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If you’re an audiobook enthusiast and you wonder what would be the best MP3 player for audiobooks in 2021, you’ve come to the right place. Our article is about to reveal to you 6 amazing models, most of which also come at surprisingly low prices.
Audiobooks were invented during the previous century and, at the time, they were available on CDs. Thanks to the rapid technology development, everything has become available in smaller formats. The devices are getting smaller and smaller, their storage space is getting larger and larger, and it really seems that there’s no part of our lives that we can’t store on a single tiny gadget. We do that with correspondence, photos, videos, so why would audiobooks be an exception.
Today we can store hundreds (or even thousands) of audiobooks on one device such as tablet, notebook, or smartphone. We can even listen to them on a TV or stream them to Bluetooth speakers. However, we strongly believe that using MP3 players to listen to audiobooks has many advantages. Although many people believe these devices belong to the past, that’s not true at all and let’s see why.
Table of Contents
- Advantages of MP3 Players for Listening to Audiobooks
- Best MP3 Players for Audiobooks – Comparison Table
- The List of 6 Best MP3 Players for Audiobooks in 2022
- 1. Best Budget: Victure Clip MP3 Player
- 2. Best Design: Apple iPod Touch
- 3. Most Compact: SanDisk Clip Jam MP3 Player
- 4. Best Hi-Fi MP3 Player: Supereye M3 MP3 Player
- 5. Best MP3 Player with an Armband: Mibao MP3 Player
- 6. Longest Battery Life: RUIZU X02 Ultra Slim Music Player
- FAQs
Advantages of MP3 Players for Listening to Audiobooks
Long time ago, we replaced paper books with audiobooks. While some people still prefer the smell and the feel of paper in their hands, many have moved away and they don’t plan to come back. We can’t say that we don’t love to hold a real book in our hands, reading an exciting story while sitting in a comfy chair and drinking coffee. However, audiobooks have some important advantages nobody can deny, especially when you listen to them using your MP3 player. If we need to sum it up to only two advantages that would be compactness and convenience.
MP3 players are small and compact. They usually come with large internal storages. That means that you don’t need a whole room to store your books – you just need one tiny device.
MP3 players are much simpler than phones and tablets as they have fewer features. Also, they are much faster and offer significantly better audio performance.
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MP3 players are practical – it’s much easier to use an mp3 player while commuting or traveling than to carry a book around with you. You don’t have to worry about it being torn apart in a crowded bus. You don’t even have to hold it. Simply put your headphones on and start enjoying.
Best MP3 Players for Audiobooks – Comparison Table
| MP3 Players for Audiobooks | Rating | Price | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victure Clip | 4.1 | Check Amazon | Read Review |
| Apple iPod Touch | 4.6 | Check Amazon Check Walmart | Read Review |
| SanDisk Clip Jam | 4.0 | Check Amazon Check Walmart | Read Review |
| Supereye M3 | 4.2 | Check Amazon Check Walmart | Read Review |
| Mibao | 4.1 | Check Amazon | Read Review |
| RUIZU X02 | 4.0 | Check Amazon Check Walmart | Read Review |
Due to all the previously listed reasons and the fact that many people still love audiobooks and MP3 players, we have decided to test a great number of these devices and choose the best among them. We’ve tried really hard to find different types of players so that anyone can find the best option for himself. Hopefully, you’ll find something you like on our list of 6 best MP3 players for audiobooks.
The List of 6 Best MP3 Players for Audiobooks in 2022
1. Best Budget: Victure Clip MP3 Player
If you need a new budget MP3 player with good sound quality and many useful features, Victure Clip is the right thing for you.
The player’s so small that it can fit your palm and it’s extremely light. On the top, you’ll see a headphone jack and a power button. On the bottom, there is a small mic as well as a micro USB charging port. On the front, you have a 1.5-inch display and control buttons that allow you to navigate through folders and settings. On the right side, you’ll find the volume control. On the back, there’s a clip enabling you to clip the gadget to your clothes, which comes in handy, especially when working out.
Victure Clip has 8GB internal storage that can be expanded with an SD card (up to 128GB). It allows you to store photos, music, videos, and audiobooks. It supports MP3, APE, FLAC, WAV, and WMA formats. The player comes with a pair of headphones but it also supports Bluetooth 4.1 providing decent sound quality and stable connection. It also has built-in FM radio, equalizer, and pedometer.
Moreover, the battery will last you for 30 hours at medium volumes, which is great for listening to music, radio, or audiobooks. Sadly, the Bluetooth mode significantly reduces the playtime to only 8 hours.
When it comes to sound quality, it’s pretty great for the price. The bass is a bit flat, the mids aren’t perfect but the highs are amazing, and you can also adjust it to your taste using the EQ settings.
On the downside, you might find the display a bit dark. The music will still play when the display is turned off but you won’t be able to use any of the buttons. In addition, if you try to change a track in BT mode, the device will disconnect and you’ll have to reconnect after you find the right track.
2. Best Design: Apple iPod Touch
The next product is definitely the most expensive (but also the most popular) on our list of 6 best MP3 players for audiobooks in 2021. It’s also the fastest (thanks to the A10 chip) and the most beautiful.
The device has a typical iPod design only without the plastic housing that the previous versions had. It comes in six different colors and it really looks great. On the top, you’ll find the power button, while the volume controls are on the left side. On the front, you have a front 1.2MP camera, 4-inch display, and the Home button. On the back, you have an 8MP camera (basically the camera of iPhone 6) and a set of antennas protected with a black cover. On the bottom, there’s the headphone jack, charging port, and a speaker.
Apart from listening to music and audiobooks, the player enables you to watch and record videos, take photos, surf the Internet, read books, play video games, etc. The sound quality is quite amazing and the device comes with earbuds with a regular headphone jack.
Also, iPod Touch supports Bluetooth 4.1 and Wi-Fi connection, while its battery can last up to 40 hours. It’s available in 32, 128, and 256GB versions.
Sadly, the player doesn’t support lossless audio formats.
3. Most Compact: SanDisk Clip Jam MP3 Player
SanDisk Clip Jam MP3 player is a compact and budget-friendly device that comes in several attractive colors: black, blue, green, lime, pink, red, and yellow. USB to micro USB charging cable (that is also used for file transferring) and earphones are included in the price.
On the front side of this tiny and incredibly light player, you’ll find a small bright display and a set of standard control buttons. On the left side, there are micro USB port and volume controls, while the AUX jack and an SD card slot are on the right side. It also has a clip on the back, which is great if you plan to use it while jogging or working out.
Clip Jam has 8GB internal storage that can be extended up to 64GB with an SD card. You don’t get to stream music as the device can’t be connected to Wi-Fi and it doesn’t support Bluetooth but you’ll definitely be able to store a great number of audiobooks and songs on it. The device supports MP3, WMA, WAV, and AAC file formats and it has a great battery that shall last 18 to 20 hours. If you get bored with the stored music, you can always switch to FM radio.
The audio performance is quite good and, unless you’re an audiophile, you really won’t notice any downsides. If you’re looking for a basic player that gets the job done and doesn’t cost a lot, SanDisk Clip Jam is the right choice for you.
4. Best Hi-Fi MP3 Player: Supereye M3 MP3 Player
Supereye M3 player is an affordable device with incredible features. It’s small and light (1.7 oz), it comes in an elegant black color with its own earphones and a USB cable. The design is quite elegant and attractive, while the double-side acrylic material makes it look rather durable. On the front side, you’ll immediately notice a 1.8-inch display and a set of touch-sensitive buttons with optional backlight for easy navigating in the dark. The power button is on the right side, volume controls on the left, while the USB port and 3.5mm input are on the bottom.
Supereye M3 comes with 16GB of internal storage that can be extended with an SD card (64GB max). This enables you to store numerous songs, photos, e-books, and audiobooks. The device also has a built-in FM radio and the ability to record audio from it. Apart from this, it supports Bluetooth 4.1 (with aptX codec support) that enables you to stream the music from your player to a Bluetooth speaker, Bluetooth-enabled TV, etc.
M3 supports MP3, APE, WMA, WAV, and OGG formats and it has a built-in Hi-Fi lossless decoding chip that enables you to play high-res music. Of course, if you want to really feel the difference, you should use some better-quality headphones.
Sadly, the player can’t connect to Wi-Fi. Also, its glossy surface seems to attract too many ugly fingerprint stains.
5. Best MP3 Player with an Armband: Mibao MP3 Player
Our next product reminds us of the previously reviewed Supereye M3 MP3 player, although it’s a bit more expensive. The device is available in black color only and it looks rather attractive. On the front side, you’ll see a 1.5-inch display and control buttons. The power button is on the left side, volume controls are on the right, and a 3.5mm input and USB port are on the bottom. Apart from the player, the package includes all the standard accessories such as a USB cable and wired earphones, as well as an armband.
The device is nicely built and the double-faced acrylic glass seems rather durable and sturdy. It’s quite easy to use and it fits any pocket. Being 0.7-inch thick and 2.5oz heavy, it’s a true delight for any runner or jogger to wear it around his/her hand.
Mibao MP3 player comes with 32GB of internal storage that can be upgraded with an SD card (up to 64GB). It plays music, videos, e-books, audiobooks, photos. It also supports Bluetooth 4.2 and has a built-in FM radio tuner. The player has a Hi-Fi lossless digital noise-reduction chip that enables you to listen to some quality music. Apart from listening to music, you can watch videos and record music played on the radio.
The device also uses power-saving technology, which makes it able to provide its users with up to 50 hours of playtime.
6. Longest Battery Life: RUIZU X02 Ultra Slim Music Player
The last product on our list of 6 best MP3 players for audiobooks in 2021 is definitely not the worse. On the contrary, it has quite an attractive design, it’s extremely light (1.05 oz), and has an extremely long battery life of even 80 hours.
Ruizu X02 player comes in black, blue, red, white, and rose-gold colors with an amazing matte finish that doesn’t attract fingerprints. It has a small 1.8-inch display. All the controls are located on the front panel. An SD card slot is on the right side. AUX input, micro USB charging port, and on/off switch are located on the bottom.
The device is incredibly compact which makes it perfect for any bag or pocket. Thanks to its lightweight and extreme thinness, it’s also a great solution for all people who love listening to music while doing sports.
No matter what do you need it for – listening to music or audiobooks, watching videos, listening to the radio, voice recording, etc., Ruizu X02 will be able to store all your files. It comes with 8GB of internal storage but it also supports micro SD cards (max SD card size – 128GB). It supports MP3, FLAC, APE, WMA, and WAV formats. The audio performance is quite great. You might only need to use some other earphones because the ones the player comes with aren’t the best on the market.
Sadly, the player doesn’t support Bluetooth and it can’t be connected to Wi-Fi but we believe that it still has a lot of useful features for such a cheap device.
This concludes our article about 6 best MP3 players for audiobooks in 2021. Hopefully, we have managed to provide you with the most important information about MP3 players. In case some things have remained unresolved, check the questions and answers below or leave us a comment. We will get in touch with you in no time.
FAQs
Q: Can I play audiobooks on an MP3 player?
A: Yes. MP3 players can play audiobooks. However, you should be careful when choosing a new player and a new audiobook because audiobooks come in different file formats that some players don’t support. Luckily, all of them can be converted to MP3 format, which all MP3 players support, but you have to be prepared for a significant decrease in sound quality.
Q: What is the best MP3 player for audiobooks?
A: Our list of 6 best MP3 players in 2021 gathers different types of players with different features (supported file formats, size, design, battery life, and storage space). Now, we can’t say which of them is best for you because every user has its own needs and preferences. We can only advise you to scroll back to our reviews, read them, and find the player that meets your requirements.
Q: What features should a great MP3 player have?
A: Every great MP3 player shall be small and compact so it can fit your pocket. In case you want to use it while working out, it should be very light. Also, a good MP3 player shall have enough storage space or at least have the ability to be upgraded. In addition, it shall have a durable battery, so you can rely on it at least for a whole day. Finally, we must not forget about the audio performance and supported file types.
Q: What MP3 players are compatible with Audible?
A: Audible is one of the most popular audiobook and podcast platforms at the moment. Many modern MP3 players, such as iPod Nano 7, Creative Zen, SanDisk Sansa, etc. are compatible with this platform. Some of the players on our list of 6 best MP3 players for audiobooks (like SanDisk Clip Jam) are also compatible with Audible.
Hello, my name is James Longman.
I’m a writer and editor at AudioReputation. I disassembled my first portable AM/FM radio when I was only 8. At the age of 11, I burned the circuit board on my old boombox cassette player. I’m not going to explain how but it was reckless and stupid.
Since then, I have become much more careful around radios, boomboxes, and other audio devices (at least, I like to think so) but I have never lost the passion for audio equipment. Throughout 20 years of my professional career, I’ve been working for various audio equipment manufacturers and even started building speakers on my own in my little workshop.
I love the work we do here at AudioReputation. Testing, comparing, and evaluating all kinds of audio devices (speakers, soundbars, headphones, home theater systems, etc.) is something I truly enjoy. I try to be unbiased and give you my honest opinion on every piece of equipment I test. Still, you should take my reviews with a pinch of salt and always be just a little bit skeptical. The fact that I liked some speaker or soundbar doesn’t mean that you are going to love it. If you have the opportunity, you should test it/hear it before buying it.
An interesting article which missing one point. How easy or difficult is it to find an Audio Book on the devices (if you have more than one), or change audio books, or change audio book tracks, or find your place, skip forward or back. That’s why I use an old mobile phone with an audio book player app installed. I can do all of the above plus search, list etc. Is got a long batter life and best of all its free as I already have older unneeded phones which I am happy to put to a new use.
Hi,
I am looking for an mp3 player for audiobooks. I would like one with blue tooth capability and bookmarking.
I purchased a Ruizu, as it was well reviewed. However, when I added books, they were not transferred in order. I have a basic Sony mp3, an NW-E394. No blue tooth, but books are transferred in chapter order and I can bookmark. Do you know of any MP3’s with blue tooth and bookmarking that will also transfer books in chapter order? I don’t want to have to drop and drag, add any other apps and such. I called Sony about the NW A55, but their support people didn’t have an answer. Hoping you can help.
Thanks