While most people who enjoy music on the go these days are listening from their phones, at that place are still many reasons someone might want to own a standalone portable music player.

All the same, finding the right one to buy has become highly convoluted with countless brands and models, many of which are clones of each other, or of popular players similar the iPod. In some cases yous may even wind upwardly comparison shopping for two seemingly different devices which are actually made by the aforementioned company and have the same specs despite unlike branding.

Models range from effectually $1 to more than $3,000 and they vary at least as widely in characteristic sets. For what is already a niche market, the world of dedicated MP3 players is fragmented into various sub-niches targeting wildly different shoppers.

Here are some examples of what we mean, and this is far from representing all the diversity available in today'southward devices:

  • Usage - From wearable, waterproof "sport" models to those that probably shouldn't leave the coffee table.
  • Size - From models not much larger than a stamp postage to heftier than a smartphone.
  • Battery - From just an hour or less of playback to more than than 100 hours advertised for full listening fourth dimension, every bit well every bit units with removable and non-removable batteries (including some that utilize AAA batteries etc.).
  • Storage - Some units have less than 1GB of internal storage with no expansion slots. Others have no internal storage at all with only expansion slots, and upwards of 256GB internal and external retention -- some even have more than than one card slot.
  • Wireless - You mean Wi-Fi or Bluetooth? Both? Should the Bluetooth pair with vehicles or headphones but? What about GPS?
  • Hardware interface - Anything from a conventional touchscreen to basic physical buttons forth with some combinations thereof ("touch buttons") equally well as models with volume dials so on.
  • Software interface - Rockbox compatibility (adept luck), the ability to sort or search for files in certain ways, support for certain DRM standards (Audible audiobooks mainly) or metadata (the software on many budget models won't recognize ID3 tags).

  • Other - Additional features include the ability to sentry videos or read ebooks, back up for lossless file formats and gapless playback for live concerts, as well as models with an FM radio, integrated speakers, vocalism or line-in recording, not to mention wildcards such as a built-in solar power charger.

Why buy an MP3 player when yous have a phone?

If you lot're all the same wondering why we're talking about MP3 players in 2022, we've jotted down some of the master reasons why we're interested in a standalone mobile music device fifty-fifty though smartphones be...

MP3 players are generally cheaper & more than durable

Granted, sub-$100 smartphones are available, but mainstream MP3 players that are built with physical activity in mind are likely to exist less fragile than well-nigh budget phones. It'southward likewise less of an issue if/when an inexpensive MP3 player breaks (or gets lost/stolen) compared to a smartphone -- especially your master device.

If you mind to a lot of music, there's the side bonus of treatment your smartphone that much less, reducing the adventure of sudden harm and wear/tear over fourth dimension.

They're likewise generally smaller & lighter

Depending on what you're doing while you listen to music, the size/weight savings of a meaty MP3 player might affair. Smartphones commonly counterbalance upwards of five ounces while many of the "sportier" MP3 players weigh less than one ounce -- a difference that may exist relevant if you're running, biking etc.

Salvage smartphone storage & bombardment

Listening to music effectually the clock will eat your smartphone's battery and storage. A dedicated MP3 player may also offer more battery life on a unmarried accuse for music than a smartphone, with models normally listing xxx, 70 or 100+ hours of playback (much less for Bluetooth, which may be even more than of a reason to accept a dedicated player if you use that feature for playing sound on your smartphone).

Besides, a big FLAC library could fill most smartphones and non every handset has expandable storage. Relying on cloud storage to dispense your tunes may only compound issues (battery bleed from network activity, requiring a network connection in the offset place, mobile data limits and then on).

Hardware buttons instead of a touchscreen

Enough said if you value tactile controls. Buttons are easier to operate without looking while running/biking/driving etc. Hardware controls also remain functional when existence used with sweaty easily or in otherwise clammy environments (shoveling during a snowfall storm for example) whereas touchscreens often become unresponsive in such weather.

Other reasons shoppers cited during our research

  • Security/privacy - Some people said that they worked in secure environments where connected devices aren't allowed but basic MP3 players are. Others noted that listening from a standalone MP3 player instead of a smartphone might reduce the amount of information collected past corporations.
  • Features - Given the assortment of specifications on offer, some MP3 players might have a feature that your smartphone doesn't, again, specially if you are interested in higher-stop models.
  • Young and onetime people - User reviews on sites such as Amazon and Walmart also commonly mention that inexpensive MP3 players are expert alternatives to smartphones for children and seniors, mainly because of the more basic controls and limited feature-sets.

Our shopping parameters for a bones MP3 player

To be clear, this isn't meant to be a full buying guide or review, but after spending besides many hours comparing models we thought that sharing our parameters and expectations for an MP3 player in 2022 might aid you along your buying procedure.

We've primarily listened to music on a desktop with ATH-M50x headphones and in the by we've used portable music players such equally the iPod Nano and Archetype -- and smartphones of course.

Now nosotros're more often than not looking for something that "just works" without requiring the installation of bloatware on your PC for transferring music. Some boosted considerations we had while shopping for an MP3 player...

Ideally costs less than $l

Premium models have their identify, but since smartphones can be had for $100 or less, spending more than $50 on a basic MP3 player seems impractical given the amount of materials and manufacturing involved compared to a phone.

Compact, but not also much

Likewise, since they require less hardware, we effigy an MP3 histrion should be significantly smaller than a smartphone for easy bear, perhaps together in the same pocket at times, merely not and so modest that the device becomes hard to handle.

All day battery life & and so some

Since smartphones last all day, we expect an MP3 histrion to go for at least as long -- preferably more, even if y'all're listening to music during the unabridged 24+ hours. Fortunately, this specification is easily found in models under $fifty.

At least 8GB storage + expansion

Unless you only listen to FLAC files or have a massive audio library and want to deport the whole matter, 8GB seems sufficient if you're willing to swap out infrequently played tracks, particularly and then if the role player supports microSD cards, which could aggrandize the storage capacity to up of 64GB.

Hardware controls instead of touch

We're trying non to belabor the point but bodily concrete buttons are a major reason for wanting a split device for music and this was a considerable factor in our purchasing determination. Notation that while some units take buttons, they might lack specific ones -- volume rockers were notably missing on some of the units we considered.

Minimal regard for other features

Many MP3 players nether $50 can handle lossless file formats and to us that seemed worth having on a dedicated music device. However, nosotros gave minimal regard to other features such as support video playback, ebooks, Wi-Fi or even Bluetooth.

What we bought & alternatives from our research

In our search for such an MP3 player we noticed that many of the brands appeared to exist offering the same device past a dissimilar name. This is the case for at least two companies, "Ruizu" and "Agptek," which sell some of the more popular MP3 players on Amazon and elsewhere.

A side by side comparing of the Ruizu X02 and Agptek A02 for example suggests that the companies might have a common supplier and when we inquired about this Ruizu confirmed that they make MP3 players for Agptek equally well equally other brands that the company didn't desire to name.

Ruizu also wouldn't confirm if the X02 and A02 had the exact aforementioned hardware and software, suggesting instead that we buy both and compare them ourselves. When contacting Agptek about the deviation betwixt those two devices, the visitor said "maybe the Os organisation is dissimilar" and and then stopped responding to further questions.

We contacted Amazon a couple of times about the various merchants selling seemingly identical MP3 players, but the company didn't have any data regarding a central manufacturing facility or parts supplier, or how to go about differentiating between the devices for sale, or very much interest in discussing the subject.

Although the X02/A02 largely met our desired specs, this model doesn't have independent volume controls. Instead, from what we've read, striking the volume push button opens an overlay and and then the left/right buttons change the book, so in that location'due south an actress stride involved to adjust the sound levels.

Alternatively, the X18/A18 is but .22oz (six.2g) heavier, states 20 more hours of estimated battery life, and has independent volume controls forth with buttons for play/pause, forwards/backward, menu/back.

Ruizu X18 - $28 / $20

  • ane.viii" LCD screen (low resolution)
  • Weighs 38g, measures 93 x 40 ten 10mm
  • 8GB memory, 128GB expansion
  • Sound formats: MP3/WAV/APE/WMA/FLAC
  • Video format: 160x128 AMV files
  • Voice recording up to 5-viii meters
  • Bluetooth iv.0 upwards to 5-x meters
  • iii.7v / 800mAh bombardment, ~100 hours playback

Impressions of the Ruizu X18 after testing

While the X18 more often than not met our expectations, we wish these companies would focus more on perfecting their devices as a dedicated music player instead of aiming to advertise the most features (I'd trade the ability to play videos for a more polished MP3 player interface).

Build quality: Lighter than we idea. Easy to orientate in your pocket. Slight flex to the crush but the device feels sturdy plenty (combo of plastics used for the trunk). Buttons feel similar they should wear well over time, every bit practise the headphone and charging ports.

Audio quality: Seems comparable to music output from a mainstream desktop PC, peculiarly for MP3s of average quality.

Battery life: Estimated playback fourth dimension of 100 hours seems fair although we didn't test this in any official capacity. It'due south certainly possible to play many days of audio playback without charging, at least when using wired headphones (Bluetooth uses more battery).

Transferring files: This is as simple as it should exist... adhere the player to your PC and you tin can copy music over from File Explorer, similar to working with a USB drive. You lot can also insert a microSD card upward to 128GB.

Screen quality: Pixelated compared to a smartphone. Wouldn't desire to read an ebook on the X18 and in testing with text documents the device doesn't remember the page we left off on after closing a long document, though you can set a bookmark. The screen resolution combined with the software interface feel reminiscent of an onetime feature telephone.

User interface: Some of the X18'due south interface features...

  • Plugging the device in to charge presents 2 modes: charge and transfer or charge and keep playback.
  • The way your files are organized in File Explorer is the manner that they'll be organized on the device.
  • Yous can put the device to slumber by property play for 3 seconds and the music continues where you lot left off.
  • Bookmark audio and text files at a specific time, and you can adapt the playback speed up or down 8 levels.
  • Along with organizing files in folders, you lot can add tracks to a playlist directly from the device.
  • Likewise, you lot tin delete files direct from the device (hitting the forward arrow on a file for the menu selection).

The device input by and large functions as expected despite some quirks. For case, we couldn't find whatever way to search for files. Additionally...

  • Holding the skip track button to fast forrad through a long audio file doesn't become as quickly as it could. There could hands be some other speed level to fast frontward through files that are more than than an hour long.
  • The manual says yous can besides hold the menu button down for iii seconds to lock/prevent further input (for accidental button presses). This feature didn't piece of work in testing. Releasing later 3 seconds opened the aforementioned carte every bit if the button were pressed for ane second.
  • If your headphones are unplugged during playback, the device continues to play music with no output.
  • Adjusting the book opens an overlay that doesn't auto-close when you hit another push button such as side by side runway, so you lot either accept to expect for the overlay to close or hit the back button.

Other features: Bluetooth iv.0 with a range of 5-x meters, a stopwatch, an alert, vocalism recording, an FM radio and recording abilities, video playback but only 160x128 AMV files, and support for LRC lyric format.

Alternative devices that may exist of interest

In searching for the device we wound up purchasing, we also came across many other models that might be of involvement to someone shopping for a dedicated MP3 histrion:

MP3 players starting at $one - Sites such as Gearbest offer MP3 players with only the virtually basic functionality for around $1 shipped. A majority of these devices only cite a few hours of battery life at best, however this ane says 30 hours and external memory suppor (no integrated storage). Interestingly, a variant of this same "$1" MP3 player seems to be selling for $30 on Amazon.

"Sport" models - In our stance the Ruizu/Agptek X02/A02 and X18/A18 we've been discussing seem compact and light plenty for use while beingness active. That said, companies such as Sandisk take MP3 players that are the adjacent size downwards (also see the Agptek G15S with recessed hardware buttons and a silicone example). Amongst the waterproof models available, "Audioflood" sells a modified iPod Shuffle with waterproof earbuds.

Archetype MP3 players - The Sandisk Sansa Clip+, Fuze are even so bachelor in limited quantities despite existence out of manufacturing and they get for $100+, or many times what y'all would have paid a decade ago. Likewise, many iPods are even so available, such as the second-gen iPod touch, which is congenital like a tank and goes for $twenty used and $40 refurbished, while many generations of the iPod nano are still around for $100 or less.

Rockbox compatible - A popular open source firmware for MP3 players that has merely been ported to a select number of devices -- mainly ones that are no longer available. The aforementioned Prune+ and other SanDisk Sansa players accept stable ports and remain a viable option, while a unofficial ports of Rockbox for the xDuoo X3 and FiiO_X1 seem like the best bet if you want a newer device. Here are other Rockbox ports in development.

Smartphone MP3 player - Some people seeking a standalone MP3 player wound up purchasing a budget smartphone for listening to music. For example, the $125 Unihertz Jelly Pro weighs just over two ounces, measures only three.64 ten 1.69 x 0.51 inches and is otherwise a fully featured, unlocked 4G smartphone running Android 7.0 Nougat. Unihertz is too taking pre-orders for the "Atom," said to be the "world'due south smallest 4G rugged smartphone."

Entry-level "hi-fi" and up - These models/brands were beyond our interest and ability to make a recommendation. Some of these are excessively priced for our purposes, but their products still have great reviews and involvement from those more concerned well-nigh audio quality: FiiO, Sony, Cowon Plenue D, Astell & Kern, Pioneer.

Image credit: Some MP3 histrion photography courtesy of Shutterstock