Mechen M3 evaluate: A jack of all trades digital audio participant however a grasp at none

Mechen M3: Three-minute evaluate

The Mechen M3 seems to be feature-rich on the floor however when it comes all the way down to it, it is not essentially the most gifted of music gamers. Because of this, it’s exhausting to keep away from the sensation that Mechen’s engineers had been so preoccupied with whether or not they may do sure issues, that they didn’t cease to assume if they need to.

Mechen is a Chinese tech firm that sells a small vary of MP3 gamers. If you’ve seen one in all them, it’s in all probability since you’ve discovered it listed on Amazon alongside a small military of comparable low-cost Chinese MP3 gamers.

Most of the most effective low-cost MP3 gamers deal with nailing one space: perhaps they’ve bought nice file help for music tracks, or they’ve a light-weight and easily-portable design, or they’ve a great deal of house for music. Mechen’s angle is to go for breadth as an alternative of depth: it’s not simply an MP3 participant however a transportable video participant, a mini eReader, somewhat recording gadget and extra.

However, to return to that Jurassic Park quote from the opening, Mechen has seemingly stuffed in plenty of these options with out ensuring that they’re price together with within the first place.

File format help for each video and e-book performance is extremely restricted, lacking out on many of the customary information you’ll in all probability have in your library – after which, in the event you spend ages poring over a file converter to remodel your library right into a suitable one, you’ll nonetheless be viewing these movies or pages on a completely tiny show.

Similarly the touch-screen is a neat function in an MP3 participant this low-cost, however the interface doesn’t appear to have been designed with a touch-screen in thoughts. Navigation past the primary menu is annoying and exhausting, and in my testing I usually simply gave up and began listening to no matter music was already in entrance of me.

That’s to not say that the Mechen M3 is garbage. It can file your voice and likewise audio from a tool related by way of the three.5mm jack, which might be actually helpful in sure conditions. It additionally has a design that’s surprisingly premium-feeling for its value.

And on the finish of the day, that is an extremely low-cost MP3 participant that… effectively, performs MP3s. So if that’s all you want, it’s match for goal – it’s only a disgrace about all of the failed makes an attempt at making it greater than that to compete with the finest MP3 gamers.

Mechen M3 evaluate: Price and launch date

• Costs $39.99 / £29.99 / AU$59.99
• Available since January 2024

The Mechen M3 is positioned on the low finish of the MP3 participant value scale: you’ll be able to choose it up for $39.99 / £29.99 / AU$59.99, and sometimes for between 10%-25% much less due to frequent gross sales on Amazon.

At that value, you’re in all probability discovering this MP3 listed alongside numerous comparable reasonably priced MP3 gamers, all with comparable function units and specs.

It’s a comparatively new MP3 participant, having solely been listed on Amazon from early January, so it’s somewhat extra up-to-date than some rival gadgets which keep listed on the location for years.

Mechen M3 evaluate: Features

• 64GB reminiscence, expandable to 128GB
• Offers video playback, eReader, FM radio, photos and extra…
• …however solely choose file codecs, which hampers performance

There are a completely huge variety of options supplied by the Mechen MP3, together with some that’ll have very explicit makes use of for savvy customers.

For starters, this ‘MP3 participant’ allows you to view a variety of different file sorts past MP3s, and past audio ones basically. From the homepage you’ll be able to see choices for music, video, radio, pictures and extra.

Let’s begin with the radio: in the event you’re utilizing wired headphones, you’ll be able to tune into FM radio and even file stay radio onto the Mechen. Why wired headphones? Well it’s as a result of they act as an antennae, so that you received’t be capable of use Bluetooth connectivity for the radio.

The Mechen affords the flexibility so that you can watch movies you’ve uploaded… with the large caveat that they should be AVI or AMV file sorts. That means the commonest file codecs like MP4, MOV, FLV and WMV are all out the window. I discovered an AVI file to check, however for some purpose it nonetheless wouldn’t play on the gadget.

This identical difficulty impacts the eReader performance. Almost all of the requirements are out: no PDF, no EPUB, no CBR, no MOBI, clearly not one of the Kindle file codecs. Instead, all you’ll be able to learn is TXT information, like what Notepad creates – my prolonged eReader library options precisely none of this sort of file.

Mechen has additionally put in a voice recorder into its M3, so you’ll be able to go away your self voice notes or file conferences, but it surely’s expanded that in a neat means. If you join a music-playing gadget to the Mechen by way of a 3.5mm – 3.5mm audio cable, you’ll be able to file from that different gadget straight onto the Mechen.

In idea that’s nice, although as all the time there are some kinks. If you’re recording set audio, you’ll want to manually be certain that it’s synced up. Plugging the Mechen to your gadget overrides the audio-out so, in the event you’re making an attempt to file a name, you received’t really be capable of hear what the opposite individual is saying. Plus, there are many authorized questions that’ll rely in your area and app; for instance, Spotify bans the recording of songs on this method.

What’s left on the homepage? There are stopwatch, calendar, alarm and theme-toggling choices which all do what you’d anticipate.

The Mechen has Bluetooth performance, so you’ll be able to join it to audio system, headphones or earbuds in the event you’d reasonably use them than wired audio. Curiously Mechen’s web site lists the gadget as supporting Bluetooth 5.0 however Amazon bumps that to Bluetooth 5.3.

By default there’s 64GB on-board storage on the Mechen, which is an honest quantity for the value. Using a microSD card you’ll be able to bump that up by 128GB storage, which permits for a great deal of music, video or textual content information.

In phrases of battery life, Mechen typically states 500mAh with out giving a determine on how a lot leisure this really is; that’s as a result of it’ll depend upon what sort of format you’re utilizing. I managed to get by way of many hours of music streaming with out the battery dropping a lot, however battery use will enhance quite a bit in the event you’re primarily taking a look at movies or studying with the show all the time on.

• Features rating: 2.5/5

Mechen M3 evaluate: Sound high quality

• Neutral sound although with some peaking
• In-box headphones aren’t nice

The M3 performs a number of completely different file codecs together with MP3, WAV, FMA and FLAC, all fairly customary choices. There’s no on-board equalizer so that you’re going to should take heed to what you get.

Your sound will principally depend upon which headphones you determine to make use of alongside the Mechen M3; as a phrase of recommendation I’d inform you to keep away from utilizing the in-box ones as a result of they sound completely horrible. The M3 additionally has a built-in speaker however this sounds even worse – don’t use it!

Generally talking, the Mechen M3’s sound is pretty impartial. It tends ever so barely in direction of treble over bass, however not a lot that it’ll annoy anybody with explicit tastes.

I did discover some peaking throughout the board, and on headphones that basically shouldn’t be exhibiting it, so I think about audiophiles received’t be impressed by the audio capabilities of the M3.

• Sound high quality rating: 3/5

Mechen M3 evaluate: Design

• Small physique however heavy
• Premium design with glass physique
• Five completely different colour choices

The Mechen M3 is kind of small as MP3 gamers go – this isn’t an enormous smartphone-replacement that’ll burn a gap in your pocket. It’s simply 1 cm thick, 5 cm in width and  7cm tall, which makes it roughly one third the scale of my smartphone.

I’ve felt lighter MP3 gamers although. It ideas the scales to the tune of 87g, partially due to its glass and steel construct which feels fairly premium for a low-cost gadget like this. While glass tech devices is usually a little fragile, a silicon case included within the field will let the gadget survive a drop or two.

The earlier comparability to a smartphone stands for many the gadget’s design: it has a small display on the entrance with a reasonably thick bezel and chin, a quantity rocker and energy button on the appropriate edge above the USB-C port, a microSD card slot on the left edge and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the underside. Squint, and that is mainly a smartphone.

That show is 2.4-inches throughout diagonally, with a decision of 240 x 320, and in contrast to many same-price rivals it’s a contact display. It’s not particularly shiny, but it surely’s match for goal in the event you’re not utilizing it in direct daylight.

Mechen affords 5 colour choices for the M3: black (as you’ll be able to see within the evaluate photos), mild blue, pink, purple and pink. There’s no distinction in these gadgets past the colour.

While the premium-looking design units the Mechen 64GB aside from some similar-priced rivals, the dearth of portability consideration like a niche for a strap or lanyard, or a holding clip, does make the gadget somewhat awkward to hold round. It’s sufficiently small to completely disappear in your pocket in spite of everything!

• Design rating: 4/5

Mechen M3 evaluate: Usability and setup

• Plugs into PC with USB-C cable
• Main menu is straightforward to navigate…
• …however additional menus aren’t

The Mechen is fairly straightforward to arrange, however when importing your information, you’ll must ensure you have your library so as.

That’s as a result of if you plug the gadget into your PC, you’ll want to add several types of file into completely different areas: eBooks wanted to be added to 1 folder, music to a different, photos to a 3rd and movies to a fourth. You can’t simply drag and drop your whole library into one space and anticipate it to work. It’s not a very advanced job, you simply want to ensure your library isn’t one huge listing of all the varied file codecs.

Initially, navigating the M3 is a breeze. Basically every thing you want is housed in one in all two menu screens, which you’ll be able to swipe between like essentially the most barebones smartphone on the earth. Everything is clearly labelled and straightforward to search out.

It’s if you get into lengthy menus of tracks that issues is usually a little difficult. Arrows on the backside allow you to transfer one choice ahead or backward, however in the event you’ve bought lots of of artists to sift by way of, that would take some time. Swiping up and down generally jumps by way of pages, however generally simply didn’t do something.

If I’ve one other one small gripe, it’s that generally the choices is usually a little small; I’ve bought fairly average-sized arms and I usually mis-clicked and chosen a distinct choice than I supposed to.

• Usability & setup rating: 3/5

Mechen M3 evaluate: Value

• Best thought-about solely as MP3 participant
• Design feels very premium

Whether you’re simply in search of an MP3 participant, or an all-in-one mini leisure gadget, the Menchen MP3 affords you nice worth for cash.

Despite being very low-cost, the Mechen doesn’t really feel like a cheesy Amazon-filler; it has a formidable variety of options for a tool so reasonably priced.

• Value rating: 4.5/5

Should I purchase the Mechen M3?

Buy it if…

Don’t purchase it if…

Mechen M3 evaluate: Also take into account

How I examined the Mechen M3

• Three-week testing interval
• Pop, rock, classical and spoken phrase music examined
• Used at residence, in workplace and on walks

I examined the Mechen M3 alongside a number of different MP3 gamers, and it was the final I reviewed, so it loved a three-week testing interval.

For the vast majority of the testing time, I used the Mechen M3’s in-box headphones and likewise the Sony WH-1000XM3s (by way of Bluetooth and wired). Most of the testing was achieved listening to music, with a variety of genres examined, however I additionally tried listening to the radio, recording audio from my cellphone, watching movies and studying eBooks. Not all of those options labored as a result of file format points.

As said I examined the Mechen alongside a few of its rival and I’ve a five-year historical past of testing varied devices for TechRadar.

• First reviewed May 2024
• Read TechRadar’s critiques assure