Why is it so difficult to find a good MP3 player with a 3.5 mm jack output and SD card slot? I don’t want to spend $4000 on something like that. I’m just looking for something to listen to music without needing Bluetooth and a mobile phone. Do you have any suggestions?
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Take an old mobile phone, strip it of anything extraneous, and use it as a music player. The tech has progressed so much that you would have to be unlucky to find a mobile phone from a decent manufacturer in the last 10 years that can’t play back MP3s perfectly well.
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Sansa/Sandisk Clip?
It is an ultra niche market.
Most people use streaming services,
download music over WiFi, explore new music over whe web.
There is no market for devices that have 90% the same pasts as a phone with a fraction of the functionality (battery, screen, software, Prozessor, usb connector, storage).
Old phones are an option, but have the downside of android (power drain in standby, long boot times so less ideal for fast turning on and off). And for hifi:
Android supports DACs, so you can use almost all phoned with hifi equipment.
There are a bunch of old ones, Sony has some good current ones…that run android and are priced as android phones.
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I got one of the ridiculously priced Astell & Kirn players and it’s beautiful to use and play from. The physical jog wheel is lovely and it’s so nice to have something that doesn’t get notifications and does one thing.
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microsd cardslot, 3,5mm jack, affordable
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I so miss my clip+. Never jelled with the newer ones.
But I also know, it’s no use without WiFi and at least Spotify today for me. If I need a dedicated player I cave my old LG with decent output and SD card reader.
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I have a Sony nwa45, added an SD card, sounds great, cost maybe 200 euro, possibly only available from eBay now but really can’t complain
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Olympus dictaphone!
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I thought about that too. I still use my old Olympus as a field recorder.
How gloriously hipster would it be to walk around using something like a Zoom H5 as an MP3 player? With the mics still attached, of course. There must be photos of people already doing this.
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they exist, check out Digital Audio Players.
I’ve had this one for a while, I feel like it does sound better via aux in my car than streaming does via USB. (i actually lost this and dont know where it is rn, its pretty small)
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If you can play it back on a field recorder, then I would recommend this.
Yeah. Me too. Not one of the mega expensive ones but def not cheap (I got the SR25). Given how important music is to me, I thought it would be worth splashing out, and I have to say it is a joy to use and listen to. I have mostly FLACs on it and is paired up with some nice Moondrop IEMs. Built like a tank too.
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I think the Korg Mini KP (Kaoss pad) could work for these purposes. But I agree about the old phone comment; that seems a bit easier.
A friend picked one of these up and likes it.
My God, that’s even better than the field recorder plan. You could just take it out and swipe the low pass filter when you need to listen to someone. The SP-404 is another candidate, you could have an album on every pad. You just need one of the battery models.
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I use a Fiio M6 from time to time… There are a few models under £/$100, only thing that annoys me is the old CPU + android os they use feel a teeny bit sluggish.
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very cool!
sounds much better and pleasant than for example Sony players or probably anything consumer… still using their older top model I guess DX90 or DX120 which is now very inexpensive used… and usually ppl who sell them never actually used it, just took once to a trip a later keep on the shelve, so they come in perfect shape. my perfect partner in any journey
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Fiio players are pretty great. I got an X3 for my 8 year old and it is still kicking. Takes a lot of abuse lol.
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