Best MP3 player 2021: review (TOP 12) of popular models

11/15/201902/19/2021 Ivan Korabelnikov 0 comments

Do you love music and are used to it accompanying you everywhere, but at the same time you are unhappy with the sound quality and the quick discharge of your smartphone? Then you need to purchase a player, because this particular device provides perfect sound and does not require daily recharging. It would seem that choosing the best mp3 player is not difficult, but navigating the variety of models can be very difficult.

How to choose exactly the player that will fully satisfy all your conditions and suit you personally? Let's look at some of the nuances of choice, technical specifications and ratings of this year's best-selling models.

Why mp3 players are still popular

Nowadays there is such a variety of different gadgets that it would seem that an ordinary MP3 player should not be in demand. After all, you can listen to music or an audiobook from any smartphone. Nevertheless, players are still sold in sufficient quantities. Why?

The secret is simple - this device is compact, convenient, but, most importantly, it reproduces very high-quality sound, which is important for music lovers and connoisseurs of good sound.

Players are designed for audio playback, so they are equipped with high-quality digital-to-analog converters (DACs) and amplifiers. The DAC converts the digital audio signal to analog, which is either played directly or passed through an amplifier first.

In smartphones and tablets, manufacturers integrate cheap DACs with low power consumption, which are not fast and have a high bit depth, and this greatly affects the sound quality.

So music lovers have to purchase an additional device. You can connect an external DAC to some mobile devices, but such a tandem is inconvenient to use, for example, on the street or when playing sports.

Cowon PLENUE V

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Cowon PLENUE V This player begins the part of the review that presents players priced at 26 thousand rubles and more . The first of these was the Cowon PLENUE V, equipped with a CS43131 DAC from Cirrus Logic. The signal-to-noise ratio of the device reaches 126 dB, and the sampling frequency is 192.

The unusually shaped metal case hides a battery that can power the player for up to 40 hours of continuous playback. The device has a 2.8-inch color touch screen used to control playback. You cannot display photos and videos on it - the functions are limited solely to listening to music.

You can store songs both in the internal memory, which is 64GB, and on external memory cards, the volume of which can be up to 128GB. The list of supported codecs includes all popular formats, including the common MP3, WMA, as well as a number of lossless options, including FLAC, WAV and others.

The price is 26,000 rubles.

PROS:

High quality DAC
64GB of internal memory

MINUSES:

Types of MP3 players

Players can be divided into three main types.

Actually mp3 players

An ordinary music player is a miniature device designed to play audio files of one or more formats. It is convenient to use while walking, jogging or playing sports.

Multimedia players

This MP3 player is a multifunctional gadget with which you can not only listen to music, but also watch videos, photos, and read books. That is, the device plays not only audio files, but also video, as well as graphics and text. Some models are equipped with a built-in radio and voice recorder.

Multimedia players are no longer as compact as classic models; their sizes are sometimes not inferior to smartphones. It’s already inconvenient to use such a gadget while jogging, but it will help brighten up your travel time by watching movies or clips. At the same time, energy consumption will be low, and the sound quality will be excellent.

Hi-Fi players

Hi-Fi (English: High Fidelity) translated from English means “high precision”. Such a music player reproduces sound very close to the original, that is, with minimal distortion.

These devices are considered premium because they are manufactured using advanced acoustic technologies, have high-quality DACs, as well as more powerful amplifiers that allow you to play audio files not only in headphones.

Unfortunately, such a device is expensive and beyond the reach of many music lovers.

Format support

Everyone remembers the first MP3 players, which could play only one format – MP3. That is why the name “MP3 players” stuck.

Today such players can do much more. At a minimum, they began to play more formats. For example, in addition to MP3, today players can play music in WMA, WAV, OGG and even lossless FLAC formats. The latter has the advantage of lossless sound quality.

To make it easier to understand the difference between formats, Obzor-Expert.com experts can give a fairly simple example. There are WMA and MP3 files. They will not have a difference in sound quality, but there will be a difference in “weight”, and in favor of the first.

Today, many players have a large “range” of supported formats

The most popular brands and manufacturers

Among the best companies that produce audio players are the following companies.

Apple. The American company produces not only world-famous smartphones, tablets and laptops, but also portable multimedia players iPod shuffle, iPod nano and iPod touch.
Sony. The Japanese multinational corporation produces portable audio players under the Walkman brand.
Fiio. A relatively young Chinese company was founded in 2007. Produces budget models of Hi-Fi players of excellent quality.
Ritmix and iRiver. South Korean brands specializing in portable equipment, including high-quality mp3 players at an affordable price.
Digma. International manufacturer of digital devices. The trademark is owned by Nippon Klick Systems LLP, headquartered in Hong Kong.
Cayin. A Chinese brand that has been producing Hi-Fi equipment for more than two decades. In the Russian market it is known for its amplifiers, DACs, as well as high-quality portable players.

Wick

Video is not a thing for an audio player, but all three of our devices can play it. To be honest, transcoding an hour and a half movie to watch it later on the 2.2-inch display of the iPod nano is a dubious pleasure. If it were not for the developed podcast system, the video player on the iPod nano could be rejected as incompetent. The same goes for the NWZ-S544 - 2.4 inches is not for cinema.

But the 3.3-inch COWON S9 is already enough to watch the new episode of “Doctor House” without straining. Moreover, COWON does not need to encode anything, it easily plays DVD-Rip of 1.5 GB in size.

The same can be said about viewing photos. All our players have this feature, but only the COWON S9 has a high-quality screen - the display is so bright that sometimes the photos even seem surreal.

Video

Apple - 3/5
COWON - 5/5
Sony - 2/5

What to look for when choosing a player

It’s easy to buy an MP3 player if you know what technical characteristics you need to focus on.

Photo: https://pixabay.com/photos/music-headphones-headset-listening-4511122/

DAC and amplifier

We have already said earlier that the quality of the sound directly depends on the quality of the digital-to-analog converter. The better it is, the more frequencies your player can reproduce. High-quality DACs allow you to hear every note, rather than being content with the overall rhythm of the composition.

If the technical characteristics of the player indicate the DAC model, then such a gadget is definitely recommended for purchase, however, the cost can be unreasonably high. The best DACs are made by Crystal, Philips and Wolfson.

The amplifier is designed to enhance the amplitude of the sound wave, which makes the sound in the headphones louder and clearer.

You can find out about the presence of an amplifier and digital-to-analog converter, if they are not listed in the technical specifications, based on the supported formats.

Supported Formats

The sound quality also depends on the audio file format and how it is compressed. Compressed audio files are small in size, do not load the gadget’s processor, and also have quite decent sound. Uncompressed ones, on the contrary, are characterized by a large file size and processor load, but do not lose sound quality and have a huge bitrate.

The DSD and DXD formats are of ultra-high quality, producing the clearest and most detailed sound possible. Files sound great without compression or loss of quality - APE, FLAC, ALAC, PCM, ADPCM, WAV and AIFF.

Compressed formats include OGG, MP3, AAC, WMA.

The more formats a player can play, the better. Unfortunately, many budget models are only able to work with a few formats, so audio files of other types have to be converted using special programs, and this is not always a good solution for quality.

If the player supports uncompressed formats, it means it has a good quality DAC and a good amplifier built into it. If the gadget plays only compressed files, then the processor is responsible for all sound conversions, which significantly reduces the sound quality.

Construction type

Based on the type of construction, players are divided into the following types.

Clip. This is a miniature device that can be attached to clothing using a clothespin.
Monoblock. It is a “box with buttons” to which you can connect any headphones. This appearance is very common and popular.
Headphones. A very convenient form factor for athletes or people leading an active lifestyle. Externally they look like headphones with a headband passing through the top or back of the head. Thanks to the small number of connectors, they can be waterproof and used in the pool or waterproof, that is, protected from rain splashes. Unfortunately, they are not very convenient to manage.
Flash. They are a flash card with a USB connector and allow you to directly connect to other devices, as well as use the player as a flash drive.
HDD. They have a built-in hard drive, the size of which determines the number of recorded tracks. Typically, such players support graphic and video formats. The main disadvantages are the size of the device and instability to external influences.

Photo: https://pixabay.com/photos/music-dick-smith-electronic-hip-hop-1461176/

Type and amount of memory

Based on the type of memory, players are divided into three groups.

No built-in memory. These are the most budget models, cheap and compact. Most often they are miniature in size and practically weightless. A memory card for them will have to be purchased separately.
No MicroSD support. They have limited internal storage and are not equipped with a memory card slot. This variety is the most common. Cheap models have a small internal storage, so to replenish the music library you have to delete “something unnecessary” or shell out for a more expensive device.
With built-in memory and microSD card slot. An ideal option for music lovers, since music can be recorded both on the device itself and on a memory card.

If the player only supports compressed audio files, then it does not need a large amount of memory. The optimal capacity in this case is 8-16 GB. To create a music library from formats without compression and loss of quality, it is advisable to have a memory of 16 GB or more.

The memory capacity of Flash players varies from 1 to 32 GB. HDD players will delight their owners with memory from 32 to 256 GB. Accordingly, the cost of the device will depend on the size of the storage.

Display Features

Initially, players were not equipped with displays. Now even in budget models you can find a touch or monochrome screen on which the track name and other parameters are displayed.

For models that support video and graphic formats, screen parameters are of great importance. Its size and resolution directly affect the quality of the “picture”. But do not forget that the player is designed for high-quality sound reproduction, and the presence of other functions only creates interference. It’s better to watch a movie on a tablet or smartphone than on a tiny audio player screen.

A small display on which you can see the name of the song, information about the battery charge, and equalizer settings will be sufficient.

Battery Features

Depending on the model, the flash player can run on batteries or a built-in battery. The latter can be lithium-ion or lithium-polymer. The autonomy of battery gadgets ranges from 10 to 15 hours of continuous operation.

HDD players are equipped with more substantial batteries that operate continuously from 15 to 24 hours.

It is advisable to select players with capacious batteries, then the gadgets will work for a long time and will not require frequent recharging.

Bluetooth availability

An MP3 player with Bluetooth allows you to connect wireless headphones or communicate with other devices to receive or transfer files.

Extra options

Wi-Fi support. Connects the player to the Internet and allows you to download music files.
FM tuner. Almost all models are equipped with this function, but for active people it is useless. Listening to the radio on the go, moving in the subway, car or even public transport can sometimes be inconvenient, since radio frequencies are constantly being retuned, favorite channels are lost, and noise and crackling are heard in the headphones. But for homebodies and summer residents this will be additional entertainment, as it will give them the opportunity to listen to the news or their favorite radio programs.
Equalizer. Allows you to adjust the frequencies of the audio range to obtain a specific sound. For example, bass lovers emphasize low frequencies and enjoy heavier music.
Dictaphone. It often records not of the best quality, so you should not rely on its availability. For journalists, a high-quality voice recorder with a player as an additional option is more suitable than vice versa.
Outdoor speakers. Many users consider this device useless, since the sound quality in the headphones is already excellent.
Video support. In fact, this is rather an unnecessary function, although many people find it useful. Why? Yes, because an additional source of interference appears in the player, which does not have the best effect on the sound quality. Premium models do not have this feature.
Case material. Of course, metal is more reliable than plastic, but the cost of the gadget will be higher.
Moisture protection. There are models that are completely waterproof. With this player you can take a shower and swim in the pool. But do not confuse it with moisture protection - this function protects the gadget from splashes and raindrops, but nothing more.
Dimensions. Judging by Flash and HDD players, the more memory, the larger the device. However, flash players will not bother you much with their weight and size; they are often a little larger than a five-ruble coin, but the weight of HDD players can sometimes reach 500-700 g.
Photo and video shooting. The quality of pictures and videos leaves much to be desired; this feature is clearly intended to increase the cost of the device. Don't fall for marketing gimmicks!

Astell&Kern A&ultima SP1000

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Astell&Kern A&ultima SP1000 This review is completed by the A&ultima SP1000 player - a fashion device, the ownership of which will require not only significant investments, but also absolute pitch. Like the KANN model, everything about this device is centered around music: two AKM AK4497EQ DACs are installed inside, the sampling rate is supported up to 384, and the signal-to-noise ratio reaches 122dB.

The design of the metal case evokes associations with expensive Swiss watches . On the front panel there is a 5-inch diagonal HD screen used for playback control.

All common audio codecs are supported, and 256GB of internal memory is used to store information. If it is not enough, you can install a microSD card with another 256GB in the player. There is support for wireless headsets.

The price of the flagship is 230,000 rubles.

PROS:

High quality DAC (2 pcs.)
256GB of internal memory
Bluetooth support

MINUSES:

Price

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Useful tips

Before you buy a music player, take the advice of experienced music lovers.

Do not pay attention only to the appearance of the device; first study its technical characteristics and reviews from real users.
Pay attention to the package. The player, especially an expensive one, will be maximally protected if a case is included - it will protect the device from scratches and mechanical damage.
Before purchasing, be sure to check the player for sound quality. To do this, it is better to take your own notes with you, rather than “local” ones from a consultant. If there is crackling, noise in the headphones, or a familiar melody sounds with less detail, then it is better to abandon the chosen model and look for another one.
Of course, inspect the gadget for scratches and external damage.
The headphones included in the package are usually not of good quality, but are an attachment to the device. If you are a true music connoisseur, then it is better to test the player with your own headphones. And for beginners, the advice is to purchase a headset separately.
The device will last a long time if you take care of it properly. Do not throw it even on a soft surface. Do not leave it discharged for a long time - rechargeable batteries do not like this. Make sure that moisture and dirt do not get inside the device.
If your specialty is far from radio engineering, then in case of problems, contact specialists.

Apple iPod nano 5G

Due to the larger screen, Apple had to reduce the ClickWheel, which affected the usability.

The iPod revolutionized the idea of portable music in its time. It was one of the first players to abandon removable media and use only built-in flash memory or a hard drive. In 2001, when the first generation of players came out, few believed in Apple's

in a new market.
But the original Click Wheel, logical menu and the highest sound quality did their job - the iPod became a legend. Over the years, he has acquired brothers - Shuffle
,
touch
and
nano
. The first two are not very popular, but nano is a hero of its time. Small, functional, beautiful and high quality - this is enough to pay $200 for a 2 GB player. Over the course of five years, nano has undergone a bunch of changes, but remains just as recognizable.

Apple stopped playing with shapes in the third generation, and today's nano is a rectangle with pointed edges, distinguishing it from nano 4G

Only a true connoisseur of the series can. The display has grown to 2.2 inches, and a camera eye has appeared on the back side. The rest is like tracing paper. There is a control wheel under the screen, a lock slider on the top end, headphone and USB jacks on the bottom. The main material of the case is aluminum, this time it was coated with something bright and shiny. This has improved the appearance, but the body is once again collecting scratches.

They don't live that long

We thought for a long time about how to evaluate the operating time of players. The idea of simply turning on music and seeing how long they last in hours was dismissed immediately: this will not reflect the real state of affairs, because battery life is affected by weather, shaking, access to the menu and display.

As a result, we gave the players a life test: we charged them to the maximum and used them as usual, which meant three to four hours of music a day and active work with different functions. The COWON S9 turned out to be the most demanding - it lasted a little less than three days. This is strange, because in terms of bare technical characteristics, the S9 is a confident leader and usually works reliably for 5-6 days. Apparently, the cold played a cruel joke here: we evaluated the players in December, and while Apple and Sony were tested in good weather, COWON experienced severe frosts - down to minus thirty. Well, the gluttonous display apparently took its toll. As a result, the next in line is the Apple iPod nano, which requires recharging every three to four days, while Sony has taken the lead: it has such capacious batteries that even with active use the player lasts more than a week and a half.

Working hours

Apple - 3/5
COWON - 3/5
Sony - 5/5