10 Best MP3 Players That Deliver Way Better Sound Than Your Smartphone
They're the total package.
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If you thought that MP3 players were a thing of the past, you’re not alone. But nowadays the best MP3 players that you can buy in 2022 are a major upgrade on the portable music player that you might have had in the early 90s.
Many of us use our smartphones to listen to music, but maybe you don’t want to be tied to your phone all the time, or you might want to save your mobile data and battery while you’re out and about. Whatever the reason, today's top MP3 players are capable of storing your music library at a much higher bitrate than your 2009 iPod Shuffle ever could. Pair one of these devices with a pair of great headphones and you’ve got high-quality music that travels with you wherever you go. Check out these thoroughly researched MP3 players that are worthy of your ever-growing music collection.
The Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 is an impressive MP3 player that's designed to make your hi-res audio files really sing, thanks to a new performance mode, support for balanced audio connections, and Bluetooth LDAC wireless compatibility.
With a unique, off-center design and aluminum body, it certainly looks the part, and its touch screen is bright and easy to use.
Inside the SR25 is the Dual Cirrus Logic CS43198 Master Hi-Fi level DAC, while native support for DSD256 and 32-bit/384kHz audio is more than enough to satisfy even the most discerning audiophiles.
The HiBy R3 Pro Saber MP3 player is sleek, feature-packed, easy to use, and reasonably priced. Its audio performance is also stellar, courtesy of its high-quality audio components. The player also supports a wide range of audio file formats.
What makes the HiBy R3 Pro Saber stand out in its price range is an intuitive touchscreen interface and compatibility with streaming services, a duo of audio connectors, and up-to-date wireless connectivity. However, it lacks onboard storage, so you must purchase a microSD card alongside the device.
You can order the media player in black, gray, green, or red.
This portable music player by AGPTEK stands out with an eye-catching, minimalist design and an affordable sub-$50 sticker. The device looks considerably more expensive, thanks to a metal frame, curved glass panels, and touch button controls.
The product’s audio capabilities and support for lossless formats are also solid for the money. It's not compatible with streaming services, but this is not a dealbreaker given its price tag.
Available in black or blue, the player has a color screen, plenty of expandable storage, long battery life, integrated FM radio, built-in speaker, and up-to-date Bluetooth 5.0. It can also double as a pedometer and voice recorder.
The AGPTEK H50 delivers all the essentials in a compact package. Its high-tech, machined metal housing, color screen, tactile buttons, and multifunctional rotating knob belie its sub-$100 price tag. The same goes for the product’s support for a wide range of audio file formats.
You should be aware that the media player has no built-in storage, so you’ll need to get a memory card for it. It supports up to 128GB microSD cards, so adding one won’t break the bank.
The product’s retail package includes a carrying pouch and convenient USB-A adapter.
The SanDisk Clip Sport Plus is our favorite pick for workout warriors who want a break from their phones. It's compact, water-resistant, and super affordable.
Features include a 1.44-inch color display, adequate memory for the price, and FM radio. Bluetooth connectivity is also onboard for pairing the gadget with your go-to gym headphones or earbuds.
The Clip Sport has solid battery life, too. And despite its low price tag, it includes a pair of earbuds in its retail package. Available in black, red, or blue, the audio player comes with a two-year warranty.
FiiO’s M17 is the best media player for discerning audiophiles. It has a beautiful metal body with impeccable craftsmanship and best-in-class sonic capabilities. The Android player also offers access to every music streaming service and digital audio format out there.
The M17 packs a fast Qualcomm chip and desktop-worthy hardware with a trio of DACs and four audio outputs. Other noteworthy highlights include a sharp six-inch touchscreen, a massive battery, and an ambient light system.
In a manner befitting its price tag, the product comes with a leather case and desktop cooling stand, among other accessories.
Sony’s NW-WS623 earphones have an integrated MP3 player with 4GB of storage and a fully waterproof body, which allows you to take the headset player for a swim—even in saltwater! According to its maker, the product can survive submersions of up to 6.6 feet underwater.
The media player is also dustproof. It has a comfy and secure fit and dependable battery life for its form factor.
Other noteworthy highlights include intuitively placed controls and a handy USB dock for fast charging and transferring music from a computer. You can order the Sony NW-WS623 in black, blue, or green.
The audio jack-toting Sony Xperia 5 III smartphone is also an awesome audio player. Like the brand's greatest media players, it can deliver an amazing sonic experience from any content—from your personal collection to the best streaming services.
Sony’s smartphone can even make your old MP3 files sound better. It is compatible with hi-res audio (both wired and wireless), as well as Sony’s immersive 360 Reality Audio format.
The Xperia 5 III is also an excellent 5G Android phone with a fast chip, a captivating OLED display, and a stellar triple camera. A bigger and pricier Sony Xperia 1 III with similar capabilities is also available.
Sony's Walkman NW-ZX507 is the best option under $1,000. It packs two wired audio outputs, and can also stream high-quality audio over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Just like the Sony NW-A105 Walkman, the NW-ZX507 runs Android, so you can also access apps and streaming services.
The luxe media player has a milled aluminum housing with convenient audio control buttons on its side. Its build also keeps electrical noise out of the acoustic experience.
This MP3 player has plenty of expandable storage and a solid battery life. Its touchscreen is equally handy for browsing through music and navigating apps.
The iPod touch can do so much more than just play your music collection, thanks to a powerful chip, a crisp Retina display, two cameras, and Apple iOS.
Apple’s platform sets the iPod Touch apart from all competitors, bringing access to millions of apps, games, and all music and video streaming services. The iPhone-resembling player is also compatible with FaceTime and iMessage—all you need is an iCloud account.
The iPod Touch comes with a set of wired EarPods. There are six color variants (pink, blue, gold, red, silver, and space gray) and three storage options to select from.
Stefan is an award-winning consumer technology editor with over a decade of experience in reviewing gadgets, particularly smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, desktop and laptop computers across multiple form factors and platforms, as well as accessories for them. He also covers televisions and audio equipment, including headphones, earbuds, wireless speakers, and soundbars. Since joining Hearst in 2015, Stefan has contributed to BestProducts, Popular Mechanics, and numerous other publications. Prior to his current role, he served as the US Editor for GSMArena.com.
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