The best inexpensive MP3 players under $100 - TOP 10

Tips for choosing MP3 players on Aliexpress

There are a number of criteria that you need to pay attention to when choosing Chinese MP3 players.

Choose a player on a system that is familiar to you, for example, Android 7.0 and higher, or iOS. Pay attention to the amount of available storage of the MP3 player. A device between 512 MB and 1 GB will hold up to 260 songs. Music lovers should look for a player with at least 20GB of storage.

Build quality

The lightweight plastic body is unreliable; this player will last until the first fall. A player with an all-metal body will be durable.

Waterproof

The waterproof MP3 is IPX8 certified.

• IPX7 – waterproof up to 1 m.
• IPX8 is a sealed device, ready to be submerged to a depth of 1 meter.

Best Budget MP3 Players

On Ali, even with a limited budget, you can buy a high-quality MP3 player.

Ruizu X26

Built-in memory: 8 GB. Support for external memory card: yes. Screen size: 1.1 inches. Bluetooth function: yes. Battery: 200 mAh. OS: Android.

Ruizu X26 is one of the best inexpensive players with good sound. The device is small in size, has good sound for the money and useful functions. The player has several useful functions - a pedometer for tracking health and a voice recorder. The device also has several audio modes: rock, nature, classical, pop, jazz, bass.

Pros:

• 30 hours of playback.
• Lots of memory.
• Excellent ergonomics.

Minuses:

• Small screen.
• Not very high quality build.

View on Aliexpress

IQQ new x2

Bluetooth function: yes Built-in memory: 8 GB File formats used: MP3, MP4 FM radio: yes E-book: yes Screen size: 1.8 inches OS: Android.

An excellent option for those looking for a budget player. The device settings include an equalizer, clock, and alarm clock. The following items are supplied with the player: a USB cord and headphones. Another advantage that should be noted is the connection of wireless headphones via Bluetooth.

Pros:

• Updated version.
• High quality build.
• Battery life is 5 hours.

Minuses:

• Small screen.
• No Wi-Fi.

Ritmix RF-3410

Representative of classic MP3 players: this is exactly what they were like at the dawn of their appearance: similar to a flash drive and with tiny monochrome displays. The only difference is that this model, which costs about 1,500 rubles, has more memory than in the old days - 8 GB, which can be expanded using SD cards. The body is rubberized and attached to clothing using a clip.

The battery lasts for 10 hours of operation. This device will not produce stunning sound, but it is perfect for e-books, especially since there is a bookmark function specifically for them. Theoretically, you can even read ordinary books in TXT format here, but I’m afraid to even imagine who will do this on a 1-inch diagonal screen.

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Price: RUB 1,389

Digma R3

This device is very similar to the previous one: the same microscopic monochrome display, the same flash drive format with a clip, the same 8 GB of internal memory, the same price of 1,500 rubles. Can be used as a voice recorder or radio: the player stores up to 20 stations. The main advantage, like the previous device, is its low price.

Price: ₽ 1,590

The best MP3 player for old-school fans

A device from one of the recognized leaders in the field of portable audio. Actually, before the appearance of the first iPod in the West, all players were simply called Walkman. And this device in no way discredits the glory of its ancestors: it produces excellent rich and loud sound, the bright color display does not fade in the sun, and the capacious battery is enough for 35 hours of continuous operation. 8 GB of internal memory. Not the newest model, but for its 5,000 rubles it’s an excellent choice for a beginning music lover.

Price: RUB 5,299

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Fiio X1 II

The Fiio company is widely known as a manufacturer of not too expensive, but quite audiophile devices. In addition to excellent sound quality and excellent body assembly, this device is distinguished by the presence of Bluetooth: you can connect wireless headphones to it and simultaneously use a special remote control.

In addition to MP3, the player supports a wide range of lossless audio formats. You can customize the sound using a 7-band equalizer. Headphones with impedance up to 100 ohms are supported. The battery will last for 12 hours of operation. The screen is color, bright and large (2 inches diagonal). The device itself is quite large and heavy for a player, but it looks quite elegant. The X1 does not have its own memory, but it supports cards up to 256 GB. The price of all this pleasure is about 9,500 rubles.

Price: RUB 9,290

Cowon i9

My personal favorite, priced at 11,000 rubles, is a player from the Korean manufacturer Cowon, which has been making players and only players for many years. Like all Cowon products, the i9 isn't cheap, but it doesn't do much. Basically - play music in a variety of formats. But he does it loudly, brightly and clearly.

In my selection, no one can compare with it in terms of sound quality, except perhaps the premium player from Sony for 70,000 rubles. The main problem with this baby is the same as with other Cowon players - a terrible interface that you need to get used to. But if you can overcome the culture shock, you will definitely fall in love with this baby.

Price: RUB 10,990

MP3 player: buyer's guide

In case the name doesn't mean anything to you, an MP3 player is a compact electronic device that cannot make calls, send SMS, and in most cases, also open Internet sites or play games. Its main and often only task is to play music from the internal flash memory in MP3 format (still the most popular in the world) or in other audio formats:

1. Firstly, cheap MP3 players sound better than cheap smartphones, and expensive ones sound better than expensive ones, while costing much less. In the language of analogies, a smartphone is a Swiss army knife that can do everything, but does everything equally poorly, and a player is a corkscrew that has only one function, but performs it perfectly.
2. Secondly, most players have convenient physical buttons for controlling playback and volume. Pressing on them, receiving a tactile response, is much more comfortable and pleasant than sliding your finger across the phone screen. Especially when it’s frosty outside, and you don’t want to take off your gloves at all.
3. Thirdly, players are much lighter and more compact than smartphones. The modern fashion for huge touch screens has turned smartphones into heavy, bulky shovels that are little more convenient to carry in most pockets or handbags than real shovels. And it would be nice to just wear it! What if you want to go for a run with music? The player will fit into the narrowest pocket, but with a smartphone you will have to dance.
4. Fourthly, the player saves smartphone memory and can also be used as a portable flash drive.
5. Fifthly, the battery charge of an MP3 player usually lasts for a very long time, which cannot be said about smartphones. And the player helps save precious phone charge.
6. Fifthly, you can take the player with you to places where you cannot take a smartphone with a camera, for example, to sensitive sites.
7. Finally, sixthly, players sometimes can do things that smartphones can’t even dream of. One Espada Cassette Capture EZCAP from our selection is worth it!

There are several important points here.

Memory size. If you are buying a player specifically for MP3 music, then a model with 4 GB of built-in memory will be enough for you: this will fit several hundred songs (depending on their quality and duration) and an entire library of audiobooks. When choosing a device capable of playing lossless formats, look for more memory, preferably 10 times, and even with the possibility of expansion using SD cards. One way or another, there will be no excess memory. Practice shows that the most convenient flash drive is a player that you always have with you.

Supported audio formats. Actually, most people buy MP3 players for music in MP3 format. For the most part, these devices also support less common formats: OGG, WAV and others. Do you need a machine that supports FLAC, AAC, ALAC and other lossless options? It’s up to you to decide. Still, 95% of people do not hear the difference between an MP3 with a decent bitrate and the same song in CD quality, and of the remaining 5%, only every tenth is ready to buy headphones that can demonstrate this difference. However, it is better to have lossless support in the player than not.

Display. It should be bright and not fade in sunlight. Whether it should be sensory is a separate question. In my opinion, touch screens in audio players are pampering. A good player can live just fine without a display; the Apple iPod Shuffle and its numerous clothespin clones are an example of this. And the main thing is...

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Interface and controls. The buttons on the player should be large and comfortable so that you can press them blindly in your pocket or in the cold with gloves on. It is desirable that the system interface is also convenient and logical, but it depends on your luck. For example, my favorite Cowon players sound great, but they operate as if they were designed not in Korea, but on Mars.

Additional functions. Most modern MP3 players can not only play audio, but also view photos, show movies and listen to radio. These options have already become the default functionality. Some can do all this and much more, turning into analogues of smartphones, only without access to the GSM network.

↑ Criteria for choosing an mp3 player

1. Memory size. Some models do not support installation of an additional memory card and only have a built-in one. In this matter, everything is individual; for some, 4 GB of memory will be enough, and for some, 16 GB is not enough.
2. Display. It is not present in every device; some simply do not need it, because their functionality and management are as simple as possible. The screen can be touch-sensitive, but it must be of adequate size for operation. It's better if there is a screen and physical buttons.
3. Supported formats. Initially, studio tracks have a huge size and high sound quality, which cannot be revealed through ordinary headphones. In this case, file compression is used, it can be lossy or lossless. Lossless: ALAC, APE, FLAC and the rest. Lossy: WAV, MP3, AAC and others. A good player is one that supports most of these formats.
4. Nutrition. Some models are powered by batteries or removable batteries, but it is better to buy a device with a built-in battery. They are convenient and quick to charge, the operating time will pleasantly surprise you.
5. Size and weight. The player should be compact and lightweight. Some models have a special attachment to clothing, which eliminates the need for pockets.
6. Additional features. There are MP3 players with a radio receiver and even a WiFi module. Some models may have a recording function, which can be useful during a lecture.