Join my email newsletter for more hifi audio fun: https://forever-analog.kit.com/e62f13d86e

Another tip - don't be afraid to use your Blu-ray or 4K players to play your CD's. They are essentially the same as an uber-expensive CD transport in that they transfer the bitstream from the CD straight through a digital connection (HDMI or optical/coax) to whatever DAC you're using.  A standalone CD player is certainly nice to have but you might find your Blu-ray player already does the job.

I didn't even own a CD player until one fateful day I came across a Sony CDP-970 at Goodwill for $10.  That totally changed the trajectory of my music collecting life as I was listening to 100% vinyl prior to this.   That sucker sounds great and inspired me to buy probably 400+ used CDs and counting.

I understand the convenience of streaming , but have to admit owning the physical media outright and being reliant on no one is so much more enjoyable. But I also think this applies only to people who are more than casual music enthusiasts.

One other tip when shopping for used CD players… many players were built with headphone outputs. If you bring along some headphones, you can plug them in to see if the sound is coming out properly without the hassle of hooking up an amp and speakers. Otherwise, if you just rely on visually seeing that the laser is reading the disc, you might be missing skips or fluttering that occurs when the laser is not working properly. Just make sure you have a 1/4” adapter for your headphones if you have the mini jack that most earbuds have. The adapters are only a couple of bucks and are good to have around if you have audio gear.

Another tip is that I would personally avoid CD changers. They have a lot more moving parts that are susceptible to breaking. A single drawer is so much simpler and will likely last longer. But of course, longevity is usually affected by brand quality, so a well made carousel changer might outlast a cheap single drawer. But I’ve personally run across more broken changers than broken single drawer players.

I'm 43, bit too young for the peak vinyl era but my youth was peak CD times, and iPods were ground breaking. I love streaming for finding new music and playlists but I started to get back into physical media over the lockdowns a few years back. I love vinyl for what it is but for me CDs win on price and on sound (that's a preference not a "fact"😂) it's the ritual of putting one disc on and listening end to end, without any distractions from your phone's other apps or the overwhelming lists and "noise" of Spotify's homepage. It is inconvenient, that's why i enjoy it. It's a choice to set that hour of your day aside to take time out.

My ears are shot from my guitar amp volume set to 11.  I couldn't tell the quality difference between eeeeeeeeee and eeeeeeeeee 😂

The dark overlord algorithm brought me here and I found it fascinating that you can buy CD players in 2025.

Used CD/SACD/DVD players from a reputable brand like Marantz or Denon, are also a good option. You wouldn't find them in a thrift store, but they are up for sale.
I have a 20 year old Marantz DV8300, and its really excellent. And with some searching, i found what laser unit it has, that unit is applied in machines from Pioneer too, so now i have a replacement (brand new of course), in case i might need it. So before buying, check if you can find replacement parts for that particular player, even if its 20 or 30 years old.

I'm currently back using the third CD player I ever bought, a Sony CDP-X33ES which I got back in 1993. A chonker of a machine! 10 kilos of steel, copper and plastics. Sounds great!
Last year I was having trouble with the disc tray not opening and closing properly. Figured it was the belt, so I ordered a new one. When it came to swapping the new belt in, however, I gave up, since it would have required dismantling a lot of the drive mechanism.
Then another problem occurred, out of the blue. I was listening to a CD. When it ended I swapped in a new one, but all of a sudden the player refused to even read the index of the disc. I opened the player up and realized that the "sled" holding the laser had gotten stuck at the end of the metal rail it travels on!
So I pushed the sled back, put a CD in and it started playing. I could skip ahead, but not back. Turned out the lubricant on the rail had dried up! So i sprayed some PTFE oil on a Q-tip and applied it on the rail and the player worked - and still works - just fine 😎. I guess I should have used (lithium) grease, but don't have any on hand.
This got me to take another look at the tray. Turns out that, too, is travelling on a shiny metal rail. So I put oil on that as well and now the tray slides in and out like when the player was brand new, over 30 years ago ❤

One final note on pricing and inflation. When I bought the Sony I paid 2400 Finnish markka for it. Since then we've changed our currency to Euros. In today's money I paid 690 euros, equivalent to U$ 707!

I use a Tascam CD-200BT as a transport. Very underrated and overlooked option. It's made for professional use and is built to be reliable for a long time.

THE issue is conectivity: "modern" equipment doesn't have RCA connections anymore

In the UK, charity shops are full the rafters of gifted CD and Blu-ray players. Definitely bargain hunt territory. Top tips Aaron.

you are such a great communicator

The important argument that most people don't realize about price per inflation, it's only comparable if wages keep up with it. In what's happening now, wages are NOT keeping up with inflation, so the increase in the cost of the item hurts the pocketbook more than it did back then.

Single disk players is the best way to go - less complicated.

I think another tip is to get a BluRay or DVD player which will also play CDs.  Many integrated amps and receivers already have a built in DAC.  You could try that first before getting a separate DAC.

@Forever Analog  Great content, just wanted to add, that if your CD player does have a digital out you can connect that to a DAC and then go into your amp from there.

Interesting and overall very good coverage dealing with CD players. One thing of note was the licencing past Philipps in the 1980's that allowed a plethora of CD players under various names. Sometimes regardless of the brand name there was a problem dealing with the single discrete component voltage regulator transistor.

It regulated the 5 volts to the DC variable speed motor for spinning the CD. The main cause of failure was no additional heat sink installed on the heat transfer tab of the regulator, thus overheating the regulator transistor. Once a new one was installed for 5 bucks with a proper heat sink, it would last for many years.

Really like the way you break down your points in explaining to the average viewer what you think is important. Thanks.

pick 'em up at estate sales for $20-$30 all day long. There were a bunch at Best Buy too after Christmas on clearance.