There’s a CD revival going pn and if you want to be part of it, maybe check out these portable CD players.
A CD revival you ask? Well yes, there is. But rather like the cassette revival and the boost in the sales of portable cassette players, it’s still going a little under the radar.
That’s hardly surprising. The vinyl revival was much the same. At some point in the early 1990s, you could pick up vinyl for next to nothing as people rushed to ‘upgrade’ their records to CD. It was a golden age of vinyl buying.
Fast forward to the 21st century and CDs have pretty much been given away, with many preferring to spend a monthly subscription on Spotify (or one of the many variations). Charity shops, junk shops, car boot sales – they are all full of CDs, selling for pennies in many cases. And that’s the attraction.
Many people still want some product in their hands with cover art, lyrics and imagery within. Because deep down, we all love to collect ‘stuff’. And that’s not all. Some albums never made the move over to streaming, so are still sought after for that reason. And sometimes you might not have a decent connection to stream. So a CD suddenly comes into its own.
When you consider all that, you understand why people are now scouring the secondhand stores for CDs. OK, some of the more mainstream CDs will never get a second chance. But there’s a market for more obscure albums. And regardless of rarity, if there’s something you love, it’s just nice to have it.
You might already have the hardware, but if you don’t, here are four portable CD playing options covering a range of price points. And if you spot any original David Bowie CD issues, do let me know.
Retradisc CD player by Kickback
I love the stripped down look of this one, which is a pre-order if you can afford to wait a few weeks.
Highly rated, with a good look and a mix of the old and new, the Retradisc CD player is well worth considering if you are in the market for a player at a reasonable price.
The transparent shell means you get to see your disc spinning as it plays your tunes, wired headphones is an old school (but still practical) touch and if you want to go modern, there’s also the option of listening via Bluetooth too.
£62 is the price of this.
Find out more at the Kickback website
FiiO DM13 portable CD player
Something pricier, chunkier and very stylish. I think this one is my personal favourite.
You might recall I mentioned the maker’s cassette player in my round-up of those a while back. The CD player has a similar look – and a similar purpose of bringing your old media back to life.
Available with it without Bluetooth (check the listings for the models), this is a player that plays standard CDs, but also discs of other formats – including MP3, FLAC, WAV, AAC, and WMA, when burned onto a CD-R.
It also features Electronic Shock Protection (ESP) to buffer music and prevent skipping when the device is in motion, a rechargeable battery that provides up to eight hours of playback time, a desktop mode that allows it to draw power directly from a connected source, bypassing the battery, an option to connect to a home audio system, 3.5mm single-ended and 4.4mm balanced headphone outputs, the DM13 is ideal for use with a wide range of headphones as well as a wide choice of colour options.
€169 direct from the maker FiiO, with some models available from Amazon for £129.
Aiwa PCD-1000BT portable CD player with Bluetooth
Admittedly not as retro looking as some of the others, but this is a longstanding name and a decent price for what you get.
It offers CD/CD-R/RW MP3 disc playback, with Electronic Anti Shock Protection (ESP), a Playback Resume Function for Audiobook CDs, X-HyperBass Low Frequency Enhancement Booster, a repeat/random function, a sleep timer, a stereo earphone jack and a USB-C port for charging.
Talking of charging, this one uses rechargeable batteries that are included, as is a charging cable, a carry case and some stereo headphones. It sells for £84.
Find out more at the Amazon website
Groov-e retro compact CD player
Not sure whether to fully commit to the CD revival? This budget model allows you to dip your toe in the water without taking a big financial hit.
The maker does various similar (and budget) models so do check them all out before you hit the big button. But this is one of the cheaper models available right now. And it does what most of the above models offer but for less money.
So CD playback via CD, CD-R, and CD-RW discs, an LCD display, as well as intro, repeat, skip, and search functions. There’s also 60-second anti-skip protection to prevent audio jumps when in motion and a programmable memory that lets you program up to 20 tracks and play them in any order. Power is via battery (2x AA) or micro-USB and some earphones are included.
All that for £23 at the Amazon website.
