Portable music players remain a popular means of hear to music , despite the dominance of smartphones . If you ’re interested in the highest lineament performance for your music on the go , these are the skillful portable medicine player of 2025 .
There ’s no doubt smartphones are convenient but they ’re also have compromises . For those who put fourth dimension and money into get their medicine library , and require to hear it at its good quality , the best solution for you is to buy a consecrate portable music player .
And how do we amount up with this lean of the best portable player . We examine music players by listen to both high and lower quality music files whether through audio files or cyclosis to pronounce how they voice . We ’ll use them with multiple phone to see if the have a consistent performance , or if they affect the tonicity of the headphones in any way . We ’ll do electric battery drain to see if they last as long as they ’re claimed to , and we ’ll go through EQ presets and mental test as many features as we find to guess their overall performance .
If you ’ve come to the wrong pageboy and would prefer a new wandering machine , then take a look out ourbest smartphones . But if you are here for a euphony player , do n’t draw a blank to have a smell at ourbest headphoneslist to find the best partner for your raw portable medicine participant .
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Learn more about how we test music players
We play a mess of music , different genres and at different file resolution to get an idea of how well portable euphony players .
If there are feature then we ensure we fiddle with them until we ’re quenched . We gauge on how long their battery living is and whether the player holds up to the manufacturer ’s claim . We try them on their various wireless connexion to see if they pop the question a still functioning , and we ’ll delve into their sub - menus and see if they operate as they ’re mean to .
Of course , it always comes back to the music . Portable music players are test by reviewers who have a erotic love of music , a cognition of sound quality , as well as a context of the grocery store . We ’ll equate to likewise price competitor , so when we recommend a picky model , it ’s among the best you may bribe for the money .
Obviously , we have intercourse not everyone has the same taste in music , so we wo n’t only essay with the same perfectly master album , but with a variety of genres and file qualities , from MP3 to Hi - Res FLAC . Find out more about how we try in our ethics insurance .
Astell and Kern Aultima SP3000T
Pros
Cons
FiiO M17
Astell and Kern Afutura SE180
Astell and Kern Aultima SR35
FiiO M11S
Trusted Score
The terms of theAstell Kern SP3000Tputs the balance of portable players on this list to shame , though it ’s ( ironically ) less expensive than itspredecessor . At $ 3199 / £ 2999 , it is among the most expensive music players we ’ve tested .
Like the Astell and FiiO player that feature on this listing , the SP3000 T is portable in the easy sense . It ’s angulate in a similar fashion to other Astell Kern devices but the flesh quality is outstanding . It ’s built from 316L stainless sword , with the front beautify by a 5.5 - in 1080 x 1920 touch screen that we found to be undimmed , crisp , and reactive .
Battery life is similar to theFiiO M17at ten hours , though the overall lineament set is less comprehensive than the FiiO. There are fewer input and outputs , and while the built - in depot is bigger ( 256 GB ) , the SP3000 T can only expand to 1 TB with the help of a microSD board .
There isaptXandLDACBluetooth support , with sample charge per unit of up to DSD512 and 32 - bit/768kHz supported too . There are several DAC filters to play around with , the Crossfeed aims to make a soundstage that ’s similar to listen to a dyad of loudspeakers in a room .
When it fare to listening to music on the SP3000 T , the player afford euphony a systematically natural and vivid sound . Detail storey are high-pitched , control over decay and attempt of notes is well - judged , dynamism is well channel whether on a belittled or magnanimous scale and integration across the frequency reach is toppingly well - realised . Its sense of timing is about as good as you could get from a portable player . The price is vast , but in terms of its performance , we found the Astell Kern SP3000 T to be a superb portable histrion .
Astell & Kern does n’t have the portable player mart to itself . The Korean firm has competition and theFiiO M17is more than a match for its products
The M17 is big in everyway : from its build caliber , price , glasses and performance . Starting with the first point , while our reviewer encounter that the M17 could be hold in one hand , it is a big and heavy portable musician and the right substance of carry when you ’re out and about is to stick in a bag ( it also comes with a leather case to protect from scratches ) .
It has a 6 - inch touch screen with a 18:9 aspect ratio and 1080 x 2180p resolution , which makes for a crisp , clear-cut display as well as a responsive touchscreen interface . It ’s a liberally intend twist with an raiment of inputs and outputs that includes 3.5 and 4.4 mm headphone output , an RCA socket that can function as an digital coaxial in or output and twoUSB - Cinputs . The built - in storage is 64 GB , but can be expanded to up to 2 TB with a microSD lineup .
In terms of Bluetooth there’saptXandLDACsupport include for in high spirits quality sound recording playback . The M17 can also go as an outside DAC to boost music listening on another twist , making for a various machine .
And the sound of the M17 impressed us during our time with it , never come across as anything less than accomplished and rescue a thoroughly enjoyable operation . Used with able headphones ( and sources ) , the FiiO eloquently describes tracks in Steve Wonder ’s Innervisions record album , offer sky - high detail , impressive dynamics , skilfully identifying transient sounds and bestow them to life .
With harder - hitting tracks it ’s just as capable , producing a convincingly melodious sentiency of tone and a fine good sense of rhythm method . It also delivers a neutral demonstration for those that prefer to see their music unchanged . There ’s no disputing the FiiO M17 ’s expense , but we feel it delivers a carrying into action that warrants the price tatter .
TheAstell & Kern A&futura SE180is one of the South Korean brand ’s most innovative players thanks to its DAC switching modules that allows the user to remove the DAC at heart and replace with it another .
It ’s an groundbreaking idea , though we establish the physical process of swop DAC modules required some force . That ’s an area Astell & Kern could make easygoing and swifter in next looping .
The SE180 carry itself well , although like theSP2000 T , its 280 grand is n’t exactly portable ( the likewise - sizediPhone 13is a simple 173 g by comparison ) . It is well - built , less asymmetric in look that Astell ’s other actor and feature wonderfully tactile volume wheel that mimics a dial on a expensive spotter . Headphone outputs are catered for by 3.5 millimeter unbalanced and 2.5 and 4.4 mm balanced , with a USB - C port for burden and microSD expansion that hold up card up to 1 TB .
The Quad Core processor offers a whipping and responsive functioning , the 5 - inch colour blind offers some lovely looking color , while we like the Android - esque interface , which is intuitive to use and well-fixed to grasp . File support extends MP3 to DSD256 and resolution up to 384kHz , though by change the DAC modules the Indian file support can be stretch forth further . With support foraptX HDandLDAC , the SE180 is report on the wirelessHigh - Res Audiofront .
All of that Hi - Res documentation allows the SE180 to set a high marker for audio . We examine the gimmick with several headphones and regain it brought a neutral and dissonance - loose sound to whichever dyad we used , boast terrific amounts of clarity and detail . The soundstage is big and broad , with the SE180 ’s good sense of precision wringing as much out of music as it can . While it ’s capable performer with gloomy - resolution files , this is a musician that shines with in high spirits piece - rates and resolution , making this a portable player for the audiophile .
TheA&ultima SR35is one of Astell & Kern ’s more low-priced portable player , though at £ 799 / $ 800 , it ’s more expensive than theSR25and SR25 MkII , place slit in those ‘ affordable ’ credentials .
You get a lot of lineament and performance take into the SR35 ’s compact frame . As usual , it comes with an off - axis of rotation silver screen that does look remaining but we adapt to it in sentence . The touch screen goes up to 720p solution but is bright and colourful , while cognitive process is simple enough with clit on the side for king and playback , as well as the endearing tactile mass wheel . Compared to the cheaperFiiO M11S , the SR35 feels like a premium ware .
Its characteristic arrange mirror that of other Astell & Kern player on this listing with its wide raiment of funding for audio formats up 32 - bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 . Wi - Fi andBluetoothsupport is accounted for , though we found with the former that it takes a while for the Wi - Fi connection to bring up up when the player is powered on .
Built - in storage is 64 GB , but the SR35 supports expansible storage up to 1 TB with a microSD card . barrage life is rated at around 20 hours , but in our experience , the musician has a drug abuse of masticate through its shelling life quicker than expected . There ’s also a pick of Normal and High gain preferences to match the impedance of the earpiece it ’s connected to .
In terms of audio public presentation , the SR35 does n’t show too heavy a paw in alter the strait of the headphone it ’s partnered with . Unlike theSE180model where you’re able to hear the gist of the different DAC module , the SR35 takes the audio signal and hold it more polish and refinement while still maintain true to the phone ’s transonic signature . Compared to theFiiO M15S , it ’s sharper across the frequency orbit , extend more insight , and is more dynamically expressive .
It ’s the more self-assertive and exciting listen of the two similarly priced players . While the SR35 is n’t unadulterated in all country , in our opinion , it ’s the good portable music player you could buy in the £ 500 to £ 1000 range .
Astell & Kern ’s chief competition in recent years has been FiiO , who ’ve tended to undersell their competition ’s oblation and theM11Sis a good example of it undercutting theSR35 .
Like theM17 , the M11S is a big , chunky player ; bigger than the SR35 . In that context of use it does stretch the notion of being a ‘ portable ’ music player . This is n’t a actor we ’d recommend for those with little hands and fingers .
Build quality is undecomposed , and the participant boasts a bright 5 - inch IPS screen that ’s easy to read . Used outside and it ’s not smart enough to hold up the glare of sunshine , but we doubt many mobile gadget would be innocent from reflections anyhow . The shaping protective case boil down the esthetics , the M11S feel cheaper with it on .
For outputs there are 2.5 mm , 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm interface for headphones , along with a USB - C embrasure for either charging the machine or connecting it to another source ( say a laptop computer ) and using it as a USB DAC to improve audio quality . progress - in storage is 32 GB but expandible with a microSD card up to 2 TB .
In term of Bluetooth everything is covered from as low as SBC , toaptX , LDACand LHDC audio ( popular in Asia ) . As this musician supports the Android OS , there ’s access to the Google Play Store , so you’re able to download apps , music or otherwise , to this equipment .
The heavy quality of the M11S is one we found to be convincingly indifferent and balanced across the frequency range . There ’s a indisputable hand guiding the bass , which is weighty and does n’t predominate . The midrange is full of information and item , spacious described with plenty of clarity . The top end of the frequency range is n’t the shining , but treble is always relayed in the clear manner . The more expensiveFiiO M15Sis a clear pace in phone if your budget can travel further
It ’s not the most exciting portable medicine actor we ’ve ever heard , but well meliorate upon the quality of the generator we use it with . There is challenger from theSony NW - A306at this price , but we feel the FiiO is the near actor .
FAQ
Smartphones are compromised in condition of their public presentation because they ’re plan to do multiple affair . A portable medicine player is expressly designed for one matter , so if you have a go at it your music and want to get a line it in its best quality , it is worth investing in a portable music role player .
Test Data
Full Specs
