Recommended MP3 Players for Old Time Radio | OTR MP3 Player Reviews

If you're reading this webpage on your computer, you already have everything you need to enjoy OTRCAT MP3 CDs; they are guaranteed to play on your computer. Click here for more information about "What is MP3?"

WHERE TO BUY A MP3 PLAYER:

Radio Hat!

OTRCAT.com has been tracking MP3 CD players models since 1999. MP3 CD players models are more reliable and more inexpensive with each passing year.

Many new car stereos are "MP3-enabled" and many DVD players also play MP3 CDs. Ordering from Amazon.com is convenient, but local stores such as Walmart, CVS, Walgreen's, Target, and BestBuy often stock a multitude of MP3 player models. There are a lot of MP3 players, even by the same manufacturer, which are fickle about which shows they will playback. Discontinuation of models is frequent and finding specific models can be challenging. Expensive MP3 CD players are not necessarily the most reliable.

Try out an OTRCAT MP3 CD in the floor model at your local electronics store or take an MP3 player home, but make sure they have a good return policy without restocking fees. Below are a list of user recommended models (which have not been first-hand confirmed to work by OTRCAT.com).

PORTABLE MP3 CD PLAYERS: $25+

Just put in the MP3 CD and press play! As easy to operate as a cd player, these inexpensive "Walkman" style portable MP3 CD players play the MP3 CDs directly:

MP3 CD BOOMBOXES: $30+

Great for indoor and outdoor listening, these inexpensive boomboxes play the MP3 CDs directly and many also have AM/FM tuners:

Coby	Memorex	Naxa
Panasonic	Philips	RCA

SOLID-STATE MP3 PLAYER: $40+

How many shows would fit on an iPod or mobile device with SD card? If each MP3 episode is approximately 10MB:
Storage	Estimated Number of Shows
2GB	200 shows
4GB	400 shows
8GB	800 shows
32GB	3,200 shows
64GB	6,400 shows
80GB	8,000 shows
128GB	12,800 shows
160GB	16,000 shows
256GB	25,600 shows
400GB	40,000 shows
512GB	51,200 shows
1000GB (1TB)	100,000 shows

Solid-state players fit in the palm of your hand and plug into your computer to transfer old time radio shows via USB cable rather than playing the CDs directly.

Android Phone, Sansa, Amazon Kindle, Apple iPod, or Apple iPhone have easy-to-use display screens and come in various storage sizes.

Click here for step-by-step tutorials on how to load the old time radio shows on your player...

Android
Phone

Sansa
(inexpensive)

Apple
iPhone

Apple
iPod

List of other listeners' recommended solid-state players (model numbers may be out of production)...

OTHER PLAYERS:

Listeners' recommended DVD Players, Shelf Stero, Car Units, Lower Power AM-FM transmitters, and cassette adapaters (model numbers may be out of production)...

NOTE ON MP3 PLAYERS SPECS:

MP3 players should support "32kps 22khz bitrate MP3 files" and "Joliet' format CDs." If the player supports these specs, it should play the OTRCAT MP3 CDs fine, but because every MP3 player has its own peculiarities, the disks are only guaranteed to play on your computer. Typically most of the new generation MP3 players support a multitude of bitrates including newest generation DVD players.

Playing Radio Shows In Car
Tips on Listening to
Old Time Radio in Your Car

Listening to OTR on an MP3 player not yet listed?
Let us know! Please leave your comments below.

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COMMENTS

I have been using the Sansa Clip Zip since it first came out and it is still my favorite MP3 player. I bought a Sport when it came out but was disappointed because they removed the "Genre" option in music. I think all of the Sansas are great for audiobooks and radio shows. I put radio shows in the "Podcasts" folder. If I shuffle my music, it only plays the files in my "Music" folder. Some players mix podcasts in with the music. On my android phone, I got Smart Audiobook Player for books and podcasts. It also remembers my place. I use VLC for music. I was able to exclude my audiobook and podcast folders from the VLC player.

Bruce

I always enjoy my old time radio programs! I have them all loaded on a 160gb iPod so they are all together. I used to have 2 iPods carrying nothing but my shows. Can't go anywhere without them! Thanks!

Glenda

a cheap, new or refurbished smart phone for about $50. That way I avoid the clunky GUI that some many MP3 players are cursed with and be able to use it for streaming and web browsing. You can use all the features except the phone and mobile data. Yes, you can probably find a purpose built MP3 player with those features but most of the time, they will probably be Smart Phones where they disabled the phone functions in the software.

Cory

An old cell phone lying around can do the trick perfectly. You'll need to check the maximum supported microSD card, but other than that, it can be anything you want that doesn't rely on cell service. I have an old LG Stylo 3 of mine that I use as a media player - it will support a card up to 2TB in size, so I've got room for upgrading, if necessary.

Bill

Cowin and Sony make excellent players.

Michael

Sony made/makes a line of MP3 Walkman products. I like mine.

I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you very much Jon. Your timely assistance in responding to my concern about difficulty downloading/transfering is greatly appreciated. The instructions you gave me to follow were accurate and simple to follow. I am now listening to my radio shows on my nano iPOD with great pleasure, thanks to you. Be assured that your professionalism and competence is greatly appreciated. SCORE #1 for OTRCAT in CUSTOMER SERVICE. OTRCAT, I am proud to say you will have me as a customer for quite some time.

Joyce

In Europe we have a problem with new mp3-Players: The Volume-Limitation, forced by the EU. The maximum volume in most players is much too quetly for spoken words material. Do you have some recommendations?

Hans Langsteiner

I listen to mine mostly on DVD players, especially the one I have hooked up to a receiver beside my bed for just that purpose. And just occasionally on a boombox, especially if I need to take it with me to the cellar or outside while I do some work. I still love listening to radio shows as much as I did before we got a TV in the Fifties. I'm so glad they're still available to listen to.

Sue e

Years ago, I purchased many OTR mp3 CDs, and loaded them onto my (MacMini) via the CD/DVD drive, and then into iTunes for my 80Gb iPod. (How ancient is THAT?!?) But since those ancient days, I have found that 160Gb iPods are still available (Update: maybe not now - THANKS, APPULL), and purchased TWO of these iPods, but we only use one at a time... Current scenario: We download new OTR material from the OTRcat.com website, and continue to load the programs into iTunes for transfer to the 160Gb iPod. This device currently has about 60 Continuous Days of Old Time Radio. Only problem with OTRcat: The incoming OTRcat programs have ABSOLUTELY NO(!!) conformity as to the program names! I must spend some considerable time reformatting the identity of these programs into my iTunes so that they can be uploaded into the iPod with conformable names. Okay, I am officially OCD.

Dave

Thanks for what you do. I'm still working through my collection of things. I am using an SD card inside a car. I copy the MP3s to a standard SD card, and then put the SD card in my car which has an SD card reader. Car is a 2017 Audi. The built-in media system will recognize folders and names, and then I can scroll through and select which show to listen to. So it isn't a CD or transmitting, but rather the card just lives in the system. It may also work with a USB flash drive since I have that port as well, but that is more exposed and subject to breaking, versus the SD card reader which is in the glove box. I'll return to listening to shows once my commutes resume; I'm currently on the second disc of Philip Marlowe.

Greg

I've had a couple well known "brand name" portable cd/mp3 players which became non-functional fairly quickly. Both came from Amazon. Most recently I purchased an "off" brand ... "Lonpoo" player, again from Amazon. After a couple years, it continues to be totally reliable. As an aside, I play my mp3 discs on the player through an antique (1940) stand-up style radio via a "phono" connection on the back of the radio. The connection goes from the headphone jack on the player directly to the phono connection on the radio. Not all portable mp3 disc players have a headphone jack or an audio out connection that can be used to hook up to the radio. Listening to OTR on the antique radio with the old ship style radio lamp sitting on top ... a wonderful touch of nostalgia!

Rick

Here is a good option for those that use an iPhone and/or iPad. Apple offers a little known service called iTunes Match, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204146 What this service does is it scans iTunes and uploads all the MP3s you have onto iCloud, it also will copy any play lists you have created. You can use this service with Mac or Windows, just need iTunes and a Apple account with iTunes. The service will only work with iPhones and/or iPads outside your Mac or Windows PC. Once your stuff is on iCloud, open the music app on your iPhone and/or iPad and let it sync up with your iCloud account. Once that is done you will see the listings for everything that was uploaded. The service makes it seem like it will only match stuff that is on the iTunes store, but I have been using this service for years now and it is an easy way to stream and even download onto your devices. The service is $25 a year, but worth every penny. Google has something that is the same with Google Music, but I found it a lot harder to use and at the time was streaming only. I do travel to a lot of parts of my state that have zero LTE coverage, so having a fast easy way to download onto my iPhone is why i use the iTunes Match service. This is a great way to use stuff you have, and since MP3 players are starting to go away, due to more streaming and smart phones, this is something that more people should look into.

Thomas C

The Sony IC Recorder ICD-UX570 plays the OTRCAT MP3 files as well as many other formats, it can be found on several large web sites and has an extendable USB port to directly plug into computers. Simply drag the files or directories as you would a normal audio file. You can store non-audio files on it (it will not attempt to play them) to transfer to other devices.

Kermit Harrison

I am using the MP3 player in my Honda Element. I'll try the CD out in my computer. Also, I'll check the next order to see how they work as well.

Nick

I did purchase a Naxa NPB-263 portable from Walmart which I will have Friday. If your cds play properly I will purchase mre items. I have over 7700 broadcasts on cassettes but its to expensive to collect this way. I remember Radio Yesteryear charged $12 an hour in the 70's and today it runs $3.00 an hour or more. That's why I am interested in the MP3 format. I don't want walkman or i-pods , prefer a boom box or cassette player with is own speaker.

Joe

I HAD A COBY WHICH I DIDN'T LIKE... EVERYTIME YOU STOPPED IT WOULD START OVER AGAIN WITH THE FIRST ON THE LIST... I HAVE THREE PHILLIPS GO GEARS... WHICH I LOVE! I GOT THE FIRST TWO AT TARGET... BUT THEY NO LONGER SELL MP3 PLAYERS... SO I ORDERED ONE ON AMAZON AND THE BATTERY WENT OUT AFTER A MONTH... I CAN USE IT ON ELECTRICITY AT HOME. I LOVE THE FACT THAT NO MATTER HOW LONG THEY ARE OFF... THEY PICK UP RIGHT WHERE I LEFT OFF UNLIKE THE COBY.

Kloe

I have a Panasonic RX-D55 that plays MP3 Flash Drives, MP3 and regular CDs, cassette tapes (!) and FM/AM. I also have a HOTT Model CD611T portable CD player that plays MP3 and regular CDs. I recommend both of them; they are workhorses and serve me well. When hooked up to a wireless earphone, the CD611T has joined me on many, many walks.

John

I am very pleased with the " Sony MHC-EC55" that I purchased from Wal_Mart. It is a mini hi-fi component system, 3 pieces. It has very good volume and was fair priced at just under $100.

Steve

I just discovered that I can listen to my downloaded radio shows from your website. Awesome! This means I can listen to them on my Kindle, which I use more than my PC these days. I tried to download one collection onto the Kindle and it said I didn't have enough memory, so being able to listen from the website is great.

Martha

My player is a Sony CD model CFD-S070P. I love that it remembers where I left off, as long as the power source isn't interrupted. Got it on Amazon years ago.

Suzanne

I am long-time customer, listening to your on my mp3 players. I am excited to learn you now offer free option to download purchased programs. I often listen to my radio programs on my Apple iPod. Otrcat offers more, and better audio programs than do the Apple App.

Jim

I use Fiio x3 which uses micro sd cards -- works great for OTR!

Stefan

iPod classic hacked with Rockport. I don’t use iTunes which made OTR listening difficult. Nothing is better.

Doug

I use a Klantop MP3 Radio with mini sd card upgrade

Robert

I just use my phone. Made sure to get the 256gb iPhone model and it holds so, so much.

Mike

I have a cheap as chips ($25USD) Mahai bluetooth player from eBay 64Gb cards work fine. However the cheaper machines usually have crap file systems and it's very hard to navigate,This one is fine just put the programmes in a folder and then open the folder and they will be in order(hopefully). The bluetooth works fine, but the range is rubbish (shirt pocket , rather than back trouser pocket). I have a HIRes FLAC and DSD player and to be fair it's ok with a 128GB card, but the file navigation isn't great either. The sounds is outstanding I think 24bit WAVE is about the nicest though the DSD512 is pretty smart too. But for speech and all and any variable bit rate MP3 the wee cheapo one is fine/ Most OTR has a limited frequency range anyway to bluetooth isn;t going to be a constraining feature. but with DSD the bass resolution and clarity is astonishing, it's the first time my very clever headphones have had to sweat for a long time. And as an experiment just tried a 128GB card in it, and it works fine

Leslie

Thank you so much. By the way, I have a friend who is trying to find an MP3 player that plays the OTR CDs successfully. I have an 'oldie but goodie' Panasonic from the last century (God, that sounds OLD), that plays them all, but apparently not all of the newer players deal well with compressed mp3 files. Any advice you could give would be helpful. Thanks for maintaining the Old Time Radio site. I think we all can benefit from 'the theater of the mind', listening to radio shows and using ones imagination to fill in the actors, landscapes and scenery. Keeps the mind active. This mind exercise seems to be lost on the 'now generation'.

Rick

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Recommended MP3 Players for Old Time Radio | OTR MP3 Player Reviews

WHERE TO BUY A MP3 PLAYER:

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