What kind of mp3 hardware is available

It's a good time to buy a portable music player, too. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are coming up very soon, and lots of the MP3 players in this guide could be discounted heavily. If you want to find one of the best MP3 players that you can buy in , you're in the right place. With a unique, off-center design and aluminum body, it certainly looks the part, and its touch screen is bright and easy to use.

With Wi-Fi connectivity, you have access to streaming services including Deezer and Tidal , while Bluetooth aptX ensure listening with wireless headphones needn't sound inferior to wired connections. The Onkyo DP-X1A isn't the most compact device on this list, but we think it's the best MP3 player you can buy, offering lots of customizability, an intuitive interface, and fantastic sound. The DP-X1A looks a little bit like a phone, but much thicker with two audio ports — one headphone jack and one balanced output for those interested in a cleaner and overall better quality sound.

The device has an easy-to-use volume wheel, as well as physical playback buttons and two microSD card slots for those with a sizable collection of music. The player is built with a full version of Android 5.

Speaking of the sound quality, it's an absolute dream. 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. 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. Apple took us all by surprise when it announced the iPod touch 7 in , the first upgrade to its portable music and video player since The new iPod supports the FLAC codec, as well as Apple Lossless, giving you more options than ever when it comes to accessing audiophile-quality music.

The strings had a warm and natural quality, while soprano vocal duets soared sweetly above the mix without ever sounding harsh. In our review we also tested out the inbuilt speaker at the bottom of the iPod touch, and it packs quite a punch despite its size.

It's also optimized for gaming, so check out our guide to the best Apple Arcade games. Read more: iPod Touch 7th Generation review. 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. Music is dynamic and crisp, with a nice and powerful sound. The best option for working out, this MP3 player is small and light. For your existing home stereo system, you can get players with a lot of memory and music management options.

Many of these players also include ethernet networking ports so that you can download music off the Internet using the PC and easily move the files to the component; some also allow you to connect the device to a TV set so you can use an on-screen interface to better manage hundreds of files.

But you don't play music just on a portable or on your stereo; you probably also want to listen to music wherever you are, whatever you're doing. For your car,. You can even get mobile phones and digital cameras that have MP3 capabilities built in.

Webnoize's Dube says that in the coming years you can expect to see MP3 players built into almost any device you can link to a PC. Of course, most of these will fail, but that doesn't mean the manufacurers won't try.

Also expect to see more and cheaper storage, faster processors, and more features, including portable players that can encode as well as decode. Sign up to gain exclusive access to email subscriptions, event invitations, competitions, giveaways, and much more.

Membership is free, and your security and privacy remain protected. View our privacy policy before signing up. Join the newsletter! Sign in with LinkedIn Sign in with Facebook. Keep up with the latest tech news, reviews and previews by subscribing to the Good Gear Guide newsletter.

Michael Gowan Unknown Publication. Show Comments. If you truly care about the sound quality of your music, it's time to invest in an MP3 player. Unlike most new smartphones, MP3 players have a built-in audio jack, and — save for the iPod Touch — easily expandable memory. To determine the best MP3 players worth buying, we spent the past few weeks evaluating products from reputable audio brands at various price points — from super affordable to undeniably luxurious.

When shopping for an MP3 player, consider the size and the quality of your digital music collection. If you own a lot of music in lossless file formats and don't want to compromise on audio quality, consider getting an MP3 player with an advanced DAC digital-to-analog converter. A high-end MP3 player will also improve the quality of sound from high-impedance headphones. But if you're simply looking to untether your music library from your smartphone, a more affordable model should fit the bill just fine.

In addition to the audio hardware and performance, it's important to consider the amount of available storage an MP3 player offers. You should either consider a product with ample built-in memory or one with a built-in microSD card slot for easy expansion. Today's splurgeworthy MP3 players will most likely offer you a combination of both. Our picks all play High-Res Audio , have impressive battery life, and are small enough to slide into your pocket. Check out the best MP3 players that are perfect for your ever-growing music collection.

I tested the player and enjoyed rocking out to Hi-Res Audio albums I downloaded for offline use from Qobuz. The media player's fantastic audio quality comes courtesy of a high-resolution amplifier, a sophisticated enhancement engine, and support for a plethora of top-tier audio codecs, among many other features.

The gadget has Bluetooth 5. You can expect up to 26 hours of audio playback from the NW-A Walkman. However, you should be mindful that streaming wireless content over Wi-Fi, checking your email, and using Android apps will have an impact on its battery endurance. I like that the gadget uses a futureproof USB-C connector for charging. The audio performance of the M6 is also top-notch, courtesy of high-quality audio components, as well as a speedy Samsung-made chipset.

The M6 has up to 13 hours of battery life. Because it has only 2 GB of onboard storage, I would recommend purchasing a microSD card alongside the device.

What makes the FiiO M6 stand out in its price range is a 3. FiiO has made this possible by equipping the gadget with a customized version of Android, thus bringing the ability to install Spotify, Tidal, and Qobuz, among others. Sony's NWE is among the best budget-friendly MP3 players out there, thanks to a superb 35 hours of battery life, up to 16GB of non-expandable storage 4 and 8GB variants are also available , and a 1.

Being an entry-level option, the MP3 player supports the most commonly used audio formats, but it can't play lossless audio. You can order the audio player in black or red. I like that Sony also bundles the device with a pair of earbuds. The FiiO M3 Pro has a compact and sleek design with a 3.