In search of a reliable tablet for listening to music? Don’t get lost looking for tablets to play music in a market replete with multiple brands and products. The good thing is, you don’t have to spend huge time testing various devices. I’ve done it already, and after hours of research and testing, I’ve prepared this list.
Whether you are unsure of which platform-based tablet to choose? Or don’t know the ideal position of speakers to bring the best audio experience, or you are looking at a budget tablet that keeps you productive and entertains you even when you are on the move, you’ll surely be able to find that one device without any issues.
The article looks at the features that add more value to the tablets. Be it the speakers or the additional ports for connectivity or high-speed wireless connectivity, or powerful processor. Finding the best music experience + combination of features, utility at the right price remains the ulterior motive of this article.
Contents
Best Tablets for Listening to Music in 2023
After looking into 27 tablets that fit into our criteria, I have shortlisted the aforementioned tablets that can deliver a pleasant audio performance with the best ecosystem to store and access your music library.
The article starts with premium products, whose capability extends beyond our basic requirement and forays into high performance. In the end, you can find tablets that fulfill our criteria within the limited budget. The mid-range tablets find the balance between features, price, and utility within the various ecosystems.
1. Best Overall: Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
If budget isn’t an issue and you want the best quality music tablet experience without sacrificing performance, then the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 with 6GB RAM, Snapdragon 865, and a battery backup of up to 15 hours shall never let you down.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 puts forth a powerful processor and increased storage over its predecessor, S6. However, the seamless music experience seems to last for a longer period, credit to its improved battery. The S7 from Samsung stands out at the top, owing to the balance between utility, features, and price.
Why did I choose it for music listening?
The Quad speakers and the Dolby ATMOS experience bring the best out of the music, irrespective of the genre. Connect to wireless internet with WiFi 5 and binge through high-quality media available at the various OTT platforms. You can also connect to your external speaker or headphone through Bluetooth.
Not to mention that the long battery life of 15 hours gives you uninterrupted access to music for long flights and travel. Isn’t unlimited power everyone wants? While this isn’t unlimited or close to it, but it’s quite higher compared to many tablet devices.
Performance
The Octa-core processor in Snapdragon 865 and the Adreno GPU power through gaming, streaming music, and videos with ease. You can attach a keyboard to convert the tab into a laptop with DeX mode and create presentations, edit documents, track your investment at the same time.
RAM, Storage & OS
The 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage make this an ideal multitasker for listening to music while at work. Store your music library and listen to hours of music offline. Samsung comes with the user-friendly interface of Android 10.0, which includes a voice assistant, music sharing, and much more.
Display
The 11-inch TFT display with a 16:10 aspect ratio makes it ideal for media/music video consumption. The refresh rate of 120Hz and the high resolution of 2560 x 1600 brings smooth visuals and rich details to your visuals. Although the higher refresh rate would be noticeable when you’re playing high-end games, this also means that the visuals will be very smooth.
Design & Build
Weighing close to 1.1 pounds, this Samsung tablet remains light and handy to entertain you with music on the move. The metal black body has equally sized bezels on all sides in a design that measures 9.99 x 6.51 x .25 inches.
Camera & Peripherals
The Samsung comes with an 8MP selfie camera and dual camera (13MP + 5MP) set up in its rear. The Samsung camera app brings multiple modes and filters. I did capture many selfies and recorded many videos, and I must say that the quality was really nice. The pictures were crisp too.
The optional keyboard connects via magnetic pins has comfortable spacing and key travel. The S-Pen sits pretty in the groove and gives the complete tablet experience.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy S7 brings excellent value for money and puts in premium performance. The speaker tuned by AKG, long battery life, and the S Pen makes this tablet stand out from the rest.
- Battery life
- USB-C port
- Octa-Core processor
- MicroSD card reader
- 120Hz refresh rate
- Camera quality
- No headphone jack
2. Best Runner Up: Apple iPad Pro
Do you want the best possible Apple iPad for streaming or listening to music? The 4 speaker setup on the iPad Pro sounds very premium. The device also comes with 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, and an 11-inch Retina Display (this is my favorite display.)
In the fourth edition of iPad Pro, Apple iPad Pro strengthens the processor, RAM, adds support to AR with LiDAR, and brings state of the art high-speed connectivity via Wi-Fi 6. The fourth-generation iPad leaves out the headphone jack but brings in two additional speakers as a worthy compensation for music enthusiasts.
Why did I include this in this list?
If you’re someone who trusts Apple a lot and are looking for a tablet from Apple, i.e., iPad for listening to music, then this device being one of the latest iPad, won’t let you down. In fact, it has everything a music listening enthusiast would want.
Apple puts together an excellent sound system with two speakers, each on the opposite sides of the iPad Pro. The music feels crisp with minimal loss in audio quality even at higher volumes. Use Bluetooth and blow the roof with your sound system and the endless collection of music, credit to ultra-fast WiFi-6.
Besides the music and sound setup, the performance is quite smooth. There are a lot of other music apps on the App Store that’ll work insanely smoothly on this tablet.
Performance
The proprietary M1 chip comes with an octa-core processor and GPU that makes this iPad double up as a PC. The powerful processing unit doesn’t limit itself to music and entertainment. It extends its utility to music creators, drawing enthusiasts, graphic designers, and content creators. However, as of now, you won’t find a lot of apps on the app store that’ll be able to make full use of the M1 chip.
RAM, Storage & OS
The 8GB RAM brings multitasking power to the tablet. With 128GB storage, take your music library with you. With high-quality games and apple music, iPadOS 14 brings a plethora of applications to offer a seamless experience with work and entertainment.
Display
The 11-inch liquid retina display brings a wide gamut of color and brilliant visuals at a high resolution of 2732 x 2048 pixels. Be it streaming music videos or editing music, the screen gives a larger surface area to operate easily. The laminated display has an additional coating to make it fingerprint-resistant.
Design & Build
At 1.03 pounds, the sturdy silver metal body of the iPad Pro is reminiscent of its standard design. Its sleek body measures 0.23-inches thin, 9.75-inches in height, and 7.03-inches wide, making it larger for your hands. The iPad gives you 10 hours of battery life to access music, videos, and online surfing when you are on the move.
Camera & Peripherals
The iPad Pro brings three powerful cameras. The combination of 12MP and 10MP ultra-wide cameras can bring photos to life. It supports 4k recording, making it ideal for video recording and editing. The main LiDAR camera works with AR applications/games that take your experience to a new level.
The iPad is compatible with smart keyboard folio and magic keyboard. You can purchase either of them separately to convert the tablet into a laptop-like device. The tablet also has a Face ID as a security unlock feature.
Conclusion
The iPad Pro has a powerful CPU, excellent camera, an 11-inch screen with a wider color gamut, 8 core GPU, and Thunderbolt 4 support that makes it a sophisticated piece of equipment to keep you entertained with music, games, and breeze through your workflow.
- Loud and clear audio quality
- Wi-Fi 6
- Dolby Vision support
- Thunderbolt 4 support
- Ultra-wide cameras
- Expensive
- No 3.5mm audio jack
3. Best 2-in-1 Tablet: Microsoft Surface Go 2
The Microsoft Surface Go 2 improved the processor, display quality, and its support to the latest wireless connectivity compared to its previous version Surface Go. The Surface Go 2 gives an ideal platform for learning for kids, teens and also as a good entertainment companion for music lovers as you go by your day’s work.
Why is it best suited?
The ultrafast WiFi-6 connectivity brings fast access to unlimited content on the internet. With internet connectivity, you can explore the music world from Spotify, Youtube Music, Amazon Prime Music, LiveXLive, etc.
You can also listen to audiobooks wire-free with the luxury of the Dolby effect of stereo speakers or external speakers connected via Bluetooth. Microsoft throws in an audio jack for the earphone/headphone lovers.
Performance
The Intel Pentium Gold 4425Y is a dual-core processor that clocks at 1.7GHz. The Integrated GPU offers a performance boost in streaming videos and rendering visuals in interactive games for kids and basic computation for seniors and homemakers.
RAM, Storage & OS
The 8GB RAM and 128GB SSD is capable of handling interactive education platforms, music and video streaming platform with no hassle. The Windows 10 Home ecosystem brings secure Microsoft applications to listen to music, play games, and keep children engaged with informative tutorials.
Display
The tablet carries the trademark 10.5-inch Pixel sense display with a high resolution of 1920×1280 resolution. The screen supports stylus operations, making it ideal for inspiring creativity among kids.
Design & Build
This Windows tablet weighs close to 1.2 pounds and measures 9.65 x 6.9 x 033 inches in surface area. The front side uses a strong glass, and the rest uses aluminum alloy. A flexible kickstand offers multiple viewing angles. The battery lasts up to 10 hours of usage that translates to streaming music, surfing, or video playback.
Camera & Peripherals
The Microsoft tablet has two cameras, one 8MP at the rear and 5MP at the front. It has an audio jack, USB-C port, a card reader to extend memory, and a Surface connect port.
Conclusion
Go 2 is a less powerful version of the Pro series tablets in the market. Microsoft accommodates an energy-efficient processor into this model with an audio jack and decent speakers to provide a platform for kids to inspire creativity and entertain them with music and videos.
- Energy-efficient processor
- Lightweight 2-in-1
- Decent battery life
- Stylus compatible
- WiFi-6
- Expensive
4. Best with Quad Speaker: Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 brought in improved stylus support with a superior snapdragon processor compared to its previous version, S5e. The improved storage opens up access to your never-ending music library, and the support of the stylus comes in handy for art aficionados.
Why is it best suited?
The synergy of a set of 4 speakers strategically placed on opposite sides and the ATMOS surround sound makes this tab an excellent device to listen to music in different genres. You can connect to the internet through WiFi-5 to stream music online and enjoy the privilege of an ad-free Youtube premium for two months.
Performance
The Snapdragon 855 has eight cores operating at multiple speeds. The chipset integrates the Adreno 640 GPU to aid in boosting performance while rendering graphics during the games or creating designs on Cricut, Canva, Adobe Capture, etc. You can stream music simultaneously in the background without any lag when you are reading books.
RAM, Storage & OS
The 8GB RAM and 256GB is a highly efficient multitasking duo. Curate and carry and listen to your offline music collection when you are indulging in the Android 9.0 ecosystem. The access to unlimited ad-free content on YouTube for two months is a value addition.
Display
The 10.5-inch AMOLED high-density display and the 16:10 aspect ratio bring the perfect conditions for streaming high quality. The higher resolution of 2560 x 1600 justifies the higher 82.5% body to screen ratio with colors and details.
Design & Build
The S6 tab weighs close to 0.92 pounds and measures 0.22 x 6.28 x 9.63 inches in dimensions. Its sleek design, lightweight cloud blue aluminum body, and its powerful battery with a backup of 15 hours make the tablet a great travel companion. You can listen to music, edit photos and play games without the worry of battery life.
Camera & Peripherals
Samsung uses it familiar camera module with an 8MP front camera and a combination of a 13MP and ultra-wide 5MP primary setup. The keyboard justifies its premium price with ideal spacing and comfortable key travel. The S-Pen fits into the groove and connects through Bluetooth comes in handy for work-related tasks.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy S6 is ideal for listening to music on Spotify, YouTube, Soundcloud, Apple Music, etc., with its combination of quality display, AKG stereo speakers, and long battery life. Samsung S6 Lite operates on a 64-bit ARM Exynos processor and works as an alternative if you are limited by budget constraints.
- AMOLED display
- S-Pen
- Octa-core processor
- Long battery life
- DeX mode
- Premium price
- No headphone jack
5. Best for Apple Music: Apple iPad Air
The fourth-generation Apple iPad Air brings a super-efficient A14 bionic chip with a superior GPU over its A12 bionic chipset in its third generation. The lightweight design and the battery life make this an ideal option for listening to music to inspire while you are brainstorming through design ideas.
Why is it best suited?
Apple throws in quality speakers with stereo separation that was lacking in its third-generation models. With a USB-C port, you can connect to wired peripherals, and support to the latest wireless standards exposes you to fast WiFi-6 internet and Bluetooth 5, ideal for streaming Apple Music app and connecting to external speakers.
Performance
The hexacore A14 Bionic chip includes a 16-core neural engine and an efficient CPU that can clock up to 3.1GHz. The GPU unit is 30% faster than its predecessor that brings in the capacity to handle classic games like Max Payne, limbo to the newer games like call of duty.
RAM, Storage & OS
The 4GB RAM and 64GB flash memory can sound limited. The A14 chip brings efficiency to its hardware with smooth multitasking ability, and smooth operations owing to fast read/write speeds. The iPadOS 14.0 brings a plethora of applications to listen to music, edit photos, and play games indigenous to the Apple ecosystem.
Display
The 10.9-inch Liquid retina display sports scratch-resistant glass and a bright display suitable for outdoors. Switch applications, shuffle your playlist even in the brightest of the days. The 2360 x 1640 resolution brings more details and sharp visuals.
Design & Build
The iPad Air weighs approximately 1 pound and measures 9.75 x 7.03 x 0.24 inches. The metal silver finish feels sturdy and gives a sophisticated look. The 29Whr batteries can easily last up to 10 hours of media/music consumption.
Camera & Peripherals
The 12MP rear camera and 7.0MP deliver a decent performance in attending business meetings and recording HDR videos. The magnetic connectors, easy login with Touch ID, and Siri voice commands add more value to the tablet.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a tablet in the Apple ecosystem to listen to music and keep yourself productive on the move, iPad Air is a perfect fit. The Apple iPad Mini offers similar functionality, with the A12 chipset is a cheaper alternative.
- WiFi-6
- A14 Bionic Chip
- Touch ID
- Liquid Retina display
- No Headphone jack
- Camera quality
6. Best with Speaker Dock: Lenovo Tab M10 Plus
One of the Lenovo budget ventures into the Tablet market. The Lenovo Tab M10 Plus has the power of the Octa-core processor. Lenovo puts together a blend of features and utility with two side speakers plus dual 3W speakers on docking solution, making it an ideal tablet for listening to music and stream videos.
Why is it best suited?
The front-facing speakers work better for couch potatoes who spend hours on the bed. Dolby Atmos ensures the users don’t miss out on the surround sound effects. With WiFi 5 and Bluetooth, the tablet doesn’t compromise on wireless connectivity.
Performance
The MediaTek Helio P22T chipset house an octa-core processor that clocks at 1.8GHz. While it is not powerful enough for productivity or work, it can stream high-quality music videos, support trading applications, handle games with the support of the performance boost from its integrated GPU.
RAM, Storage & OS
The 4GB RAM and 64GB storage load the Android 9 Pie OS quickly. Find sufficient storage for your music collection through the MicroSD memory slot.
Display
The 10.3-inch FHD display delivers visuals at a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. Despite the thick bezels at the top and bottom, the display is adequate for the day-to-day chores that entail.
Design & Build
Weighing approximately 1.1 pounds and the tablet measures 9.6 x 6.04 x 0.33 inches in dimension. The grey body made of aluminum alloy can operate in multiple modes. Tablet comes with a battery life of 8.5 hours, sufficient for keeping you entertained with music and movies when you are on the move.
Camera & Peripherals
The smart Tab M10 Plus comes with two cameras. 5MP at the rear and 2MP on the front, reminiscent of the other budget models. A micro SD card reader, 3.5mm audio jack, and one USB 2.0 port for external connectivity come with the tablet.
Conclusion
Lenovo Smart Tab M10 Plus accommodates adequate features in a solid build. The multi-mode of operation with Alexa voice commands makes this an ideal tab for parents to manage smart homes and entertain themselves with some music when they are on the move.
- Alexa enabled
- Dolby Atmos speakers
- Additional speaker dock
- Multiple modes
- Full HD display
- MicroSD card Slot
- Camera quality
7. Best Under $250: Samsung Galaxy Tab A7
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 puts a stronger processing unit, a larger display, and faster charging with a USB-C port over its ancestor Samsung A 8.4. The improved battery in A7 makes this tablet an ideal choice as a music companion on long flights.
Why is it best suited?
Few tablets get the privilege of having four speakers amplified by the Dolby ATMOS surround effect. The support of Bluetooth 5 extends your choice of output to external speakers and the freedom of movement, owing to its range. Connect to the internet and stream content through YouTube Premium, Spotify Premium for free.
Performance
Qualcomm SDM450 chipset carries an Octa-core processor with an integrated graphics processing unit. Load your games quickly and cruise through the racing games, role-playing games with ease. Read a book and listen to music if you are in the mood for it. This Samsung tablet can handle it all.
RAM, Storage & OS
The 3GB RAM and 64GB internal storage helps to load up the applications quickly and handles multiple applications simultaneously. Moreover, this tablet also comes with a 64GB microSD card to store additional music files. The Android 10.0 operating system brings out a wholesome exposure to design applications, android games, and streaming applications.
Display
The 10.4-inch ultra wide screen delivers visuals at a 2000 x 1200 resolution, packing finer details with a higher density. The 16:10 aspect ratio, 320 nits bright screen works in a brighter environment. Have control over your playlist at every moment in this ideal platform for media and entertainment.
Design & Build
The increase in the screen makes this A7 measure 9.75 x 6.20 x 0.28 inches and weigh 1.05 pounds. The gold-colored metal body gives a premium feel to the tablet. You get a USB-C port that enables fast charging, and a single charge can last up to 10 hours of music streaming.
Camera & Peripherals
With two cameras in action, 8MP and 5MP, the galaxy tab enables video capture and business video calls on Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, etc. A MicroSD slot expands the memory, and FM radio opens up your choice of music.
Conclusion
Samsung brings this sub $250 tablet for business professionals and students alike. It keeps them productive and entertained with its all-around features on offer. The battery life, speakers, and FHD display remain the outstanding features of the smart device.
- Fast charging USB-C port
- Comes with a 64GB SD Card
- Entertainment package
- Quad speakers
- Dolby Atmos audio
- Wide display
- Camera quality
8. Best With Loud Speakers: Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite
Huawei stepped down to a lightweight processor, reduced RAM, and a weaker camera compared to its predecessor in Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite to come up with a Lite version of it. However, it adds a 3.5mm audio jack to its excellent Harman Kardon speakers that leaves more choice to users for listening to music.
Why is it best suited?
The MediaPad from Huawei comes with four speakers, two on the top and two on the bottom for improved sound effects. Stream songs online through the WiFi-5 connectivity, play it loud with Harman Kardon speakers or switch to earphones or blast your way with the external speakers at home through Bluetooth.
Performance
The M5 Lite comes with a Kirin Octa-core processor clocking at a speed of 1.7GHz. Its hyper-threading brings sufficient power to handle HD videos, music, and a multitude of android games on offer. Art enthusiasts have the luxury of the stylus to create digital artwork.
RAM, Storage & OS
The 3GB RAM and 32GB flash memory complements the powerful processor with multitasking ability, and fast read/write speeds. The Android 8.0 OS brings millions of applications, including music, videos, and games.
Display
The 10.1-inch IPS-powered FHD display complemented by the Clarivu technology gets credit for visual performance. The resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels gives more life to the visuals.
Design & Build
At 1.01 pounds and measuring 9.58 x 6.39 x 0.3 inches in dimensions, the M5 Lite justifies its name. Thin bezels in the grey aluminum body give a premium feel to the tablet. The quad speakers distributed across the tablet give a wholesome surround experience.
Camera & Peripherals
Both the front and back cameras are 8 Mega Pixels. There is no compromise in terms of the quality of output in video calls or the photo quality. The support of a stylus, fingerprint sensors, and fast charging USB-C port add more value to this tablet.
Conclusion
The M5 lite brings a lot of features in kids friendly tablet that comes with good battery life, support to the stylus, and a bright, high-resolution screen powered by a powerful processor that gives competitors a run for their money.
- Quad Speakers
- Octa-core processor
- Fingerprint reader
- Fast Charging
- Dual 8MP camera
- Limited profiles
9. Best With FM Radio: No products found.
The No products found. built on its precursor model K10 by doubling up on its processor improved the camera quality, increased the display resolution, and its storage capacity. It makes its way into my list ahead of its predecessor owing to its additional speaker, making a strong case of a choice among music lovers.
Why is it best suited?
With access to FM Radio and the plethora of music apps that come with access to the google store, you will never run out of a choice of music. Tag your tablet to external speakers through Bluetooth or switch to wired earphones when you are traveling.
Performance
The Max10 tablet from Dragon touch has an Octa-core processor clocking at a speed of 1.6GHz. Be it playing games or watching videos, or reading books while you are listening to music, the Mediatek processor can cruise through it without a hassle.
RAM, Storage & OS
The 3GB RAM and 32GB flash memory are adequate for faster boot-ups and smooth accessibility. The Android 10.0 OS comes with support to a plethora of applications to stream online music, watch movies and play games.
Display
The 10.1-inch IPS-powered FHD display brings more life to the images, music videos at a 1920 x 1200 resolution. The capacitive touch display and 16:10 aspect ratio improve your overall experience and is suitable for kids.
Design & Build
The plastic body weighs close to 1.2 pounds and stands at 9.47 x 6.57 x 0.34 inches in dimensions. There is a USB-C charging port on the top right side of the panel, while the speakers are on the bottom end of the tablet panel.
Camera & Peripherals
With two cameras, one at the front and one at the rear, you can make video calls, capture videos and photos. The tablet features an expandable MicroSD slot to extend your memory and carry your music library with you.
Conclusion
The comfort of the Android operating system and the plethora of applications it brings to the table, along with the octa-core processor and the aggressive pricing, make a compelling case for Max10 as your music companion.
- Octa-core Processor
- FHD Display
- Dual speakers
- MicroSD slot
- Plastic build
Frequently Asked Questions
Spotify and YouTube Music are two popular music platforms in the Android ecosystem. Apple Music, iTunes offers an impressive collection of songs on the iOS platform. Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, iHeart is popular in the Windows ecosystem.
Adequate storage memory or expandable MicroSD slot, speakers with surround sound, and long battery life are imperative for choosing the tablet.
The front-facing speakers work better when you listen to songs with the tablets lying flat on their backs. However, the tablets with surround sound and Dolby ATMOS are not inferior in terms of the audio experience.
YouTube is probably your best bet in this case. While popular platforms like Spotify, SoundCloud offer free music streaming, the experience can be hindered by advertisements. Few applications restrict downloads of the music available on their platform. A paid membership offers a seamless online and offline music experience.
Choosing between the three eco-system depends on the compatibility with the other gadgets in your household and the comfort in the usage of the above platforms. Few might prefer the security of iOS over the cross-compatibility of other platforms.
Verdict
Identifying the requirements remains the crucial factor in narrowing down the best tablet for listening to music. While I have shortlisted products in different budgets catering to multiple scenarios, a user with requirements beyond the purview of this article is advised to look further.
- Galaxy Tab S7 is amongst the best tablet with a balance of powerful processors, features, and quality music experience.
- Apple iPad Pro brings more power to the tablet with the latest M1 chip. This makes it ideal for professionals looking at portable replacements for work requirements.
- Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite and Dragon Touch Max10 are budget-friendly options to keep you entertained with music and games.
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