PORTABLE MUSIC PLAYERS

TREAT YOUR TUNES TO A DEDICATED MUSIC PLAYER

Sony NW-A45 £180

Best portable music player under £200, Awards 2019 ★★★★★

Sony has designed, marketed and prices the NW-A45 to act as a companion to your smart phone, handling your desire for hi-res music. It does this well. Hi-res 24-bit/192khz, DSD Weight 98g Storage 16GB

Cowon Plenue D2 £259

Best portable music player £200-£500, Awards 2019 ★★★★★

The PD2 manages to justify the premium over its predecessor. We haven’t heard a better-sounding budget portable music player. Hi-res 24-bit/192khz, DSD 128 Storage 64GB

Astell & Kern A&norma SR15 £549

Best portable music player £500-£1000, Awards 2018 ★★★★★

Our favourite music player combines fine build, ease of use and class-leading sound better than any rival we’ve tested. Hi-res 32-bit/384khz, DSD128 Weight 154g Storage 64GB

Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 £649

September 2020 (issue 438) ★★★★★

More expressive and eloquent than any other portable music player we’ve encountered at this price – far beyond anything smartphones are capable of. Hi-res 32-bit/384khz, DSD256 Weight 279g Storage 832GB

Astell & Kern A&futura SE100 £1499

Best portable music player over £1000, Awards 2019 ★★★★★

For those with grand portable ambitions, decent high-end headphones and, crucially, the budget, this sonic-savvy source is both a luxury and logical buy. Hi-res 32-bit/184khz, DSD 11.2MHZ Weight 240g Storage 128GB

“Cowon justifies the price hike with a performance that takes transparency and entertainment to the next level”

“The soundstage has been prized wide open too, allowing the track’s scale to soar and detail to unfold”

“There’s good bass depth, musical cohesion and space around the various instruments”

“Playing a range of music genres and file resolutions, the SE100 comes out on top at every turn”

“The A&norma has as much sonic aspiration as design ambition”