I tested this super cheap MP3 player for a month, and I

Oakcastle MP300: two-minute review

Okay, I’ll confess: this Oakcastle MP300 review wasn’t supposed to take a month. I thought this very inexpensive MP3 player would be a quick review style where I would listen to a few tunes and take it on a trip, but it ended up being a very useful addition to my audio setup. Good for that, less good for my deadlines.

It’s the kind of budget-friendly music player that a serious music fan would probably ignore – does anyone other than user-friendly Chinese brands make this kind of technology? Apparently so, in fact it is, but if I may humbly request that we stop this train of thought right now: it’s not a good deal.

Oakcastle is a sub-brand of Majority, a brand that audio fans know all too well. So, before we get into the details of its pros and cons, you have one immediate advantage over most budget MP3 players online: you know that this one comes from a known and reliable audio specialist, with a reputation to uphold – and stand behind that, the MP300 does.

I’m not going to pretend that this is the best MP3 player for everyone: it has limited file support, feels quite cheap in the hand, and offers only a fraction of the features that a more expensive option would have.

But it’s its simplicity that’s important: it’s a charming little digital detox machine that doesn’t make you pay for fancy extras you might not need. It’s not a distraction machine that will suck you into a WhatsApp wormhole when you just try to put on a song, and its playlists aren’t so algorithmic that you only hear the same eight songs on repeat.

The MP300 became my go-to for a month because I plugged it into my bookshelf speakers via aux and just left it there. Whenever I wanted music, I could easily open my library and start playing my songs. And I mean My songs – no streaming music here, this is a device for people who have their own music, but don’t need to hear it lossless.

There are other benefits that custom MP3 players bring to using smartphones for music, and the fact that the Oakcastle is so cheap means you can enjoy them without breaking the bank. Seniors will love it for its simplicity, and it’s something kids can use to listen to music without setting them up for future technology dependence.

You can use a device like this at night, to apply soothing Elgar, without notification or interruption from your relaxing sleepiness. MP3 players also make nice little running devices, freeing you from your smartphone when you put on your trainers, although something like the very small Majority MP3 with its nifty clip might be better for this.

As I said, it’s not for everyone: if you don’t need a standalone music playback device, or if, conversely, you want one that’s advanced and full of features, this isn’t for you – you’ll have to look to more expensive options from Astell & Kern or FiiO. But there has to be a happy medium between the camps that like it. I certainly really like the MP300.

Oakcastle MP300 review: Price and release date

• Released in February 2026
• Listed for £31.95 (around $40, AU$60)
• On sale in the UK, possibly Australia, probably not in the US

The Oakcastle MP300 was released on February 18, 2026, alongside the similarly priced MP250 model which features a sport clip and simplified controls.

Online, the MP300 is officially listed at £31.95 (around $40, AU$60), although in testing I’ve generally seen it for a few pounds less. Not a huge amount – you wouldn’t buy a pint for the difference, even outside London – but enough to suggest this thing is rarely RRP.

Oakcastle, like Majority, generally does not sell its products in the United States, so don’t expect availability there. Some of the brand’s gadgets are sold in Australia, but at the time of writing the MP300 was not available.

Oakcastle MP300 Review: Specifications

Oakcastle MP300 review: Features

• Battery life of 50 hours
• Customized and simple user interface
• 64 GB of storage, up to 128 GB more via microSD

The Oakcastle MP300 runs on a simple operating system, which feels like a glorified media library. You can see what’s playing, browse your general music library, create playlists, and set up Bluetooth connections.

It offers a stopwatch and calendar (with no way to enter dates), but the point of this thing is clearly music. Button navigation isn’t particularly quick and unfortunately there’s no music search option (that I could find).

You get a battery life that Majority claims is up to 50 hours on a single charge. This seems to match what I found: it’s certainly long enough that you don’t have to worry about charging frequently.

The MP300 has 64GB of built-in storage, which is plenty if you use MP3. My library was in WAV format and didn’t fit initially, so I had to convert it to fit. Expandable storage gives you up to an extra 128GB, and you can be sure I got the most out of it.

Moving my library to Oakcastle was simple: I plugged it into a computer and dragged and dropped the files into its folder. It wasn’t a perfect conversion: many album covers weren’t extracted, and on the device the songs are all labeled as .mp3. But overall it was pretty simple and worked well.

• Features rating: 3.5/5

Oakcastle MP300 review: Design

• Nine buttons plus screen
• Lightweight, but a bit cheap
• No IP rating

I almost thought the Oakcastle MP300 was a feature phone when I first saw it: it has a similar design, with buttons below the screen and ports at the bottom. But it’s much lighter than a phone, at 53g – chances are your earphone case will tip the scales more than that.

The MP300 is also smaller, at 50 x 101 x 9.5mm, allowing me to put it in my pocket without feeling like a second smartphone. At the bottom is a USB-C port for charging and data connection, as well as a 3.5mm jack. The right side has a microSD card slot, which is a nice addition.

Despite being compact, the Oakcastle still feels a bit hollow – it gives a bit when you squeeze it, making it feel a bit flimsy and cheap. That said, the textured plastic back makes it feel a little more premium than some of the cheap MP3 players you might find online.

The accusations of “cheapness” become more valid when you move on to the buttons, however. They’re not as sensitive or responsive as one might hope, which slowed my navigation through the player and constantly reminded me of the lack of money spent.

If you’re a pool music listener, I should warn you that there is no official IP rating – try to avoid getting it wet or dusty.

• Design rating: 3.5/5

Oakcastle MP300 review: sound quality

• Supports MP3, FLAC, WAV
• No built-in equalizer
• No Hi-Res Bluetooth codec support

The MP300 supports three file types: MP3, FLAC and WAV. Naturally, your sound quality will vary depending on which one you choose; I tested all three for scientific purposes, but for general use I had to use the MP3 just to get all my music through the speaker.

There’s no built-in equalizer, so you’re better off loving your music as it comes – or, more precisely, your headphones as they come. At least you can use a wired connection to hear, not just via Bluetooth 5.0 (only your basic “vanilla” SBC streaming is supported, as far as I know), although I appreciated having the option to go wireless.

Let’s be honest: This isn’t an MP3 player you buy if sound quality is your biggest concern. There are much more expensive options that offer additional built-in DACs to improve audio level, streaming over Wi-Fi, and high-resolution Bluetooth codec support. So the fact that the sound of this thing is pretty basic is an integral part of the MP300.

There’s a built-in speaker here, but it’s quiet and doesn’t really sound amazing. For me, it was sometimes just a reminder that I’d forgotten to connect to a speaker, rather than a serious way to listen to music.

• Sound quality: 3/5

Oakcastle MP300 Review: Value

• It is Really cheap
• Worth buying over questionable alternatives

Of course, the Oakcastle MP300 offers good value for money; you pay pennies to get a music device on the go.

Sure, it doesn’t have many features among the flashy alternatives, but it does have storage capabilities and a headphone jack: what more do you need? Thanks to the latter, it’s probably better than your smartphone for listening to music, let’s be honest.

Since Oakcastle is a trusted brand, I would feel safer giving my money to this company, rather than one of the even cheaper alternatives you’ll find online.

• Value: 5/5

Should I buy the Oakcastle MP300?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Oakcastle MP300 review: Also consider

Drag to scroll horizontally

Header Cell – Column 0	Oakcastle MP300	majority MP3	FiiO JM21
Battery life	50 hours	34 hours	12 hours
Weight	53g	33g	156g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm, USB-C	Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm, USB-C	Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm, 4.4mm, USB-C
Waterproofing	N / A	N / A	IPX5
Storage	64 GB	16 GB	32 GB
Stretchable	128 GB	128 GB	2 TB

How I tested the Oakcastle MP300

• Tested for a month
• Tested on various speakers and headphones via aux and BlueTooth

I used the Oakcastle MP300 for a full month before writing this review. I started testing by loading it with my music library, first in WAV then in MP3. This collection includes a wide range of genres, with around 3,000 titles in total.

Throughout the month, I used the MP300 with a range of devices. I connected them to the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro and the Edifier M90 via Bluetooth, and via aux I used the Edifiers, my Sony headphones and my Line 6 guitar amplifier.

I’ve been reviewing audio technology for TechRadar for years, including several other budget MP3 players and many other mainstream gadgets.

• First revision in March 2026

• Read TechRadar Reviews Guarantee

Tom Bedford is an independent contributor to technology, entertainment and gaming. Beyond TechRadar, he has signed on to sites such as GamesRadar, Digital Trends, WhattoWatch and BGR. From 2019 to 2022, he was part of the TechRadar team as an editor and then deputy editor of the mobile team.

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