If you don't want to use your phone to listen to music, you can still find plenty of what were once called MP3 players. These digital audio players can be tiny, simple devices or larger, almost phone-like ones that run Android. With the latter, you can even install streaming apps like Spotify and Apple Music. Personally, I use these devices while hiking and for international travel, including on planes. You can also just use an old phone. Here are the best options in 2026.
The M0s is an inexpensive hi-res audio player that allows you to enjoy your downloaded music without the distraction or annoyance of an internet connection. The M0s feels well made and has a surprisingly nice design for something small and inexpensive. It's easy enough to put all your music, even high-res lossless audio formats up to 384 kHz at 32-bit, on a high-capacity microSD card so you don't lose quality on the music playback. Its interface is simple and it has plenty of power for big headphones.
Pros
- Tiny
- High-res audio compatible
- MicroSD and USB-C
Cons
- No button lock
- Not for fumbly fingers
- Occasionally laggy menus
The HiBy R4 is a serious music player, with high-end DACs, amp and a customized Android interface. It's probably more than most people need, but it's great for anyone looking for better audio on the go. The version pictured here and what I reviewed is the special edition HiBy R4 x Evangelion whose design was inspired by the anime of the same name. The standard R4 is largely similar, and is available in more toned-down colors.
Pros
- Sci-fi aesthetic
- Customized interface
- Some serious audio hardware inside
Sony's transition from physical media -- cassettes, CDs and MiniDiscs -- to digital may have been rocky, but the Walkman name has shown it has staying power, and supports hi-res playback, too. The NW-A306 has extensive media support and the latest Android OS so there's likely not a song you won't be able to play. The only downsides are a relatively slow interface and a lack of power compared to even the Shanling above. Yet, a pair of Bluetooth headphones will soon fix that.
Pros
- Great size
- Runs Android
- Physical buttons
Cons
- Underpowered (slow)
- Underpowered (not loud)
- Expensive for what you get
What's the best MP3 player overall?
Generally speaking, the Shanling M0s is the best MP3 player overall because it's small, simple, and inexpensive. However, if you're looking for something with a more powerful output and a bigger screen, then the Android-based HiBy R4 would work better for you.
Read more: Best Stores for Buying Digital Music You Can Keep Forever
What we updated
May 2026: Added the HiBy M500 x Hatsune Miku as a pick.
Pros
- Tiny
- High-res audio compatible
- MicroSD and USB-C
Cons
- No button lock
- Not for fumbly fingers
- Occasionally laggy menus
The M0s is an inexpensive hi-res audio player that allows you to enjoy your downloaded music without the distraction or annoyance of an internet connection. The M0s feels well made and has a surprisingly nice design for something small and inexpensive. It's easy enough to put all your music, even high-res lossless audio formats up to 384 kHz at 32-bit, on a high-capacity microSD card so you don't lose quality on the music playback. Its interface is simple and it has plenty of power for big headphones.
Why I like it:
If you remember the iPod Shuffle it's like that but with a touchscreen. It's tiny and thanks to its MicroSD card slot, can store tons of music.
Who is this for?
Anyone looking for a simple music player.
Who shouldn’t buy it
The tiny screen is a little difficult to use if you don't have very dexterous fingers. I wouldn't give this to an older person who might have trouble using the screen.
Pros
- Sci-fi aesthetic
- Customized interface
- Some serious audio hardware inside
The HiBy R4 is a serious music player, with high-end DACs, amp and a customized Android interface. It's probably more than most people need, but it's great for anyone looking for better audio on the go. The version pictured here and what I reviewed is the special edition HiBy R4 x Evangelion whose design was inspired by the anime of the same name. The standard R4 is largely similar, and is available in more toned-down colors.
Why I like it:
It looks awesome, especially the Evangelion variant. Even the base R4 has a "preem" cyberpunk look to it. It also runs and sounds fantastic. It's big, but it packs a lot inside.
Who is this for?
The HiBy R4 is perfect for people who want audiophile performance on the go.
Who shouldn’t buy it
Casual users looking to play some tunes occasionally or to toss in a pocket in case the WiFi's out at the gym should look elsewhere.
Pros
- Great size
- Runs Android
- Physical buttons
Cons
- Underpowered (slow)
- Underpowered (not loud)
- Expensive for what you get
Sony's transition from physical media -- cassettes, CDs and MiniDiscs -- to digital may have been rocky, but the Walkman name has shown it has staying power, and supports hi-res playback, too. The NW-A306 has extensive media support and the latest Android OS so there's likely not a song you won't be able to play. The only downsides are a relatively slow interface and a lack of power compared to even the Shanling above. Yet, a pair of Bluetooth headphones will soon fix that.
Why I like it:
Well, I bought one as I liked the idea of it. The size is great and the design is lovely. Overall it works reasonably well.
Who is this for?
Anyone looking for a small player that can also run apps like Spotify or Qobuz for music streaming.
Who shouldn’t buy it
I've had the NW-A306 for a while and there are some noticeable drawbacks. First, it's extremely slow. Navigating menus feels like an old phone trying to run a new OS. "Sluggish" is putting it mildly. Also, even though the screen is reasonably sized Android doesn't like running on lower-resolution screens like this, adding to the difficulty. The biggest issue is an extremely under-powered/volume-limited amp, so it struggles to power many headphones/earphones to reasonable levels.
Pros
- Great overall design
- A little anime friend
- Volume wheel
Cons
- Big and heavy
- About $70 branding
With the M500 x Hatsune Miku, HiBy does for the famous vocaloid and animated pop star what they did for Evangelion in the R4 x Evangelion. The M500 doesn't just match Miku's colors and overall aesthetic; it has a little chibi-style animated Miku that responds to different taps and swipes of the screen. Miku will even tell you things like "Headphones connected!" or "Speakers are working!" It's all very kawaii (cute) but the hardware underneath, including Cirrus Logic CS43198 DACs, means that it's also no slouch for audio quality.
Why I like it:
HiBy does a great job making audio hardware feel special. With this and the R4, the company has made numerous changes to what otherwise would be any old audio player. That it's also a really good audio player that runs Android 14 is almost an added bonus.
Who is this for?
Anyone who is into Miku or the kawaii aesthetic and wants a music player to match. Even if Miku isn't quite your thing, the cyan and pinkish-red colors are a bright change from a category that's all too often either black-on-gray or gray-on-black.
Who shouldn’t buy it
Miku and this player certainly have a specific look. That look might clash with yours. Fortunately, I think you know just by looking at the pictures if that's the case.
Best MP3 players specs compared
| Brand | Model | Price | Storage (internal) | Power (claimed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HiBy | R4 | $250 | 32GB | 165mW/500mW |
| HiBy | M500 | $319 | 64GB | 124mW/449mw |
| Shanling | M0s | $90 | 32GB | 60mW @ 32ohms |
| Sony | NW-A306 | $350 | 32GB | 0.4–1.1mW @ 32Ω |
The HiBy R4 Evangelion with the Sony NW-A306 and Pixel 9 Pro (not XL).
Geoffrey Morrison/CNETMighty 3: The Mighty 3 is the closest modern equivalent to the iPod Shuffle, but the catch is that it only works with Spotify Premium and Amazon Music, both of which can be synced wirelessly. We haven't tested the Mighty 3 directly, though we quite liked the original Mighty Vibe. The Mighty 3 includes eight hours of battery life while the waterproof Mighty Wave is designed to appeal to swimmers and outdoor types.
Sony NW-E394: The NW-E394 is an artifact of a former age. The last of the old-school MP3 players. It's simple and easy to use, however. It seems to be finally discontinued, unfortunately. If you can find one used and are looking for an MP3 player for older or young folks, this is a good option.
Any old smartphone will do, regardless of whether it's a cheap one, an iPhone or an Android phone. If you have an old phone -- or you buy a new one without service -- you'll have access to the full realm of app-based music services and any music files you care to upload.
If you like what you hear, consider upgrading to a decent headphone DAC (that's "digital to analog converter") like the Audiofly Dragonfly or iFi Audio Go and a serious pair of wired headphones.
Where are you going to use it? Is portability the most important aspect? As in, do you want something smaller than your phone?
Bluetooth or wired? Are you just connecting Bluetooth headphones/earphones, or are you connecting wired headphones. If the latter, do your headphones need a lot of power (typically bigger, higher-end headphones).
Do you want to stream music as well? Smaller, less expensive MP3 players typically have no streaming abilities. Look for something that runs on the Android operating system. This will let you install most apps like Spotify, Qobuz, Tidal, and others.
How much do you want to spend? There are lots of great options under $100, and you can spend over $1,000 for high-end audiophile models. Some of our favorite models are under $250.
Depending on the age of the player you can usually still add new music to an MP3 player. New ones, especially Android players, will be able to download directly from the internet or a network storage over wi-fi. Older players may not have this ability, and so connecting it to your PC or Mac may be the best way. These devices may appear as hard drives on your desktop and you can just drag and drop, or you can try iTunes or a third-party app like MediaMonkey.
MP3 is a compressed format and the bit-rate determines how much lossier it is than the original source, which is usually a CD. For many people, 320kbps is indistinguishable from lossless and is the "best case scenario" for ripping in the format. However, modern MP3 players can play other file types as well including lossless FLAC, ALAC and WAV.
Yes! There are new models released regularly. They're not nearly as popular as they once were, of course, but there are great options at a variety of price points. For instance, Sony still sells MP3 players under the Walkman branding, while HiBy, Shanling, Astell&Kern, and Fiio are some other big names.
