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Although it hasn't been shouted about, four new and quite different-sounding DAC filters are also onboard, which will work if listening in 24-bit/192kHz or less PCM (although they won't work in MQA and DSD formats) and they certainly add value and scope for customization at the level. If your budget stretches to this player and not a penny more, you won't be disappointed. We test dozens of hi-res portable music players every year at TechRadar, and that means we know exactly which features, specs, file support and wireless audio codecs to look out for.It's important for us to compare the performance of these players against the claims made by their manufacturers, which is why we take the time to make sure the stamina, durability, connectivity and sound quality claims are legit. And there's style to match the substance, with manufacturers also competing on design to deliver players that look as good as they sound. Fan of brutalist architecture? Astell & Kern is the name for you. Something a bit more colorful? See SanDisk or Sony. Want something about the size of a matchbox? Cowon's Plenue D3 is the one – see them all in our guide above. Why do people still use MP3 players? MP3 players won't suit everyone, many prefer the convenience of having all of their music on their phones, but there are plenty of reasons why an MP3 player is a great idea for some people. Is MP3 quality as good as CD?
For many people the convenience of MP3 –you can fit more into your device's storage, streaming uses less mobile data and you don't need a really good internet connection – outweighs the loss of sound, especially if you're listening on the move. But MP3 is a fairly old tech now, and there are better options: Lossless Audio and Hi-Res Audio. The Sony player is adept enough to turn its hand to various genres and can even discern the differences in file qualities, while all sounding comfortable to listen to for long periods. It's a pleasingly detailed and clean performance. In fact, there’s a familial throughline from the high-end NW-WM1ZM2 player to the A306 in terms of how mature and evenly balanced it sounds. It can also play at loud volumes without ever sounding harsh or confused. We'd like more dynamic punch and drive to songs that need it though; the Sony can sound a touch reserved when a song demands outright fun or aggression. The overall design is obviously very reminiscent of the Nintendo Game Boy but with some welcome modern refinements. The smooth, rounded corners feel great in the palms of your hands and allow for comfortable playing sessions. Furthermore, the D-pad is very responsive and the face buttons are also excellent with a springy tactile feel that is absolutely perfect for button mashing.
Whatever your budget, you will be surprised at what you can get for your money these days. Every player here supports MP3 and AAC files of course, but we can all do better than that in 2023. All of the models above also support high-resolution audio files, from 24-bit FLAC and PCM files and even DSD. Speaking of phones, you may find the touchscreen to be a little sluggish, compared to what you’re used to, but with some patience, it’s easy enough to navigate for anyone familiar with the Android launcher. If you can overlook these minor flaws, the Sony NW-A306 is more than worthy of the Walkman legacy and a great way to enjoy your favourite music. Most important in our reviewing process is that each product is compared with the best in its price and class. What Hi-Fi?is all about comparative testing, so we keep our Award winners nearby to enable comparisons between new products and ones we know perform highly in the category. The interface is easy to control. Tap through options using the touchscreen, and select the music you want to listen to. It could be more responsive, but you get used to it. Battery life is around nine hours, which isn't amazing, but not terrible either.
You should also consider recharging options: would you rather charge the radio via USB or use batteries? If you pair one of the devices in this buying guide with a set of the best headphones you’ve got the ultimate in premium, portable music: high-quality music that you can take on your travels. It's not just about sound quality, of course. If a product has noteworthy features – such as battery life, built-in streaming services and DAC-performing abilities, in the case of portable music players – we always ensure part of our testing involves testing the claims made by its makers. We make sure to test each product against its chief competitors too, so you can be sure that if we say so, the product is the best bet for the money. We live with these players for well over a week and run them in religiously so that the components have 'bedded in' before we commence our tests, and we don't finalize our testing until we are certain of the sound quality. We tested the player with multiple pairs of headphones across multiple price ranges, and were stunned with the clarity and exceptional quality of the audio. There’s a reason the Onkyo DP-X1A sits atop this list – it’s a beast in the portable audio world.The Fiio M11S does an excellent job of gently undercutting its closest rival, the Astell & Kern a&norma SR25 Mk II. You've got so many great options, such great sound, and such high-spec parts that it's very easy to look at the saving and decide it's worth putting into a nice high-capacity microSD card instead of its higher-priced rival. Of course, these can be considered optional extras; experimental paths that can be taken or completely ignored. After all, the SE180 is an all-in-one player in itself, with the default module containing the ESS ES9038PRO DAC. It supports 32-bit/384kHz PCM, native DSD256 andMQAaudio and has 2.5mm, 3.5mm and 4.4mm outputs to cater for a wide range of headphones. We are always impartial and do our utmost to make sure we are hearing every product at its very best, so we try plenty of different types of music (and music files) and give each plenty of listening time (and time to run in). We use a range of headphones at levels likely to suit a certain player, too. Your mileage with the 2.8” (~7cm) screen is also likely to vary dramatically depending on the quality of your eyesight - especially if you want to experience titles at their intended aspect ratio with the Pixel Perfect display mode. If this is applicable to you, you would be much better off considering larger options like the Evercade EXP instead.
Supports Dynamic Range Control with compatible DAB stations for balanced audio in noisy environments Whilst we will do everything we can to meet the delivery times above, there may be factors outside of our control and we cannot guarantee delivery within this time frame. There are other benefits: if you’re out and about without your phone charger, playing music through a portable music player isn’t going to drain your phone’s battery. You’ll also be able to take your entire music collection with you, without filling up smartphone storage that you’d rather use for apps, photos and videos. The player is built with a full version of Android, complete with Wi-Fi connectivity and the Google Play Store, which results in it being kind of like an Android version of the iPod touch, able to do much more than just play music. However, the Onkyo DP-X1A is built for super-high-quality audio, and it's an absolute dream. It supports a range of music formats, including FLAC, OGG, WAV, MP3, ALAC, and more. In terms of hardware, the device has two chipsets, one to power the overall device, and one to handle the DAC and amplifier – resulting in a noise-free experience. This is a small, light and stylish music player with a simple matchbox-like design and a big, wide screen. It's an upgrade on Cowon's previous MP3-player model, this time with a volume dial, Bluetooth and more features.
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And if you’re keen on the idea of hi-res audio, you’ll need to shell out on a dedicated player to get the most out of the latest hi-res albums. What is the best type of MP3 player?
While digital radio is growing in popularity, many people still find they can get better reception on AM/FM radio. Brand – Some of the radios reviewed here are made by established brands such as Roberts and Sony, while others are made by less well-known Chinese brands such as Benss. While you can normally expect better build quality from established brands, this isn’t always the case. Always look for the latest model of digital radio as it will have the most up-to-date technology. For example, you should avoid buying the Roberts Sports DAB2 and instead buy the newer Roberts Sports DAB5. Where the NW-A306 is let down is not in its music-playing skill, but slight niggles with its all round usability. During our testing, we found that the menu could be a little unresponsive, the battery longevity would vary and it surprisingly sounded like it struggled when playing a standard 128kbps audio file, which all together let down our all-round experience just a tad (well, by half a star to be exact). But there’s no denying that the positives vastly outweigh the negatives here. But all of the products in this list have one thing in common: excellent sound quality. And if you're here, that is probably the aspect that's most important to you in a portable MP3 player. How we test portable music players
How about a customisable PMP with interchangeable DAC modules? That's the idea here – and we liked it so much, we gave it What Hi-Fi? 2021 and 2022 Awards. The SE180 is the third model in Astell & Kern’s near-flagship A&futura range, following the inauguralSE100andSE200, both of which gainedAwards from this very publication in 2019 and 2020 respectively. However, this is a capable hi-res player worthy of your consideration if your budget doesn’t stretch to the more premium Astell & Kern SR35 player above.
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