Best lightweight music player

Best lightweight music player

Best portable MP3 players 2023: budget to hi-res music players,How to choose the best MP3 player for you

WebFeb 7,  · Best MP3 player for portable music players from Astell & Kern, Onkyo and more. By Becky Scarrott. Contributions from. Olivia Tambini, Christian de Looper. WebJul 19,  · The best Android music player apps you can download. 1. YouTube Music. (Image credit: Google) Having shuttered Google Play Music, YouTube Music is where WebDec 11,  · VLC also comes in two flavors for Windows, both free. There's the Microsoft Store version which is built for PCs, tablets and Xbox One; and there's the old-school WebJan 21,  · Sandisk Clip Sport Plus MP3 Player Review. The SanDisk Clip Sport Plus has a battery that lasts for about 20 hours on a single charge, and it supports both lossy WebFeb 23,  · Spotify Premium membership costs $ per month and $ for students. Spotify is a lot more than the best music player for Windows 10/ It is an online ... read more

On the plus side, the battery lasts up to 30 hours, which is impressive for an MP3 player in this price range. During testing, Erika got The Agptek clip supports Bluetooth 4. txt format. Display : 2 inches Audio Formats : MP3, WMA, APE, FLAC, WAV, AAC Battery Life : Up to 30 hours Water Resistance : Sweat-proof case. Plus, the player has up to 35 hours of continuous playback, and charging takes only around two hours. The controls take some getting used to. There's a five-way rocker for navigation and buttons for home and options. There are switches on the side, too, for volume and locking the player so you don't interrupt a workout. These buttons on such a small frame can make this player a little unwieldy. But that also means the player has a lot of functionality, so there's a trade-off. This player comes with earbuds that sound good, but the Walkman doesn't clip onto clothing easily like some of the other models on this list, so this might be a better choice for walking or light exercise.

The Sony Walkman 4GB headphones are a wearable MP3 player, as they have local storage that lets you play your music while leaving your phone at home. They are all-in-one, self-contained units with 4GB of storage. This is enough to hold about 1, songs, and a single charge gives you approximately 12 hours of playback. The headphones are waterproof, meaning you can take them up to two meters deep in the pool. You can take them in saltwater too, which is comforting for those who like to surf or exercise on the beach. On the downside, these headphones don't have Bluetooth connectivity like many others. What you store on the headphones is what you have to choose from. That's an understandable compromise, but we still miss it. Workouts tend to involve moisture in one form or another. Usually, that's sweat, but this can also include sports such as swimming.

Depending on your workouts, you'll want to look for properties like sweat-proof, water-resistant, or, the best, waterproof. Touchscreens tend to be difficult to use when you're working out and sweating. Physical controls are essential because sweaty hands can have trouble controlling a touchscreen. This refers to how many songs you can keep on the device. The longer your workout, the more tunes you'll listen to. Variety is the spice of life, so in terms of storage, higher is always better. If the device has low storage, see if it supports MicroSD expansion. Music players designed for working out have design elements that support an active lifestyle like the ability to clip to clothing, a certain amount of durability, and water resistance. People working out get sweaty and tend to put their devices in precarious positions, so the music player will need to stand up to those conditions. Yes, you can!

However, a dedicated music player is almost always going to be smaller, lighter, more durable, and more affordable than your smartphone. That's important when you're working out. Smartphones can be unwieldy when you're trying to run, lift weights, or even do stretches. A workout music player provides you with a bit of extra freedom, while also keeping your phone safe from moisture and drops. That depends. Most music players still have the 3. Many come with earbuds included, while others are headphones in themselves. You'll want to check your specifications. Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day. By Erika Rawes has written for Digital Trends, USA Today, and Cheatsheet. lifewire's editorial guidelines. Fact checked by Rich Scherr. Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire.

lifewire's fact checking process. Tweet Share Email. Audio Headphones Earbuds Speakers Home Theater Instruments Accessories. The Rundown. Best Overall:. Jump to Review. Best Smart Device:. Best for Swimming:. Best Compact:. Best Budget:. Best Value:. Best Headphones:. in this article Expand. Our Picks. What to Look For in a Workout Music Player. Best Overall SanDisk Clip Sport Plus MP3 Player. What We Like Water resistant Holds up to 4, songs Clips to your clothing. What We Don't Like Small buttons. Sandisk Clip Sport Plus MP3 Player Review. Best Smart Device Apple iPod touch 7th Generation. View On Walmart. What We Like Full iOS functionality Supports messaging and FaceTime Comes in a variety of colors and capacities.

What We Don't Like Large for a workout device. Apple iPod Touch 7th Generation Review. Best for Swimming H20 Audio Stream Waterproof MP3 Player. View On Amazon. What We Like Waterproof degree clip Tiny. What We Don't Like No screen. Looking for a bargain? See the best hi-fi deals. These are the best smartphones around right now. Get clued up, stat: MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC: all the audio file formats explained. Sign up below to get the latest from What Hi-Fi? Ruben is a Staff Writer at What Hi-Fi? and longtime consumer technology and gaming journalist. Ruben's a dedicated gamer, tech nerd, and the kind of person who misses physical media. In his spare time, you can find Ruben cooking something delicious or, more likely, lying in bed consuming content. Open menu Close menu What Hifi What Hifi What Hi-Fi? THE WORLD'S 1 TECH BUYER'S GUIDE. opens in new tab opens in new tab opens in new tab opens in new tab opens in new tab.

AU Edition. Australian Hifi. Sound Image. Trending Best Buys Newsletter Best wireless earbuds Best TVs Bristol Show Our expert review:. Specifications Storage: 64GB expandable by 1TB via microSD. Headphone outputs: 3. Battery life: 20hrs. Dimensions: Weight: g. Reasons to avoid - 64GB internal storage. Specifications Storage: GB expandable by 1TB via microSD. Battery life : 10hrs approx. Reasons to avoid - Extra DAC modules are relatively pricey. Headphone outputs: Balanced 2. Battery life: Reasons to avoid - Clunky streaming service integration. Battery life: 9hrs. Dimensions: 9. Reasons to avoid - Design may not appeal to all.

For those who don't mind spending a little more for the ultimate in hi-res sound quality. Battery life: 14hrs. Reasons to avoid - Design might not appeal to everyone. Not very portable or accessibly priced, but it sounds like no other PMP we have heard. Battery life: 8hrs. Dimensions: 13 x 8 x 1. Reasons to avoid - Average battery life. Newsletter Sign up below to get the latest from What Hi-Fi? Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors. Ruben Circelli. Social Links Navigation. With contributions from Becky Scarrott.

See all comments 9. I love the s retro style of the Q1. Where is the Fiio M15? The Ibasso players and Hiby too? How about Luxury Precision P6 R2R DAP? I own an LG V30 smartphone. It has a quad DAC and can drive my ohm HDs. Previous to getting this phone I bought a Fiio X3 mk II and a Fiio M6. The UI on the phone is many times better than either of the DAPs. In a blind test I doubt very much whether I would be able to distinguish the audio output of the phone against either DAP. Not only that but the V30 is really good phone despite it's age.

I am selling both the DAPs if I can find some one who is willing to buy them, given the above. LG phones are just killing the DAP. Navanski - Completely agree with you. LG phones with dacs are so much better for a great price. Apart from owning two FiiO players and a FiiO amp, I have a LG G7 which I use only for music. Also picked a brand new LG G7 One to stock till LG G7 gives away. The user experience is so much better and no compromise on SQ too. Gentlemen, I wonder why Fiio M17 is not on your list. There is not even a review of Fiio M17 on What Hi-Fi site.

Most people buying a dedicated music player today are looking for a higher-quality options, since the majority of people are perfectly happy listening from their phones — however, we still have some cheaper models in our list here too. The best MP3 players might sound like old pieces of tech. But although several of their once trailblazing features can now be handled by your smartphone, this guide features several impressive music players that give you a reliable way to listen to high-res audio on the move — aka in better quality than you'd get from just your phone. Most people now turn to music streaming services, smartphones or smart speakers if they want to listen to music.

In fact, you should take a look at our best smart speakers guide and best music streaming services guide if you want to refresh the way you enjoy your favorite tunes. For many people, streaming music sounds good enough. But not everybody thinks good enough is good enough, especially if you've invested in some of the best headphones : high quality headphones often expose the flaws in streaming music, and in poorly recorded music too. With a few exceptions, streaming services can't match the quality of high-res audio downloads. And phones aren't made with music in mind: the digital-to-analogue converters in smartphones aren't aimed at audiophiles and Bluetooth doesn't have the bandwidth to match a wired headphone connection. For many years we'd have included an iPod towards the top of this list.

But Apple discontinued its last MP3 player, the iPod touch, in May But while the Cupertino giant has left the MP3 market it helped create, other big names haven't — and they're making some of the best audio hardware we've ever heard. The SPT sounds superb. Two amplifier stages offer seven distinct options, while no fewer than four DACs are deployed to handle two channels of audio information. The SPT is unconcerned by digital audio file size or type, and it will happily power any headphones you care to mention. The control interface is clean and responsive. The player itself is not so much built as sculpted - though it is too large to slip into your jeans pocket. Even the battery life is half-decent. As well as a new 4. The Onkyo DP-X1A isn't the most compact device on this list, but we think it's one of the best MP3 players 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. Unlike the iPod, however, the Onkyo DP-X1A is built for super-high-quality audio. Speaking of the sound quality, 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. 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.

Read the full Onkyo DP-X1A review. 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 And Apple surprised us again when it discontinued it in There are still quite a few available on sites such as eBay, and if you can get one for a sensible price it's not a bad buy. This iPod supports the FLAC codec as well as Apple Lossless, giving you more options than ever when it comes to accessing audiophile-quality music provided you use wired headphones: Apple's Bluetooth doesn't support any hi-res audio codecs for wireless audio. 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. If you need a new MP3 player, and you don't mind using Apple Music, the iPod Touch will do just fine. It's also optimized for gaming, so check out our guide to the best Apple Arcade games. Read the full 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.

Despite being built for sport, it supports a pretty wide range of audio formats — including MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, and WMA. During testing, we found the battery life is impressive at 20 hours. Because it has recently been superseded by the MKII variant above which tweaks the build ever-so-slightly and adds a 4. With an 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. Looking for something else? We haven't tested the MP3 players below ourselves, but we'd still like to recommend them based on their excellent specs and customer reviews.

This is a small, light and stylish MP3 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. It offers exceptional battery life. You'll get 45 hours of playback time with regular MP3 files and more than 30 hours with high-res files — which still beats most of the competitors on this list. It supports a huge range of formats, including DSD DFF, DSF, ISO , FLAC, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, APE, MP3, WMA, OGG and DCF. Music sounds brilliant and with Bluetooth, you can listen on a range of different devices. Although there's no Wi-Fi streaming available. This MP3 player is short on storage with only 16G internally. But with a MicroSD card you can bump that up significantly. It boasts an impressive 45 hours of battery life and supports a wide range of formats.

Sound is clear and powerful and although it might not be the best out there, it's a huge improvement over listening to music on your phone. Why you can trust TechRadar Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test. So how do you select one? Well, you're in luck. Because the market is increasingly geared towards the audiophile the kind of people who won't touch Spotify's lossy streams , firms are constantly innovating.

These days, ever improved sound quality, hi-res audio support and seriously impressive built-in DAC s Digital-to-Analogue Converters are making already impressive players even better. 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? 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. 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. 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. On this, we test the audio performance using a range of musical genres, using both wired and wireless headphones and streaming or downloading music from various sources, to ensure that these products can handle everything from thumping dance tracks to softly-spoken podcasts in whatever format we throw at it.

After more years in this game than we'd care to admit, we are truly confident that our star-rated reviews are the best indication of the quality of the hi-res MP3 players in this list. There are no sales teams involved in our verdicts, which means if we don't like it for sound, design, usability and features, we simply won't recommend it here. An iPod is a type of MP3 player. It's the name for Apple's range of portable music players, but you'll find plenty of other MP3 players from other brands — many of which are listed in our guide below. There are lots of very good reasons why people still use dedicated MP3 players and similar devices. One is sound quality: depending on the device, you can listen to much higher quality versions of tracks than anything you'll find on streaming services — especially if your device has a headphone jack, which many phones lack. For serious music fans that's a major consideration: Bluetooth audio quality is getting better, but for full hi-res audio you still need your headphones to be wired.

Even Apple's most expensive headphones, the AirPods Max, can't do fully lossless audio wirelessly. Another reason is that not everything you might want to listen to is available on the various streaming services — and not everything that's there today might be there tomorrow, because songs and even artists come and go. By synchronising an MP3 player with your desktop music collection you can always be sure that you can hear what you want to hear. A big bonus for many people is that with your own music collection, you don't need to pay a monthly subscription to listen to it, or to listen to it without advertising.

Although it's less of an issue than it used to be, another reason many music fans preferred MP3 players is because they were designed to do one thing and one thing only: play music. Most smartphones weren't, and audio performance of some of them wasn't brilliant; battery life and storage space weren't always great either. And MP3 players don't require you to have a mobile phone connection to get your music, so you can happily wander far from mobile signals and Wi-Fi without losing your soundtrack. Whether you should buy an MP3 player or not depends on what you want to use it for. If you're trying to avoid being glued to your phone, checking social media or taking work calls when you want to relax, an MP3 player can be a great option to listen to music while staying cut off from all of the distractions of your phone — and the rest of the world.

Some people enjoy listening to MP3 players when they work out, so they don't have their phone with them. Whether that's also to keep calls and messages at bay or keep their phone safe. Others might not have a great deal of space on their phone if it's an older model, so want to store music elsewhere, and some people might not want to use up battery or data when they're on the move. 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.

Best Android music players in 2021,How we test portable music players

WebJul 19,  · The best Android music player apps you can download. 1. YouTube Music. (Image credit: Google) Having shuttered Google Play Music, YouTube Music is where WebJan 21,  · Sandisk Clip Sport Plus MP3 Player Review. The SanDisk Clip Sport Plus has a battery that lasts for about 20 hours on a single charge, and it supports both lossy WebFeb 23,  · Spotify Premium membership costs $ per month and $ for students. Spotify is a lot more than the best music player for Windows 10/ It is an online WebJan 30,  · Spotify – Best offline music player for Windows iTunes – Best music app for Windows 11 with iPhone/iPad/iPod sync. VLC – Best MP3 player for Windows WebFeb 7,  · Best MP3 player for portable music players from Astell & Kern, Onkyo and more. By Becky Scarrott. Contributions from. Olivia Tambini, Christian de Looper. AdGet deals on similar items in Electronics on Amazon. Browse & Discover Thousands of products. Read Customer Reviews and Find Best Sellers ... read more

Audacious checks all the boxes when it comes to choosing a functional and lightweight music player for Windows. In the age of music streaming services, local media players have taken the back seat. foobar's advanced tagging tool makes light work of cleaning up a messy library, with options including batch processing, automatic metadata completion and track numbering, and copying and pasting data between fields. Here we've rounded up what we feel are the best of the best. The 8 Best Free Music Streaming Apps for iOS and Android

Why you can trust TechRadar Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Ruben's a dedicated gamer, tech nerd, and the kind of person who misses physical media. Social Links Navigation. Best Headphones Sony Walkman 4GB Headphone. MOST READ. They are best lightweight music player, self-contained units with 4GB of storage.