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australia:mp3players

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digital audio music players for camping (mp3) when there is no Spotify access

see also:

  • I don't sell any of these nor do I receive any remuneration if you buy them, and I have not personally reviewed all of them, they are listed here to give you perspective

Introduction

  • when camping it is likely there will NOT be any internet so streaming services such as Spotify will not be available and lets face it, the iTunes-reliant music player on iPhones really sucks especially if you want to update your playlist for the camp - it becomes very onerous and time consuming - what you really need is just to copy music files to a memory card and insert them into a mp3 player, or, if you are desperate, record an audio source directly into the music player.
  • FM radio can be important if you need bushfire news or weather updates and there are no internet services but you probably should look at a separate radio for campers
  • this page looks at non-Apple devices to help you chill out with new music at your next camp
  • Apple iPhones are NOT great for playing music when camping
    • require battery sapping Bluetooth to hear the music unless you get special wired solutions - battery life for your smartphone is important when camping!
    • no FM radio to get news when there are no mobile services
    • Spotify streaming will not function when there is no internet
    • the in-built music player requires iTunes on a computer to add new songs and this is a real pain
    • you can't just add a microSD card with all your songs
    • if people ping you messages it interrupts your music playback
    • they are very expensive and can be stolen if left near your speaker so you will want to keep it in a safe place
  • if these devices remain flat for a prolonged period of more than a week they may not re-charge easily
    • try to ensure they are recharged each week
    • if there are issues may need to try charging from a computer via USB-C cable, if that fails, contact the supplier
  • FM radio needs wired headphones plugged in to act as an antenna and generally does not work in these devices if Bluetooth is working

Budget non-Apple mobile phones or tablets

  • these are a potential option even if you are not using it as a mobile phone as they are not that much more expensive than dedicated MP3 players
  • select only ones which have a SD or microSD card so you can add as much music as you would like
  • they usually have WiFi (although not all do), usually have a camera, usually have Bluetooth and a headphone jack
  • obviously make a great back up mobile phone (if you have a Sim card or eSim) or GPS device
  • however they usually do NOT have FM radio which may be an important downside when camping without internet or mobile services - but perhaps they are the best option and buy a cheap FM radio separately
  • audio quality will probably not be anywhere as good as a high end dedicated digital audio player
  • eg.
    • Opel Mobile Flip Phone 6 $AU99 32Gb, 1400mAh battery;
    • Samsung Galaxy A05S 4G 128GB $AU268 4Gb RAM, 128Gb + up to 1Tb mSD , 6.7“ screen; 5,000mAh battery; 25W charging; 4 cameras; GPS; BT 5.1; no NFC;
    • Samsung Galaxy A16 5G 128GB $AU349 4Gb RAM, 128Gb + up to 1Tb mSD , 6.7” screen; 5,000mAh battery; 25W charging; 4 cameras; GPS; BT 5.3; IP54; NFC;
    • Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 11“ Wi-Fi 64GB (Graphite) $AU367, 1920×1200 display; 4Gb RAM, 64Gb + up to 1Tb mSD , 2cameras; BT 5.1; no mobile services;
      • doesn't support 1080P h265 codec for streaming; no NTFS HDD support; doesn't support Samsung's bluetooth dual audio feature (ie connect 2x bluetooth headphones at once)
      • 128Gb version is $AU479

Budget dedicated USB-C "MP3 players"with local FM radio

  • there are a LOT of these around, and they vary in audio quality, which audio file codecs are supported, screen quality, user interface, in-built memory and whether they also have WiFi and Bluetooth, some allow recording and other functions such as playing videos
  • Bluetooth obviously allows wireless headphones or speakers but dramatically reduces battery life - see audio cables, adapters, bluetooth speakers, karaoke for camping
  • most allow inserting a SD or microSD card to expand memory
  • most allow creation of playlists or a shuffle mode for a folder of music
  • those that have video playback may only support AVI files.
  • most of these are from smaller Chinese manufacturers and quality control and support can be major issues

WiFi capable

  • WiFi allows downloading apps if the device has app capability as well as allowing other functions
  • Innioasis G3 Mp3 smartphone-like player:
    • 4” full touch screen; video playback; Bluetooth 4.2; 1500mAh 15hrs BT, 25hrs wired; Spotify player; popular audio book apps, including Audible, Audiobooks, Libby, LibriVox, and Kindle; voice recorder, FM radio, ebook, file transfer, clock, calendar, calculator, gallery, and file manager; BUT can not install apps that require support from Google player services,such as YouTube, YouTube music
    • 136g; 2Gb RAM, 32Gb ROM; up to 1Tb mSD; Bluetooth 4.2 with two-way sending and receiving;
    • reviews are mixed - some have buggy experiences - app download issues may be the parental control mode; can only download one Amazon music playlist for offline at a time.
    • https://www.amazon.com.au/Innioasis-Bluetooth-Android-Spotify-Pandora-dp-B0C5T1JGRS/dp/B0C5T1JGRS $AU169
  • YFFIZQ MTK4.3-80GB Android smartphone-like MP3 player:
    • 4.3“ 1080P multi-touch screen; 2.4G/5G WiFi; BT 5.0 dual mode; Android 9.0; Google Play apps and Spotify, Pandora, AudioMack and other major online streaming music platform; video play; pedometer; recorder; e-book;
    • 3Gb RAM, 16GB ROM, 74Gb mSD max 256Gb; 2000mAh “31hr” battery but in tests in seems it is only 1000mAh; gravity sensor to switch b/n horiz/vert screen;
    • two FM radios, the WiFi international version and the local version; USB-C;
    • MTK6753 8-corel.3G A53 CPU but seems it tends to over-heat and get hot;
    • reviewers also had issues with battery life, aux headphone ports failing, failure to start up, and bluetooth connection issues
    • https://www.amazon.com.au/YFFIZQ-Bluetooth-Spotify-Portable-Download/dp/B0CTFB7B1V/ $AU102

no WiFi capability

small screen

  • Surfans F20
    • 2-way Bluetooth 5.2, LDAC, AptX - can also connect with smartphones (to listen to music from smartphones) not just speakers; advanced DSD decoding;
    • USB-C charging and file transfer; 2” screen;
    • 10hrs battery BT or wired;
    • 109g, includes a 32GB SD card but you can expand the storage up to 256GB via SD card or via USB OTG
    • https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07VWK4FP3/ $AU187
    • reviewers state poor sound quality, glitches, 6hr max battery life without BT on;
  • Joliker MP3 player
  • AGPTEK A02X 64GB MP3 Player
  • Innioasis Y1 Mp3 iPod-like player:
    • looks like and functions similar to the old iPods
    • 128Gb (116Gb usable); FM radio; 2.4” screen; custom playlists, shuffle, loop playback, and adjustable EQ settings;
    • 64g; Bluetooth; no WiFi; 1250mAh battery 35hrs; no SD card slot?; USB-C charging and file transfer;
    • https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0DKT9PRKX/ $AU79 can get in bright yellow!
    • reviewers have had issues with computers not recognizing it - so you cant do any file transfers, plus the buttons may not work
  • Mechen M30:
    • professional DSP audio lC + imported DAC double decoding, however AAC files play in Mono not stereo and does not support DTS 5.1 multi-channel tracks
    • 2“ 320×240 LCD; scroll wheel control wheel can quickly find the track function and is very responsive.
    • 1500 mAh battery, which can be fully charged in 2 hours and play continuously for 25 hours
    • no built-in memory but comes with 64Gb mSD card (can use up to 256Gb); line in; equalizer;
    • no Bluetooth or WiFi; and ?no FM radio?
    • can transfer files from a Android phone with OTG function via USB-OTG cable (not provided)
    • 176g;
    • https://www.amazon.com.au/MECHEN-Lossless-Resolution-Portable-Player%EF%BC%8CSupport/dp/B0B4NCSPNX/ $AU109

large touch screen

  • TIMMKOO Q3E smartphone-like MP3 player:
    • 4” touch screen; apps; video player; photo viewer, calculator, clock, calendar, FM radio; voice recorder; USB-C fast charging; BT; 1800mAh battery 50hrs wired;
    • 8Gb internal (6Gb usable) + up to 512Gb mSD;
    • 80g; needs a screen protector;
    • one reviewer stated no FM radio;
    • https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09F69VJJJ/ $AU79

high end digital audio players (DAP) but no FM radio

australia/mp3players.txt · Last modified: 2024/12/27 22:28 by gary1
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