5 Best MP3 Players to Buy In 2024

Honestly, one of your best bets is just an old iPod Touch. This isn't what anyone wants to hear, but let me make the case.

I'll acknowledge that adding your own MP3 or lossless files to an iPod Touch is moving towards impossible in 2024, since Apple is steadily working to shutter iTunes. If you want to listen to your original music or deep-cut live recordings that aren't on streaming services, you're shit out of luck. But, if you just want the general experience of an MP3 player, we can make that work.

Let me address the audiophiles here. These days, streaming services like Apple Music's, Qobuz, and Tidal offer lossless streamed music, so there's no reason to prioritize FLAC files from your computer anymore. If you want to get into the hobbyist aspect of it, go for it. But, don't feel like you need to.

The real reason I'm suggesting an iPod Touch is the convenience. Maybe you want to download all your music onto your computer and move it to your player. But honestly, that's a pain in the ass process you can leave behind. With an old iPhone, you can connect to Wi-Fi when you need, download (lossless!) music from a streaming platform, and listen to it distraction free when you're out in the world. It's the best of both worlds. If you want this to be a music player for a kid, Apple's got a comprehensive set of parental controls.

If you want the true MP3 experience, SanDisk is making the best version of it today. It'll handle lossless files, but there's not a hard focus on strict listening of music. No one is losing sleep at night to nail down the listening experience of a SanDisk Clip Sport Plus.

This thing is a replacement for the tiny iPods of old. You can clip it to your clothes for a lightweight music player while running, cycling, skiing, or whatever. It's not waterproof, but other than that, you don't need to be precious with this thing.

On top of all that, you get a nice little LED screen, a serviceable 32GB of on-device storage, and a microSDXC card slot for big storage.

There is a wonderful little cottage industry of iPod dupes on Amazon. The tech is simple, so pretty much any single one of them will do the job that you want it to do. I'd choose this one, because it takes the iPod dupe to its maximum, wheel control and all.

In terms of function, like I said, it's got all you need. You can play MP3 files, FLAC files, and there's even an FM radio function. The 128GB of on-device storage is enough for a hefty library. And, the USB-C port means you can transfer files and charge at the highest speeds possible.

It looks like an iPod, and it's easy to use like an iPod

This is as far into the serious DAP category as I'll advise most people to go, audiophiles included. Above this, things creep towards the $1,000 mark—insanity. Sony's revived Walkman isn't exactly a triumph, but it's as good as we've got in 2024.

Let me talk about the bad to start. This thing runs Android, with full access to the Google Play store, so it's more like an iPod Touch. It's between smartphone and music player. The Android 12 OS takes up a big chunk of the 32GB of on-device storage. But, with hi-res music files, 32GB wouldn't last that long anyway. Remedy that with a high-storage microSD card. The bigger issue is that it makes the thing a bit clunky. Everything moves a bit slow, especially compared to the smartphone you're giving up for this thing.

The good news? This thing does everything else to perfection. Quickly move files around with a USB-C and listen with bluetooth headphones or wired headphones. It's relatively small, nice and lightweight, and durable enough for those that know they'll drop it occasionally. The battery will last a for a double-digit hours of FLAC listening, but don't expect to go days without charging. And for the audiophiles, it's as good as you'll get below the ultra-premium high-end offerings. Everything is clear; you can hear individual instruments on any recording; and it's got enough kick to be a workout player.

Listen, I love making fun of audiophiles as much as the next guy. When someone on Reddit tells me I don't enjoy music because I don't have 1TB worth of music files on my computer, I respond with: Check out this sick—mostly inaudible—MP3 I recorded at a live show. Enjoying music is different for everyone, and that's what's beautiful.

But, if you are the critical listening type, or if you strive to be that, nothing is going to beat the Astell & Kern SP3000. It's at the cutting edge of digital to analog converting, uses a beast of a Snapdragon processor, and thus presents the most authentic sound you can get from a DAP. This is the type of player you wire to some Bowers & Wilkins speakers for high-level, critical listening.

On the outside, the design is just as intentional. There's a full HD display, optional luxury leather case, and 940L stainless steel body. Or, you can get the limited edition gold-plated version. Sure, it's almost $4,000, but this is as good as audio will get.