The 6 best MP3 players that beat my smartphone for sound, storage and battery life

I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but despite your phone being able to play music, it doesn’t sound very good. For all of its multi-tasking talents, making music sound as entertaining as it can be isn’t one of them.

That’s where a portable MP3 player comes in. Apple may have consigned its iPod to the technology graveyard, but the iconic Sony Walkman lives on, as do other music players from audio specialists such as FiiO and Astell & Kern. These deliver superior sound, extra storage for songs and wider high-resolution audio file support than your trusty mobile.

I’ve tested a surprising amount of MP3 players over the past 12 years, and I’ve watched them catch up with the times, now supporting wireless headphones, Wi-Fi and streaming services such as Spotify. This makes them a relevant modern music machine for quality-conscious listeners on the move. Below are the best MP3 players I’ve tested for budgets between £179 and £999.

The best MP3 players at a glance

How to choose the best MP3 Player

Your reason for buying a portable music player will most likely be to get superior sound over what your phone delivers. It would be wise to buy the best model you can afford and consider what headphones or other equipment you’re using it with. A cheap player won’t take advantage of a high-end pair of wired headphones and vice versa.

If you have a decent library of high-resolution files (FLAC, DSD and MQA are most common), you should check the file compatibility, as well as its storage capacity and how much that can be expanded with a MicroSD card for further songs. If you want to stream from a music service, make sure that the app can be downloaded onto the player, too.

Bluetooth support is also convenient, allowing you to play music wirelessly to Bluetooth headphones or speakers, though audio quality will suffer compared to the cabled method.

Most players nowadays also double up as a USB or Bluetooth DAC (digital-to-analogue converter), meaning they can connect to, say, a laptop, via a USB cable and/or wirelessly, to improve its audio quality.

Read our FAQs if you’re considering buying a second-hand iPod.

How I tested MP3 Players