Who are the best alternatives of Apple iPod
Updated March 2019
Despite smartphones becoming the defacto on-the-move music players of choice for many people, dedicated music players have seen a minor resurgence of late. Spying a small hole left by the iPod Classic perhaps, but also driven by cheaper storage, the popularity of hi-res audio in audiophile quarters and the continued paucity of smartphone batteries.
If you simply want to boost your audio quality, spare your phone battery or get on extra storage space, allow us to offer a selection of the best alternatives to the iPod.
Sony NWZ-A15
iBasso DX50
The DX50 from iBasso Audio does seem like a direct competitor to the hugely popular Astell & Kern AK100 and the high-value Fiio X3. Released at a price point of $239, it is slightly more than the X3 but much less than the price of the AK100. As you probably know, all three DAPs are based around the same Wolfson 8740 DAC chip and while some people believe that what matters is the implementation of the chip, I had previously believed that the DAC chip played a larger role – until I heard the DX50. Almost every DAC/DAP that I have heard which uses a Wolfson has sounded warm, but this doesn’t sound warm at all, but very neutral, leaning a bit towards the brighter side.
Pros: Lovely Sound, Nice Box, 15 Hours of Battery Life, USB OTG, User Replaceable Battery
Cons: Back Scratches Easily
The U.S.A Variant iBasso DX90:
Get past the size (it’s big) and shape (it’s chunky), and this is a good quality music machine.
Pros: Tidy styling, fine build ;
The product of the Year, Awards 2015, this high-resolution Audio player do isn’t cheap, but its build quality and performance make it a formidable, portable pleasure.
This second-gen high-resolution walkman is impressive.
A $1500 portable music player may seem like madness to many people. Great Part of today’s smartphones such as the LG G5, Samsung Galaxy S6, and even Sony’s own Xperia Z5 are ready of handling high-res music, it’s an extra box to carry about on your person.
However, none of them are in the same league as the NW-ZX2 and for an audiophile who wants a certain level of sound quality while out and about, it makes sense.
