Finding a fancy CD-player

We bought a Bluesound Powernode Edge last year with a professional pair of speakers, and I love the way our music sounds now. Next step is extending this system with a CD-player. Yes, streaming is the future, but I’m going back in time.

Our new Bluesound system is amazing. We coupled it with the beautiful walnut-colored Dali Oberon 1 speakers that look fantastic in our living room. We easily upped our music-listening fivefold. The sound! I hear new details in my favorite albums, making me discover them all anew. My wife discovered her favorite song contains two singers instead of one. Unbelievable the emotion we get from the music now.

The four downsides of streaming #

When Spotify first launched it changed everything. I dropped my old collection in a heartbeat and went all in. Listen to everything there ever was, for a low fixed price. It sounded too good to be true, and I’ve since experienced the downsides.

1. Sound quality #

The first downside is that ‘sounding too good to be true’ is merely a saying. The actual sound quality of Spotify is worse than CDs. I investigated streaming quality before on this blog.

2. Mindlessness #

Another thing I don’t like about Spotify is that it feels transient. It is streaming music. Press play on ‘Spotify’ and you get an endless stream of music. Like diving ever further in the infinity pools of endless scrolling on Instagram and Facebook, music is running the risk of mindlessness. A ‘set and forget’ background noise.

3. Out of touch #

Digital music ‘streams’ are ethereal. There’s nothing to touch, nothing to browse, no tactile experience. I need to grab the distraction-machine that is my phone to operate the music. A small and simple rectangular piece of glass. Boring!

Contrast this with records, CDs and cassettes. A mindful, tactile experience.

And as extra bonus, they were prominently on display. Beautifully designed pieces of art that show my taste in music. For myself, and for others. Whenever I visit other people’s homes, I love looking at their book- and music-collection. These are conversation-starters, “oh you read this?” and “I love this band”. Ebooks and streaming music killed this.

Before changing to Spotify I had a small collection of albums. Those were sold ten or twenty years ago, but I do remember all of them. My first bought album (Red Hot Chilli Peppers, bought for 20 euros), my first Cradle of Filth album (bootleg copy by a class mate), the Lord of the Rings soundtrack (I loved the cover), the album I bought after a concert… I have digital copies and I can listen on Spotify - but those I “rent” and I’m nostalgic for the ownership.

4. Worth the price? #

And the price. When we started, Spotify felt a nobrainer. Endless music for a small monthly fee. But that fee has since increased to 18 euro per month. The cost of almost two cds. In the 7 years I paid Spotify, I could’ve been the owner of a music collection of 137 cds. I think that amount of discs would cover all my listening habits.

Now what?

Back in time #

If not streaming, what are the alternatives?

We tried records before, but that didn’t stick. In my new plan, I’ve slowly prepared the family for re-introducing physical albums back in the home by scattering second-hand CDs in the house…

And now it’s time for part two of the plan: I’d like to add a CD player to our home system! I’m looking for something small and stylish rather than a full-size “hi-fi beast.” The Bluesound Node attracted us for being small and it’s ability to hide behind some books (finally the Lullos have their Hidden Sound System!).

The Bluesound Edge gives me a few connection options for the CD-player: digital (optical/TOSLINK), line-in, and Bluetooth — with sound quality in that order, as the Powernode’s DAC is good and Bluetooth inevitably means some loss.

The contenders #

There are several small and stylish options for cd players. I collected a range of devices from stores worldwide. I prefer to buy local, but the renewed interest in CDs is an Asian-specific thing for now and hasn’t reached Europe yet.

There are cheaper knock-offs and “transports” (players that don’t do decoding and merely forward the digital signal) with good aesthetics on Alibaba, but I figure you get what you pay for.

Size is a factor for me. I want the device to be small and not overly present in our room. The majority of these devices is meant as portable players (and thus contain a battery).

1. KM5 CP1 – ~€135 #

The KM5 CP1 are compact Bluetooth CD players from the Japanese KM5 brand. They are portable, easy to operate, and perceived as high quality for casual listening.

What’s neat is that the player can be mounted on the wall, and you can show the album booklet. The player then resembles a Polaroid-frame with the album art.

The newer KM5 CP2 is equally stylish and includes a built-in speaker.

Options:

• Bluetooth: ✅
• TOSLINK (optical): ❌
• External power: ✅
• Battery: ✅

2. Tinyl SPLIT (Modular 3-in-1 CD Player) – ~€140–160 #

The Tinyl SPLIT is another cute Japanese CD player. What I like is that it’s pointlessly modular. You can take it apart and use the speaker separately (the cd player then needs to be powered through a usb-cable), it barely makes sense and that makes it an exquisite conversation starter. It’s more of a design object than a high-end audio device, but its ultra-clean aesthetic and small footprint make it attractive.

This device can be wall mounted, or stood up right at an angle with a small Nintendo-switch like stand in the back.

Options:

• Bluetooth: ✅
• TOSLINK (optical): ❌
• External power: ✅
• Battery: ✅

3. Shanling EC Zero (AKM) – ~€300–330 #

The Shanling EC Zero is one of the smallest modern portable CD players with audiophile-grade AKM DACs. It offers optical output, battery operation, and compact portability. Praised for its build quality, versatility (it features a standalone cd-ripper and works as external soundcard), and high-quality sound, it is considered the best small CD player for serious portable listening. Tremendous overkill for my usecase.

I think this one looks 80s style funky, especially with the red cd they use in example photos.

Besides the AKM version, Shanling also offers a similar T-model. This has a traditional tube-based amplifier for warmer sound. Even more overkill for my usecase 😅

Options:

• Bluetooth: ✅
• TOSLINK (optical): ✅
• External power: ✅
• Battery: ✅

4. Shanling EC Mini – ~€300–350 #

Although the Shanling EC Mini is called mini it is larger than the EC Zero but still compact. It serves as a hybrid CD player, DAC, and digital audio player (DAP), providing multiple outputs and very high sound quality. Portable, battery-powered, and Bluetooth-enabled, it’s one of the most versatile small players on the market.

The aesthetics are a major step down from the Zero: it’s a simple and boring block of aluminum. The advantage is the loading mechanism, cds slide in and the whole thing can (should) be hidden inside a stack of books.

Options:

• Bluetooth: ✅
• TOSLINK (optical): ✅
• External power: ✅
• Battery: ✅

5. FiiO DM15 R2R – ~€300–350 #

The FiiO DM15 R2R is small but in-your-face in bright colors. It uses an R-2R DAC design for a more analog-like sound signature.

Options:

• Bluetooth: ✅
• TOSLINK (optical): ✅
• External power: ✅
• Battery: ✅

6. Moondrop Discdream 2 – ~€180–220 #

The funky Moondrop Discdream 2 is small and stylish. I like the retro design with greys and the single yellow touch. There’s no screen on it, other than the LED to indicate track number.

Like the Shanlings, this apparatus also doubles as an external soundcard. I had no idea that was still a thing!

Options:

• Bluetooth: ✅
• TOSLINK (optical): ✅
• External power: ✅
• Battery: ✅

7. FiiO DM13 BT – ~€130–160 #

The FiiO DM13 BT is FiiO’s entry-level portable CD player. Similar to number 6, the DM15, but digital amps. It’s available in bright colors with a closed top, or with a see-through window so you can see the cd spinning.

Options:

• Bluetooth: ✅
• TOSLINK (optical): ❌
• External power: ✅
• Battery: ✅

8. MUJI Wall-Mounted CD Player CPD‑4 – ~€150–280 #

The MUJI CPD‑4 is the original minimalist wall-mounted CD player. Stylish and compact, it also plays MP3/WMA and FM radio. There’s no cover and no buttons. You insert cd and pull the cord.

Connectivity is bad, but I love the design. This was the first cd player I encountered that I thought that was not a traditional black rectangle, and it’s what set off my search.

Options:

• Bluetooth: ❌
• TOSLINK (optical): ❌
• External power: ⚠️ AC only
• Battery: ❌

9. SMSL PL200T (CD Transport) – ~€140–180 #

The SMSL PL200T is a compact CD transport designed for external DACs. As a transport it needs to be connected to the Bluesound system through toslink.

This one’s bigger and clunkier than the other options. It looks like an early era StarTrek device. Without a cd playing, I’m sure there will be people questioning its function. It’s a statement.

Options:

• Bluetooth: ❌
• TOSLINK (optical): ✅
• External power: ✅
• Battery: ❌

10. Sony D-EJ2000 – ~€200–400 (used) #

The Sony D-EJ2000 is a classic Discman with optical digital output. Classic 90s design with reliable performance, but I’d have to find it second hand.

Options:

• Bluetooth: ❌
• TOSLINK (optical): ✅
• External power: ✅
• Battery: ✅

11. Panasonic SL-CT790 – ~€150–300 (used) #

The Panasonic SL-CT790 is another slim vintage Discman.

Options:

• Bluetooth: ❌
• TOSLINK (optical): ⚠️ region-dependent
• External power: ✅
• Battery: ✅

Overview of the options #

Honorable mention: the Burger #

I already know what I will do when the ship of money comes in: buy the Burger!

It’s a foldable, and wireless record player. It’s 100% crazy and cute and beautiful. And it comes in different colors!

Next steps #

As always, the dwarves I delved too greedily and too deep. My research has overwhelmed me with options.

My gut has a preference for a couple of devices, and I will leave this choice simmer in the back of my head for a while. In parallel will come talks with my partner to get her opinion on the matter.

more research is necessary To be continued!