My players do not beep.

If I'm playing a song and want to prevent it going to the next until I am ready, I use the audio editor to add 30 seconds of silence at the end of songs. That way, if there is applause, I can take a moment before adjusting the player .

Wave files load with the same speed. Not all M3 players can use wave files, so check before buying. I don't think there is any difference in battery performance, only storage space, from using wave files instead of MP3s.

BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.