i Pod nostalgia is at an all-time high, so meet two new cheap, adorable tiny hi-res music players that invoke the best of the music-player era (bring your own white wired earbuds) | Tech Radar
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i Pod nostalgia is at an all-time high, so meet two new cheap, adorable tiny hi-res music players that invoke the best of the music-player era (bring your own white wired earbuds)
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Shanling Q2 unveiled as an i Pod nano-alike upgrade for high-res music
Fiio recently launched the Echo Nano, an original i Pod shuffle-like player with a screen
i Pods are so nostalgic, they're still being actively advertised by resellers
Remember the i Pod? Of course you do: nostalgia is so high that you still have tech journalists dusting off their i Pod Classics, they're so popular on resellers that refurb site Back Market is actively advertising them as though they're new, and popular audio brands are releasing doppelgangers that have even more features than the originals.
In recent weeks, both Shanling and Fiio have released products that look like i Pods going through their goth stage, but they're not just cash-ins. These are devices that could end up on our best hi-res audio players list, with features and tools Apple never gave us.
These new releases aren't quite a surprise — and not just because Fiio released another i Pod nano lookalike at the end of 2025. No, the non-smart low-tech revival is in full swing, and the proof is in the pudding.
We're seeing transportable SACD players, retro cassette players and blingy throwback turntables, and other such products launching with regularity. Buyers want distraction-free devices, especially ones which let them avoid streaming music, and manufacturers have delivered.
The Fiio Echo Nano was unveiled early in August 2026. It costs
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This mechanical-looking MP3 player has a physical scroll wheel for navigation, and an 0.91-inch display to see what you're selecting. And in true Fiio style, the real magic is on the inside — aside from a great DAC, there's space for a 256GB micro SD card. The battery life reaches seven hours, and you can even use the device as a USB DAC, if you plug it into your PC or smartphone.
The Echo Nano weighs 33.5g, and as you can see from the picture, there are loads of color options available.
If you've got more money burning a hole in your pocket, there's the Shanling Q2, which bears more than a passing resemblance to the third-gen i Pod nano (albeit thicker, so there's a bit of i Pod mini in there, too). It was unveiled in late August, for the sum of
This adorable model supports in-demand file formats such as FLAC, WAV, ALAC and DSF, and has four built-in DAC chips for clarity and detail, handling music up to 768k Hz/32-bit and DSD512. The device also supports Bluetooth output, via LDAC or apt X HD.
Unlike in i Pods, there are two headphone jacks: a 4.4mm balanced one and a 3.5mm one. There's capacity for up to 2TB of music via micro SD card, but you'll need to buy one separately, and there's no storage space in the device itself.
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According to Shanling, the device lasts for 13.5 hours of listening, and weighs 82g. There's even a smartphone app which lets you control your music player from your mobile, although that's perhaps getting away from the spirit of having a dedicated player…
I know what you're asking: yes, the scroll wheel is a physical one that you can swipe around and around in circles, but the display is also a touchscreen if you'd rather just press on the options you'd like.
That's a lot of specs and features, but which is best? Well, the giant price difference probably gives away which has the thicker feature list. But if you want a personal recommendation, form factor is paramount for me: if you want a gadget that's lightweight and svelte, perhaps for low-tech days or for workouts, smaller is better than feature-rich, I think.
➡️ Read our full guide to the best hi-res music players
- Best overall: Activo P1
- Best budget hi-res player: Fiio JM21
- Best step-up hi-res player: Astell & Kern A&norma SR35
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Tom Bedford is a freelance contributor covering tech, entertainment and gaming. Beyond Tech Radar, he has bylines on sites including Games Radar, Digital Trends, Android Police, Tech Advisor, Whatto Watch and BGR. From 2019 to 2022 he was on the Tech Radar team as the staff writer and then deputy editor for the mobile team.
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