Any MP3 player recommendations to replace these 2008 models?

Vexr

Vexr

Vexr

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Turns out me and a family member have the same problem - our ancient MP3 players are both in need of repair / replacement, and whenever we've tried using our phones or other MP3 players that have a 3.5 mm jack, the sound quality has been ***p in comparison.

The models in question are a repurposed Nokia N95 8GB and a Creative Zen X-Fi 8GB of some sort I believe.

The closest I got to replacing my Nokia was buying an iPod around 2016, with reviews saying this particular model had the best DAC of the iPods at the time, but I returned it almost immediately because it also sounded naff. Messing with the equaliser to get better sound quality just created distortion.

Likewise, with the more modern phones I've had since then (nothing fancy - a Nokia Lumia 735, Lenovo P2, and now a Xiaomi Mi Note 10), all have sounded tinny, lacking bass, depth, fullness, immersion, etc (to use my inexpert language).

We're going to try and fix our respective players either way, and if we don't, we could replace them like-for-like used off the Bay for <£50. But this situation brings up the question - 17 years on, surely we should be able to replace these MP3 players with something new that can at least match their audio quality.

I think the max either of us would pay is £100 or so. £500 'true audiophile' MP3 players are well out of the question compared with just resurrecting our current MP3 players. Likewise, just recommending using a modern smart phone hasn't worked out at all going by my last three smart phones not getting anywhere near the desired sound quality.

Any recommendations to solve this dilemma of ours?
 
Phones usually have a 4 pole 3.5mm connector (TRRS), usually it isn't a problem but with some headphones (TRS) you will need a splitter to get proper audio quality. If you have a set of headphones/headset with 4 pole try those to see if that shows a quality difference.
 
Headfi Portable forums used to be my go to but they don't seem to do budget rigs any more.

I just use my phone these days. I'm rarely somewhere I can listen to music for that long anymore.

All the cheaper MP3 players we had, including Chinese ones all stopped working. We used them for audio books for the kids when they were young.Only the Sony's kept going and had half decent sound quality. My kids borrowed my best ones and broke them. The UI on many is painful.

I think we still have a iPod nano and a Sony walkman and a IPod Shuffle.

I'd like to get my hands on Sony Walkman thats USB C and takes SD cards. Can't justify it tbh.

Make more sense to get better phone. The latest Sony 10 VI meant to be decent SQ but is over priced.
 
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Rroff said:
Phones usually have a 4 pole 3.5mm connector (TRRS), usually it isn't a problem but with some headphones (TRS) you will need a splitter to get proper audio quality. If you have a set of headphones/headset with 4 pole try those to see if that shows a quality difference.
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I've got one of these I still use as an extender from my amp to headphones with my PC now and then. The extra 50 cm or so cable it affords is freeing :)

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I assume that's a 4 pole 3.5 mm connector. Just tried it with my phone for the first time, plugging my 3.5 mm jack earphones in to the other end, and no improvement in sound quality. I thought the extra pole was for a microphone?

OspreyO said:
Make more sense to get better phone. The latest Sony 10 VI meant to be decent SQ but is over priced.
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I did look at getting the ultra rare LG V60 ThinQ 5G, which apparently has a fantastic DAC for audio while at the same time rivalling the strengths of the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 that I eventually went for in the camera department, etc. Getting one compatible with the networks in this part of the world is another story, and the rare ones that came up on eBay at the time were big £££.

Surely I can get a dedicated MP3 player that sounds great rather than chasing the feature of good audio quality on a phone?

With the exception of the niche LG V60 ThinQ 5G crowd, I have little faith in reviews of phones when it comes to alleged sound quality going by past experience. Regardless, I could buy an actual audiophile £500 MP3 player for the cost of that discontinued five year old LG phone, which is a big no compared to fixing up the N95 8GB / Creative Zen X-Fi 8GB.
 
Extra pole on my old Sony walkman was for active noise cancelling for the proprietary earphones. You'd need to check the specs on the device.

It's a little unfair to flip between 100 and 500 for a budget while comparing the bang for buck for some obsolete gear you already own. I suspect you've got used to the sound signature of those devices rather than them being particularly HQ. I could be wrong.

Just buy a Sony walkman..
 
How about a portable USB C DAC? Saves you spending a fortune on a new phone. The one in the link below is £59 on Amazon - you could always return it if it doesn't live up to expectations.

www.whathifi.com

iFi Go Link review

A small, slim and supremely inexpensive DAC
www.whathifi.com www.whathifi.com
 
errm I don't see anyone asking this, but what headphones are you using? Normally they have bigger impact on sound quality than the audio player.

You can also get Bluetooth headphone amps, such as the FiiO BTR range, that might be a good option for you.
 
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Will consider a portable DAC / amp with 3.5 mm jack, thanks @iostream

Fire_fly said:
errm I don't see anyone asking this, but what headphones are you using? Normally they have bigger impact on sound quality than the audio player.
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I'm just using some over-the-ear JVC HA-EB75 earbuds for a secure fit and very acceptable sound quality for their cheap price compared with other budget options I've tried / earphones included with some devices I've bought. I've had to replace those half a dozen times over the years, but for <£20 a pop they've been a safe choice :) Even with those earphones, the drop in sound quality when using portable sources other than the N95 8GB has been subjectively intolerable.

I also use the N95 with my car's sound system. I've tried it with my the stereo amp + Mission speaker set up, and my living room soundbar + subwoofer (Orbitsound T12), and previous sound systems (i.e. Logitech Z-5500 5.1) over the last nearly two decades, and they've all sounded significantly better with the N95 8GB than with the other phones I've had over the years and the iPod I once briefly owned.

I've now fixed my N95 8GB with a replacement £10 ribbon cable. Hopefully will soon compare it to the Creative Zen X-Fi 8GB also touted to have great sound quality, and will see what we think of each other's devices in a head 2 head :cry:
 
Another consideration is to go with a Dongle for the phone, Fosi Audio Ds2 usb C dac. Pretty solid performer.

An inexpensive 'Shanling' dedicated player are pretty solid, can drive a decent set.

Hiby are another brand to look into for players or dedicated inexpensive audio.
 
I'm still using a SanDisk sansa clip plus sometimes just make sure you select North America when you set it up as that unlocks the sound limiter

It has eq expandable storage and built in radio

MP3, secure WMA (subscription music), WAV, FLAC, OGG, and Audible apparently aac can be readded via firmware upgrade

Currently selling for £28 at the high Street second hand electrical store which also comes with a 5 year warranty

Definitely wins the bang for buck award
 
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After years of spotify/apple music ive just gone back to ipods. i have a 7g classic that i modded with an iflash quad and its everything it used to be and more. With an external amp for higher ohm drivers. battery life lasts like a month with a 2000mah and roughly 2 hours a day worth of litening to at 192/vbr bitrate. i have a touch and a nano too for backup. they all sound pretty decent to me with triple driver armature iems. the 7g can be a bit 'neutral' but i am used to it now. the bass bloom on my old tf10's balance it out nicely.
classics can be had for around 50 quid 2nd hand with duff hdds and arent too tricky to mod if youre handy (watch that battery connector!)
 
The Sony nw-a55 is a nice little mp3 player, you might be able to find one around £100 used.
The only thing is that the font on it is quite small for my ageing eyes.
 
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