\n<\/p>\n
An MP3 player? In 2025? Am I going to be covering Betamax and MiniDisc players next?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The Guardian\u2019s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link.\u00a0Learn more.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n No, this isn\u2019t a retro piece from the Filter. You may be reading this at least three years after Apple decided the iPod business was too niche to be worth bothering with, but MP3 players \u2013 or digital audio players, as they should more accurately be called \u2013 are seeing a small resurgence, despite the domination of Spotify, Apple Music and the like.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the past few years, since Covid, we\u2019ve seen way more people looking to get a new MP3 player,\u201d says Chris Laidler, office manager of Advanced MP3 Players, an Edinburgh store specialising in audio equipment.<\/p>\n The reasons are, essentially, threefold. First, there\u2019s the pleasure of using something tangible: a nostalgia for devices with a single purpose, devoid of notifications and apps. More importantly, though, there\u2019s a desire to have a music collection again \u2013 something led by the music-loving algorithm in your brain, rather than one outsourced to technology. \u201cIt\u2019s their collection, rather than a playlist they\u2019ve subscribed to,\u201d says Laidler, and they own the music and aren\u2019t simply \u201cleasing it from Spotify\u201d.<\/p>\n Finally, there\u2019s a sound-quality aspect. Yes, your phone can play music, but it\u2019s a pretty insignificant part of its daily tasks, and for audiophiles, it shows.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you think about it, the DAC [digital-to-analogue converter] that\u2019s in [your phone] is only going to be one tiny component of the thing,\u201d says Laidler. In modern high-end MP3 players, on the other hand, \u201cthe entire infrastructure is designed for [delivering] as accurate music recreation as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n These arguments won\u2019t be compelling to everyone, but if you do take your music seriously and feel like you\u2019ve been listening too much on autopilot, getting a new MP3 player could be just what you need to get out of a musical rut.<\/p>\n \u00a3399 at Activo\u00a349.99 at AMP3\u00a3179 at Peter Tyson\u00a3499 at AMP3<\/p>\n MP3 players and me go way back. Ahead of starting university, I bought a 20GB Archos Jukebox. With its blue bumpers on every corner, it wasn\u2019t an iPod-style looker, but it made all the 32MB (yes, megabytes!) players at the time look flimsy (even if it did little for my already limited campus cool factor). When those bumpers failed to protect the internal hard drive from one too many falls, I switched to a Creative model, before finally accepting Apple\u2019s dominance of the market with an iPod nano.<\/p>\n I\u2019m also the proud(ish) owner of an imported Microsoft Zune. That might not make the case for me on grounds of taste, but it does at least show that I\u2019ve put the hours in. More importantly, I\u2019ve been reviewing tech for more than a decade now, most of it more complex than an MP3 player. I probably should have started with that point, but it tells its own story: I\u2019m quite geeky when it comes to my digital music collection.<\/p>\n <\/span>Listen up: the MP3 players were tested with in-ear monitors and over-ear headphones.<\/span> Photograph: Alan Martin\/The Guardian<\/p>\n I sourced 15 modern MP3 players from the likes of Sony, Agptek, Majority, Shanling, iBasso and FiiO \u2013 which may not all sound that familiar, such is the niche we\u2019re dealing with. While players can go for more than \u00a31,000, I was keen to test mainstream devices, with the highest priced at \u00a3649 and the lowest at \u00a330.<\/p>\n I supplemented this with two old Apple models via Backmarket, where preowned tech can get a second life rather than becoming e-waste. Neither made the list, however, for reasons I\u2019ll get to later.<\/p>\n I listened to a lot of music in different environments. I became familiar with my old collection (out and about, and while connected directly to my Cambridge Audio AXA25 hifi). To get the most out of the high-end players, I borrowed a couple of high-end FiiO headsets from Advanced MP3 Players: the FH75 wired in-ear monitors, and the over-ear FT7 headphones. These offered a considerable improvement over my own somewhat tired headphones.<\/p>\n All the while, I diligently made mental notes about the look, feel, battery life and usability of each device, relative to its cost. File quality is also a factor, of course, and to that end, I not only played MP3s, but lossless Flac versions of the same track.<\/p>\n <\/span>Music to his ears? Alan prepares to tune in.<\/span> Photograph: Alan Martin\/The Guardian<\/p>\n <\/span> Photograph: Alan Martin\/The Guardian\u00a3399 at Activo\u00a3399 at Amazon<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve done enough reading on the topic of digital audio players, you\u2019ll have undoubtedly come across the Astell & Kern brand \u2026 and then possibly realised its products are out of your price range. Enter Activo: a sub-brand from the company, which promises to deliver a lot of what audiophiles want for considerably less cost.<\/p>\n Why we love it File support is strong, and it has 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced audio ports for wired connections, along with Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless playback. It can even work as an external DAC for your computer if you like.<\/p>\n It comes with 64GB of internal storage, and you can expand it with microSD cards of up to 1.5TB. It uses Android \u2013 which I always worry detracts from the point of a dedicated MP3 player \u2013 but it\u2019s a highly pared-back version focused on music. The Google Play Store is here, but it\u2019s really only present to allow you to install Spotify, Tidal or whatever your streaming poison is. It\u2019s intuitive, smooth enough, and not trying to mimic your phone: you won\u2019t find yourself distracted by social media nonsense.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a shame that \u2026 <\/strong>it doesn\u2019t have more dedicated physical playback buttons. That and its chunky size almost made me give the cheaper \u00a3346.80 Sony NW-A306 the nod, but Activo\u2019s smoother, pared-back version of Android and additional 4.4mm output gave it the edge.<\/p>\n Capacity: <\/strong>64GB internal, expandable up to 1.5TB <\/span> Photograph: Alan Martin\/The Guardian\u00a349.99 at AMP3\u00a368.99 at eBay<\/p>\n I tested quite a few budget players, and in most cases there was an element of getting what you pay for, with iffy interfaces, truncated filenames and thin, reedy audio. For about \u00a350, the FiiO Snowsky Mini avoids all these traps while leaning into the charm of retro rather nicely, even if its design may go over the heads of those under the age of 35. That\u2019s right, it looks like a cassette tape, and the colour screen will even show one playing when you\u2019re listening to music, if you like.<\/p>\n Why we love it The interface is basic but reasonably intuitive, with physical buttons along the top to control playback. You can choose from a handful of EQ presets and filters in the settings, too. Navigating via physical controls and a largely text-based interface may feel dated in the age of smartphones, but it fits in with the retro vibes and ensures a distraction-free environment \u2013 unless you become transfixed by the tape player animation, that is.<\/p>\n For the price, I only really have two complaints. The first is that because it\u2019s not connected to the internet, you have to update its software the old-fashioned way: by downloading the firmware to your desktop, to drag and drop. The second is that, while it has a microSD slot to supplement the 8GB of internal storage, it maxes out at 256GB, which may be too little for indecisive music fans.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a shame that \u2026 <\/strong>its text-based interface may not be to your taste.<\/p>\n Capacity: <\/strong>8GB internal, expandable up to 256GB <\/span> Photograph: Alan Martin\/The Guardian\u00a3179 at Peter Tyson\u00a3179.99 at Amazon<\/p>\n If you want good sound quality but resent paying smartphone prices for a dedicated audio player, the FiiO JM21 is a great compromise, as it comes in at just \u00a3179.99. For that price, it\u2019s remarkably fully featured, and it sounds great.<\/p>\n Why we love it The build is delightful, too. Its slim profile means it weighs a light 156g, and the physical buttons are evenly split between the left and right sides, making it easy to play, pause and skip tracks and adjust volume without looking. If you\u2019re curious about dedicated portable music players, but don\u2019t want to spend a fortune, this is an inexpensive but impressive way to find out what all the fuss is about.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a shame that \u2026 <\/strong>the 32GB of internal storage won\u2019t go far, especially as lots of that is gobbled up by Android.<\/p>\n Capacity: <\/strong>32GB internal, expandable up to 2TB <\/span> Photograph: Alan Martin\/The Guardian\u00a3499 at AMP3\u00a3499 at Amazon<\/p>\n The term \u201chigh-end\u201d is obviously relative, but given most people don\u2019t want to break into four figures for portable audio, I\u2019ve chosen to pitch it between \u00a3400 and \u00a3650. And, of all the players I tested in that bracket, the iBasso DX180 offers the best balance of features, sound quality, price and design.<\/p>\n Why we love it It runs Android 13 and has a chip capable of doing so without slowdown. I\u2019d prefer something more bespoke, but it\u2019s really only used for picking out an album or playlist. After that, the buttons on the side take over, letting you play, pause, skip or adjust the volume via a volume wheel. The advantage of Android is that you can download whatever music streaming apps you like to accompany your own collection.<\/p>\n It was a close call between this and the Shanling M5 Ultra, which costs the same but doesn\u2019t come with any onboard storage (you supply your own microSD card). I had a minor preference for the sound of the M5 Ultra (and I preferred its music-first implementation of Android), yet the DX180 is lighter, runs cooler and lasted almost three hours longer in my battery test, giving it the edge.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a shame that \u2026 <\/strong>its UI is pure Android, making it seem like a phone (minus the phone!).<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/p>\n Get the best shopping advice from the Filter team straight to your inbox. The Guardian\u2019s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link.<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: <\/strong>Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.<\/span><\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n Capacity: <\/strong>128GB internal, expandable up to 2TB <\/span>MP3 players can be found for as little as \u00a330 \u2013 and in excess of \u00a31,000.<\/span> Photograph: Alan Martin\/The Guardian<\/p>\n <\/span> Photograph: Alan Martin\/The Guardian\u00a3139 at Peter Tyson\u00a3139 at Amazon<\/p>\n Best for:<\/strong> a compact player<\/p>\n If you were a fan of the diminutive iPod shuffle (and later iPod nanos), then you\u2019re in luck. Shanling makes a great alternative for the 2020s, complete with a tiny 1.54in touchscreen to navigate however many songs you can fit on a microSD card of up to 2TB in size (there\u2019s no internal storage).<\/p>\n Considering its tiny frame, the sound quality is superb, although you\u2019re limited to either 3.5mm wired or Bluetooth 5 headphones. Weighing just 36.8g, it\u2019s the definition of portable \u2013 though if navigating a device so small sounds like a nightmare, that\u2019s because it kind of is. The 240 x 240 screen is easy enough to read, and adjusting volume via the wheel is actually a little fun, but moving between menus isn\u2019t intuitive \u2013 it\u2019s the definition of fiddly. Still, if portability is your ultimate aim, you won\u2019t find better than this.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t make the final cut because \u2026 <\/strong>the size and shape remain too fiddly to recommend to most people.<\/p>\n Capacity: <\/strong>no internal storage, expandable to 2TB; screen: <\/strong>1.54in LCD, 240 x 240; connectivity: <\/strong>3.5mm, Bluetooth 5, 4.4mm adapter available separately; weight:<\/strong> 36.8g; supported file types: <\/strong>WAV, Flac, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIF, DSD, M3U, CUE, AC3, DXD, DTS, M4A; battery test (wired earbuds): <\/strong>11hrs 6mins<\/p>\n <\/span> Photograph: Alan Martin\/The Guardian\u00a329.99 at Currys\u00a329.95 at Amazon<\/p>\n Best for:<\/strong> workouts<\/p>\n You may decide that the Shanling M0 is perfectly suited for workouts, but here\u2019s an option that improves on it in two crucial ways: price and physical buttons.<\/p>\n The former is an obvious bonus, and \u00a330 is quite the bargain for this player. While it won\u2019t blow anyone away sound wise, it punches above its weight, and it\u2019s priced so competitively that you won\u2019t be too devastated if it doesn\u2019t make it out of a particular intensive gym session alive.<\/p>\n More importantly, it has tactile buttons rather than a touchscreen, meaning you can pause and jump between tracks without sweat getting in the way. The sports clip means it will stay firmly attached to your clothes, though do note that it doesn\u2019t have any kind of waterproofing, so it\u2019s best to keep it covered if you\u2019re an all-weather runner.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t make the final cut because \u2026 <\/strong>while its sound is great for the price, this isn\u2019t the player to turn Spotify streamers into believers.<\/p>\n Capacity: <\/strong>16GB internal, expandable up to 128GB; screen:<\/strong> 1.54in IPS, 240 x 240; connectivity: <\/strong>3.5mm, Bluetooth 5; weight:<\/strong> 33g; supported file types: <\/strong>MP3, Flac, WAV; battery test (wired earbuds): <\/strong>33hrs 30mins<\/p>\n <\/span>Sound advice: be careful when buying refurbished iPods \u2026<\/span> Photograph: Alan Martin\/The Guardian<\/p>\n As mentioned above, I sourced a couple of iPods from Backmarket. The iPod Nano was beaten by the Shanling M0 Pro above, while the iPod Classic ran into a different problem: it had been modified.<\/p>\n Apple never produced a version larger than 160GB, but the model supplied by Backmarket had a backplate labelled 256GB. A check of the serial on Apple\u2019s website revealed it was originally 160GB. When asked about how a modified piece of hardware could have been available for unsuspecting buyers to purchase, the company explained that it \u201crigorously vet[s] sellers\u201d with just one in three applicants approved.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have zero tolerance for counterfeit items. When sellers first start selling on our platform, they are limited to just five sales per day. Everything is meticulously checked, including their customer feedback, comments, and delivery performance. Once they are allowed to sell without restrictions, they continue to be closely monitored. At the slightest issue, their sales are limited again, and if they don\u2019t improve after the problem is identified (with help from our lab), they will be excluded from the platform.\u201d<\/p>\n The company added that \u201cif customers suspect that they have purchased a counterfeit device, they are encouraged to contact Customer Care\u201d.<\/p>\n Obviously, we couldn\u2019t publish our findings about an MP3 player we believe to have been modified here. And there are reasons you might want to stay away from iPods, regardless of this cautionary tale.<\/p>\n There are too many compromises with an iPod, from the difficult reliance on iTunes to the need to convert into Apple-friendly file formats such as AAC and ALAC. Plus, of course, you\u2019re relying on a 3.5mm headphone jack, with most iPods not supporting Bluetooth connections. The final iPod Nano did, if you can find one, as did the iPod Touch range, although the latter is too close to an iPhone for my liking.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re dead set on an iPod Classic, one option is to buy a deliberately souped-up version with the features that we all wish Apple would provide. Player Mods specialises in upgrading iPod Classics with optional Bluetooth, more storage, larger batteries, USB-C charging and even an AirTag, so it won\u2019t get lost. Each of these upgrades costs a pretty penny, of course, but if you want to live in the past with the mod-cons of the present, there\u2019s no better way to do so.<\/p>\n <\/span>Disc to data: audio file download cards are often found in new vinyl releases.<\/span> Photograph: Alan Martin\/The Guardian<\/p>\n Back in the days when music player capacities were measured in megabytes rather than gigabytes, file size was all important, leading to the popularity of the MP3. By reducing audio fidelity, the recording size could be slashed from 600\u20136,000 megabytes per hour to 14.4\u2013144 (depending on sample rate).<\/p>\n Lossless audio files \u2013 such as Flac or ALAC \u2013 retain all information about a track, playing the music as originally recorded. However, if you have a big music collection, your limited storage space will fill up faster.<\/p>\n So is lossless better if you have the space? Objectively, yes, but in truth, you may not actually be able to tell the difference between a high-quality MP3 file and a lossless track, despite the difference in file size.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t believe me? Ask Apple\u2019s own Eddy Cue. \u201cThe reality of lossless is: if you take 100 people and you take a stereo song in lossless and you take a song that\u2019s been in Apple Music that\u2019s compressed, I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s 99 or 98 can\u2019t tell the difference,\u201d he said in an interview with Billboard. \u201cFor the difference of lossless, our ears aren\u2019t that good.\u201d<\/p>\n You could be within that 1%-2%, of course, and NPR created a quiz where you can test yourself. But even if you have magic ears, you\u2019ll most likely need to use wired headphones, as only a handful of devices support lossless audio over Bluetooth at the time of writing.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve shopped around, you\u2019ll know that MP3 players can cost anywhere between \u00a330 and several thousand pounds. So what\u2019s the difference?<\/p>\n It chiefly comes down to obvious things such as build quality, the DACs powering them (manifested in sound quality) and the variety of outputs supported. Cheaper ones are usually limited to Bluetooth and 3.5mm outputs, while more expensive ones will cater for more exotic outputs.<\/p>\n \u201cWe sell players that have XLR outputs on them, so a hell of a lot more powerful output on these things,\u201d says Advanced MP3 Players\u2019 Laidler. \u201cYou couldn\u2019t put something like that into a cheap player, because they just wouldn\u2019t drive it.\u201d<\/p>\n But don\u2019t despair: according to Laidler, after a certain point, pricing becomes less about sound quality and more about finding the tuning that suits you and your personal taste. He compares them to high-end cameras: \u201cThey all cost a lot of money, but they\u2019re not capturing the exact same image.\u201d Naturally, as a retailer, he doesn\u2019t use the phrase \u201cdiminishing returns\u201d, but I feel comfortable using it here.<\/p>\n Beware how easy it is to get stuck chasing that perfect sound. \u201cAt the audio trade shows, people come in with their little notebooks, and they go around each room making notes about the character of each player and the price,\u201d says Laidler. \u201cBut then you see these same people come back the next year, and you ask them, \u2018Oh, which one did you end up going for?\u2019 and they\u2019re still deciding.\u201d<\/p>\n While 3.5mm ports are ubiquitous, some players on this list have an additional 4.4mm balanced input. Generally speaking, 3.5mm cables aren\u2019t balanced, while 4.4mm cables are. Unbalanced cables deliver a full stereo sound image on a single signal wire, but balanced provides two signal wires, both carrying a copy of the sound. This means less interference and, as a result, theoretically cleaner playback.<\/p>\n The difference is subtle, so it\u2019s not essential for everyone. The bottom line is that either usually sounds better than Bluetooth, taking advantage of the MP3 player\u2019s built-in DAC. The obvious drawback is that you\u2019ll be back to the bad old days of untangling cables from time to time.<\/p>\n In theory, lossless streaming over Apple Music, Tidal or \u2013 as of this week, Spotify \u2013 beats an MP3.<\/p>\n That\u2019s because, as outlined above, MP3 is an inherently lossy format. A streamed lossless file compared with a local Flac, however, should be a dead heat, assuming you\u2019re using the same audio equipment. \u201cIt comes down to ownership of your own music, rather than quality,\u201d says Laidler.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a \u201cbut\u201d, however. The question is specifically about \u201csmartphone streaming\u201d, and smartphone makers no longer include a headphone jack for wired output, nor stress too much about the quality of the onboard DAC. High-end MP3-player makers do.<\/p>\n In other words, while the files may sound the same in identical conditions, a smartphone will generally reproduce the audio worse than a high-end MP3 player with a quality DAC included. Some MP3 players also include streaming software, so you can have the best of both worlds.<\/p>\n Given that MP3 players aren\u2019t as popular as they used to be, there are plenty of preowned models to buy, but you should be aware of the risks. First off, there\u2019s the counterfeit and modification problem. If even a legitimate company like Backmarket can inadvertently sell a modified iPod Classic, then buying from individual sellers on eBay, Vinted and the like is clearly a gamble.<\/p>\n However, even if you bring a legitimate retro MP3 player out of retirement, there are things to bear in mind. \u201cA lot of those devices from the original MP3 player boom are going to only play MP3 files and don\u2019t have the capacity for playing high-res audio or lossless files,\u201d says Laidler. \u201cThe vast majority are going to be out of warranty, so the company that originally built them won\u2019t touch them if something goes wrong.<\/p>\n \u201cBut as a nostalgic thing, I think they\u2019re great. We still have an iPod Classic rattling around in the office because we just can\u2019t bring ourselves to part with it. Really, it\u2019s just nice to have it around.\u201d<\/p>\n Alan Martin is a <\/em>reviews writer who has been putting products \u2013 including phones, gaming devices and wearables \u2013 through their paces for more than a decade. He has a growing and unsustainable vinyl habit<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" An MP3 player? In 2025? Am I going to be covering Betamax and MiniDisc players next? The Guardian\u2019s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link.\u00a0Learn more. No, this isn\u2019t a retro piece from the Filter. You may be reading this at least three years after Apple<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20893,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[3706,659,469,167,7410,1496,888],"class_list":{"0":"post-20892","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology","8":"tag-comeback","9":"tag-find","10":"tag-gadgets","11":"tag-making","12":"tag-mp3","13":"tag-players","14":"tag-tested"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20892","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20892"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20892\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/20893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20892"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}At a glance<\/h2>\n
Why you should trust me<\/h2>\n
How I tested<\/h2>\n
The best MP3 players in 2025<\/h2>\n
Best MP3 player overall:<\/em>
Activo P1<\/h2>\n
<\/strong>While \u00a3399 represents a significant outlay, it\u2019s nowhere near as pricey as some models and still offers a lot of bang for your buck. The dual-DAC structure provides high-resolution audio, aided by its Digital Audio Remaster upsampling tech, plenty of pre-programmed filters and a built-in EQ to modify 20 frequencies to your tastes.<\/p>\n
Screen: <\/strong>4.1in LCD, 720 x 1,280
Connectivity: <\/strong>3.5mm, 4.4mm, Bluetooth 5.3
Weight: <\/strong>155g
Supported file types: <\/strong>WAV, Flac, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF, MQA
Battery test (wired earbuds): <\/strong>15hrs 30mins<\/p>\nBest budget MP3 player:<\/em>
Snowsky Echo Mini<\/h2>\n
<\/strong>You may not be familiar with the Snowsky brand, but you might have heard of its parent company, FiiO, which is one of the bigger names in modern portable digital audio. The Echo Mini has clearly learned from its sister products, providing a far richer soundscape than that offered by any other budget device I tested. It\u2019s also the only cheap offering to include a 4.4mm balanced port along with the standard 3.5mm one.<\/p>\n
Screen: <\/strong>1.99in IPS, 170 x 320
Connectivity: <\/strong>3.5mm, 4.4mm, Bluetooth 5.3
Weight: <\/strong>55g
Supported file types: <\/strong>MP3, DSD, WAV, Flac, APE, M4A, OGG
Battery test (wired earbuds): <\/strong>10hrs 30mins<\/p>\nBest mid-range player:<\/em>
FiiO JM21<\/h2>\n
<\/strong>FiiO knows how to make a good MP3 player, and it\u2019s impressive how much of the brand\u2019s high-end quality filters down to its entry-level product. The JM21\u2019s dual-DAC chipset delivers a nice detailed sound, whether you\u2019re listening via 3.5mm cable or balanced 4.4mm connection. And while it runs Android, you can switch to a more basic audio-only view via a drop down, giving you the choice between a distraction-free environment and something more fully featured.<\/p>\n
Screen: <\/strong>4.7in TFT, 750 x 1,334
Connectivity: <\/strong>3.5mm, 4.4mm, Bluetooth 5.0
Weight: <\/strong>156g
Supported file types: <\/strong>ISO, DST, MQA, DSD, DXD, APE, ALAC, AIFF, Flac, WAV, MP3, OGG, WMA, AAC
Battery test (wired earbuds): <\/strong>11hrs 30mins<\/p>\nBest <\/em>high-end player:<\/em>
iBasso DX180<\/h2>\n
<\/strong>The DX180 sounds great, with its quad-DAC chip providing a lovely sound via 3.5mm or 4.4mm balanced. On top of that, it\u2019s simply a nice player to hold and play with: substantial, but not hefty. Pleasingly, you can open the back to replace the battery, should you find it\u2019s not lasting as long as it used to \u2013 a big plus for sustainability.<\/p>\n
Screen: <\/strong>5in, 1,920 x 1,080
Connectivity: <\/strong>3.5mm, 4.4mm, Bluetooth 5.0
Weight: <\/strong>206g
Supported file types: <\/strong>APE, Flac, WAV, WMA, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, OGG, MP3, DFF, DSF, DXD
Battery test (wired earbuds): <\/strong>13hrs 28mins<\/p>\nThe best of the rest<\/h2>\n
Shanling M0 Pro<\/h2>\n
Majority MP3 Go<\/h2>\n
What about the iPod?<\/h2>\n
What you need to know<\/h2>\n
What are lossless and lossy audio files?<\/h2>\n
What\u2019s the difference between a cheap MP3 player and an expensive one?<\/h2>\n
3.5mm vs 4.4mm balanced: what\u2019s the difference?<\/h2>\n
MP3s vs smartphone streaming: which is better for audio quality?<\/h2>\n
Buying a refurbished MP3 player<\/h2>\n