Sony NWZ-X1051

Sony Walkman X Series (NWZ-X1051)

While the world of portable media players may seem to be divided into two categories—iPods and non-iPods—Sony makes a strong case for adding a third with its X Series Walkman. Sporting a sexy design, gorgeous OLED touchscreen display, Wi-Fi connectivity, and 16GB of internal flash storage, the $299 Sony Walkman NWZ-X1051 (also available in a 32GB, $399 model) has all of the right ingredients to make it a formidable portable media player. The Web browser on this device disappoints, and you don’t get the iPod touch’s deep catalog of apps, but if you’re a media maven who wants top-notch audio quality, the Walkman X Series is a strong choice. Sony did a remarkable job of crafting an audio player with its own unique style. The X Series has more eye-popping appeal that the Samsung YP-P3, and doesn’t try to emulate Apple’s aesthetics. Instead, this 3.8 x 2.1 x 0.4-inch player sports a stone-like Geo Design finish around its perimeter that not only looks cool, but feels great to the touch. Its gritty surface enhances your grip when the player is in hand, and is a nice contrast to the polished front and back of the device.