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The new Sony Walkman costs more than you think, here's why
(www.slashgear.com)
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
I am very upset that I can't find good midrange players. Either cheap crap or hyper-expensive things like this. My last one broke and I don't buy the replacement parts solely because I still have hope of finding an appropriate one. For now, I use a perma-offline, degoogled smartphone for this (because I heavily prefer not to use a smartphone in daily life normally), but using a relatively big and heavy brick for a player is VERY inconvenient if you're used to a small lightweight device.
There are dozens and dozens of options for a music player in all price ranges. Look at the list below for a start.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hi-res-portable-daps-comparison-chart-2022.961903/
Am thinking phones are meant to fit that range. DACs they have are usually better than cheap garbage but far from "hi tech stuff". You can also get a good USB-C DAC and improve the experience.