SanDisk Clip Jam 8GB MP3 player - Black

Product Information

Storage: 32GB | Screen size: 5in | Battery life: 13 hrs Maximum file support: 32bit/384kHz; DSD256 | Dimensions (h/w/d): 11x7x2cm | Weight: 178g Battery life is always a consideration when it comes to electronics. Since most MP3 players have long-lasting batteries, most will get you through long runs and workouts. However, if you want to cut down on recharge time, keep an eye out for something that lasts 30 hours or more between charges. For many people the convenience of MP3 –you can fit more into your device's storage, streaming uses less mobile data and you don't need a really good internet connection – outweighs the loss of sound, especially if you're listening on the move. But MP3 is a fairly old tech now, and there are better options: Lossless Audio and Hi-Res Audio. You don’t have to listen long, hard, or through especially accomplished headphones to realise the M11S is the real deal. In every meaningful music-making respect, it has skills – and in some areas, it’s a genuine expert.

Some MP3 players feature Wi-Fi and support for streaming services like Spotify. This varies from player to player, so keep this in mind while shopping if this is an important feature. Why would I use an MP3 player instead of my phone? If you want to listen beyond your own music collection, don’t worry. The SE180 is equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity and supports a wide range of high-quality streaming services. Some, like Tidal and Deezer, are included out of the box, but you can install many Android music streaming apps via A&K’s Open APP Service. The Sony Walkman has long been a staple of the MP3 player market, and this latest model keeps the brand firmly in the game. The Sony NW-A306 is a remarkably petite and light device, but still capable of putting out powerful, authoritative audio with a wealth of detail. The MP3 file format, which played a significant role in the popularity of devices like the iPod, has been officially discontinued. This decision was made by the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits, who stopped providing licenses for MP3 technology. The discontinuation is due to the emergence of more advanced audio formats that have rendered the MP3 obsolete. 4. Is MP3 being phased out? READ NEXT: Best running headphones The best MP3 players to buy 1. Sony Walkman NW-WS413 Waterproof 4GB: Best MP3 player for workouts

Supported audio formats

The 16GB Clip Sport Plus supports Bluetooth, which is nice as wired headphones can get in the way with certain workouts. On the other hand, if you do decide to opt for wired headphones, these act as an antenna to let you use the built-in FM radio. And if you’re keen on the idea of hi-res audio, you’ll need to shell out on a dedicated player to get the most out of the latest hi-res albums. What is the best type of MP3 player?

There are two basic types of MP3 player: hard drive-based players and flash-based players. The latter is much more popular (and practical) as flash storage options are high enough to store thousands of songs, and they’re also much more compact. In the past, A&K has had players that let you choose from a few available digital to analog converters (DACs). The A&Futura SE180 instead takes a modular approach. It ships with an ESS ES9038PRO DAC, but there are already other DAC modules available that give the player different sonic characteristics. As is, it supports up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM files, DSD256, and MQA audio. This is a small, light and stylish music player with a simple matchbox-like design and a big, wide screen. It's an upgrade on Cowon's previous MP3-player model, this time with a volume dial, Bluetooth and more features. The interface is easy to control. Tap through options using the touchscreen, and select the music you want to listen to. It could be more responsive, but you get used to it. Battery life is around nine hours, which isn't amazing, but not terrible either. There's lots to love here including an Android 10 operating system with a touchscreen that's smooth and responsive, a punchy, controlled and detailed sound and a premium build.While some of the more premium players on this list are great, you don't exactly want to bring them on a run or to the gym. If you're looking for an MP3 player that is rugged enough to handle a workout but won't cost too much to replace if something goes wrong, the SanDisk 16GB Clip Sport Plus is your best bet. Where the NW-A306 is let down is not in its music-playing skill, but slight niggles with its all round usability. During our testing, we found that the menu could be a little unresponsive, the battery longevity would vary and it surprisingly sounded like it struggled when playing a standard 128kbps audio file, which all together let down our all-round experience just a tad (well, by half a star to be exact). But there’s no denying that the positives vastly outweigh the negatives here. If you’re looking for something to keep you company on long journeys, we’d opt for something with a longer battery life that also has more storage space. The Sony NW-E394 below should last you 35 hours, while three of the devices on this list come with a microSD slot for you to expand the amount of storage to accommodate even the largest of music collections. Can I use my MP3 player to stream music? While a smartphone can do everything that an MP3 can (e.g. hold songs, podcasts, and audiobooks), the latter can give you the chance to get away—and in an increasingly connected world, disconnecting is sometimes necessary. Plus, since photos, messages, and other large files don't take up space on an MP3 player, there is more space for holding audio files like songs and podcasts. When considering purchasing one, keep this criteria in mind: battery life, bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity. We evaluated top MP3 players for these features, as well as design, size, storage capacity, and price. A USATF-certified running coach on our Review Board also reviewed the claims in this article for accuracy and how to evaluate MP3 players for running and working out. Some people enjoy listening to MP3 players when they work out, so they don't have their phone with them. Whether that's also to keep calls and messages at bay or keep their phone safe.

There are other benefits: if you’re out and about without your phone charger, playing music through a portable music player isn’t going to drain your phone’s battery. You’ll also be able to take your entire music collection with you, without filling up smartphone storage that you’d rather use for apps, photos and videos. If you need a device for your workouts, look for one that’s small, light and ideally water and sweat-proof. The Sony NW-WS415 in this list is a definite winner on that front, and can also be used for swimming if that’s more your thing. MP3 players won't suit everyone, many prefer the convenience of having all of their music on their phones, but there are plenty of reasons why an MP3 player is a great idea for some people. Is MP3 quality as good as CD? Storage: 128GB | Screen size: 4.1in | Battery life: 10 hrs Maximum file support: 32bit/384kHz; DSD256 | Dimensions (h/w/d): 12x7x2cm | Weight: 203g And there's style to match the substance, with manufacturers also competing on design to deliver players that look as good as they sound. Fan of brutalist architecture? Astell & Kern is the name for you. Something a bit more colorful? See SanDisk or Sony. Want something about the size of a matchbox? Cowon's Plenue D3 is the one – see them all in our guide above. Why do people still use MP3 players?This could be a dealbreaker for some people, but if you only listen to music through streaming services such as Spotify and Tidal, these music players aren’t for you. For a few years, we were recommending the Astell&Kern AK70, which did offer Wi-Fi connectivity. Sadly, it’s now out of production. Plug your MP3 player into your computer via USB, and most players will appear as an external hard drive. Then you can drag and drop music files onto your player like any other files on your computer. How do I reset my MP3 player? Although it hasn't been shouted about, four new and quite different-sounding DAC filters are also onboard, which will work if listening in 24-bit/192kHz or less PCM (although they won't work in MQA and DSD formats) and they certainly add value and scope for customization at the level. If your budget stretches to this player and not a penny more, you won't be disappointed. It’s almost 10 years since iBasso developed the world’s first high-resolution Android portable music player (24bit/192kHz, numbers fans), and it’s been honing its range of players ever since. So by rights the new DX160 should represent the state of the midrange PMP art.

This ultra-small, wearable music player offers 8GB 3 storage, and comes with a built-in microSD™ card slot 4 so you can add even more songs or audiobooks. Sony describes its NW-WS413 as the “ultimate training partner” and we’re not about to disagree – we gave it a five-star review when it came out. The unusual design is both music player and earphones in one, and while its head-hugging design holds firmly in place while jogging or cycling, it’s also completely waterproof to a depth of 2m so can be used in the pool. Given its small size, the 12 hours of battery life is very reasonable, and the Ambient Sound Mode is a stroke of genius: it lets you tweak the amount of external noise that’s piped through the headphones, so you don’t get caught unawares by other runners or traffic. Storage space is limited, but for upbeat workout playlists, the 4GB should be more than enough. We make sure to test each product against its chief competitors too, so you can be sure that if we say so, the product is the best bet for the money. We live with these players for well over a week and run them in religiously so that the components have 'bedded in' before we commence our tests, and we don't finalize our testing until we are certain of the sound quality. Bottom line, a music player you wear as often as your favorite sneakers have got to sound great. The Clip Jam™ player does. It delivers sound so rich and deep you’ll wonder how it can be so small or so affordable.But most importantly of all, the SP1000m sounds almost transparently clear, utterly in control and entirely assured. No detail is too fine or too transient to elude it, and no bass frequency is too deep or too textured to defeat it. It communicates in torrents, but never in an analytical or show-off sort of way - it just paints a big, full picture and uses all the colours. You’re free to play your whole music collection on your Clip Jam™ player. Simply drag, drop and play the tunes you want to hear—whether they’re MP3, WMA (no DRM), AAC (DRM-free iTunes), and Audible (DRM only). The Clip Jam™ player is your own personal DJ. The SanDisk Clip Jam™ mp3 player comes with user-friendly navigation. The one-inch screen is bright and easy to see and the buttons are big enough for all sizes of fingers to use with confidence. The result is, you always know where you are and what you’re hearing.