Being a group of proud geeks we were only too pleased to see that while the Qoolqee X Sports embraces the common MP3, WMA and WAV formats it also handles the more beardy Linux like Ogg Vorbis format and can work with DRM enable WMA files should you have a mad moment and pay for a legally downloaded file.

The controls are minimalist which is essential given the Qoolqee's dimensions, it has the usual playback controls and volume adjustment on the face and lacks an LCD screen a bit like the iPod shuffle. During our review week the Qoolqee was a constant favourite mostly due to its zany looks but also due to its sound, it is easily on a  par with an iPod shuffle or the Sony range of flash based network walkmans. The standard headphones aren't great but that's hardly surprising given the overall price of the package. But plug it up to a decent set of earphones and the X Sports reveals a good weighted bass and a total lack of hiss or other extraneous background noise.

The main operation mode is with the player in shuffle, this will work its way through the stored tracks in a random fashion and it will even remember where it was in the shuffle when you power down, meaning it will pick up in the correct place when you next power up. Getting files on is simple using the USB 2.0 connectivity, the transfer is very fast and we are so pleased that you can just use windows explorer to drag and drop files (or folders) on the device. This also leaves the way open to use the Qoolqee as a USB mass storage disk should you need to.

Clicking the Mode key allows you to swap the player into FM radio mode, this is a bit tricky to operate given the lack of a screen the best you can do is hit the shuffle button and let the radio find a station, you can also tune manually but its a frustrating affair. Having found an FM station there is no preset to store on so you'll need to retune the next time you want to use the radio, hardly a great implementation.

The lithium Ion battery will run the Qoolqee X Sports for just over 10 hours which surprised us as a rather low capacity given its a flash based player and also has no screen to power. Charging is rapid via the USB 2.0 mini port and the player can work with both PC and Mac. After a week with our Korean MP3 player we still like the rather natty colour scheme and wacky design but it fails to disguise a rather run of the mill flash MP3 player who's only highlight is Ogg Vorbis support. Others like Sony and Cowon do better jobs for not a lot more money, so sadly we have to say don't spend your £80 on the Qoolqee X Sports invest in a flash based player with a screen and better battery life for under £100.

Published - 11/02/2006

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