Portable players: the best models and selection rules

The popularity of portable players is growing relentlessly. All new models with many useful functions appear on sale with enviable regularity. In this article, we will take a closer look at different music portable gadgets and find out how to choose them.

A portable audio player is a device that many music lovers have.... Such devices are highly functional. Using many of them, you can not only listen to your favorite tracks with pleasure, but also view interesting pages in the browser, hang out on social networks, view photos and even play built-in games. Multitasking is the main distinguishing characteristic of modern players.

Portable devices for listening to music are usually compact. Some options even have dimensions slightly larger than a matchbox. This is a very handy feature of such devices. You can always find a place for them in a bag, in a briefcase or in a pants / jacket pocket. Many pieces are supplemented with additional details with which they can be attached to clothing or a belt.

The gadgets in question also boast high quality of reproduced sound... Users can find on sale even such devices that will allow them to literally experience all the shades of a music track. With such devices, music lovers can feel their favorite music, and this is a real pleasure for them. Modern portable players are produced by many well-known brands. Today's manufacturers pay enough attention to the design of the appearance of their products. For this reason consumers can buy not only a multifunctional, but also a very beautiful, fashionable device that will emphasize their taste and style. Players are not only dark and monochromatic. There are variegated options that attract a lot of attention.

Most portable players have their own built-in memory. Its volume varies according to the characteristics of a particular model. There are also such instances in which there is no "own" memory at all, and they must be equipped with memory cards. The volume of the latter is usually limited. For example, on some devices you can install a flash card up to 128 GB, while in others - up to 2 TB.

Music devices differ from each other in many ways. Let's consider what these popular devices are.

One of the most popular devices today. H-Fi players are of high sound quality. This type of audio player is the perfect solution for the true audiophile. Modern Hi-Fi players are distinguished by the fact that they have a high-quality DAC and amplifier in their design. Thanks to these components, the sound in the device is transformed and becomes more pleasant, clear and rich. An ordinary mp3 player cannot boast of similar qualities. (or a player designed for reading discs), in which these components are present, but they are cheaper, and their efficiency is much lower, which affects the sound.

If you are looking for the original flawless portable player and are ready to spend a tidy sum on it, then you should take a closer look at modern Hi-End devices. Gadgets of this type combine integrated storage, digital transport, highest quality digital-to-analogue conversion. Hi-End compact audio players even have a headphone amplifier. The considered devices are suitable for listening to music tracks of the highest resolution.

It should be noted that such gadgets are several times more expensive than most hi-fi options. The price tag for some types exceeds the mark of 100 thousand rubles, so do not expect to find an original Hi-End player on sale within 3-5 thousand.

Consider a small top of the best portable hi-fi players.

• Fiiro M3K. Popular and inexpensive hi-fi player equipped with its own lithium polymer battery. The device is equipped with audio and video outputs 3.5 mm jack. The player does not have its own memory, but you can install a memory card up to 2000 GB. A high-quality display is provided, the diagonal of which is limited to 2 inches. In stand-alone mode, this device can work up to 26 hours.

• Fiiro X3III. Functional player with Bluetooth functions, USB connector. There is no "own" memory, but you can install a USB flash drive up to 256 GB for recording files. There is a 2-inch display and its own lithium-polymer battery. The body is made of metal.

• Cayin N3... Compact, attractive model. Equipped with USB Type-C, Bluetooth. There is a high-quality display - 2.4 inches. The memory can only be provided with a memory card up to 256 GB. Touch control, there is a sleep timer.

• Cowon plenure d... A beautiful model with a 3.5 mm headphone jack, 32 GB of native memory. There is a 2.8-inch touchscreen display. There is a lithium-polymer battery with which the gadget can work autonomously for 100 hours. Wireless technology is not supported.

• Sony NW-A55... The small top is closed by this popular model of Hi-Fi-player from the Japanese brand. The device is distinguished by excellent sound quality, the presence of WM-Port, USB, Bluetooth, NFC interfaces. The gadget is equipped with a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a 3.1-inch display.

And now let's take a look at the rating of top-end portable Hi-End players.

• Astell and Kern AKJR. The device has a display with a diagonal of 3.1 inches. "Own" memory is 64 GB. You can install an additional memory card with a capacity of up to 64 GB. There is a lithium-polymer battery that provides autonomous operation of equipment for up to 12 hours.

• IBasso DX90. High quality player, best in price / quality ratio. It features powerful sound without unnecessary distortion and noise. The model has a compact size, dual mono DAC. The internal memory is 8 GB, but you can install a memory card. Battery life is 9 hours. The body is made of metal.

• HiFiman HM-901... An expensive model of impeccable quality. It has the following outputs: 3.5 jack balanced output, 3.5 jack headphone output. A mini USB interface is provided. The equipment reads audio files of the following formats: AIFF, MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, AAC, APE, WAV, ALAC, DSD. There is no internal memory, but you can install a card with a capacity of up to 256 GB. There is a high-quality display. Battery life is limited to 9 hours.

• Sony Walkman NWZ-ZX2. The popular model of a portable player from a Japanese manufacturer has a high-quality metal case. The operating system is Android. The built-in memory is 128 GB, and you can also install memory cards - there is 1 slot for micro SD cards. The gadget is connected to the computer using a USB port. The device has its own lithium-ion battery (up to 10 hours of battery life), a 4-inch color touchscreen display, as well as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, A2DP, NFC interfaces.

• Astell and Kern AK240. This interesting specimen closes the rating. The popular device has 2 DAC chips.The gadget supports most of the popular formats: WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF. The device is equipped with a high-quality informative display with a diagonal of 3.31 inches. There are popular wireless interfaces, namely: Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n (2.4GHz) and Bluetooth V4.0. Astell and Kern AK240. Equipped with outputs: 3.5 mm headphone / optical 3.5 mm / balanced 2.5 mm, 4-pole.

In the huge assortment of portable players, buyers are often lost. This is not surprising, because it is so difficult to settle on the only worthy option when there are many equally attractive gadgets with rich functionality around. To simplify the choice of a pocket Hi-Fi or Hi-End player, it is worth adhering to a few basic rules. First of all to the consumer it is worth initially deciding which device he wants to buy and for what purposes. For example, for walks and trips to the gym, it is better to choose something more compact and durable.

A relatively inexpensive model is also suitable. If the player wants to buy an avid music lover who appreciates high-quality sound, then you can look for something more advanced and expensive. Decide on the functions that will be useful to you and which will not make sense. This way you will definitely not buy a useless but expensive model. Choose a player that suits you according to its technical characteristics. They are indicated in the accompanying documentation, which always accompanies the equipment itself.

Picking up a portable player, pay attention to its design. A beautiful thing and more pleasant to use. Choose just such a device that will completely suit you in terms of its external parameters. Then you will not get bored with it and will only bring positive emotions. Do not rush to buy a beautiful and functional model until you have tested it to the level of comfort. Hold the device in your hands, press the buttons. Make sure it's comfortable to use. If it seemed to you that the player is not entirely ergonomic, then it is better to look for another model that suits you better.

Inspect the selected music device for damage, defects, loose parts, or defective parts. Test the buttons and touchscreen. High-quality devices in none of the above points will not upset you. If it seemed to you that the player is not assembled very well, has swaying body parts or the buttons are not pressed well, then it is not advisable to buy it.

Branded products always serve for a long time, look more attractive and are accompanied by warranty service. It is recommended to buy portable players only in specialized stores. It can be a point of sale where audio or household appliances are sold. Only in such places can you find original high quality branded goods. Here you will be allowed to thoroughly check the device before paying, and will also be issued a warranty card.

In the next video, you will find a detailed overview of the TempoTec V1-A portable audio player.