Maxfield hasn’t set the world alight with its past offerings in the mp3 player market, but in the Max-Ivy you’ll find a stylish player to rival the Apple iPod nano.

Supremely slim, although a little larger, it can certainly compete in terms of aesthetics. There’s even a touch-sensitive flashing blue slider control for moving through menus and adjusting the volume. You’ll find more features on offer here as well; including a voice recorder, video player and photo viewer, along with a well featured mp3 player.

The luminous blue control buttons fade totally to black on the touch-sensitive surface - although this looks impressive, it leaves you having to mash randomly at the display to get them to light up so you can see what you're doing.

This is easier said than done, if you're lucky enough not to hit the wrong button by mistake you'll notice that more often than not it takes a fair few presses to get it to wake up. Not the kind of behaviour that's in keeping with the high standards set by the sleek design and clever fade-out surface. That said, we did notice that a quick flick of the power switch lights up the controls so the problem can be avoided.

The display and audio quality are extremely good; Maxfield’s Mediacoder software, downloadable from the Maxfield site can be used to convert video and audio to the correct format for the player. This works extremely well at optimising file sizes and seemed pretty versatile in its file support. In addition you’ll find the Magix Mp3 Maker application in the box along with a transparent rubber case for additional protection against damage and scratches.

There are plenty of options for adjusting the display’s behaviour, but not a lot for controlling the media on the device, although a customisable equalizer and range of presets offers good control over audio.

The interface takes a little getting used to but soon becomes pretty straightforward and you’ll find it quick and easy to navigate around. The touch sensitive slider, although it looks very nice, isn’t particularly responsive and can be frustrating for making quick volume adjustments or scrolling through menus.

With first impressions as dramatic as these we really wanted to like Maxfield's latest player. Like England's last World Cup squad, it has all the ingredients for success but comes up a little short. That's not to say it's bad by any stretch, it's incredibly slim and scores heavily in terms of design. There's just something about the usability of the touch sensitive scroll slider, menu controls and totally fade-to-black buttons that means it's not quite as easy to operate as it should be.

This is the only real drawback though, overall impressions were very good and there are enough positives surrounding the design, features and usability of the device to outweigh niggling issues with the controls. The encoder software is impressive; many rivals tend to fall down in this area, particularly with video content. And although the 1.8in screen is a little small for any real impact, it’s a feature you’ll probably end up using more than you think.

Price varies depending on where you purchase. We found the 4GB version available for around the same price (£125) as the equivalent sized nano, but the 2GB is available for considerably less (£80) and would be a good shout in terms of value for money.

If you’re looking for an alternative to Apple’s offerings without sacrificing style and portability this could be right up your street.

Also consider:
Sony NW-S706
Total audio control with breathtaking looks and undeniable quality

Apple iPod nano
A modest cosmetic upgrade, but the competitive pricing should guarantee success for the new iPod nano

Samsung K5
A stylish music player with a built in slide-out speaker

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