Five examples of the best new audio tech for one, spanning from a 1980s-infused portable record player to earbuds promising lossless audio over Bluetooth, and a new Walkman – the greatest name mobile music has ever known. 

New audio tech for one

1. Sony Walkman NW-A306

(Image credit: Sony)

Sony has doggedly stuck to its guns with its Walkman range, persisting for four decades with personal music players that have tackled first tapes, then DATs, MiniDiscs, CDs, and finally mp3s (with an ill-advised diversion into the company’s proprietary ATRAC3 digital format). The company’s newest offering is the Walkman NW-A306, a pocketable device designed to cater to those who still have a wealth of digital music backed up on a hard drive, rather than relying solely on streaming services. Combining Sony’s impressive build quality with both physical buttons and a touchscreen (running Android), the NW-A306 doubles up a WiFi-equipped browser. Music fans will be heartened to hear that the unit goes above and beyond and can play back a swathe of different hi-res music formats, with a promised battery life of up to 36 hours. 

Sony Walkman NW-A306, £350, Sony.co.uk

2. NuraTrue Pro earbuds

(Image credit: Nura)

Nura’s innovative approach to in-ear audio shook up the headphone and earbud industry when the company debuted in 2020. From the original over-ear headphones to the excellent NuraLoop, the company’s products combine adaptive active noise-cancelling with a personalisation algorithm that tunes each pair to your unique hearing characteristics. The latest set to arrive is the NuraTrue Pro, described as the first earbuds to bring lossless audio over Bluetooth, together with the much-vaunted spatial audio system. 

3. FiiO M11S portable audio player