Over the past ten years, the way we listen to music has changed a lot, and so has the way we consume music. Two things went along with this change. First, it made it possible for people to hear music. And second, because of the first, it led to some changes in the quality of the sound.
With the advent of music streaming services, our smartphones are now our favorite way to listen to music. This is made possible by the different music streaming services. But, even though there is a lot to choose from, not everyone seems happy with the quality of most streaming services. If you belong to this group, you probably use services that offer high-res or master-quality audio, or you get music files in forms like FLAC, WAV, etc., in which case you need a high-res audio player to play them.
But before we get to our list of recommendations, it’s important to note that using a high-res player is only one way to enjoy high-fidelity music. There are other things to consider, such as the file format (and bitrate), the DAC on your Android phone, the way you connect (wired or wireless), and, of course, your headphones. All of these things work together to give you a rich music listening experience. So, since you’ve taken care of other things, let’s look at some of the best high-resolution audio player apps for Android that you can use to listen to high-quality music.
Best Android Hi-Res Music Players
The Poweramp
Poweramp is one of the oldest and best Android apps for playing music. The app has been around for a long time and has become very famous among audiophiles. It also has a large user base that encourages other Android users to try it out. The app has a clean user design, and even though it has a lot of features and ways to customize it, it is still easy to use and move around in.
When it comes to features, Poweramp has a lot to offer. It also works with almost every audio file type out there. It is one of the most popular apps for people who like to listen to high-quality music. In 2018, the app was updated to version 3. This update added a new audio engine that supports high-resolution outputs, a new DSP, a 10-band mixer, and many other features, as well as changes to the way the interface looks. Poweramp can help you play up to 24bit/kHz audio files if you have DAC gear that works with hi-fi. You also get support for unique skins, an advanced equalizer (one of the best out there), and, most importantly, regular updates.
Free for 15 days, then $4.99 or Rs 119.
Find Poweramp.
The Onkyo HF Player
Onkyo HF Player is another great mobile music player for Android that lets you play FLAC files. It has a clean design, and you can also see the words to the songs you’re listening to. There are a lot of different audio file types that can be used, like FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF, and many more.
The app gives you a high-precision mixer with a 16,384-band, linear-phase FIR filter so you can have more control over the sound. You can also make your own EQ presets or choose from the ones that have already been adjusted. The free version of Onkyo downsamples music above 88kHz so that it can be played. So, if you want to listen to high-quality 192Hz/24-bit FLAC or WAV music, you have to pay for it. Also, you can get even more out of listening to music on Android if you have Onkyo’s high-resolution audio equipment (like speakers, headphones, etc.).
Free | Paid ($8.99 or Rs 750)
Get HF Player Onkyo
Neutron Plays Music
All of the music players we’ve talked about so far support most high-resolution audio file types and let you change a lot about how they work. But even with all of these features, these apps make sure that the user experience and ease of use are not affected and that it is easy to get around the app. Not sure if the same can be said about Neutron Music Player, the next app on our list.
Unlike other apps, Neutron doesn’t make it easy for average users who don’t know much about changing music to use it well. It has a complicated user interface that audiophiles like but that takes time to get used to and use well. The app uses a 32-bit or 64-bit audio engine and says it will offer high-resolution output through an internal or external DAC that can handle it. With compatible gear, you can use up to 768kHz (32-bit) high-resolution audio. Equalizers let you change the sound to your liking. Along with your NAS and media server, Neutron also lets you download music over the network using the FTP (and SFTP) protocols.
Free | Paid ($4.99 or Rs 420)
Music Player Neutron
Related: The 7 Best Mac Music Players
Foobar2k
Foobar2000 is what you need if you are new to the idea of high-resolution music and want to hear for yourself how good FLAC and WAV files sound. The app has a clean, easy-to-use interface that you can quickly get used to. It also supports most high-resolution music formats and has a set of important features.
But that doesn’t mean it’s simple and doesn’t have enough ways to tune and customize it. Like some other apps, it has advanced features like an equalizer and other DSP options, the ability to use custom skins, and the ability to import music from a network. However, the way these features are presented makes it possible for the app to be used by both newbies and experts. Foobar is also a good choice for new users because it is free. This means that you can listen to high-resolution music without having to buy an expensive audio player.
Get Foobar2000 for free.
Other Android Hi-Res audio players that are worth mentioning
AIMP is a free high-resolution audio player that can play FLAC, OGG, WAV, and other audio files. It also has a 29-band equalizer so you can adjust the sound to your liking. AIMP also has HTTP live streaming, normalized volume, support for themes, songs, balance control, and other ways to make the program your own.
Get AIMP for free
USB Audio Player Pro is a simple but powerful music player for Android that is easy to use and has a clean design. It has support for FLAC, DSD, and other codecs, and it can handle music up to 32 bits at 394 kHz. You also get tools like UPnP support, a 10-band equalizer, and gapless playback.
Get USB Audio Player Pro for $7.99 (Rs 350).
There are online services like Tidal and Quboz that let you stream hi-res audio, but if you already have a collection of hi-res audio, whether it’s CD-quality or in formats like FLAC, WAV, etc., you can use the above audio players to listen to hi-fi music on your Android phone.