iRiver IRiver IMP-400 SlimX MP3-CD Player (iRiver America-IMP400)

WHAT'S HOT: The trim IMP-400 is elegantly styled, with a silver metallic finish and a tapered, circular design. Its sound quality, delivered through the included wraparound headphones, was excellent in our tests. Intended to be used with its remote control, the player lacks navigation buttons on its case; there is, however, a wheel for handling play, fast-forward, and rewind functions without the remote. In addition to playing MP3, WMA, and ASF files, the IMP-400 recognizes .M3U playlist files, which means you can create multiple playlists for use on any given disc. Also included is an easy-to-scan FM tuner. An unusual bundled extra: cassette and 12-volt power adapters for use with a car stereo.

WHAT'S NOT: Though you can navigate between folders of songs, the player's file management system sorts the tracks only by song names, not by artist, album, or genre. Unlike competing models in this category, this player has no bundled software.

WHAT ELSE: The 8-minute buffer provided sufficient protection against skips and shocks in our hands-on tests of the unit. The rectangular screen on the remote is relatively easy to read, but (like the screen on IRiver's flash-media IFP-190T) it's a bit crowded. The player comes with two slim, removable nickel metal hydride batteries that can charge inside the unit, as well as an AC adapter.

Like the TDK Mojo 860 we reviewed at the same time, this IRiver model comes with an external dongle for two AA batteries; this attachment hangs from the back of the player, however, making it awkward to use when you're on the go. Another quirk the two players share is a design that we found clumsy, though it may work for other users: The two wires (one for the headphones, the other connecting to the player) both go into the top of the remote control, so the player wire typically ends up looping back and downward in the direction of the player.

UPSHOT: Terrific-looking and moderately priced, the IMP-400 also sounds great, and it adapts easily for use in a car.