How to choose an MP3 player to listen to music

When choosing an MP3 player, pay attention to its acoustic characteristics and the amount of permanent memory.

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1. How to choose an MP3 player: key parameters
   
2. Types of players
3. Main selection criteria
4. Top manufacturers

How to choose an MP3 player: key parameters

The most important criteria when choosing an MP3 player are:

1. Availability and type of DAC;

2. The presence and type of amplifier;

3. Supported audio formats;

4. Built-in storage capacity and memory card support;

5. Additional functionality.

6. Equally important is the manufacturer of the device.

Types of players

There are several criteria by which you can group existing MP3 players on the market. For example, in terms of sound quality, they are divided into “normal” and hi-fi. And by design - on the "standard" and running in the format of headphones with built-in player. Well, and finally, the type of internal memory - on having an internal drive and intended for use exclusively with a microSD card.

Differences in sound quality

There are two types of players that differ in sound quality - "regular" and Hi-Fi. The first ones usually belong to the lower price range and cost from several hundred to 10-15 thousand rubles, the second - to the top one (that is, from 30 thousand rubles and above).

Differences in these devices are manifested not only in price, but also in design. "Ordinary" MP3-players are equipped with a simple DAC and low-power built-in amplifiers, which allows them to play music at a reasonable level of quality for most users. Hi-Fi devices get a sophisticated “stuffing” and therefore provide almost perfect sound.

However, there arises one small "but." Most often, MP3-players are used to play compressed music, and, as the name implies, in MP3 format. Listening to compressed music on Hi-Fi devices is like shooting a gun at sparrows. Top players are designed to play the appropriate formats - for example, WAV or at least FLAC.

How to choose an MP3 player?

Thus, if you just need a device to listen to music on the road and you are not ready to search for an online store where you can buy albums in Hi-Res, the most common MP3 player in the budget or average price range will suit you. For fans of high-quality sound, ready to give thousands of dollars for top-end audio equipment (including headphones with an impedance of about 250 Ohms), are designed Hi-Fi-players.

Differences in form factor

There are two form factors for MP3 players - a candy bar (the usual "box with buttons") and "headphones". Devices of the first type are most widely distributed. These MP3-players are quite simple to use, have a familiar UX, and most importantly - they can be used with a variety of headphones, which will allow you to choose the right pair. They also have a disadvantage. The wire to the headphones is the weakest point of such an “audio pair”: first, it can interfere (especially during sports activities); and secondly, to fray, break, etc.

“Player-headphones” are spared from this disadvantage.Performed, as the name implies, in the headphone form factor (most often with a headband passing through the crown or the back of the head), they provide complete freedom of movement. In addition, such devices due to the minimum number of connectors can also be waterproof, which additionally will delight athletes who do not want to part with the music while swimming or taking a shower.

But on this the advantages of such players are limited. But more disadvantages:

1. Unusual, and sometimes inconvenient management. To switch songs, as well as start / pause, you have to reach for your ear. Due to the lack of a screen, you will have to guess the desired composition by ear;

2. The inability to connect other headphones. However, the dynamics of such devices are often balanced under the acoustic parameters of the “stuffing”, therefore, the desire to change headphones from an unassuming user does not even arise.

The choice in this case is quite simple. If you do not want to put up with the wires, plan to run a lot, swim, play sports in the gym or some other physical activity, and the music is needed just “for the background” - the ideal solution would be “player-headphones”. All the rest will suit the usual candy bar.

Memory Type Differences

By the type of memory used, the players are divided into three groups:

1. Without internal memory, only with microSD;

2. Without slot for microSD, only from internal memory;

3. And with internal memory, and with a slot for MicroSD.

MP3 players without built-in memory - the cheapest and most compact. Most often, such devices have tiny dimensions (the size of a little more than a coin, for example) and weight (measured in tens of grams). Well, the battery life of these players can leave much to be desired.

Low price - the only advantage of these players. For the memory card that will be used in them, you still have to pay. And the sound quality is usually not too high. Such players are suitable only for very unpretentious users.

MP3 players without microSD support - perhaps the most common group of such devices. It includes, for example, almost all devices from Apple (iPod series), iRiver, Sony and even Fiio. The main advantage of such players is the support of a wide range of music formats, including lossless ones, due to the high access speed to the internal memory.

The disadvantage is the limited amount of internal memory. Therefore, in order to carry the entire music library with you, you will have to “fork out” for an expensive device with a large internal drive. But in players with a small amount of internal memory will often change the recorded music.

MP3 players with built-in memory and microSD card slot - the most universal solution. Music in them can be recorded on both internal and external storage, which provides virtually unlimited scalability of the “portable library”.

To purchase recommended players of the last two types. Devices without own memory should be bought only if they provide functionality that is not available in other solutions (for example, Fiio X3 II “budget Hi-Fi player” equipped with quartz DACs and at the same time worth about 15 thousand rubles does not have built-in memory ).

Main selection criteria

Availability and type of DAC

D / A converter - digital-to-analog converter - is used, as the name implies, to convert a digital audio signal into analog currents. The better it is, the more frequencies the player is able to reproduce and the wider the band of each frequency. Those. it depends on the characteristics of the DAC whether it will be possible to hear each note in the composition or whether you will have to be content with the general rhythm.

If the characteristics of the device separately indicate the model of the DAC - this player is recommended for purchase. Moreover, the best DACs are manufactured by the following companies: Crystal, Philips and Wolfson. However, they are quite expensive - often unnecessarily for a portable player.

Indirectly, you can learn about the availability of a DAC based on the supported formats (see below).

Presence and type of amplifier

As the name implies, an amplifier is a functional element that increases the amplitude of a sound wave. This allows you to "shake" the headphones, make them louder or clearer.

Well, if the specifications of the MP3-player specified amplifier. If not, no problem, just your favorite Beyerdinamic headphones with an impedance of 250 ohms will have to be used at home. And the best mobile amplifiers are devices from Analog Devices and OPA.

Indirectly, you can learn about the presence of the amplifier based on the supported formats (see below).

Supported Audio Formats

There are two types of audio formats - compressed and lossless. The first ones are distinguished by a small file size, a more or less good sound quality (which depends heavily on the bitrate), and most importantly, a small load on the processor of the player. Lossless formats, in turn, have a large file size, excellent sound quality, a huge bit rate, they are not cut by inaudible human frequencies, but at the same time when decrypted, they greatly load the processor.

Compressed formats include:

1. Ogg. It is found mainly in streaming services;

2. MP3 The most common format;

3. AAC. Compressed format used by Apple;

4. Wma. Microsoft compressed format.

5. Uncompressed (lossless) formats include:

6. Flac. Most common;

7. ALAC. Like FLAC, only proprietary to Apple;

8. Ape. The most common Hi-Res format.

If the player supports lossless formats, it means that it has a more or less decent DAC and amplifier. If it does not support, none of this is present; all conversions are performed on the processor of the device.

However, the more formats the player supports, the better. If he, like the Sony NWZ-B183F, only supports MP3 and WMA, another type of music will have to be converted by special programs.

Built-in storage capacity and memory card support

The large capacity of the built-in storage device is not required for an MP3 player if support for lossless formats is not required. Even 4 GB can record 2-3 discography of various artists. However, the optimal capacity is 8-16 GB.

If you plan to record a very large discography (for example, a collection of the U2 group or all posthumous albums of Michael Jackson), you should purchase a player with support for microSD memory cards or a built-in drive from 16 GB.

Additional functionality

Additional features that may be useful include:

1. Body material. Metal is more reliable than plastic;

2. Moisture protection. What you need for athletes;

3. Bluetooth Allows you to connect wireless headphones;

4. Screen on several lines. Displays not only the name of the song, but also the selected modes, as well as general information.

But the touch screen and support for video formats in most cases are absolutely useless. Rather, they even say that the manufacturer saved on a good DAC and amplifier, sticking just a more powerful processor. Unless, of course, this is not about the iPod Touch.

Top manufacturers

Among the best manufacturers of players can be identified:

1. Apple Releases the most famous iPod series;

2. Sony. Known brand Walkman;

3. Fiio. Budget Hi-Fi-players.

4. You can also highlight the company Ritmix and iRiver, producing budget MP3-players.

In the following articles, our experts tell how to choose quadrocoptersecrets voice recorder selection and major factors choosing an inexpensive phone.

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Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a guide to purchase.