Digital Audio Player Renaissance

With streaming services and YouTube putting uninterrupted access to albums, EPs and mixes behind a paywall, it's a challenge to escape adverts from cropping up in the middle of your favourite music - often in the most inopportune places. I've recently explored the world of DAPs, or Digital Audio Players to listen interrupted, with the (almost luxury) option to listen on wired headphones and without needing Bluetooth or Wifi to enjoy your music collection. See my review of 2 non-touchscreen DAPs below.

Many of these players are able to play back a wealth of high fidelity audio files, with storage limited only to the size of an SD card - which costs about £10 for 128GB as of today.  There are a wealth of players on offer, as this article from the Guardian details. The iPod is always an option too, with the ability to jailbreak the software on some models using ROCKBOX. 

There is also an added factor of giving the music some reverence, away from other distractions which are all too easily available on a smart phone - a chance to listen uninterrupted whether you're out and about or at home. 

Here's an excerpt from the article...
 

"In the past few years, since Covid, we've seen way more people looking to get a new MP3 player," says Chris Laidler, office manager of Advanced MP3 Players, an Edinburgh store specialising in audio equipment.

The reasons are, essentially, threefold. First, there's the pleasure of using something tangible: a nostalgia for devices with a single purpose, devoid of notifications and apps. More importantly, though, there's a desire to have a music collection again – something led by the music-loving algorithm in your brain, rather than one outsourced to technology. "It's their collection, rather than a playlist they've subscribed to," says Laidler, and they own the music and aren't simply "leasing it from Spotify".

Finally, there's a sound-quality aspect. Yes, your phone can play music, but it's a pretty insignificant part of its daily tasks, and for audiophiles, it shows.

"When you think about it, the DAC [digital-to-analogue converter] that's in [your phone] is only going to be one tiny component of the thing," says Laidler. In modern high-end MP3 players, on the other hand, "the entire infrastructure is designed for [delivering] as accurate music recreation as possible."

Read the full Guardian article here: https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter/2025/sep/12/best-mp3-players-uk

Echo Mini vs Surfans F20: Affordable non-touchscreen DAPs!

I went looking for a player with:

• 3.5mm output
• Large storage
• Button controls (no touchscreen)
• Good battery life
• Small form factor
• Support for multiple audio formats

Settling on either the Sufans F20 or the Echosky Mini - here's a full and independent comparison of those two players...

Surfans F20 - RRP £95

PROS

• Solid unit, well built and weighty (see cons)
• Visually appealing and definitely has a 'cool factor'
• Simple and logical to navigate and transfer music to
• 64GB on board memory plus SD card input
• Great sound quality
• Quick and helpful customer support
• Fast shipping

CONS

• It is reasonably heavy for it's size - not so portable if you already have a backpack of other stuff
• The jog wheel (the purpose I bought this) didn't work properly and the first unit needed to be returned

TLDR REVIEW

All in all this is a superb player, but for me it would be best kept in the house for playback - which was my main incentive to buy. It's a little too on the heavy side to be a simple 'chuck in the bag' object, if your already carrying other gear.

It's VERY cool looking, sounds fantastic and its the kind of thing which catches peoples eye, if that interests you. I would HIGHLY recommend this player, if you get one with a working jog wheel

_____

SnowSky/FiiO Echo Mini - RRP £50

PROS

• Small, discreet and lightweight - easy to chuck in a bag
• Much cheaper then the F20
• Good sound quality
• Storage / SD cards are affordable 
• A few features available in settings to make things easier

CONS

• SD card required for decent storage 
• Feels cheaper so may not last long if you take it out a lot
• Navigation is clunky and restricted to a small amount of buttons
• The tacky tape on screen looks really naff
• Difficult to order your music and make playlists
• Took 2-3 weeks to arrive (UK)

TLDR REVIEW

The Echo MINI is PERFECT for taking out on trips, you will hardly notice it's there. Functionally it's pretty good - it does the same as the F20, but navigation is clunky and you will find yourself skipping a song now and again instead of turning it up (AAAHHHHHH Nooooooo). To explain how this happens, here are the instructions for navigation using the UP and DOWN buttons:

Quick double press = Skip to next / previous track
Single spaced presses = Volume up / down
Held press = fast forwards / back

It's affordable but much more low-key and less impressive. It looks quite basic and low quality but for general playback it's great.

CONCLUSION

The F20 is an excellent choice if you get one with a working jog wheel - I was expecting iPod quality and I didn't quite get it. If you want something to take out a lot, in your pocket or backpack, then the Echo Mini is slightly more practical. If you want something for the home and occasional trips, it has to be the F20.

Do you use a DAP in 2025? Which one do you recommend?

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