Whether you're putting in time at the gym, blocking out the noises around you or just travelling to work on the train, life sounds a lot better when you have your own music to keep you company. Traditional tape and CD players and digital music devices are available in portable versions. So take your music on the road with a portable player.

If you're looking for a portable music player, your choices are as wide as the oceans. As well as traditional portable radios, cassette players and CD players, digital devices such as MiniDisc, MP3 and even CD/MP3 hybrid players are common place on the street. All the options can be confusing--this guide will help you sort through the basics of buying a portable audio player.

Portable Radios

Want to get the latest sports commentary? Or is it the top 10 tunes you are after? Whatever your preference, portable radios let you tune in to your favourite programmes in complete privacy. If you don't want to play cassette tapes or CDs, then a basic portable radio is your best bet--radio-only portables tend to be significantly cheaper than their feature-filled counterparts. Portable radios also tend to be ultra-slim and compact.

Whether you're looking for a classic Sony Walkman or a bargain brand, make sure that your purchase includes reception for AM and FM stereo, as well as a comfortable pair of headphones. The headphone cord often doubles as an antenna, improving station reception. Some portable radios also include expanded digital reception features.

Portable Cassette Players

While a portable radio limits you to what the airwaves have to offer, a portable cassette player allows you to listen to your own music while on the go. Some models also come with a record feature that lets you use your player as a portable tape recorder. For optimal sound quality, look for a model that offers bias control, which will automatically adjust the recording volume of your audio. Portable cassette players sometimes offer extra features, such as virtual surround sound and a stereo equaliser. Other common extras include buttons for auto reverse and hold.

Cassette playback quality varies from model to model. Portable cassette players normally have one head for playback and one for recording. However, some higher-end models may have an additional head for cleaner playback. One of the drawbacks of portable cassette players is the omnipresent hissing sound. Fortunately, there are several technologies that can effectively reduce this noise. Dolby Laboratories has developed some of the most frequently used noise-reduction systems, including Dolby B, Dolby C and Dolby S.

Portable CD Players

For higher sound quality and more versatility, you might consider buying a CD player. As any music lover will tell you, the audio quality of a CD is considerably superior to that of cassettes. In addition, CDs last longer than tapes, which degrade in sound quality after multiple playbacks. Unlike cassette players, CD players give you single-button direct access to a specific track. With a cassette, you have to wait for the tape to rewind or fast forward to a desired track.

In addition to basic playback capabilities, many portable CD players also offer advanced features such as track programming, random play and repeat play. Many models offer a bass boost feature, which lets you enhance the lower frequencies--especially useful for music with heavy beats such as hip-hop and dance.

A disadvantage to portable CD players is that they are still subject to annoying skips that result from the normal jiggles of on-the-go users. Many models offer anti-shock technologies that aim to minimise this problem. CD anti-skip technologies generally work by storing a portion of CD audio in a digital memory cache built into the portable player. As the laser reads the CD audio, it stores the music in cache memory before the human ear can hear it. This provides audio buffering in the event of an abrupt bump or other force that causes the CD to skip. During this buffering time, the CD laser can re-read the error portion of the disc so that the listener does not experience any interruption in their audio. The amount of buffering time stored varies by CD player models, but a general rule is that the larger the cache memory size, the less likely a CD player is to skip.

MiniDisc Players

Immensely popular in Japan, Sony's MiniDisc format allows you to digitally record and rerecord on a disc multiple times without any loss of audio quality. In fact, the MiniDisc recording quality is equal to that of a CD. The compact format resembles a small floppy disk, about 2.5 inches in diameter, yet it has the capacity to hold up to 80 minutes of music, compared to 74 minutes on a CD. Newer players feature MDLP (MiniDisc Long Play) for 4x long record and playback. Do be aware, that cheaper portable MiniDisc players tend to only offer playback and have no record facility.

If you want to create your own compilations, or you want a music player smaller than a CD player, then look into a portable MiniDisc recorder. Recording on the format is relatively simple as MiniDisc players come with a one-button record feature, as well as special editing features that let you further customise your compilation. To record to your MiniDisc, you simply connect a music source to your MiniDisc player via the correct port. You can record from multiple sources, including your stereo system, a radio or DVD player.If you just want a MiniDisc player with no record functionality, Pre-recorded MiniDiscs are available, although not all titles are released on this format.

If you are interested in making MiniDisc technology an integrated part of your home stereo system, consider a full-size MiniDisc recorder. These units are designed to stack alongside your other stereo system components and are great for making compilations of CD-based tracks for playback on a portable MiniDisc player. But if you want to upgrade your existing home stereo system, you may want to think about a unit with an integrated MiniDisc player/recorder such as the Sony CHC-CL5MD.

Digital Music Players

A format of portable audio that is vastly becoming the preferred method of playback is the digital audio player. These players, such as the MP3 Player, Jukebox players, and digital audio/CD hybrids have been developed especially to handle digital audio files that are downloaded from the Internet or 'ripped' from audio CDs. Instead of playing cassettes or discs, most portable digital music players use solid-state storage, which offer high-quality playback without skipping.

Although digital audio players will read files that are encoded in the MP3 format, newer models will also play other audio formats such as WMA and WAV. Originally, the files are stored on your computer's hard drive and then transferred to the portable player via a cable or docking station.

If you want to find out more about MP3 Hardware, take a look at our Buying Guide devoted to this very subject.

Boomboxes

If you don't fancy donning a pair of headphones and don't need the ultra-portability of the Walkman genre, consider a boombox instead. Boomboxes make great music systems for the beach, picnics, offices and bedrooms. A boombox gives you multiple music formats and amplification ranging from decent to overpowering, all in a portable package.

Low-end boomboxes generally come with small speakers, a CD or cassette player, radio tuner and basic volume controls. Standard features on mid-priced boomboxes include larger speakers, 20-40 watt amplifiers, a CD player and/or dual cassette decks with dubbing capability, auto-reverse playback and recording capability. While some higher-end models include detachable speakers, which let you get closer to a traditional audio system's stereo separation. Better models might also include a graphic equaliser, a 40-50 watt amplifier, a remote control and a dual cassette deck with high-speed dubbing capability.

If you are looking for a compact music system that will probably stay in one location, you might want to consider getting a bookshelf stereo system instead of a boombox. Bookshelf stereo systems contain the same compact features of a boombox (sans the handle), but generally offer higher audio quality than boomboxes.

Battery Issues

Portable audio and video devices are notorious for draining the life out of batteries. However, some newer CD players such as the Sony D-EJ1000 can run for up to 115 hours. If the player you have purchased isn't great when it comes to battery life, save some money by keeping two sets of rechargeable batteries handy. One set should be in the charge unit, while the other set is used to power your player. Otherwise, expect to quickly go through a large supply of batteries. For devices such as DVD players that come with a proprietary rechargeable battery pack, you may want to consider buying an extra battery pack--however, these tend to be a bit on the expensive side..

Headphones

Choosing the right portable model depends to some extent on the quality and style of the accompanying headphones. While many consumers are content with general-purpose headphones, you have other options as well. For example, bud headphones that fit snugly inside your ear offer the advantage of being compact and discreet, although sound quality is less than stellar. Some newer portable audio and video models feature wireless headphones, which will allow you to play music without concern for tangled cords. Certain models include slim, flat but slightly larger headphones that rest more comfortably on the outside of your ear.