As with most minidisc players on the market today, Casio includes a handy inline remote control that clips to a shirt or jacket and lets you control playback without having to dig the body of the unit out of your pocket. The volume, playback buttons, bass-boost adjustment, and lighted display are all accessible from this round remote control, which also accommodates the headphone jack. Though easily accessed, these buttons are tiny and proved a bit difficult to manipulate when we took the XG-3 jogging.

The remote also includes a backlit blue display, allowing you to see in low lighting (watch for battery drain) and providing the ability to change the text information that displays as the minidisc plays. Data shown includes current track number, elapsed time, and song name. When the minidisc stops, it can display the total number of tracks, playing time, or name of the LP.

Casio provides a generous length of cord with the XG-3: 28-inches from the minidisc player to the inline remote, along with a 45-inch cord for headphones. If you are wearing a big jacket, this cord length is perfect. If not, however, we found the excess cord between the headphones and the unit itself to be potentially entangling with a body in motion.

The sound on the headphones will suffice, and there are even two extra bass boosters. But the headphones themselves are so light that they often slip off--especially if you have a lot of hair. Fortunately, the 0.125-inch jack is compatible with other headphones of the same size.

The most obvious fault of this minidisc player is its lack of recording capabilities. However, with its focus on portability and all the convenience features we look for in a minidisc player of this price category, the Casio XG-3 is an excellent all-around unit for enjoying prerecorded minidiscs wherever you go. --Robyn Bell

Pros:

• Small and lightweight
• Rechargeable battery with DC adapter
• Playback and volume controls on separate clip

Cons:

• Does not record
• Small buttons
• Headphone cord too long