And I've played the best music ever made through some of the best portable music players ever made. But for all their many joys, the outsides of high-end audio kit often leave me cold. Portable ...

and specced player from luxury audiophile manufacturer Astell & Kern. This svelte little player has everything I look for in a compact music player, and does it all better than my iPod.

Understandably, it isn't for everyone! And that's where hi-fi systems come in. These integrated multi-tasking music machines typically pack every job of a system into fewer boxes, making your journey ...