion, Apple Lossless, WAV, MP3, AIFF, Audible, AAC

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 68 reviews

The Bottom Line: In the iPod Mini redux, Apple offers two capacity options and a more competitive pricing scheme--welcome improvements in an already fantastic player. Read review

Specs: 4 GB, 1.67 in, 18 hour(s), 3.6 oz, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion, AIFF, AAC, WAV, Apple Lossless, Audible, MP3

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.0 stars Good

  Overall score: 6.0 (3.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 17 reviews

The Bottom Line: The Philips GoGear Vibe isn't the best budget MP3 player we've seen, but its enviable color screen, photo viewer, and video playback make it one of the most well-rounded in the $50 category. Read review

Specs: 4 GB, 1.5 in, 1.2 oz, 4 GB, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium polymer, MP3, WMA

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 40 reviews

The Bottom Line: The SanDisk Sansa Fuze is a great value; a slim design, a simple interface, plentiful features, memory expansion capability, and solid sound quality all come with an easy-to-swallow price tag. Read review

Specs: 4 GB, 1.9 in, 24 hour(s), 2.1 oz, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, Audible, WAV, WMA, MP3, Player battery - Rechargeable, 4 GB

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.5 stars Spectacular

  Overall score: 9.0 (4.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 73 reviews

The Bottom Line: Though the updates are subtle, the third-generation iPod Touch leaves its competitors in the dust. Read review

Specs: 64 GB, 3.5 in, 30 hour(s), 4.1 oz, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion, 64 GB, Apple Lossless, WAV, MP3, AIFF, Audible, AAC

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.7 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 39 reviews

The Bottom Line: No other MP3 player on the planet packs more features, from video to a pedometer, into a smaller package than the overachieving Apple iPod Nano. Read review

Specs: 8 GB, 2.2 in, 24 hour(s), 1.3 oz, Apple Lossless, WAV, MP3, AIFF, Audible, AAC, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion, 8 GB

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: The Apple iPod Shuffle is an adorable way to take your favorite songs on the go, but sometimes it's too small for its own good. Read review

Specs: 2 GB, 15 hour(s), 0.4 oz, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion, 2 GB, Audible AAX+, MP3, Protected AAC, Audible AAX, AIFF, Apple Lossless, Audible, AAC, WAV

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 22 reviews

The Bottom Line: The iPod Classic refines the formula that put the iPod on the map. Few can match its combination of storage capacity, battery life, and intuitive user interface. Read review

Specs: 120 GB, 2.5 in, 36 hour(s), 4.9 oz, Apple Lossless, WAV, MP3, AIFF, Audible, AAC, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 76 reviews

The Bottom Line: The iPod Classic is a refinement of the formula that put the iPod on the map. Few can match its combination of storage capacity, battery life, and advanced user interface. Read review

Specs: 80 GB, 2.5 in, 30 hour(s), 4.9 oz, Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion, WAV, AAC, MP3, Audible, Apple Lossless, AIFF

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 46 reviews

The Bottom Line: The SanDisk Sansa Fuze is a great value; a slim design, a simple interface, plentiful features, memory expansion capability, and solid sound quality all come with an easy-to-swallow price tag. Read review

Specs: 8 GB, 1.9 in, 24 hour(s), 2.1 oz, 8 GB, Player battery - Rechargeable, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, Audible, WAV, WMA, MP3