And unlike many of the A&K's more pricey players (one of which is listed directly above here), this one is small enough to put in a pocket and will keep you streaming, pinging or downloading once-treasured songs to it, just to see what it makes of them.Īs well as a new 4.4mm headphone jack, the MKII unit (an update on the A&norma SR25, listed below in this guide) also boasts a new Replay Gain function to uniformly adjust volume playback from sound sources up to 24-bit/192 kHz. The A&norma SR25 MKII is a gifted digital audio player that will reignite your love of music. Give this A&K your music, sit back and relax – if it doesn't wow you we don't know what will. The glass back can collect fingerprint smudges You've got so many great options, such great sound, and such high-spec parts that it's very easy to look at the saving and decide it's worth putting into a nice high-capacity microSD card instead of its higher-priced rival. The Fiio M11S does an excellent job of gently undercutting its closest rival, the Astell & Kern a&norma SR25 Mk II. 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. The treble is perhaps a little on the bright side, but not so much that we'd consider it a deal breaker. It has more than enough headroom to dispatch the big dynamic shifts with no difficulty, and it can also describe a big, wide and properly defined soundstage. The M11S is insightful enough to make minor or transient information apparent, and it can describe the most nuanced dynamic variations in a solo instrument with ease. In every meaningful music-making respect, it has skills – and in some areas, it’s a genuine expert. You don’t have to listen long, hard, or through especially accomplished headphones to realise the M11S is the real deal. But there’s still competition from premium audio brand Onkyo, and with Sony making a comeback with the Walkman, there’s plenty of choice. It’s just that when they do and you’re using, let’s say, one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars, you might find flaws in the music quality.įor those that would rather listen to studio quality sound through a hi-res audio download (rather than sacrificing it via Bluetooth, which doesn’t have a high enough bandwidth), then you’ll need a digital audio player that can handle a higher sampling frequency and bitrate, which we have rounded up for you here.ĭon’t expect to find classics like the iPod on our list (Apple discontinued that in May 2022), instead another California company (Astell & Kern) seems to have cornered the market with its versatile range of hi-res audio players to suit many different needs and budgets. To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with using one of the best smart speakers or best headphones to listen to the best music streaming services. In fact, a lot of these can stream high quality music in formats like Dolby Atmos. But if you’re after a dedicated and serious high-resolution audio player, then your phone just won’t be able to compete. The best MP3 players might sound like old pieces of tech, especially when your smartphone can play music on the go. And while Astell & Kern does offer more middle of the ground options, it's worth checking out FiiO too.Īmelia Schwanke, Senior Editor – Entertainment Its entry-level device (NW-A306) is a hi-res audio player that undercuts the competition, which is why we've rated it as the most affordable option out there for those looking for a dedicated music player.įor the more serious audiophile that is willing to invest a significant amount in premium audio quality, Astell & Kern's top of the line hi-res music player still tops our list as the best you can buy, followed by Onkyo for its versatility. While flagship digital audio players like the iPod Touch have been axed from this list after being discontinued, Sony has since made a comeback with two new Walkmans in 2023.
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