
It can support audio sources far above CD quality, and it really shines with them. If you’re looking for a dedicated hi-res audio player, then straight out of the box the Sony NW-A306 boasts an impressive spec sheet. But there’s no denying that the positives vastly outweigh the negatives here. During our testing, we found that the menu could be a little unresponsive, the battery longevity would vary and it surprisingly sounded like it struggled when playing a standard 128kbps audio file, which all together let down our all-round experience just a tad (well, by half a star to be exact). Where the NW-A306 is let down is not in its music-playing skill, but slight niggles with its all round usability.

The Sony NW-A306 was released in 2023 and we’re so thankful that Sony decided to make a comeback with this nostalgic audio device – the tape cassette interface is a nice retro touch. Not only is it part of Sony’s new Walkman lineup, but it’s built to handle incredibly high quality audio files for a price that is much more affordable than most of what’s available on the market. There’s a lot going for this little hi-res digital audio player. You've got so many great options, such great sound, and such high-spec parts that it's very easy to look at the saving and decide it's worth putting into a nice high-capacity microSD card instead of its higher-priced rival. The Fiio M11S does an excellent job of gently undercutting its closest rival, the Astell & Kern a&norma SR25 Mk II. There's lots to love here including an Android 10 operating system with a touchscreen that's smooth and responsive, a punchy, controlled and detailed sound and a premium build. The treble is perhaps a little on the bright side, but not so much that we'd consider it a deal breaker.

It has more than enough headroom to dispatch the big dynamic shifts with no difficulty, and it can also describe a big, wide and properly defined soundstage. The M11S is insightful enough to make minor or transient information apparent, and it can describe the most nuanced dynamic variations in a solo instrument with ease. In every meaningful music-making respect, it has skills – and in some areas, it’s a genuine expert. You don’t have to listen long, hard, or through especially accomplished headphones to realise the M11S is the real deal. Having said that, we've still chosen options at a range of prices. Many of them are massively expensive, but that's partly because so many people just listen on their phones now – the people still buying dedicated players are in it for the quality, and are prepared to pay for it. Obviously, we expect them to work smoothly and to be perfectly built at that price, with flexible storage features.ĭon’t expect to find classics like the iPod here (Apple discontinued the final iPod model in May 2022) instead brands such as FiiO, Sony, and Astell & Kern are filling the market with a versatile range of hi-res audio players. So when we're testing them, we're focusing on their ability to deliver exquisite audio, using extremely high-quality audio files, as well as the highest quality from the best music streaming services that deliver hi-res files, such as Tidal.

#Best android media player 2021 Bluetooth
But wired is preferable, because even fancy Bluetooth doesn't have the bandwidth to fully do justice to hi-res music. They're meant to be paired with the best wired headphones, though many players have Bluetooth too (including higher-res aptX or LDAC versions) for those who want the convenience of the best wireless headphones. The best digital audio players are the tool of choice for those who would rather listen to studio quality sound through a hi-res audio download, on a device that can handle a higher sampling frequency and bitrate to eke every drop of detail from these lossless downloads.
