All-time MP3 player 2022: pinnacle portable music players from Apple, Astell & Kern and more

Included in this guide:

An image of three of the best mp3 players on a yellow background
(Epitome credit: TechRadar)

If you thought MP3 players were a thing of the past, you're not alone. All the same, the best MP3 players y'all can buy in 2022 are now more advanced than you lot might have imagined and a huge upgrade on the portable music actor y'all might have had in the early noughties.

Of course, MP3 players aren't as popular every bit they used to be. Music streaming services accept fabricated listening to music on-the-go easier than ever and our smartphones can at present hold huge amounts of tracks, albums and podcasts. Notwithstanding, MP3 players are not obsolete and a great choice for some people.

Maybe you don't want to exist tethered to your phone all the time. Or you lot might want to save your precious mobile data and battery while you're out and nearly. Whatever the reason, today's best MP3 players are capable of storing your music library at a much higher bitrate than your 2009 iPod Shuffle ever could. Pair one of these with great-sounding headphones or earbuds and y'all've got high-quality music that travels with you wherever you become.

They've besides had a big design upgrade, which ways added durability and sleeker styles to sideslip in your pocket. Thanks to new innovations in audio engineering, they're e'er improving on audio, with features like hi-res sound back up and built-in DACsouthward (Digital-to-Analogue Converters) condign commonplace.

If you want to find one of the best MP3 players that you tin buy in 2022, you're in the right place. At that place are enough of devices to choose from – we're non going to recommend a bunch of old iPods to yous (though the latest iPod Bear upon is on this list). We've selected our height choices and we've included everything you need to know to find the right MP3 player for y'all in our guide beneath.

Our top picks

the astell & kern sp2000t portable music player

(Prototype credit: Astell & Kern)

The best MP3 player y'all tin can purchase

Specifications

Storage: 256GB

Formats: WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF, MQA

Battery life: ix hours

Micro SD?: Yes

Reasons to purchase

+

Impressive sound

+

Lavishly specified

Reasons to avoid

-

Pricey compared to competitors

-

Large and heavy

The Astell & Kern A&ultima SP2000T is the best portable music player you tin buy in 2022. Aye, information technology's expensive, only if you lot want a premium digital audio experience while you're out and about, don't look (or mind) any further. The SP2000T soundssuperb.

Ii amplifier stages offer seven distinct options, while no fewer than four DACs are deployed to handle ii channels of audio information. The SP2000T is unconcerned by digital audio file size or type, and it will happily power any headphones you care to mention.

The control interface is make clean and responsive. The actor itself is not and then much built as sculpted - though it is likewise large to slip into your jeans pocket. Even the battery life is one-half-decent.

Read more: Astell & Kern A&ultima SP2000T review

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The Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 mp3 player in black and silver

(Image credit: Astell & Kern)

2. Astell & Kern A&norma SR25

The second best MP3 player you can buy

Specifications

Storage: 64GB

Formats: WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF, MQA

Battery life: 21 hours

Micro SD?: Yes

Reasons to buy

+

Peachy-looking design

+

21-hour battery life

+

Bluetooth LDAC on board

Reasons to avert

-

Pricey compared to competitors

The Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 is an impressive MP3 player that'southward designed to make your hi-res sound files really sing, thanks to a new performance mode, support for balanced audio connections, and Bluetooth LDAC wireless compatibility.

With a unique, off-heart design and aluminum torso, it certainly looks the part, and its bear on screen is bright and easy to use.

Inside the SR25 is the Dual Cirrus Logic CS43198 Master Hello-Fi level DAC, while native support for DSD256 and 32-bit/384kHz audio is more enough to satisfy fifty-fifty the near discerning audiophiles.

With Wi-Fi connectivity, you take admission to streaming services including Deezer and Tidal, while Bluetooth aptX ensure listening with wireless headphones needn't sound inferior to wired connections.

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The Onkyo DP-X1a mp3 player in black

(Image credit: Onkyo)

The best all-rounder MP3 player

Specifications

Storage: 64GB

Formats: AAC

Bombardment life: 16 hours

Micro SD?: Yes

Reasons to buy

+

Amazing sound quality

+

Android makes for top ease-of-use

+

2 microSD card slots

Reasons to avoid

-

A niggling chunky compared to the contest

The Onkyo DP-X1A isn't the most compact device on this list, only we call back it's the best MP3 thespian yous tin buy, offering lots of customizability, an intuitive interface, and fantastic sound.

The DP-X1A looks a little bit like a telephone, but much thicker with two audio ports – i headphone jack and one balanced output for those interested in a cleaner and overall better quality sound. The device has an piece of cake-to-use volume bicycle, besides every bit physical playback buttons and two microSD card slots for those with a sizable collection of music.

The histrion is built with a full version of Android v.1, complete with features like Wi-Fi connectivity and the Google Play Store, which results in an MP3 Role player that is to Android what the iPod Bear upon is to iOS. 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 ane to handle the DAC and amplifier – resulting in a racket-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. At that place's a reason the Onkyo DP-X1A sits atop this listing – it'due south a animal in the portable audio earth.

Read more: Onkyo DP-X1A Digital Audio Actor review

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The Apple iPod Touch (7th Generation) in white

(Image credit: Apple)

The best MP3 player for Apple lovers

Specifications

Storage: 32GB / 128GB / 256GB

Formats: AAC-LC, HE-AAC, HE-AAC v2, Protected AAC, MP3, Linear PCM, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital (Air conditioning‑3), Dolby Digital Plus (E-Ac‑3) and Aural (formats 2, 3, iv, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX and AAX+)

Battery life: 40 hours

Micro SD?: No

Reasons to buy

+

Slick Apple tree design

+

Tons of apps to cull from

Reasons to avoid

-

No Micro SD

-

No Bear upon ID

Apple took u.s.a. all by surprise when it announced the iPod touch 7 in 2019, the start upgrade to its portable music and video player since 2015.

The new iPod supports the FLAC codec, as well as Apple Lossless, giving you lot more options than e'er when it comes to accessing audiophile-quality music.

Using a hullo-res audio playback app for iOS called Vox, we listened to Mozart'southward Requiem in D Minor. The strings had a warm and natural quality, while soprano song duets soared sweetly above the mix without ever sounding harsh.

In our review we likewise tested out the inbuilt speaker at the bottom of the iPod bear on, and it packs quite a dial despite its size. Information technology won't do for listening to your Hi-Res music, merely if just want a little background music for your gaming sessions and can't be bothered to dig your headphones out, it works just fine.

If you need a new MP3 player, and you don't mind using Apple Music, the iPod Touch will do just fine. Information technology'due south also optimized for gaming, and so cheque out our guide to the best Apple Arcade games.

Read more: iPod Touch on (7th Generation) review

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The astell & kern ak jr mp3 player in silver

(Epitome credit: Astell & Kern)

5. Astell & Kern AK Jr

The best middle-of-the-road MP3 actor

Specifications

Storage: 64GB

Formats: WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE(Normal, High, Fast), AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF

Battery life: 9 hours

Micro SD?: Yes

Reasons to purchase

+

Beautifully designed

+

Audio sounds great

+

Offers Bluetooth

Reasons to avert

-

Touchscreen isn't responsive plenty

The Astell & Kern AK Jr is the best mid-range MP3 thespian and a serious contender against the more than expensive players on the listing.

Yous get 64GB of onboard storage and at that place'due south a microSD card slot if you lot want to expand information technology. It too supports major audio formats, including FLAC, WAV, MP3, AAC, AIFF, and more – and it's able to play at sample rates of up to 192kHz.

The interface is easy to command. Tap through options using the touchscreen, and select the music you desire to listen to. It could be more responsive, but y'all get used to it. Battery life is effectually nine hours, which isn't amazing, but not terrible either.

Music is dynamic and crisp, with a nice and powerful sound. The soundstage on these, when paired with a great pair of headphones, is huge – that's to say the left and right are conspicuously defined, while instruments placed at the center of a mix are given plenty of room to breathe. We enjoyed the guitar solo on Air-conditioning/DC's Back in Black, while Eminem's rap on Lose Yourself cut directly through the mix – exactly the way information technology'southward supposed to.

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the sandisk clip plus mp3 player in blue

(Image credit: SanDisk)

6. SanDisk Clip Sport Plus

The best MP3 thespian for sports

Specifications

Storage: 16GB

Formats: MP3, WMA (NO DRM), AAC (DRM free iTunes) WAV, FLAC

Battery life: 20 hours

Micro SD?: Yes

Reasons to buy

+

Ultra-portable and lite

+

Inexpensive compared to competitors

+

Easy-to-use

Reasons to avoid

-

Sound quality isn't as proficient as others

The best selection for working out, this MP3 player is small and light. Information technology just offers 16GB of storage and although that'southward not much in comparing to a telephone, it still holds enough of songs. Despite beingness built for sport, information technology supports a pretty wide range of audio formats – including MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, and WMA.

During testing, nosotros institute the battery life is impressive at 20 hours. You also become Bluetooth, which is important for practise so cables don't get in the way.

The interface is dated, not equally powerful equally your smartphone and information technology's not touch-sensitive. But information technology's easy to navigate via hardware buttons that serve as playback controls.

Every bit long as you don't expect full audiophile-level quality here, you'll detect the sound very capable. We found it to be slightly dingy with a small dip in clarity, but for most people that won't thing – especially when you're out on a run or hitting the gym.

Other MP3 players to consider

Looking for something else? We haven't tested the MP3 players below ourselves, only we'd all the same like to recommend them based on their excellent specs and client reviews.

cowon plenue d3

(Image credit: cowon plenue d3)

i. Cowon Plenue D3

The best MP3 player for serious style

Specifications

Storage: 64GB

Formats: DSD, DFF, DSF, ISO, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, APE, MP3, WMA, OGG, DCF

Bombardment life: 45 hours

MicroSD?: Yes

Reasons to buy

+

Great blueprint compared to competitors

+

Small, light and portable

+

Impressive 45 hour bombardment life

Reasons to avert

-

Screen is a piddling low-res

-

No Wi-Fi streaming

This is a small, lite and fashionable MP3 player with a uncomplicated matchbox-like design and a big, broad screen. It's an upgrade on Cowon's previous MP3 player model, this fourth dimension with a volume dial, Bluetooth and more features.

It offers infrequent bombardment life. Yous'll get 45 hours of playback fourth dimension with regular MP3 files and more than than 30 hours with loftier-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 unlike devices. Although there'southward no Wi-Fi streaming bachelor.

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sony nw 155l

(Paradigm credit: sony)

2. Sony NW 155L

The best MP3 player for hello-res audio on a budget

Specifications

Storage: 16GB

Formats: MP3, WMA, FLAC, WAV, AAC, HE-AAC, Apple tree Lossless, AIFF, DSD, APE, MQA

Battery life: 45 hours

MicroSD?: Aye

Reasons to buy

+

Good, solid audio performance

+

Bluetooth

+

Neat file support

Reasons to avoid

-

Not much storage without a microSD

A high-res MP3 player from Sony that's affordable – especially in comparison to some of the higher-end devices from the likes of Astell & Kern.

This MP3 player is short on storage with only 16G internally. Merely with a MicroSD card you tin can bump that upwards 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 non be the all-time out there, information technology's a huge improvement over listening to music on your telephone.

Ownership communication

How to choose the best MP3 role player for you

The most important thing you need to call back about is the audio codec your music library is in.

Anyone who uses Apple Music will probably have a music library completely filled with Apple's proprietary AAC codec, and luckily most MP3 players will support that codec. Even so, if yous consider yourself an audiophile, you'll need back up for lossless codecs like FLAC, WAV and ALAC, as these codecs don't use the compression methods used on lossy codecs like AAC or MP3.

Yous'll besides need to consider how much music is in your, well, music collection and and then how much storage you lot'll demand. This is particularly the instance when you're using codecs similar FLAC, which just devour infinite. The all-time MP3 players often take an included microSD carte du jour slot, which allows you to aggrandize upon the included storage as your library expands – but normally only up to a sure size, unremarkably around 512GB.

Here's the best office though: unlike smartphones, the all-time MP3 players are built to final, and so in that location's no need to proceed an endless 2-year upgrade-wheel similar you might with a smartphone. This ways it's probably in your best interests to have some fourth dimension and find the one that's right for you, as you will probably be using it for a few years to come.

What's the difference between an iPod and MP3 player?

An iPod is a type of MP3 player. It's the proper noun for Apple's range of portable music players, just y'all'll observe plenty of other MP3 players from other brands – many of which are listed in our guide beneath.

Is an MP3 player worth ownership?

Whether yous should buy an MP3 player or not depends on what you want to utilize it for. If you're trying to avert existence glued to your phone, checking social media or taking work calls when you want to relax, an MP3 player can exist a great choice 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, then they don't have their telephone with them. Whether that's also to keep calls and messages at bay or keep their telephone rubber.

Others might not have a great deal of infinite on their phone if it's an older model, and then want to store music elsewhere, and some people might not desire to use up battery or information 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 enough of reasons why an MP3 actor is a nifty idea for some people.

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