Premium MP3 players have been gradually creeping back into the mainstream courtesy of high-end, ultra-high-quality devices like the Astell & Kern PD20 and the FiiO M27. Even Sony, the original mobile music expert, has got back into the game with its premium-priced WM1AM2 hi-res Walkman.
But there’s also a groundswell of change at the entry level. For too long, cheap MP3 players meant taking a chance on an off-brand player with dubious quality, fidgety UI and a lifespan that could be measured in weeks, not years.
As new generations of music lovers discover the joys of personally curated collections and cutting the cord from streaming services (although not necessarily the cord to their headphones), smaller, nimbler music players that ape Apple’s original iPod and Nano are coming back into fashion.
We’ve assembled a selection of five new ultra-compact MP3 players that bring a sense of agency and accumulation back to music listening.
FiiO Echo Nano
FiiO Echo Nano MP3 player
Small, inexpensive but powerful, the Echo Nano from FiiO is an aluminium-made portable music player that supports lossless formats as well as the ubiquitous MP3. The angular body is made from CNC-machined aluminium-magnesium alloy, finished in a rainbow spectrum of pink, white, sky blue, green, purple and titanium silver.
Controls are via a tiny 0.91-inch OLED screen, with a multifunctional metal scroll wheel to scrub through tracks and playlists. As well as a traditional headphone socket the Echo Nano’s onboard digital audio converter can also be used to process sounds from a laptop. Weighing in at just 33.5 grams, the player offers up to seven hours of playback and supports microSD cards of up to 256GB.
FiiO Echo Nano, $49.99 / €55.99 / £54.99, FiiO.eu
FiiO JM21
For a more extensive feature set, FiiO also offers the JM21. Recently upgraded to include 64GB of onboard memory and a larger battery for up to 12.5 hours of playback, the JM21 has an Android-based UI, both 3.5mm and 4.4mm physical sockets and supports microSD cards up to 2TB in size, making it an ideal way of backing up a lifetime’s worth of music into a portable player.
FiiO JM21, £199 / €259.99, FiiO.eu
Shanling M0 Pura
Despite its tiny size – 35.8g – the fourth-generation version of Shanling’s M0 Pura player can support the current maximum 2TB microSD card (equivalent to 400 DVDs or around 3,000 CDs ripped at high-resolution quality, or around two years of high-quality MP3 files). The little Pura certainly owes a physical debt to the form factor of the original iPod Nano, with a 1.54-inch touch screen that takes up practically the whole surface of the player.
The Shanling M0 Pura can take microSD cards up to 2TB
Available in black, vibrant orange or berry purple, it comes with both a headphone jack and Bluetooth connectivity and battery life is a projected nine hours plus. Adjustable playback speeds are also available for mainlining podcasts.
Shanling M0 Pura, Shanling.com, £95.59 at Amazon
Hidisz AP30 Music Boy
Hidisz AP30 Music Boy MP3 player, currently on Kickstarter
Currently Kickstarting, the AP30 Music Boy from Hidisz blends the scale of a Nano with the aesthetic of the early Game Boy. Support for up to 256GB microSD is paired with a playful interface on the 2-inch screen. It even includes a ‘block game’ (ie, Tetris) that’s accessed via the D-pad. Bluetooth connectivity is paired with both sizes of headphone jack, and the overall aesthetic is kawaii meets Minecraft.
Hidisz AP30 Music Boy, Hidizs.net, Kickstarter.com
Innioasis Y1
Innioasis Y1 MP3 player
No prizes for guessing the source of visual inspiration between the Y1 from Innioasis. Available in no fewer than nine different colours, this iPod lookalike mimics the classic click-wheel format. As well as support for practically every audio format ever conceived, the Y1 can also play MP4 video, offering four hours of playback at 720p HD.
A built-in FM radio – with recording function – adds to the available options, and the Y1 will also serve as a portable image viewer and audiobook player. Bluetooth connectivity is available, although a pair of wired earbuds are supplied in the package. The Y1 comes in three storage sizes, 64GB, 128GB and 1TB.
Innioasis Y1, $65.99 for 64GB, Innioasis.com, £65.99 at Amazon