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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →TechRadar’s audio editor Becky Scarrott selected six audio deals in a roundup published on 6 October 2026. The list includes portable USB DACs, wired IEMs and a desktop DAC/headphone amplifier; it is not a like-for-like ranking, and the published prices may no longer be available. Check your local retailer’s current price and stock before buying.
The offers below are the figures TechRadar reported on 6 October 2026, not confirmed live prices. Its roundup links to UK and US retailers, so currencies and destinations are kept separate. TechRadar also discloses that it may earn an affiliate commission when readers buy through its links.
At a glance: six different audio upgrades
| Product | Role in the roundup | Reported offer |
|---|---|---|
| Astell & Kern AK HC3 | Portable DAC with a microphone, presented for gamers | Amazon UK: £99, down from £199; TechRadar labeled it 50% off. |
| Activo Scoop | Wired IEMs; each earpiece has five drivers | Amazon UK: £79, down from £99. |
| Astell & Kern HB1 | Pocketable DAC with USB-C, Lightning and Bluetooth connections | TechRadar prose: £149, down from £199. Its product card points to B&H Photo and shows $284. |
| Astell & Kern AK HC4 | Small portable DAC | Amazon UK: £149, down from £219; TechRadar labeled it 32% off. |
| iFi GO Bar Kensei | Portable DAC | Best Buy: $449 under a “Coupons” label; no previous price was given. |
| Fosi Audio K5 Pro DAC Amp/Headphone Amplifier | Desktop DAC and headphone amplifier for gaming, streaming and PC or console audio | TechRadar prose: under £65, down from £80. Amazon product card: $63.99, down from $79.99. |
Which deal fits your listening setup?
For wired IEMs you already own
The AK HC3 and AK HC4 are the roundup’s portable DAC options for listeners seeking a way to upgrade a wired setup. TechRadar describes the HC3 as a DAC with a microphone for gamers; it identifies the HC4 as a small DAC and quotes a review praising its core digital-to-analogue conversion function. The article does not provide a comparative test showing which sounds better, so choose based on your needs and the retailer’s current price rather than treating the listed discounts as a performance ranking.
For a new pair of wired earphones
The Activo Scoop is the list’s earphone option, rather than a DAC for headphones you already own. TechRadar identifies it as wired IEMs from Astell & Kern’s more affordable Activo sub-brand and says each earpiece has five drivers.
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- Multi-functional CD Player: 1.Desktop CD Player, 2.Bluetooth 5.0 HiFi Speaker, 3. FM Radio, 4.TF card Music Player, 5.USB Flash Drive Player, 6. 3.5mm Audio Player. Support CD,CD-R,CD-RW,MP3,WMA.
- Dual Mode Bluetooth CD Player: It's a Bluetooth transmitter and receiver. Built-in dual Hi-Fi Bluetooth speakers, which can be connected with Bluetooth-enabled devices such as mobile phone or tablet. It will work as a wired speaker. As Bluetooth transmitter, it can be connect with your Bluetooth earphone or speaker.
- Desktop Design & Designed with a clear display screen: Desktop design with update also can as a Bluetooth transmitter, one plays all multiple functions of remote control. Easy to stand on the desk without Assembly or other support. Built-in LCD display shows track number, play time, and mode – always keep your music in view.
- Wired Speaker: Connect the CD player to other external wired devices such as mobile, tablet or laptop via 3.5mm male-to-male audio cable, it will work as a wired speaker. (Notice: Remote control does not included batteries)
- Great Gift: This Gueray CD Player is a perfect gifts for everyone. It supports remote control within 5 meters, A-B repeat, suitable for language learning, prenatal education / antenatal training, early education, FM radio broadcast.
For flexible wired and wireless connections
The HB1 is the only product in the roundup specifically described as supporting both wired and wireless connections. TechRadar says it can connect by USB-C or Lightning using the included USB-C-to-USB-C and USB-C-to-Lightning cables, or wirelessly over Bluetooth. Its two quoted prices refer to different retailer and regional references: £149 in the article prose and $284 on the B&H Photo card. They should not be treated as equivalent or universal prices.
For a portable DAC with a Best Buy listing
The iFi GO Bar Kensei is described as a portable DAC, with a Best Buy listing at $449 under a “Coupons” label. TechRadar does not state a previous price for comparison, so the figure alone does not establish a discount amount.
Rank #2
- Multi-functional CD Player: 1.Desktop CD Player, 2.Bluetooth 5.0 HiFi Speaker, 3. FM Radio, 4.TF card Music Player, 5.USB Flash Drive Player, 6. 3.5mm Audio Player. Support CD,CD-R,CD-RW,MP3,WMA.
- Dual Mode Bluetooth CD Player: It's a Bluetooth transmitter and receiver. Built-in dual Hi-Fi Bluetooth speakers, which can be connected with Bluetooth-enabled devices such as mobile phone or tablet. It will work as a wired speaker. As Bluetooth transmitter, it can be connect with your Bluetooth earphone or speaker.
- Desktop Design & Designed with a clear display screen: Desktop design with update also can as a Bluetooth transmitter, one plays all multiple functions of remote control. Easy to stand on the desk without Assembly or other support. Built-in LCD display shows track number, play time, and mode – always keep your music in view.
- Wired Speaker: Connect the CD player to other external wired devices such as mobile, tablet or laptop via 3.5mm male-to-male audio cable, it will work as a wired speaker. (Notice: Remote control does not included batteries)
- Great Gift: This Gueray CD Player is a perfect gifts for everyone. It supports remote control within 5 meters, A-B repeat, suitable for language learning, prenatal education / antenatal training, early education, FM radio broadcast.
For a desk, gaming PC or console
The Fosi Audio K5 Pro is the outlier: it is a desktop DAC and headphone amplifier, not a pocketable portable DAC. TechRadar frames it for gaming, streaming and PC or console audio. The roundup gives an under-£65 offer in its prose and a separate Amazon-card figure in dollars; check the relevant regional listing for the price that applies to you.
What to check before buying
- Confirm the live offer. The deals were reported on 6 October 2026. Sale pricing, stock and retailer destinations can change; the article does not establish that any offer remains active.
- Check region and currency. UK-pound prices and US-dollar card prices appear in the same roundup. Confirm the local listing, delivery costs and final checkout total rather than comparing the amounts as if they were from one market.
- Match the product type to your use. The Scoop is a set of wired IEMs; the AK HC3, HB1, HC4 and GO Bar Kensei are presented in portable DAC contexts; the K5 Pro is a desktop DAC/amp.
- Verify the connection you need. The roundup specifically describes USB-C, Lightning and Bluetooth support for the HB1. It does not give equivalent connection details for every product.
How to interpret the roundup
TechRadar’s six picks cover different categories rather than six directly comparable portable DACs. The article does not report a systematic head-to-head sound test, measured performance comparison or lowest-ever price history. Its discount figures are the publication’s reported deal prices, not independent market statistics. Treat them as a shortlist for checking retailer listings, not proof that one product is objectively best or that a displayed saving is the best available.
Rank #3
- 【High Resolution Music Player】The player uses a 2.8-inch display with a resolution of 480*640 and high color saturation, which can intuitively display music, song titles, lyrics, and a full touch LCD display, making it easy to operate the music player and ensuring durability and stability.
- 【High Resolution Music Player】The player uses a 2.8-inch display with a resolution of 480*640 and high color saturation, which can intuitively display music, song titles, lyrics, and a full touch LCD display, making it easy to operate the music player and ensuring durability and stability.
- 【HIFI Lossless Sound Quality】The lossless music player supports native hard DSD512 playback, effectively restores the real scene, supports all mainstream lossless music formats: MP3, WAV, APE, FLAC, AAC, ALAC, DSF, DFF, ISO, DTS, etc., supports all mainstream lossless video formats: AVI, MKV, RMVB, MP4, MPG, MOV, etc. No matter where you listen, it can provide high-resolution audio.
- 【Two-way Bluetooth MP3 Player】The high-resolution music player has Bluetooth V4.1 function, which can be used as a Bluetooth audio source and a professional Bluetooth decoding amplifier. It supports LDAC, SBC and AAC high-quality lossless transmission, can quickly pair and stably connect headphones, and supports wireless network connection, you can download APP and listen to music and video playback online.
- 【Customized Playlist】Different from other HIFI players, Oilsky HIFI player can create your own playlist, and the arrangement is very simple and convenient. You can sort by adding time, file name, first letter, and year. Songs can be sorted by album, style, folder, year, sampling rate, and format. You can create a playlist that belongs to your style.
Source: TechRadar’s roundup, published 6 October 2026.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Multi-functional CD Player: 1.Desktop CD Player, 2.Bluetooth 5.0 HiFi Speaker, 3. FM Radio, 4.TF card Music Player, 5.USB Flash Drive Player, 6. 3.5mm Audio Player. Support CD,CD-R,CD-RW,MP3,WMA.
- Dual Mode Bluetooth CD Player: It's a Bluetooth transmitter and receiver. Built-in dual Hi-Fi Bluetooth speakers, which can be connected with Bluetooth-enabled devices such as mobile phone or tablet. It will work as a wired speaker. As Bluetooth transmitter, it can be connect with your Bluetooth earphone or speaker.
- Desktop Design & Designed with a clear display screen: Desktop design with update also can as a Bluetooth transmitter, one plays all multiple functions of remote control. Easy to stand on the desk without Assembly or other support. Built-in LCD display shows track number, play time, and mode – always keep your music in view.
- Wired Speaker: Connect the CD player to other external wired devices such as mobile, tablet or laptop via 3.5mm male-to-male audio cable, it will work as a wired speaker. (Notice: Remote control does not included batteries)
- Great Gift: This Gueray CD Player is a perfect gifts for everyone. It supports remote control within 5 meters, A-B repeat, suitable for language learning, prenatal education / antenatal training, early education, FM radio broadcast.
Rank #4
- 1.[HiFi Lossless Sound with ESS DAC] Surfans F20 DAP is built with an ESS ES9018K2M DAC for clear, detailed high-resolution audio. It supports 32-bit/384kHz decoding, native DSD128, FLAC, WAV, APE, WMA, MP3 and more, giving you a portable HiFi MP3 player for serious offline music listening.
- 2.[Bluetooth 5.2, Headphone Out & Line-Out] Enjoy flexible listening with Bluetooth 5.2 for compatible wireless headphones and speakers, or connect wired earphones through the 3.5mm headphone output. The dedicated 1.5V line-out also lets you connect this digital audio player to car AUX inputs, home audio systems or external amplifiers.
- 3.[64GB Card Included, Expandable to 512GB] The F20 portable music player includes a 64GB micro SD card, so you can start building your music library right away. It supports expandable storage up to 512GB, making it ideal for large FLAC, DSD and lossless audio collections without relying on WiFi, apps or streaming subscriptions.
- 4.[Up to 10 Hours Playback for Daily Use] With up to 10 hours of music playback, the Surfans F20 is made for commuting, travel, walking, office use and daily offline listening. Its compact size makes it easy to carry as a dedicated Hi-Res portable music DAP wherever you go.
- 5.[Easy Physical Controls & Reliable Support] The F20 HiFi MP3 player features an ALPS scroll wheel and physical buttons for simple volume, playback and menu control. Folder-based browsing makes it easy to manage large music libraries, and Surfans customer support is ready to help if you have any questions.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
