MP3 players: How to buy the best MP3 player MP3 player performance and features
We listen to a range of music on each player to find out which have the best sound quality
Deciding the size, memory capacity and the features that you want from your player, plus the amount that you’re happy to spend, all helps in your search for the best model. Unfortunately however, even knowing these things is no guarantee that you’ll choose a great MP3 player.
That’s where Which? can help. Unlike many other review sites, we actually put all the models that we write about through rigorous lab testing. And we don’t accept press samples. The MP3 players that we assess are all bought from the same High Street shops you’re likely to use.
Read more about how we test MP3 players.
Sound quality
When buying a portable music player you want one that will sound fantastic. But it’s impossible to find this out when stood in a shop confronted by rows of different models. Even if the shop allow you to listen to it for a few minutes, you’re unlikely to get a clear impression of how it sounds.
That’s why we put all the players we review through an exhaustive sound quality assessment. Five experts listen to pieces of music from a range of genres, for any sound flaws such as distortion or interference.
Tests are carried out using both the supplied headphones and a pair of known high-quality headphones. We also check for sound leakage from the supplied headphones to understand how much, if any, noise escapes to bother people around you, and listen to built-in speakers where present.
MP3 player battery life
Similarly it’s impossible to know when you're in the shop, how long the player will last until it needs recharging. We’ve found models that will play more than 65 hours of music on a single charge, while others run out after just five hours.
That’s why Which? tests the battery life for audio and video playback of all the MP3 players we review, and even looks at how long it takes to recharge.
You can check the sound quality and battery life of all the models we’ve looked at on the Which? MP3 player reviews page.
Video playback
Most modern MP3 players can now play video as well as music, so we’ve developed our tests to keep up with this new technology.
If you want to watch videos on your player then picking one with a large screen is obviously important. But it’s not the only factor to consider. We examine the screen quality in different viewing conditions, check the viewing angle, look at how easy it is to use and to add new videos, note the different video formats the player can read.
You can find the best video player and read our expert verdicts using our MP3 player product selector.
You can transfer lots of CDs to an MP3 player
MP3 player memory
MP3 players use one of two storage mediums: hard drive or flash memory.
Hard-drive MP3 players, such as the Apple iPod Classic, offer the greatest amount of storage space, but tend to be larger and more susceptible to damage due to the comparatively fragile nature of hard disks.
Flash-memory MP3 players, also known as solid-state MP3 players, are cheaper and hold a more limited number of songs, but their lack of moving parts makes them more durable than hard-drive players.
The greater the storage capacity, the more songs the MP3 player can store. The largest hard-drive-based player we’ve tested is the Archos 7. The 320GB version of this model can hold around 80,000 songs.
Most flash-based MP3 players only hold around 1-2GB, enough for around 250-500 songs, though some, such as the Apple iPod Touch, can hold up to 64GB.
Some models include memory card slots. This is a useful feature that allows you to boost the memory at a low cost. And because you can remove the card it’s a handy method of transferring your music to other machines.
Radios, internet access and Bluetooth
One simple feature found on some MP3 players is an FM radio. Some MP3 players even allow you to record directly from the radio, while another useful option is an FM transmitter for playing back audio wirelessly through home and car stereos with FM tuners.
A rarer, more advanced, function found on MP3 players is wireless connectivity. Players such as the Apple iPod Touch let you connect to any accessible Wi-Fi network to access the web and download music directly from Apple’s iTunes store.
Read our Apple iPod Touch review to see what our experts thought of it.
A different example is the Samsung YP-T9. This MP3 player offers built-in A2DP Bluetooth, meaning it can be paired with a compatible pair of wireless headphones for a cord-free listening experience.