Open any consumer electronics catalog from around the 1980s to the early 2000s and you are overwhelmed by a smörgåsbord of devices, covering any audio-visual and similar entertainment and hobby nee…
FiiO has some that aren’t super pricey (they run a range, their entry level stuff is usually really affordable), their amps and DACs are pretty solid in my experience so I’d totally look into one, second hand would definitely be an option there too.
Just throwing it in there that none of my Fiio DACs or amps help up over time, especially with the more portable models. Maybe the build quality is better on their higher end models, but I’m definitely not buying any more of their stuff.
It’s not particularly high end, but I fairly recently bought a Mixxtape MP3 player for $60 new and it works well and can play as a cassette. The gimmick is wacky (but does work), but I mostly got it because I had to switch to a phone without a headphone jack and I wanted something small and inexpensive.
I’m currently looking for a dependable MP3 player that is not $800.
I had a Sansa Fuse about a decade + ago.
Is there an issue with getting a used smartphone with no service and a headphone jack?
I might just do this. I was hoping for something a little smaller. I might use a rooted android phone and use a minimalist launcher.
FiiO has some that aren’t super pricey (they run a range, their entry level stuff is usually really affordable), their amps and DACs are pretty solid in my experience so I’d totally look into one, second hand would definitely be an option there too.
Just throwing it in there that none of my Fiio DACs or amps help up over time, especially with the more portable models. Maybe the build quality is better on their higher end models, but I’m definitely not buying any more of their stuff.
I like the echo mini. It looks like a cassette player
Are you saying the one you have in mind is 800 bucks or is that your budget?
That was a typo. I meant to say NOT $800. Sony Walkman has options from $3600 to $400. I want to spend under $100, but I don’t want garbage either.
It’s not particularly high end, but I fairly recently bought a Mixxtape MP3 player for $60 new and it works well and can play as a cassette. The gimmick is wacky (but does work), but I mostly got it because I had to switch to a phone without a headphone jack and I wanted something small and inexpensive.
What the hell is even that?! It’s an mp3 player that doubles as a cassette adaptor. That’s wild
Get a used iPod. Load it with RythmBox, swap the hard drive for a few hundred gigs of SD cards and you’re golden.
I want Bluetooth though
Okay This is after 5 minutes of Googling. There are a few cheaper options out there.
This is all secondhand, but people seem to like Shanling as a brand
Check out Tangara https://www.crowdsupply.com/cool-tech-zone/tangara
This is exactly what I want. This would be so cool. I’m weary of crowd funding and you can’t buy it anyway.