JVC XA-MP101

Ultracompact MP3 player with 1GB capacity; solid sound quality; plays protected WMA files purchased from Internet music stores; built-in FM tuner; FM and voice recorder; doubles as data-storage device.

Doesn't stand out from competing models; doesn't support ID3 tag-based music navigation; doesn't play subscription-downloaded, Janus-protected WMA files; slow USB 1.1 connectivity.

JVC's ultracompact XA-MP101B MP3 player doesn't bring anything new to the table.

The small size, ability to take rechargeable batteries, inbuilt radio and overall sound quality (how do they get such quality and volume from such a small machine?) have provided me with all I had hoped for.

Navigation around the various buttons took some getting used to but once mastered are OK. The worst feature is the presetting of radio stations - auto scan is OK but manual set up is rather tricky. Because the same button is also used for turning the...