Top 5 Best High-End Portable Media Players Brands

A PORTABLE MEDIA PLAYER (PMP) or digital audio player (DAP) is a portable consumer electronics device capable of storing and playing digital media such as audio, images, and video files. The data is typically stored on a CD, DVD, flash memory, microdrive, or hard drive. In contrast, analog portable audio players play music from non-digital media such as cassette tapes, or records.

Often mobile digital audio players are marketed and sold as "portable MP3 players", even if they also support other file formats and media types. Increasing sales of smartphones and tablet computers have led to a decline in sales of portable media players, leading to some devices being phased out, though flagship devices like the Apple iPod and Sony Walkman are still in production. Portable DVD players are still manufactured by brands across the world.

WALKMAN is a brand of portable media players manufactured by Sony. The original Walkman, released in 1979, was a portable cassette player that changed listening habits by allowing people to listen to music of their choice on the move. It was devised by Sony founders Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita, who felt Sony's existing portable player was too unwieldy and expensive. A prototype was built from a modified Sony Pressman, a compact tape recorder designed for journalists and released in 1977.

Portable Media Player (PMP) News, Reviews & Resources

• 20 years of the iPod - "How it shuffled music and tech into a new era. In October 2001, the music industry was riven by piracy and had no idea how to solve it. Enter Steve Jobs, whose new device created a digital music market – and made Apple into a titan."
• $20,000 iPod: vintage Apple products net the big bucks on eBay - "Like baseball cards and Beanie Babies, old-school Apple products have become lucrative collectables that are selling online for thousands of dollars."
• A portable Bluetooth cassette tape player brings retro audio into 2019 - "The It’s OK looks to cash in on your Walkman nostalgia."
• Another viral iPod app was pulled from Apple’s App Store - "Retro Pod, which turns your iPhone into an iPod, amassed hundreds of thousands of downloads before it was removed from the App Store."
• Apple announces its first new iPod in four years - "Apple hasn't forgotten iPod touch lovers: On Tuesday it released the first new iPod since 2015."
• Apple helped the US government build a 'top secret' iPod, former engineer says - "David Shayer was sitting at his desk in 2005 when his boss's boss at Apple (AAPL) asked him to take on a 'special assignment' for the company: help the US Department of Energy build a 'top secret' iPod."
• Apple’s new iPod touch isn’t for the converted; it’s for the nonbelievers - "A $200 gateway drug to a $1,000 iPhone."
• Astell & Kern announces the ridiculously powerful & pricey Kann Cube - "Cramming as much power into one music player as possible."
• Best PORTABLE MEDIA PLAYER Reviews & picks - Engadget.
• Digital-to-analog converter (DAC) - system that converts a digital signal into an analog signal. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) performs the reverse function.
• Elago W6, the cute Apple Watch stand that thinks it’s an iPod - "If you ever feel nostalgic for the classic iPod, you might enjoy the Elago W6, the Apple Watch stand that thinks it’s an iPod."
• FiiO's M11S is more than just a portable audio player - "FiiO has announced its latest portable audio player, the M11S, whose bare essentials are a 1280 x 720px 5" multi-touch screen and a 5,300 mAh battery which, according to FiiO, will run for 14 hours between charges. Music files can be streamed directly from 32GB of internal storage or a microSD card slot that supports cards of up to 2TB. The unit’s Android 10 operating system is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor and its internal D/A converter is built around a pair of ES9038Q2M DAC chips - one per channel - with file support topping out at 384kHz/DSD256. MQA decoding/rendering is also on the menu."
• Fiio’s new high-res music player is $200 & comes with USB-C - The Verge.
• Group test: what's the best portable media player? - PC Advisor.
• How Sony paved the way for modern music production - "One format that you might not even have heard of helped democratize music production."
• How to Actually Listen to Apple Music's Lossless Tracks on Your iPhone - "You need a portable DAC (and a good pair of wired headphones). These are the best ones to amp up your Apple Music experience."
• How to master your equalizer settings for the perfect sound - "EQ settings can now be found in everything from phones and wireless speakers to home theater soundbars and streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music, but often in the form of safe presets such as 'Rock,' 'Hip-Hop,' or 'Bass Booster.' Understanding how exactly an EQ works and using it properly will put the power of sound-sculpting at your fingertips and can get you closer to the sound you want from your gear. But it can be intimidating, so we’re here to help with our top-to-bottom guide to mastering your equalizer for the perfect sound."
• How to upgrade an iPod for 2018 with flash memory and a new battery - The Verge.
• MY ORIGINAL IPOD IS A TIME CAPSULE FROM 2002 - The Verge.
• New Sony Walkman music players feature stunning good looks, Android 12 - "Sony holds onto the beautiful dream of standalone portable audio players."
• PORTABLE MEDIA PLAYER - Wikipedia.
• PORTABLE MEDIA PLAYER REVIEWS 2015 - Compared and Reviewed.
• PORTABLE MEDIA PLAYERS & Recorders | Reviews - TechRadar.
• Sound & Vision: If you love music, get a portable music player - "It’s widely considered that if you’re going to listen to music on the go, you’re going to do so through a smartphone. With that said, if you’re devoted to the art of music then there is a better option in the form of a dedicated portable music player (even if that means having an extra device to carry on your person)."
• Sony Announces Two New Premium High-End Digital Audio Players - "Most of us play music on our smartphones, but audiophiles demand a higher standard and the market is large enough for big players in the consumer electronics industry to produce premium digital audio players for people who simply must have the best audio quality possible. Today, Sony is announcing two new premium music players including new the Signature Series Walkman NW-WM1ZM2 and the NW-WM1AM2. Both models have been designed with audiophiles in mind and have been fine-tuned and are crafted from high-quality materials. Sony says the new players set a benchmark for Sony’s award-winning signature series, offering an exquisite listening experience in an ultra-premium design. The NW-WM1ZM2 and NW-WM1AM2 are Wi-Fi compatible and run Android 11, giving access to a vast collection of genres and artists, from all around the world. Listeners can choose to stream favorite music streaming or download music files by connecting to a PC to download tracks and playlists."
• SONY CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF WALKMAN IN TOKYO - "Four decades of portable, personal music."
• Sony releases a Walkman for its 40th anniversary - CNN tech.
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• Tea - Ultraslim Hi-Res Headphone Amplifier - "High Definition Music. Lossless Streaming Audio." MagSafe compatible: "Khadas Tea" magnetically attaches to your iPhone 12 or newer smartphone, or an Android phone equipped with a MagSafe compatible case. No more messy wires and dongles, just freedom of pure style. 'Tea' measures just 7.95mm at its thickest point, which means it can still comfortably slip into your pocket even when magnetically attached to your smartphone. 'Tea' brings back the analog audio jack to your smartphone with 3.5mm output, so you can use your favourite high-fidelity headphones to listen to lossless streaming audio directly from your streaming app. Supports up to 300 ohm impedances.
• The Walkman & Cassette Tapes Are Making A Comeback - "The cassette tape was created in the 1930s and became a household staple in the 1980s with the rise of Sony's Walkman, when music became 'on the go'. Now after the digital music revolution, one French company is bringing back the personal audio cassette player - but this time, for the 21st century."
• Walkman - Wikipedia.
• With Apple discontinuing iPods, what are the alternatives? - The Guardian.

Top 5 High-End Portable Media Player (PMP) Brands

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• APPLE - since 2001. "Fun at full speed. Your music, wherever you go." Love music? You can keep more songs than ever on iPod touch, which now comes with up to 256GB of storage.1 Get an Apple Music subscription to stream and download all your favorite songs. iPod iTouch. All models.
• Shop all iPod accessories - "It goes with everything." Whether it’s a great pair of headphones or wireless speakers that can turn any room into a dance party, there’s an accessory that complements iPod touch perfectly.
• Astell&Kern - since 2012. "Be the Ultimate." Digital Audio Players are electronic devices capable of storing and playing high-resolution music or media files. Many digital formats, resolutions and encoding exist. Most DAPs can comfortably play most digital files. Astell&Kern’ DAPs are designed to provide experience for another value in music. A&ultima is a flagship AK model that combines the best specifications, high technology, and superior functionality, offering you the best value. All models.
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• Astell&Kern A&ultima SP1000 - "The A&ultima SP1000 is a one-of-a-kind, high-end, powerful flagship high resolution music player equipped with the latest advanced features. "
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• Cowon - since 1995. "The moment is your life." All models.
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• FiiO Music Players - since 2007. "Born for Music." All models.
• FiiO's M11S is more than just a portable audio player - "FiiO has announced its latest portable audio player, the M11S, whose bare essentials are a 1280 x 720px 5" multi-touch screen and a 5,300 mAh battery which, according to FiiO, will run for 14 hours between charges. Music files can be streamed directly from 32GB of internal storage or a microSD card slot that supports cards of up to 2TB. The unit’s Android 10 operating system is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor and its internal D/A converter is built around a pair of ES9038Q2M DAC chips - one per channel - with file support topping out at 384kHz/DSD256. MQA decoding/rendering is also on the menu."
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• Sony NW-WM1Z Walkman - "Delight in pure detail." Premium Walkman with High-Resolution Audio.
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• Sony NW-ZX2BLK Walkman - "Store up to 36,000 songs with a huge 128GB of storage." 128 GB Walkman Hi-Res Digital Music Player.
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• Sony Walkman NW-A306 360 Reality Audio - "Experience music as the artist intended, even in the compact body." Enjoy a high quality sound from this stylish and compact music player that lets you download and stream more of the music you love. With full Wi-Fi compatibility, a longer lasting battery and a stylish and sleek design, you can play and find new music wherever you want to go.
• New Sony Walkman music players feature stunning good looks, Android 12 - "Sony holds onto the beautiful dream of standalone portable audio players."
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• Sony Walkman Signature Series - "Pure listening indulgence." Part of the Signature Series, the WM1ZM2 sets a new benchmark in pure sound quality and listening sophistication. Crafted with fine materials and meticulous attention to detail, and offering the ease of downloading and streaming music, this is audio at its most indulgent.