We've noticed a distinct lack of great budget portable music players recently. Since the demise of the iPod Touch, there have been plenty of great dedicated hi-res music players, mainly from the likes of Astell & Kern, offering exceptional performance for your personal listening pleasure.
The thing is, most of the best portable music players tend to cost some serious cash (at least over £500/$500), and that's not always ideal in these times of economic uncertainty. A&K's sub-brand Activo tried to bring exceptional quality to a more affordable price point with its Activo P1 player, but disappointing sound and a cheap-feeling build meant it was tough to recommend.
