Skip to content

works for you

Member access:

MP3 players: How to buy the best MP3 player MP3 player accessories

Headphones

The headphones that come with your MP3 can be poor quality - adding a good pair will make a real difference

You may have chosen the best MP3 player for you, but your shopping doesn’t necessarily end there. 

There is now a huge range of accessories you can use in conjunction with your MP3 player.

Here are some of the more popular options.

Headphones for MP3 players

The sound quality on MP3 players varies, but nowhere near as much as that of headphones.

So be sure to budget for a new set – your ears will appreciate it.

We've tested over 50 sets of headphones, looking at everything from sound quality and comfort, through to sound leakage and durability. And we found that price is no guarantee of quality - it's possible to spend almost £400 on a pair, but you can pick up a Best Buy set for less than £40.

To find out which you should choose read our expert headphone reviews.

MP3 player speaker docks

MP3 players have revolutionised the way we listen to music on the go. 

Speaker docks aim to take the revolution a stage further – allowing you to put your MP3 player at the heart of your home music system and clear away that pile of dusty old CDs for good.

A speaker dock allows you to play your music out loud. 

Most speaker docks are primarily designed to work with iPods, though if you have a different MP3 player fear not, as most docks also come with a 3.5mm socket that will allow you to connect your player.

MP3 player speaker docks

Speaker docks turn your MP3 player into a music system for your house

Unfortunately, audio quality from speaker docks tends to be a mixed bag.

There are lots of cheap portable speaker docks on the market, starting from less than £40, but they’re unlikely to do justice to your music collection.

To find the best models check out our speaker docks reviews.

FM transmitters

These small plug-in devices let you listen to your MP3 player in your car – your car radio picks up the player's music over its FM radio. They're easy to use, and sound great.

MP3 player chargers

Most MP3 players use rechargeable batteries and recharge when they're plugged into your computer. If you listen or travel a lot, you may want to pick up a spare charger.