Geeky Gift Guide 2011: Best Music players

The holiday season is coming soon and it is time to start planning for gifts. For those who have music addicts among family and friends, there are a host of gadgets and music players with cool features that have been released. Some emphasize quality, other stress on economy while still others boast of all-round abilities. Available for different budgets with different features, here are the 10 best music players in the market.

1. Zune HD 32GB-platinum

Zune HD 32GB-platinum

Target: For those who desire only the killer multimedia experience in their pockets.

Price and availability: Available for $350 at Amazon.

Why you should buy

The Zune HD has a brilliant OLED display, a long-lasting battery, a HD Radio tuner, facilities for movie rentals and integration with subscription music. This is a dream come true for any media enthusiast and a great challenger to the popular iPod.

2. Cowon O2

Cowon O2

Target: A godsend to those who seek a one-stop player for all types of audio and video files with good subtitle support.

Price and availability: Available for $350 at Amazon.

Why you should buy

This is a good device to buy if you are only looking for an all-round player. It plays almost every audio format that mankind has ever known and plays almost all the video formats too. Good audio quality, good flash memory and solid build are its other strong points.

3. Apple iPod touch 32GB

Apple iPod touch 32GB

Target: With its extreme versatility, cool features, apps and potential, everyone is going to be a target!

Price and availability: Available for $292.99 at Amazon.

Why you should buy

The iPod touch is what comes closest to having an iPhone or an iPad - at a much lower price though. It is a true all-rounder featuring as a media player, a productivity tool, a pocket gaming machine, a pocket camcorder, an internet communication device, a still camera, a FaceTime video phone and a handheld recorder.

4. Creative Zen X-Fi

Creative Zen X-Fi

Target: This device if for those who wish to get a taste of owning a compact player at a budget price.

Price and availability: Available for $230 from Amazon.

Why you should buy

Compact digital media players are something that everyone would love to own- whether they can afford it or not. Here is a decent quality media player with generous memory space available for a real low price.

5. Sony NWZ-S738F Walkman

Sony NWZ-S738F Walkman

Target: Those who wish to graduate to a high-quality, cool mp3 player, here is the Sony Walkman.

Price and availability: Available for $180 from Amazon.

Why you should buy

A brand that has stood the test of time, Walkman from Sony is out with a model that boasts of an extremely good noise cancellation and a good sound equalizer. It is slim and compact for the quality it delivers.

6. Apple iPod Nano 2011 8GB

Apple iPod Nano 2011 8GB

Target: A gem for those who wish to experience the blend of the iPod shuffle and the iPod touch.

Price and availability: Available for $119.99 from Amazon.

Why you should buy

This Apple product is a one-off design. Though it does not boast of many features, it definitely is a gadget which has a great user interface with a sensitive touchscreen that only Apple can boast of. With integrated FM radio and 16GB storage option, this tiny Nano surely packs a punch.

7. SanDisk Sansa Fuze+ MP3 8GB

SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip 4GB

Target: A sleek, fully featured, user-interfaced multimedia device that can amaze anyone with its sound quality.

Price and availability: Available for $74.58 from Amazon.

Why you should buy

This device has the best sound quality among the budget devices in the market and though small in size, it definitely surprises one with its video quality. A fairly decent build hosting a wonderful radio is sure to make this device a hot favorite for economy buyers.

8. Sony NWZ-W202

Sony NWZ-W202

Target: For those with an active lifestyle, who wish to hear to music as they work out in a gym or go jogging.

Price and availability: Available for $49.88 from Amazon.

Why you should buy

The device has decent sound quality but the controls are very intelligent and intuitive. It is compact with neatly packed electronics and battery chambers. It is comfortable to wear on and go about your daily sports and games.

9. SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip 4GB

SanDisk Sansa Fuze+ MP3 8GB

Target: For those who cannot afford a smartphone and yet would love to own a complete audio player at an economy price.

Price and availability: Available for $50 from Amazon.

Why you should buy

With a 1.1-inch, color LCD screen, the player comes with the ability to play all sorts of files including those bought from the iTunes store. The menu system is utilitarian and the design is simple, yet elegant. It is robust and thus more gym-friendly compared to any other music player.

10. X-Mini Happy Speaker MP3 player

X-Mini Happy Speaker MP3 player

Target: Those who seek to play music in full blast from a host of music sources will love the simple approach of this device.

Price and availability: Available for $54.99 from Amazon.

Why you should buy

With a long-lasting, rechargeable battery and a loud speaker, this device packs a great punch for its little size. It has an excellent sub woofer and the bass tones are very rich. The file organization is very simple and anyone can handle the device easily.