One of the easiest ways to turn off the noise of the world is to outsource what the phone does to other devices—ones that aren't perpetually online or requiring a subscription to function. This led me to rediscover an old favorite: the MP3 player.

MP3 players are now, not surprisingly, far more capable than they were two decades ago. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, many of which emulate the design of favorite legacy MP3 players, and are manufactured by companies you've likely never heard of, like FiiO and AGPTEK. They come with support for the latest music codecs, Bluetooth, FM Radio, built-in speakers, and even features that smartphone manufacturers have long since dropped, like expansion slots and the standard headphone jack.

But if you're really nostalgic for the old days, you can recommission a vintage Apple iPod or a Microsoft Zune. There are even creative modders who will customize a traditional one.

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Whatever way you decide to participate, embracing the standalone MP3 player means joining a movement in defiance of the current trend of streaming everything. Here's how I got started with an MP3 player, and where to start if you're interested in reviving your own for modern-day use.

These MP3 players are a turnkey solution

Let's be realistic: MP3 players are no longer the de facto gadget category they once were. You can't find them at brick-and-mortar stores or online the way you used to. But you can find some reasonably priced ones on Amazon and other global gadget markets.

The most common and well-rated brand you'll see pop up on Amazon is AGPTEK. The company is based in Brooklyn and sells nearly everything in the gadget spectrum. It's one of those "parts bin" brands, which have access to reliable, off-the-shelf components to make reasonably priced gadgets without the high cost.

AGPTEK A02 MP3 Player with Bluetooth 5.3, 1.8 inch Screen Portable Music Player with Speaker, FM Radio, Voice Recorder, Supports Expanded Up to 128GB(Purple, 64GB)

$36.99

at Amazon

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$36.99

at Amazon

AGPTEK offers several music players, but its most popular is the A02. It became a legend for its 70-hour battery life, and it's the one I brought home because of its impressive feature set. The AGPTEK A02 uses the latest Bluetooth 5.3 codec. I can move around the house with the player in my pocket or leave it on my desk, and I still have clear sound on the other side of the house. It uses USB-C for charging and data transfer, and there's a microSD slot that supports up to 128GB of storage if you need more than its 64GB internal storage. There's a physical lock switch to keep you from accidentally skipping a track, too.

The Innioasis Y1.

Credit: Innioasis/Amazon

Innioasis is another brand you'll see floating around—they're known for their iPod knockoffs. They sell touchscreen MP3 players, too, but it's the "iPod tribute" ones that get the most traction. The most popular model is the Y1, which looks like an iPod Classic. The $50 device comes with USB-C and Bluetooth, rather than relying on a 30-Pin proprietary charging cable like back in the day. You don't need special software to drag and drop music onto the device. Most models come with 128GB of internal storage.

Innioasis's touch-screen models are hybrid digital music players: They have wifi access so that you can download Spotify playlists and Audible audiobooks. They can't access the internet outside of that hot zone, however, so if you want new music and you're out on a run, you'll have to wait until you get back to the internet.

These high-end options for great for audiophiles

The Sony Walkman NW-A306 is a premium digital music player. It has high-end internals like Sony's proprietary S-Master HX digital amplifier, which reduces distortion and noise across different frequencies, and high-quality film capacitors that make audio sound clearer than a phone's standard DAC (digital-to-analog converter). These are usually parts reserved for Sony's high-end home stereo systems, but here they're shrunk into a smaller footprint.

For those on a tighter budget who still want a full-featured MP3 player, the brand FiiO is the current darling of the audiophile community. The JM21 player is slim and runs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chip, which you'd typically find in an Android phone. It has Dual Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC chips, which means it delivers music with fully balanced audio, the same way Sony's music players do. It also features both a standard 3.5mm and a 4.4mm headphone jack if you have high-end studio cans you'd rather listen through.

What do you think so far?

160G MP3 Player, JadeAudio/FiiO JM21 Android 13 Hi-Res Music Player with Snapdragon 680, Bluetooth WiFi USB DAC 12.5H Playtime, up to 2TB (Black)

$179.99

at Amazon

$189.99

Save $10.00

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$179.99

at Amazon

$189.99

Save $10.00

Deciding between these two depends on whether you prioritize usability or power. Sony's

Why You Need an MP3 Player in 2026 (and What to Buy)