MP3 players come in all shapes and sizes and the Z5 from Korean manufacturer Iops is one of the smallest so far. About the size and shape of a pair of AA batteries side by side, the Z5 handles video playback, FM radio and live recording, including voice. There's even a clock and stopwatch in there. To pack all this into a trendily-coloured, metal case and fit the player with 1GB of flash storage is no mean feat.

This is a versatile device, which not only supports MP3, WMA and OGG playback on the audio side, but MPEG4, WMV, AVI and DiVX video, too. Our only reservation on video playback would be the wisdom of viewing anything longer than a music video on the tiny screen. The state-of-the-art OLED display is certainly an attractive feature of the Z5 and ideal for menu navigation and status display, but with a diagonal size of just 37mm, it is small.

The display shows little 3D icons for its various mode choices, which include an album for displaying your photos and an FM tuner (with surprisingly good reception), as well as audio and video playback. There's a file and folder view, too, if you prefer to wander freely around your data. Most functions are controlled from a single eight-way joystick, though some require a press of points on its surrounding ring. There's a 'hold' switch on the end of the player to prevent inadvertent joystick presses.

PC software supplied with the Z5 on a mini CD handles file downloading, though with Windows XP you can plug and drag to shift files around, without installing software. The Z5 uses a USB 2 connection via a supplied cable into a miniature socket on its end and is very fast; we downloaded fifty tracks in a few minutes. Connection is a bit fiddly, as the captured rubber plug which protects the socket gets in the way when you try to insert the USB 2 plug.

What you really want to know about any music player, though, is the sound quality. Despite its small size and strangely-designed necklace headset, the sound is excellent. It's precisely detailed and as crisp in the treble frequencies as it is punchy lower down. The earbuds are comfortable to wear long term, too.

The Z5 comes in a range of funky colours and Advanced MP3 Players, who supplied our review unit, are stocking black, blue, pink, white and yellow.

If you fancy a music player which gives superb sound and is easy to use, but is also something of a fashion statement, the Z5 won't disappoint. With a 12 hour battery life and enough memory for hundreds of tracks, it's a real little powerhouse of versatile playback... and recording.