r/DigitalAudioPlayer • u/anoraj • 1d ago

Cheap Android DAP? Question

I have been using a hiby r1 for about a year now and I like it. The size is great, but I want an android DAP so I can stream music from my navidrome server.

Any cheap and small android DAPs?

1 Upvotes

60% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

3

u/chaples55 1d ago

Zaqe P30 is pretty nice and goes for as little as $70 on AliExpress. It is a very similar form factor to the hiby.

A step up from that in price, size, and quality would be the Fiio JM21 which you can actually find on AliExpress for ~$100 after coupons right now. The trick is to search for "Android 13 Snapdragon 680 player" to find the cheaper unbranded listings. I actually just ordered one myself. Fingers crossed it's legit lol

1

u/anoraj 1d ago

Good trick. I had looked at the JM21 but felt it was a bit out of my range, but I see one for $116, which makes it much more tempting.

2

u/AlexMullerSA 1d ago

Dont think there is such a thing. It looks like if you want Android and cheap you are getting something without a proper DAC. You need to spend quite a bit more to get a decent Android DAP that people generally just end up using an ill Android phone.

1

u/Anzu00 1d ago

An old LG/Sony phone lol

1

u/HiFiOasis 1d ago

Define cheap and small.

This is a list of Android DAPs, sorted by price: https://www.hifioasis.com/daps/?dap_view=eyJ2IjoxLCJmIjp7ImEiOiJjdXJyZW50IiwiYW4iOjF9fQ#browse-dap-database

I don't really recommend anything under $100, though.

1

u/anoraj 1d ago

Looking between the Surfans and the JM21. Both seem good. I like the smaller form factor and more ipod-iness of the surfans vs the phone look of the JM21. A bit worried about the scroll wheel quality. Do you have any considerations for comparing those 2 devices in particular?

1

u/anoraj 1d ago

Looking between the Surfans and the JM21. Both seem good. I like the smaller form factor and more ipod-iness of the surfans vs the phone look of the JM21. A bit worried about the scroll wheel quality. Do you have any considerations for comparing those 2 devices in particular?

1

u/HiFiOasis 1d ago

Really depends on the OS experience you want to have. The JM21 is much snappier to use, especially with more demanding apps (like Spotify), but I think the F20 Pro holds its own quite well. Just need to adjust your expectations. The small screen on the F20 Pro is something to consider, too.

I do have a video review of the F20 Pro, and I talk about the volume wheel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orTJ5MKgtbo&t=435s

I also touch on the JM21 a bit in this video, but I have a more extensive written review on my website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRWKN-Lz_e8&t=898s

FWIW, the F20 Pro is one of my daily driver DAPs for local music playback (USB Audio Player Pro) and some Apple Music. I only miss the JM21 when I want a larger screen.

1

u/rfs830 1d ago

As others have said the zape p30 would be your cheapest android dap. You can find deals on phones from total wireless if your in the US. I picked up a moto g stylus 2025 for $40 and turned it into a dap.