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The Best MP3 Players for 2023

Standalone MP3 players dominated pop culture for a long time, but in 2023 almost no one needs one. Any iPhone or Android phone is an audio player that works with subscription music apps like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music and YouTube Music. You pay your $5 to $10 a month, and you get access to nearly every popular song ever recorded. And the tracks are downloadable, too, so you can listen to your music even when you leave a Wi-Fi or cellular coverage area. It’s quick, easy and convenient. What’s not to like?

“A lot,” I can hear some people saying. Maybe you’ve got one too many subscriptions already, so why pay for one more when you already have a music library of thousands of MP3 files sitting on your hard drive? Or maybe you’ve meticulously crafted iTunes playlists, like mixtapes of old, that you don’t want to re-create or transfer to another service. Maybe you have rare, one-off live tracks that don’t exist on mainstream services. (Phish fans, I’m looking at you.)

Now, truth be told, if any of that applies to you, you still don’t need an MP3 player — your iPhone can still sync music files from iTunes (on Windows) or the Apple Music app (on Mac), and it probably has more storage space than your old iPod ever did. Android phones, too, can play whatever music files you can load them up with. But if you want a dedicated device for your music — or, maybe, a parentally curated set of songs to give to a kid who’s not ready for a phone — there are still MP3 device options out there. They’re not all great, and they generally come with some caveats. But if you’ve gotten this far, here’s what I can recommend, more than two decades after the iPod was first released. 

Other MP3 players

Yes, the products above are really the only ones I can recommend in this category with any degree of enthusiasm. But they aren’t the only options. If you’re looking for a bargain basement option (under $50), a serious high-end alternative (starting at $350 and going to four figures) or some interesting workarounds, read on.  

Swim-friendly option: Aftershockz OpenSwim

Aftershockz

This 4GB “player in a headphone” model uses Aftershockz’s patented bone-conduction technology. It’s also fully waterproof, and retails for about $150. (Note that CNET hasn’t tested these hands-on.)

See at Amazon

The budget hack: Any old smartphone

Samsung

If you’ve got an old phone — or you buy a new one without service — you’ll have access to the full realm of app-based music services, and any music files you care to upload. Something like the $160-ish Samsung Galaxy A03S (shown above) fits the bill nicely, since you can drop in a MicroSD card that you’ve preloaded with tunes. 

See at Amazon

High-end options: Sony Walkman, Astell & Kern

Sony is still making new Walkman models. 

Sony/Screenshot by CNET

Audiophiles have long looked down on digital music because the sound quality was notably inferior for golden-eared listeners with distinguishing tastes. But the development of lossless file formats (such as FLAC) and cheap ample multigigabyte storage have made portable high-fidelity music a reality.

At this point, there are really only two major players in the high-end portable music space: Astell & Kern and Sony (where the Walkman brand still lives on). We’ve used earlier versions of each brand, but not the current models. 

• Sony Walkman music players line starts with the new-for-2023 (really!) NW-A306, arriving soon for $348. 
• Astell & Kern players start at $1,299, and are strictly for true enthusiasts.

If you’re the sort of person who has hard drives full of uncompressed music audio files — and can hear the difference between that and comparatively low-resolution MP3 and AAC files — then, by all means, pair up one of those players with your wired headphone of choice. 

That said, nearly all of the streaming music services now offer lossless or high bitrate options — that’s nearly all the big players, from Tidal and Qobuz to Amazon and Apple. (Spotify HiFi, weirdly, remains a no-show.) 

If you like what you hear, consider upgrading to a decent headphone DAC (that’s “digital to analog converter”) like the Audiofly Dragonfly and a serious wired headphone. Then you’ll have a solid audiophile option that’s good for the road, without the need for a standalone music player.

Music lockers: YouTube Music and iTunes Match

If you’ve got a digital music collection that includes one-offs and live tracks that aren’t available on the mainstream services, you can upload them to online services, where they can live alongside subscription tracks and be shared among multiple devices (including smart speakers).

YouTube Music, formerly known as Google Play Music, offers this service at no additional cost for up to 100,000 tracks.

Apple users can opt for iTunes Match, which lets you upload your own digital music to live in tandem with Apple Music tracks. Once available for $24 a year, the service now appears to be bundled in as part of an Apple Music or Apple One subscription.

If you opt for either of these options, make sure you keep a local backup of your files, just in case these services go away.

Note that Amazon shuttered its “MP3 locker” service in 2018.

More audio recommendations

• Best Headphones of 2023
• Best Cheap Headphones in 2023
• Best Over-Ear Headphones of 2023
• Best On-Ear Headphones for 2023
• Best Record Player in 2023
• Best Wireless Speakers for 2023
• Best Bluetooth Speakers for 2023
• Best Speakers of 2023
• Best Soundbar Under $300 in 2023
• Best AV Receivers for 2023 

The Best MP3 Players for 2023

Standalone MP3 players dominated pop culture for a long time, but in 2023 almost no one needs one. Any iPhone or Android phone is an audio player that works with subscription music apps like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music and YouTube Music. You pay your $5 to $10 a month, and you get access to nearly every popular song ever recorded. And the tracks are downloadable, too, so you can listen to your music even when you leave a Wi-Fi or cellular coverage area. It’s quick, easy and convenient. What’s not to like?

“A lot,” I can hear some people saying. Maybe you’ve got one too many subscriptions already, so why pay for one more when you already have a music library of thousands of MP3 files sitting on your hard drive? Or maybe you’ve meticulously crafted iTunes playlists, like mixtapes of old, that you don’t want to re-create or transfer to another service. Maybe you have rare, one-off live tracks that don’t exist on mainstream services. (Phish fans, I’m looking at you.)

Now, truth be told, if any of that applies to you, you still don’t need an MP3 player — your iPhone can still sync music files from iTunes (on Windows) or the Apple Music app (on Mac), and it probably has more storage space than your old iPod ever did. Android phones, too, can play whatever music files you can load them up with. But if you want a dedicated device for your music — or, maybe, a parentally curated set of songs to give to a kid who’s not ready for a phone — there are still MP3 device options out there. They’re not all great, and they generally come with some caveats. But if you’ve gotten this far, here’s what I can recommend, more than two decades after the iPod was first released. 

Other MP3 players

Yes, the products above are really the only ones I can recommend in this category with any degree of enthusiasm. But they aren’t the only options. If you’re looking for a bargain basement option (under $50), a serious high-end alternative (starting at $350 and going to four figures) or some interesting workarounds, read on. 

Swim-friendly option: Aftershockz OpenSwim

Aftershockz

This 4GB “player in a headphone” model uses Aftershockz’s patented bone-conduction technology. It’s also fully waterproof, and retails for about $150. (Note that CNET hasn’t tested these hands-on.)

See at Amazon

The budget hack: Any old smartphone

Samsung

If you’ve got an old phone — or you buy a new one without service — you’ll have access to the full realm of app-based music services, and any music files you care to upload. Something like the $160-ish Samsung Galaxy A03S (shown above) fits the bill nicely, since you can drop in a MicroSD card that you’ve preloaded with tunes. 

See at Amazon

High-end options: Sony Walkman, Astell & Kern

Sony is still making new Walkman models. 

Sony/Screenshot by CNET

Audiophiles have long looked down on digital music because the sound quality was notably inferior for golden-eared listeners with distinguishing tastes. But the development of lossless file formats (such as FLAC) and cheap ample multigigabyte storage have made portable high-fidelity music a reality.

At this point, there are really only two major players in the high-end portable music space: Astell & Kern and Sony (where the Walkman brand still lives on). We’ve used earlier versions of each brand, but not the current models. 

• Sony Walkman music players line starts with the new-for-2023 (really!) NW-A306, arriving soon for $348. 
• Astell & Kern players start at $1,299, and are strictly for true enthusiasts.

If you’re the sort of person who has hard drives full of uncompressed music audio files — and can hear the difference between that and comparatively low-resolution MP3 and AAC files — then, by all means, pair up one of those players with your wired headphone of choice. 

That said, nearly all of the streaming music services now offer lossless or high bitrate options — that’s nearly all the big players, from Tidal and Qobuz to Amazon and Apple. (Spotify HiFi, weirdly, remains a no-show.) 

If you like what you hear, consider upgrading to a decent headphone DAC (that’s “digital to analog converter”) like the Audiofly Dragonfly and a serious wired headphone. Then you’ll have a solid audiophile option that’s good for the road, without the need for a standalone music player.

Music lockers: YouTube Music and iTunes Match

If you’ve got a digital music collection that includes one-offs and live tracks that aren’t available on the mainstream services, you can upload them to online services, where they can live alongside subscription tracks and be shared among multiple devices (including smart speakers).

YouTube Music, formerly known as Google Play Music, offers this service at no additional cost for up to 100,000 tracks.

Apple users can opt for iTunes Match, which lets you upload your own digital music to live in tandem with Apple Music tracks. Once available for $24 a year, the service now appears to be bundled in as part of an Apple Music or Apple One subscription.

If you opt for either of these options, make sure you keep a local backup of your files, just in case these services go away.

Note that Amazon shuttered its “MP3 locker” service in 2018.

More audio recommendations

• Best Headphones of 2023
• Best Cheap Headphones in 2023
• Best Over-Ear Headphones of 2023
• Best On-Ear Headphones for 2023
• Best Record Player in 2023
• Best Wireless Speakers for 2023
• Best Bluetooth Speakers for 2023
• Best Speakers of 2023
• Best Soundbar Under $300 in 2023
• Best AV Receivers for 2023 

Professional multimedia player MP3-SD/USB/FM/Bluetooth CVGaudio M-023W

CVGAUDIO M-023W is a professional multimedia combined signal source (player) for background sound systems. The device consists of an MP3 / FLAC player that plays content from connected USB flash drives and SDcard up to 32Gb (FAT / FAT32 file system), Bluetooth v4.2 module and FM tuner with memory for 50 radio stations and the ability to connect an external antenna. The CVGAUDIO M-023W can be used in four form factors: as a wall-mounted desktop device (surface-mounted), flush-wall-mounted (fits into a standard double wall box), and rack-mountable (2U rack mount is included as standard) supplies). Metal body and white front panel.

The device has two linear unbalanced stereo outputs – on the minijack TRS 3.5mm connector and on the 3-pin EuroBlock connector, two linear unbalanced stereo inputs for connecting external signal sources – on the minijack TRS 3.5mm connector (on the front panel) and on 3-pin EuroBlock connector on the back of the case. There is also a TR 3.5mm minijack connector on the back for connecting an external FM antenna for the built-in tuner and a 3-pin EuroBlock – IR INPUT for connecting an external IR sensor or cable connection to the CVGAUDIO UNICORE / AMBICORE control system. When using CVGAUDIO M-023W in conjunction with AMBICORE or UNICORE devices, you can control playback and volume through a convenient web interface from your computer or mobile device. The M-023 also comes standard with an external IR remote control. If necessary, you can use the buttons on the front panel to control playback, volume and operating modes of the device.

The built-in Bluetooth module works stably within a radius of 6m (max – 8m) in the line of sight. By default, it has a network name – CVGAUDIO. If necessary, you can reflash the M-023 using the files posted on our website www.cvg.ru and change the network name to CVGAUDIO1/CVGUDIO2 …. /CVGAUDIO9. This allows you to choose exactly the player to which you want to connect being in an area where several Bluetooth networks are available.

The MP3 player automatically starts playing MP3/FLAC tracks when a storage device (USB flash drive or SDcard) is connected. Also, playback will automatically start if one of the drives is inserted into the slot when turning on (powering on). MP3/FLAC tracks can be located both in the root of the disk and in folders (without subfolders).

CVGAUDIO M-023W in addition to signal sources has a line input for connecting external audio devices. The input is activated when the LINE IN operating mode is selected. Thus, for example, mounted on a wall and connected to an amplifier, the M-023 can work not only as a player / tuner, but also as an external preamplifier with a line input and MASTER volume control.

Key Features Specifications:

• MP3 / FLAC player with SDcard and USB stick up to 32Gb
• FM tuner with memory for 50 stations
• Bluetooth ver 4.2 (radius 4-8 meters)
• Line in on the front and back of the device
• Large LCD information display
• IR remote control and IR input for wired connection
• Power supply 12V/1A (not included)
• Automatic playback start on power up
• Web interface control available for CVGAUDIO UNICORE / AMBICORE 9 devices0016
• Body color white

Applications

• Background music in cafés, shops, restaurants, etc.
• Zone players in fitness clubs
• Zone players in spas

Main characteristics

User manual CVGaudio M-023W (CVGaudio_M-023_manual_cyr. pdf, 3,150 Kb) [Download]

Support for Portable Music Players (Walkman) | Sony EN

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