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Oakcastle MP300: A two-minute review
Okay, I’ll answer: this Oakcastle MP300 review wasn’t meant to take a month. I thought this super cheap MP3 player would be a quick pop in and out review style where I could listen to a few songs and take it on a trip, but it ended up being a really useful addition to my audio setup. Good for it, not so good for my last days.
This is the kind of budget music player that the serious music fan might overlook – does anyone other than budget-friendly Chinese brands make this kind of technology? Obviously yes, they do, but if I may humbly ask that we stop that train of thought right now: this is not just any barrel purchase.
Oakcastle is a sub-genre of Majority, a brand audio fans know well about. So before we get into any of its pros and cons, you’ve got a quick advantage over most budget MP3 players on the Internet: you know this one is from a well-known and trusted audio expert, with a reputation to uphold — and to top it off, the MP300 does.
I won’t pretend that this is the best MP3 player for everyone: it has limited file support, feels cheap in the hand, and offers only a fraction of the features that a more affordable option would.
But its simplicity is the point: this is a lovely 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 try to install a song, and the playlist is so non-algorithmic that you only hear the same eight songs.
The MP300 was my go-to for the month because I connected it to my bookshelf speakers via aux, then left it there. Whenever I wanted music, I would simply open my library and start playing my songs. And I mean it mine songs — no music is broadcast here, this is a tool for people who own their music, but don’t want to hear it played losslessly.
There are other benefits that come with MP3 players using smartphones for music, and the Oakcastle being cheap means you can enjoy it without breaking the bank. Adults will love it for its simplicity, and it’s something that kids can use to enjoy songs without setting themselves up for technology addiction in the future.
You can use an instrument like this at night, to put on a soothing Elgar, without a note or two to lull your restful slumber. MP3 players are also handy little devices, freeing you up from your smartphone if you’re lacing up your trainers, although something like an oversized MP3 player with a nifty clip might be better for that.
As I say, it’s not for everyone: if you don’t need a gaming device alone, or on the contrary you want the most advanced and full of features, this is not for you — you’ll need to look at the price options from Astell & Kern or FiiO. But there has to be a sweet spot between those camps that they value. I really like the MP300.
Oakcastle MP300 review: Price and release date
- Released in February 2026
- Listed at £31.95 (approx $40, AU$60)
- Sold in UK, maybe Aus, maybe not US
The Oakcastle MP300 was released on February 18, 2026, alongside the similarly priced MP250 model with a sporty clip and simplified controls.
Online, the MP300 is officially listed at £31.95 (about $40, AU$60), although during testing I often saw it for a few pounds less. Not by a huge amount – you wouldn’t buy a pint with the difference, even outside of London – but enough to suggest that this item is rarely on the RRP.
Oakcastle, like Majority, does not generally sell its products in the US, so don’t expect to find them 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
|
Battery life |
50 hours |
|
Weight |
it’s 53g |
|
Communication |
Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm, USB-C |
|
Waterproofing |
NA |
|
Storage |
64GB |
|
Does it stretch? |
Up to 128GB |
Oakcastle MP300 Review: Features
- 50 hour battery life
- Custom, simple user interface
- 64GB storage, up to 128GB more via microSD
The Oakcastle MP300 uses a simple operating system, which feels like a glorified media library. You can see what’s playing right now, browse your standard music library, create playlists and set up a Bluetooth connection.
It offers a stopwatch and a calendar (without a way to enter dates), but the point of this thing is the obvious music. Navigating with the buttons isn’t particularly fast, and unfortunately there’s no music search option (that I could find).
You get a battery life that, according to Majority, reaches 50 hours on a single charge. That seems consistent with what I’ve found – it’s definitely long enough that you don’t need to worry about charging it often.
The MP300 has 64GB of built-in storage, which is plenty if you’re using MP3. My library was in WAV and didn’t fit in the original, so I had to convert it to fit. Expandable storage adds up to 128GB, and you can be sure I’ve made the most of it.
Moving my library to Oakcastle was easy: I connected it to a computer and dragged and dropped files into its folder. It wasn’t a complete conversion: most of the album artwork wasn’t downloaded, and on the device, all the songs were labeled as .mp3. But overall, it was simple and efficient.
Oakcastle MP300 Review: Design
A photo 1 of 3
- Nine buttons and a screen
- Lightweight, but somewhat cheap feeling
- There is no IP rating
I almost thought the Oakcastle MP300 was a feature phone when I first saw it: it has the same design, with buttons below the screen and holes at the bottom. But it’s much lighter than a phone, at 53g – chances are your earbuds’ case will tip the scales at more than that.
The MP300 is also small, at 50 x 101 x 9.5mm, so I can fit it in my pocket without it 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 hollow – it gives a little when you squeeze it, making it feel flimsy and cheap. That being said, the molded plastic makes it feel more premium than some of the lower quality MP3 players you can find on the line.
Allegations of ‘cheapness’ have a solid foundation when you move on to buttons. They aren’t as sensitive or responsive as you’d hope, slowing down my player navigation and constantly reminding me of the lack of money spent.
If you are a pool music listener, I must warn you that there is no official IP rating — try to avoid getting it wet or dusty.
Oakcastle MP300 review: Sound quality
- Supports MP3, FLAC, WAV
- There is no equalizer on board
- There is no advanced Bluetooth codec support
MP300 supports three file types: MP3, FLAC and WAV. Naturally your sound level will vary depending on what you choose; I tested all three for scientific purposes, but for general use, I had to use an MP3 just to balance all my music on the speaker.
There’s no equalizer on board, so you’d better like your music the way it sounds – or, more accurately, the way your headphones come. At least you can use a wired connection to hear, not just Bluetooth 5.0 (only your basic ‘vanilla’ SBC streaming is supported, as far as I know), although I’d appreciate having the option to go wireless.
Let’s be honest: this is not the MP3 player to buy if sound quality is your biggest concern. There are more expensive options that offer additional internal DACs to increase the sound quality, wi-fi streaming and hi-res Bluetooth codec support. So the fact that the sound from this thing is pretty basic is part and parcel of the MP300.
There’s a built-in speaker here, but it’s quiet and doesn’t sound particularly impressive. For me, sometimes it was a simple reminder that I had forgotten to connect to the speaker, rather than a deeper way to enjoy the songs.
Oakcastle MP300 review: Price
- That’s right indeed cheap ones
- It is worth the purchase rather than questionable alternatives
Yes the Oakcastle MP300 is a good value; you pay pennies to get a music device on the go.
Of course, it doesn’t have many features of other lighting options, but it has storage capacity and a headphone jack: what else do you need? Because of the latter, it’s probably better than your smartphone for playing music, let’s be honest.
Given that Oakcastle is a trusted brand, I would feel safe giving this company my money, there are much cheaper alternatives that you can find online.
Should I buy the Oakcastle MP300?
|
Qualities |
Notes |
Average |
|---|---|---|
|
Features |
It’s light in terms of features, but the battery life is strong. |
3.5/5 |
|
Design |
Although it feels a little cheap, it is light and thin enough to fix it. |
3.5/5 |
|
Sound quality |
You get a basic sound with little power to change it. Even interesting streaming is off limits. |
3/5 |
|
Price |
It is undoubtedly the cheapest MP3 player you should consider buying. |
5/5 |
Buy if…
Don’t buy if…
Oakcastle MP300 review: And think
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Oakcastle MP300 |
Most MP3 |
FiiO JM21 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Battery life |
50 hours |
34 hours |
12 hours |
|
Weight |
it’s 53g |
it’s 33g |
it’s 156g |
|
Communication |
Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm, USB-C |
Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm, USB-C |
Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm, 4.4mm, USB-C |
|
Waterproofing |
NA |
NA |
IPX5 |
|
Storage |
64GB |
16GB |
32GB |
|
It expands |
128GB |
128GB |
2TB |
How I tested the Oakcastle MP300
- Tested for a month
- Tested on various speakers and headphones with aux and Bluetooth
I used the Oakcastle MP300 for a month before writing this review. I started testing by loading it with my music library, first as WAV and then as MP3. This collection covers a wide variety of genres, with nearly 3,000 tracks in total.
Throughout the month, I used the MP300 alongside a list of devices. I connected them to Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro and Edifier M90 via Bluetooth, and for aux I used Edifiers, my Sony headphones and my Line 6 for guitar.
I’ve been reviewing TechRadar’s audio tech for years, including some budget MP3 players and a bunch of other Majority gadgets.
- First updated March 2026
