Are you looking for the best portable mp3 players? If so, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, we’ll provide detailed information about the portable mp3 players for 2023.
I went into research mode to get a clear picture of which portable mp3 players is the best. I scanned all the options available in the market and studied them thoroughly. I looked at what users are saying and then I looked at what experts are saying. And you won’t believe but this process helped me filter out 90% of the portable mp3 players! Shocking, right? So then which are the 10% that made it to the list? Read the entire article to find out.
Some products are backed by heavy marketing, and some by quality. My task was to find out the latter ones. Due to this, some very popular portable mp3 players also did not make it to the list.
Note: Though customer reviews were also taken into consideration, the major emphasis was given to experts’ opinions. So all the portable mp3 players you read about in this article, have been highly recommended by the experts.
10 Best Portable mp3 players Available Now
There is a vast difference between how users perceive a product and how experts perceive it. To ensure a balance I studied both. Experts give a lot more insight into the technicalities of the [Products] as well. And we may not realize it in our daily use but these technicalities play a major role in our experience of using portable mp3 players.
- CRYSTAL CLEAR SOUND – Distinct mids and highs are made possible by 50mm side-firing dual precision drivers that deliver excellent and loud stereo sound from an incredibly compact and portable size
- ULTRA PORTABLE MP3 SPEAKER – The BX measures just 5 x 4.5 x 4 inches big but it does not sacrifice audio power; it is designed to be a travel-friendly speaker that delivers an unexpected oomph
- PLAY MUSIC FROM USB FLASH DRIVE – Connect a memory thumb drive (32GB max) loaded with MP3 audio files to the USB port on the SonaVERSE BX and use the playback buttons like an MP3 player loudspeaker
- TECH SPECS – 3 Year Manufacturer Warranty | Driver: 50mm Full-range | Speaker: 3Wx2; 12W Peak | Audio Input: 3.5mm AUX, USB flash media | Playback buttons: USB source only | Playback time: 3-5 hrs
- RECHARGEABLE & REMOVABLE BATTERY – The included 3.7V 600mAh Lithium-ion battery provides up to 5 hours of audio playback and powers up accent LEDs that glow when the BX speaker is powered On
- And finally, the top and side ambient lights can even be controlled separately, allowing you to dial in exactly how you want your dazzling lights to be.
- [Desktop-league DAC ES9038PRO]: The left and right audio channels each contain a desktop-class, 8-channel ES9038PRO flagship DAC
- In balanced output, gain can get as high as 16dB – allowing the M17 audio player to easily drive most headphones.
- [Desktop-level connectivity]: The M17 mp3 player features : 3.5mm output: headphone out/line out; 6.3mm output: headphone out; 2.5mm output: balanced headphone out; 4.4mm output: balanced headphone out/balanced line out; RCA coaxial port: coaxial input and output; USB 3.0 port: supports USB Host and Device modes, can be used for high-speed data transfers and fast charging; USB 2.0 port: supports USB Host mode, allowing external DACs or hard drive storage to be connected.
- [Radiant RGB ambient light]: The M17 bluetooth mp3 player features a seven-color RGB ambient light system with extensive customization options
- When under DC mode, the enhanced over-ear headphone mode gain is unlocked, with a truly desktop level of amplification gain
- [Immense 9200mAh battery]: The massive 9200mAh battery allows for a battery life of up to 10 hours on the M17 music player
- Colors can be set to be either fixed, to follow the audio, or to follow a cycle
- [Desktop-grade gain]: Under battery power, there are 4 gain levels: low, medium, high, and headphone mode
- This means that each audio channel has 8 parallel outputs summed together for superior resolution and minimal distortion for extremely pure audio reproduction.
- Battery capacity: 9200mAh; Charging time: 4.5 hours; Charging protocols: QC4.0+PD; Battery life: 10.6 hours (single-ended), 8.6 hours (balanced).
- [Desktop-quality power supply]: The M17 digital music player contains two power supplies – a battery power supply and a power supply powered by external DC power
- [Connection methods]: With speakers: DC+LO+speakers; With computer: USB DAC+headphones; With desktop DAC: USB/coaxial output+DAC; With hard drive storage: DC+USB2.0+hard drive+headphones; With Bluetooth headphones: Bluetooth transmitter+Bluetooth headphones; Coaxial decoding.
- The battery power supply allows you to use the M17 lossless mp3 player in situations where there is no access to a power outlet
- Finally, the cooling fan stand also further makes sure heat is rapidly transported away.
- [Desktop-class THX 788+ headphone amp]: Desktop-class amplification also plays an important role in the M17 audio player
- FiiO and THX jointly developed the exclusive THX AAA-788+, an upgraded version of the original op-amp
- [Desktop-tier heat dissipation]: With exceptional audio quality comes with large power consumption, so effective heat dissipation was a large focus when designing the M17 music player
- Under DC power supply, voltage in the analog circuit is increased by 35% up to 11.5V compared to under battery power supply; and the battery is kept healthy since it is not used in this mode.
- Compared to the original, output power is increased by 225% up to 3000mW per channel with a lower output impedance – allowing it more effortlessly power all kinds of headphones.
- The brightness of the ambient light can be set to change depending on the current power, volume, or temperature
- It can be charged either through USB or through DC in from an external DC adapter
- Not only are “H” type heat dissipation and VC liquid cooling technologies adopted, the bluetooth mp3 player M17’s 151g unibody aluminum alloy frame also effectively transfers heat out of the device
- [A true smartphone-like experience]: Android 10 OS open to install 3rd party apps; Bluetooth 5.0 with support for aptX Adaptive, supports up to DSD512 and 32bit/768kHz, supports MQA 8x unfolding for master-level sound.
- S-Master HX digital amplifier for pure sound quality
- Use your favorite streaming platforms with Android support
- In the box Walkman USB cable Startup Guide Instruction Manual
- Precision engineered for improved sound quality
- USB Type C connectivity
- Truly authentic sound with Hi-Res Audio
- The latest upgraded Bluetooth 5.0-:this Mp3 player built-in bluetooth 5.0,provide faster data transfer speed(40% increase) and more stable connection,the connection distance is also longer.In addition, power consumption will be reduced, increasing battery life.ENJOY CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY
- Multifunctional MP3 player-:This mp3 player have 2.4 inch screen,speed dial UI design,let you quickly choose the function you want,music player,FM radio,voice recorder,E-book.videos,tools.LITTLE MP3 PLAYER,GREAT USE
- Stylish crafts with 2.5Oz-:This music player adopt the same design concept as the latest smartphone,2.5D double-side acrylic glass,alloy frame,gorgeous appearance, excellent hand feeling.Only 2.5Oz weight,0.4 inch thick,you can hardly feel it when you running.COLLECTIOIN OF THE LATEST DESIGN ELEMENTS
- Built-in 32GB large memory-:Not only built-in 32GB high speed memory.A total of up to 5000 songs can be stored with 32GB.But also,this mp3 player support TF card expansion,up to 128GB.SAY GOODBYT TO SAMLL MEMORY
- Supreme lossless sound quality experience-:this bluetooth music player built-in latest DAC audio decoder chip,provides higher audio resolution, restore the original sound.Sweet treble, accurate mid-range, deep bass.Support most audio formats such as mp3,flac,ape,ogg.etc.ENJOY HIFI QUALITY AT A FAIR PRICE
- M7 is equipped with an open Android 10 system,Bluetooth5.0, and also supports DLNA, Airplay, NAS functions, bringing you a real smartphone experience.
- Legendary Octa Core Snapdragon 665– M7 equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 octa-core processor
- The powerful Snapdragon 665 adopts advanced 11nm process, the CPU adopts Kryo high-performance architecture, and Adreno 610 is a powerful booster for visual effects, with lower power consumption and lower heat generation, guaranteeing Fast and smooth operation.
- Dual WiFi, High-Speed Transmission– SHANLING M7 MP4/MP4 player adopts Qualcomm WCN 3980 WiFi module, which not only supports 2.4G/5G dual-band WiFi, but also supports MIMO technology, making data transmission more stable.
- The Top Audio Player of the SHANLING M series– SHANLING M7 Music Player is equipped with 6G RAM and 128G ROM, which is a revolutionary breakthrough in the whole series
- In addition, Shanling M6 Ultra also supports QC3.0 18W fast charging, allowing you to quickly replenish power.
- High-Resolution Headphone Amplifier– The SHANLING M7 Music player Supports 16x MQA decoding and USB Audio output MQA signal.Can support up to768kHz/32bit, DSD512.Output power single-ended output 3.5mm [email protected]Ω, balanced output [email protected]Ω.
- Customer Service&Technical Support– Dear customer, you can contact Shanling if you have any questions, whether it is technical consultation or after-sales service, we will answer you 24 hours a day
- And our products provide 1 year maintenance service, we will replace them unconditionally if there are any quality problems in the product.
- Flagship ESS Performance– SHANLING M7 Digital Audio Player Equipped with ES9038PRO,Using high-precision originals, eight-channel full output, using the same current-type output scheme as CD3.2 (21), defending the beautiful sound quality of neutral balance and natural transparency.
- New OP+BUF Audio Architecture– Using SHANLING engineer’s “full-band phase-consistent low-pass filtering technology”, using OP+BUF audio architecture, with a newly designed four-way fully balanced output circuit, the M7’s distortion, driving force and control are just right.
- Excellent Audiovisual Experience– SHANLING M7 Coming with a beautiful 5-inch LCD panel from Sharp, offering 1920*1080 resolution at 441PPI, stunning colors and great viewing anglesFitted into the “Floating Screen”design of the front panel, some system option buttons are designed with metal-like UI, creating the whole main chassis from asingle piece of aircraft-grade aluminium, with a complex wave pattern on the sides, all in elegant titanium grey finish,providing for better user experience.
- Super Battery Life,Support Fast Charge– SHANLING M7 is equipped with a large 7000mAh battery, which can support 3.5mm single-ended output for 10hours, 4.4mm balanced output for 8.5 hours, and Bluetooth transmission for 85 hours
- High Performance Dual ES9219C DAC/AMP– Same as SHANLING M3X,M3 Ultra adopts dual ES9219C DAC/AMP, which enables the DAC itself to have the rare MQA hardware decoding function
- New Circuit Design Added Compared to M3X– M3 Ultra with 2X RT6863 independent amplifier chip,4X47μF Japanese ELNA high-quality silk film capacitor and polymer tantalum capacitors.Reduce distortion and ensure sound purity from the source.M3 Ultra uses DC-DC voltage regulator circuit, the output power is increased, up to [email protected]Ω.Self-developed FPGA+45MHz/49MHz dual active crystal oscillator, the phase noise is as low as -150dB, the sound is purer and more stable.
- 3.5mm&4.4mm Jack, Two Gear Gain– M3 Ultra is equipped with 3.5mm single-ended and 4.4mm balanced connectors, and dual gameplay brings you different experiences.In addition, M3 Ultra has two levels of gain, and the output power reaches [email protected]Ω for single-ended and [email protected]Ω for balance, which greatly meets the needs of various types of headphones and the control of various tones
- M3X Upgrade,Octa-Core Snapdragon 665 and Opened Android 10– SHANLING M3 Ultra capacity upgrade to 3+32GB+2TB Scalable, you never have to worry that your memory will run out.In addition,SHANLING M3 Ultra is equipped with mainstream apps, built-in SHANLING music app and HiFi cloud music library, not only Android, but also supports DLNA, Airplay, NAS and other functions,can download massive music resources,your favorite radio dramas,audiobooks and other software online.
- It brings you unparalleled Film viewing and music enjoyment.
- Excellent Audiovisual Experience– 4.2-inch Sharp IPS high-definition display, a smaller screen with a 3:2 ratio,support 720P, 1080P high-definition video and HiFi lossless music playback.Shanling M3x player has everything that an excellent Mp3/Mp4 player should have
- And our products provide 1 year maintenance service, we will replace them unconditionally if there are any quality problems in the products.
- Customer Service&Technical Supports– Dear customer, you can contact Shanling if you have any questions, whether it is technical consultation or after-sales service, we will answer you 24 hours a day
- New Upgrade, Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4G/5G Dual-Band Wifi– SHANLING M3 Ultra upgrades the Bluetooth format to 5.0, Bluetooth transmission supports: LDAC/LHDC/aptX HD/aptX/SBC; Bluetooth reception supports LDAC/SBC.In addition, M3 Ultra adopts WCN3980 WiFi module, which not only supports 2.4G/5G WiFi, but also supports MIMO technology, and the data transmission is stable and safe.
- With the CPU, it can support MQA 16 times fully expanded, and at the same time, it also ensures a high signal-to-noise ratio while maintaining low power consumption.Support384kHz/32bit,DSD256.
- Battery Life– M3 Ultra Mp3/Mp4 Bluetooth music player uses a 3500mAh battery, which can support 20.5h 3.5mm single-ended output, 14.5h 4.4mm balanced output and 45.5 hours of Bluetooth transmission.M3 Ultra also supports QC3.0 18W fast charge and single/dual DAC switching.
- Of course, with SHANLING MG600 or MG800 headphones is the most perfect.
- Actual life and performance may vary upon usage and settings; battery is not replaceable.)
- Super lightweight wearable personal music player
- Deep rich sound quality with a built-in micro SD card expansion slot
- Up to 18 hour battery life (Based on continuous playback at 128 kbps MP3
- Play audio files in lots of formats (MP3 WMA (no DRM) AAC (DRM free iTunes) and Audible (DRM only))
- It’s ideal for audiophile to enjoy live music
- ✔ Humanization design: This digital music player adopts 2.0″ HD screen
- You can expand the storage up to 256GB via 128 GB SD card or via another 128GB USB OTG (OTG cable not included) and enjoy a music library as long as 14,000 songs
- F20 player does not have build-in memory, but an extra 32GB SD card already inserted in player
- Distinctive ALPS scroll control wheel enables fluent operation, a high-grade zinc alloy chassis gives a comfortable feel and touch, not to mention sturdy protection for prolonged durability
- Expandable StorageEnjoy up to 10 hours of uninterrupted high-res audio by headphone or Bluetooth
- ✔Outstanding Battery
- ✔ Lossless Audio: Lossless Music Player Utilizes advanced PCM510xA 2.1 VRMS, 112/106/100 dB Audio Stereo DAC chip, with a maximum sampling rate of 44.1¨C384 kHz /32 bit
- 𧅋i-directional Bluetooth : This high res audio player features of Bluetooth V4.0 of for communication that will change your life, double-way lossless wireless bluetooth transmission with APT-X protocol
- Music player can broadcast to bluetooth-enabled devices such headphone, speaker etc; and also can be a Bluetooth receiver
- Supports all major lossless music formats: FLAC, WAV, WMA, M4A, MP3, MP2, AAC, APE, ALAC, OGG, AIFF, DFF, Native DSD64 (2.8MHz) DSD 128(5.6 MHz), etc
- ✔High Resolution Music Player: This bluetooth mp3 player owns outstanding superior audio, adopts advanced DSD decoding technology to reduce distortion; the hi-res audio player can capture the depth and breadth of each note
- AND ITS AD FREE
- playlist in ascending order by default
- shuffle and repeat feautre
- Plays mp3 of the storage
All-in-one Buying Guide
It’s easy to pick a good portable mp3 players amongst the bad ones. However, when you have two or more good portable mp3 players in front of you, it becomes tricky to make a choice. In our modern times, this is what happens to us most of the time. And this is exactly where we need help. So our buying guide is designed especially for you. To help you in making the best choice with confidence when you are buying portable mp3 players for yourself.
1. Price
We often get overwhelmed by the brand image, features, and marketing of a product. We forget something very essential to us in this, which is price. When faced with several choices, price is a very good filter that helps you narrow down your choices. So when you see multiple good options of portable mp3 players in front of you, price alone might help you eliminate a few options. So always remember to check the price.
2. Features
Companies market the features that they want to highlight. However, these features might not be of much use to you. So when you are considering your options for portable mp3 players, ensure that you go through all the features and think about which ones actually matter to you. And instead of just reading the features superficially, try to go deeper and understand the implications of these features.
3. Durability
When you get a new portable mp3 players, you would obviously want it to last for a decent period. Durability is one of the most overlooked factors when people shop. So, make it a point to always check how durable a product is and compare it with other options. You don’t want to have to go back to make the purchase and waste additional time and money just because of poor quality.
4. Need
When all your stars seem to align according to the above-mentioned factors, you need to do one last test. You should ask yourself whether you really need that portable mp3 players. In today’s world, marketing has become so strong and powerful, it can alone convince you to buy. So you should think about this for a while before you actually make your decision.
The Verdict
Instead of handing you out a fish, I have tried through this article to actually teach you how to fish. If you keep these factors in mind, there is no doubt you will find the perfect portable mp3 players for yourself. According to what experts have said, few portable mp3 players emerged as really good options and I would say that you can confidently pick any of these.
Have you made up your mind about portable mp3 players or still feeling confused? Well, if you still have doubts, I would say read this article again, this time slowly and carefully. What’s more, you can take this crisp list of portable mp3 players and research them on your own to find out more. I hope you make a smart choice and find for yourself a really good portable mp3 players.