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I had a SanDisk clip that I liked a lot. I used it in the gym and running because it was tiny and didn't bounce around and need thoughtful concern like a phone.

But anything with a battery is inherently not BIFL. But I certainly got my money's worth.

Look up phones that are a generation or two out of date.

Last gen Samsung or pixel. Something like that.

You are describing an Ipod Nano.

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Came here to say this. Especially one with an SD card slot. Maybe like a Galaxy Note 10+

Issue is those aren't compact.

I've had luck with fiio, my first gen x1 is going on 7 years now.

They’re still in demand and still great! Someone stole mine out of my car, but I still have my back up!

Wouldn’t it be a little bulky and quicker battery drain for an mp3 player?

This guy, the 4gb+ https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sandisk-sansa-clip-4gb-mp3-player-black/9448449.p?skuId=9448449

Yeah I run with my phone sometimes but it's more complicated. Notifications can come through if you forget to disable them, the battery life is much shorter than a dedicated mp3 player, and you need some form of holder to keep it from bouncing everywhere.

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More bulky, yes, but the battery drain is pretty slow if just using for music, and you have the benefit of wifi and apps where you can run Spotify/Pandora/Podcasts, etc if you're somewhere with wifi access, or can run the apps in offline mode.

>Notifications can come through if you forget to disable them

There won't be any notifications if it's a used phone with no SIM card or CDMA set up.

If you want to run with a phone, run with a phone.

OP didn't say it was for running.

It's 2023. Having a dedicated MP3 player when you inevitably have a phone with you also is pretty counterintuitive and thus why they aren't commonly produced anymore.

Fiio or a used Zune HD imo.

Honestly id look for an older iPod or iPod nano. I think pretty much every iPod in existence will always be supported in iTunes unless you are just allergic to using iTunes.

Apparently Zunes also have a cult following and are great little players.

I've used FiiO MP3 players in the past, and the lower priced oned work great, even after many years. Small as an Ipod, and great battery life.

I only stopped using them, when we switched to Spotify/streaming.

Maybe consider a smart watch? You could gather useful data about your run and play music too.

I have a Sandisk that I use for walks, and I bought it because it's pretty much the only standalone mp3 player that'll play Audible audiobooks. I'm very happy with it.

(I even bought a single-ear earphone for spatial awareness cause I'm weird.)

I would get something with Bluetooth. Probably more than half the headphone and earbuds on the market are Bluetooth right now, so you might as well be future proof. If it were me, id probably find a fitness watch since I’m assuming you are using it for exercise anyway.

I vote the SanDisk clip. Still using mine from 2008.

You can get old ipod classics on eBay and put a new hard drive in them

The new hard drives are larger tok

Yes, though if you set a phone in airplane mode, the battery lasts a lot longer. Wireless connectivity is probably the biggest power drain next to screen brightness and gps.

Just got a Sandisk Clip Jam and love it. Paid about $30 for a refurb model, no issues with it. Bonus - the radio on it works great!

Most Digital Audio Players now are hi-fi oriented. The current gen baseline sony walkman starts around 350-400 USD. Is part of the reasoning behind this that you like wired headphones? Have you considered getting a Xperia phone and reduce the amount of devices you need? Maybe check out the Shanling M0 Pro. Its the cheapest good quality dedicated player I know of.

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Edit: one last thing, anything with a battery built it inherently has a limited lifespan. expect 2 to 5 years max

I've use the various models of Clip family for maybe 15 years. The 3.5mm jack doesn't fail.

Good service life if you don't run it thru clothes washer-dryer. One of the new one is IPX5.

Huh? ...cover art? I start it and then dump it into my pocket.

Rockbox-able.