We put up this top 10 list of the top high-resolution players because we wanted to make things a little bit easier. Each item on this list has undergone testing by us, and if a full review has not yet been posted, one will be available online shortly.
Table of Contents
List of the 12 Best Hi-Res Audio & HD Music Players for Audiophile in 2023
1. Luxurious Precision P6 Pro Hi-Res Music Player
We’d like to extend a hearty welcome to Luxury Precision’s P6 Pro music player on the list. Despite not being the original creators of the contemporary audiophile DAP, this company has gained recognition for a number of its high-end products. The price of this item is the only thing I can’t get beyond, though.
The P6 Pro is extremely well made, operates well, and has fantastic sound quality, but I don’t get the appeal when you can obtain comparable performance from items that cost only half as much. The company likes to describe the internal architecture with a lot of hype and buzzwords, but the final product is in the sound. Although it sounds incredible, the price is not supported by that.
This player is included on the list because it is an engineering marvel and would be a good purchase if you can get one for a reasonable price.
2. IBASSO DX240 Music Player
This is the second Ibasso player to appear on our list, and it’s a terrific option for daily listening.
When the cost is taken into account, this is in many ways a superb example of execution with very little opportunity for improvement.
The DX240, the younger sibling of our preferred DAP, the DX300, offers a genuine Hi-Res experience. The ES9028 pro DAC chip, which supports DSD512 and 32bit/768kHz, is the brains behind this music player’s high resolution playback. One of the greatest DAPs available for listening back MQA files while traveling is one that supports MQA as well.
Users are also given the chance to replace out the amp units, making it a player with a variety of tuning and power options.
Through the connectors on the bottom, it is compatible with balanced headphones and enables Tidal’s high-resolution streaming.
3. ASTELL & KERN KANN Player
Astell&Kern KANN continues to hold a prominent position in the Audiophile DAP market. They produce some of the greatest and most costly models, and in 2023, they truly succeeded in diversifying their product line so that customers have a wide range of options.
Everything you need for secretly changing settings is accessible through dedicated hardware buttons, making the interface straightforward. The PAW gold has excellent build quality, and despite its premium cost, I would suggest it to anyone who wishes to undertake critical listening on the road.
The Kann is my preferred model and the one I own because it has a ton of features. Dual Sabre DACs, balanced headphone out ports, and excellent file support with native DSD, APTX, and MQA are all features provided by the Kann to users. Also worth mentioning are the large screen, volume control, and 14+ hour battery life.
4. FUTURA SE200 by ASTELL & KERN Music Player
For one reason, I ranked the Futura SE200 below the Kann. Incredibly, really costly. That is not to argue that it is pricey, but for many users, it may undoubtedly be viewed as overkill when it comes to maximizing the performance of headphones and IEMs.
The trick here is that you get two high-resolution music players combined into one gadget. A multi-DAC DAP is the SE200. That implies that two DACs that can be switched to operate independently are present inside. Either dual Sabre DACs or an AKM chip, each of which has a separate independent amp section, are options.
It looks really stunning and has one of the best sounds in the world right now.
5. Aston & Kern SP2000 Players
Stop right there if you were thinking that the DAPs mentioned above were pricey. By far the most costly music player on the list is this one. Does it merit it? Well, I suppose there comes a time when all considerations are lost in the pursuit of uncompromised performance.
The greatest sounding portable music player I have ever used, and it puts several of my desktop devices to shame, is the one I tested for more than a month. The unit’s eight-core CPU powers the dual AKM AK4499EQ chips that power the sound, making it quick and responsive.
To be clear, I don’t believe anyone needs this, but there is no denying its quality, so if you can afford it without having to strain, I encourage you to purchase it. When used in conjunction with a top-notch pair of headphones like the Focal Utopia or Sony MDR-1ZR, it is an incredible experience.
6. FIIO M6 Hi Res Music Player
We get our first look at the first mid-priced music player on our list with the Fiio M6. Even though it is significantly less expensive than the aforementioned models, it offers excellent value to budget audiophiles wishing to complement a nice pair of high-resolution earphones or headphones.
With just one ESS DAC and Bluetooth 4.2, its specifications are a tad antiquated. However, it may be connected to your computer and used as an external DAC. It also supports high-resolution audio streaming through Deezer and Tidal. It sounds neutral since it is clear and sharp with little any coloring. It performs well in terms of power, and the only extreme planar headphones that I tested experienced power draw.
The M6’s huge virtually bezel-less screen, USB-C charging, and 14 hours of battery life during the review are a few other pluses.
7. HIGH RESOLUTION LOSSLESS MP3 PLAYER HIDIZS AP80
This list includes another inexpensive music player, this time from Hidizs. The AP80 targets the sub-$200 market and offers features and sound quality that well exceed its price range.
You have found the incredibly portable, lightweight DAP you were looking for. It includes a tiny 2.5-inch front screen and side-mounted tactile input buttons. Even with a 1TB micro SD card fitted and 700GB of music, the operating system is impenetrable.
The LDAC standard is supported by Bluetooth, which is another attraction, but ultimately we really like the sound quality of this tiny player. With the exception of the most sensitive IEMs, it performs excellently at driving headphones up to 250 ohms. It was deficient solely in a balanced production.
8. SURFANS F20 5 Player
A little cult has formed around the Surfans F20. It’s a high-resolution DAP designed for people who like to store their music collection on an SD card to lossless streaming programs in mind. It’s a classic audiophile DAP that provides excellent value for the money.
The majority of popular lossless file formats are supported, and Bluetooth output is available if needed. The lack of a touchscreen and lack of apps is more than made up for by the sound quality and affordable cost. It has a deep black background, a wide sounding DAP, and lots of power.
Last but not least, I adore the Surfans F20’s tank-like construction, haptic clicky buttons, and scroll wheel. It made me long for a time when I wasn’t tapping on screens and could simply use my DAP for its intended purpose. consuming music.
9. FIIO M11 PLUS Player
Long the leader in the low-cost DAP industry, Fiio has recently increased their product lineup and is now regarded as one of the world’s top producers of music players and amplifiers. The M11 plus is the business’ most recent mid-priced model and is likely their greatest in terms of value for money.
A variety of high-resolution audio formats, including DSD, DSF, and DFF are supported by the M11 Plus. PCM, MP3, OGG, WAV, AIFF, APE, FLAC, PCM, ALAC, and WMA.
This music player rivals many of AK’s entry-level devices in terms of sound quality and delivers a powerful punch considering its size and price. Although the interface may use some work, it’s still a fantastic deal. Check out this specification list.
Battery life of 11.5 hours, 2.5mm, 3.5mm, and 4.4mm headphone outputs, and two-way LDAC Apple AirPlay, Bluetooth, Two-way Type-C, USB Audio/DAC, SPDIF output, QC4.0 quick charging, 2.4/5G WiFi, DLNA, and FiiO Link are all included.
10. SONY NW-WM1Z Music Player
The chassis of the NW-WM1Z is stunning beyond words. Its entire body is made of copper that has been machined and then covered in gold, giving it a luxury appearance and feel.
When Sony invests heavily in a product, they really go all out, and you can see that even with the exorbitant price tag, they aren’t skimping on quality. An entirely new design for the internal cabling features a braided Kimber pattern. Tons of power are provided by the custom FT capacitors designed for the player. Even the amplifier is unique, with their proprietary S-Master – HX producing detailed, rich sound for the balanced headphone jack.
The player has a large, attractive touchscreen that makes it simple to use, and we enjoyed the clear, tactile feedback provided by the actual playback controls on the side. Another high-resolution DAP with enormous internal memory (256GB) and a micro SD card slot for an additional 1TB of storage to hold all of your high-resolution music files rounds out the package.
11. DETHONRAY PRELUDE DTR1+ Player
With their Honey H1, which we name the best portable headphone DAC in our 2023 tests, Dethonray completely blew me away. They create high-end goods with exceptional sound quality and plenty of power to operate premium headphones. Although the Prelude DTR1+ isn’t flawless, it almost is in terms of sound.
The DAP doesn’t have a sizable touchscreen, which is the first thing you’ll notice. It utilizes a physical input button-based Linux operating system. Naturally, there is no app support with it. Additionally, the screen is awful, has poor resolution, and is dim.
However, there are many technical aspects that go into the absurd sound, which is why it is. For instance, the amp and the decoding have independent power supplies. protection against EMI for components WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, APE (Normal, High, Fast), AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF/DSF, OGG, and insane file support (note: no DSD).
This is the DAP for you if you want one of the cleanest and most transparent sounding portable audio players available and you have difficult-to-drive headphones.
12. HIDZIS AP80 PRO Music Players
The Hidziz AP80 Pro is a highly portable high-resolution music player that is loaded with capabilities often found on larger DAPs. It is designed for folks who are constantly on the go and do not want to carry cumbersomely huge music players. Despite being discreet and compact, it has adequate power to drive the majority of premium IEMs.
The all-metal body feels sturdy and quality, and it comes in three different colors to match your style (Black, Blue, Silver). You can play, pause, and skip tracks using the buttons on the right side of the device that control music playback. A little volume valve is located right above it to provide you fine control over listening levels.
The AP80 Pro can play many high-resolution music formats, including native DSD, thanks to its dual flagship ESS Sabre DACs. There is space for two outputs on the bottom, including a 4.4 mm balanced point and a conventional 3.5 mm headphone port for users who want power from both channels.
The micro-sd card port allows for storage expansion up to 512GB, and during our study, the battery lasted for 8 hours of balance and 12 hours of regular use, respectively.
WHY USE A DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER?
Since the hi-res audio player (DAP) has been increasingly popular over the past several years, audiophiles have a wide range of options, and it can be challenging to keep up with all the new products that are being released.
Many of you are curious in the top HD Music Players. The sheer number of capabilities you can now get in a portable compact has many of these Audiophile players catching our attention. Additionally, you don’t want a poor DAP to bottleneck the sound if you plan to use some of the best headphones in the world.
Choosing the best one becomes increasingly difficult due to price that is becoming more and more competitive.
Update: Since many people have asked, I’ll let you know that this is the DAP I presently use on a daily basis (updated in March 2023). I’m not suggesting it’s the ideal model for everyone, but it is for me at the moment. It sounds amazing. I use a variety of other devices for testing, but over the past few months, that one has seen the most use.
I use a variety of players while I’m traveling or commuting, but I prefer something smaller with a Bluetooth DAC/Amp. At the moment, the one I use is the iFi Go Blu, and if you’re looking for something compact, it’s definitely worth considering.
It should go without saying that what works for me might not be appropriate for your needs. In actuality, I would be content to continuously listen to any of the players listed here.