Tables Have Turned: The Best CD Players of 2021

The Tenswall Portable Wall Mountable CD Player reminded me of a modern Walkman. It does need a power source, so the portability and the mounting options of the CD player limited it to the house and the garage. Since it supports Bluetooth connection, FM radio, an aux jack, USB input, and microSD card slot, I wasn’t constrained to CDs while working on house chores. The optional wall mounting plate and desk stand made it great for option a small office or yoga studio.

With the remote control and top control panel, the CD player was easy to operate and switch between sources. A pull switch controlled power; I pulled the power cord, and the unit woke up or powered down. An LCD screen awakens and displays the source last used, and then HiFi speakers bring the space to life. Read the in-depth review here.

Bose products repeatedly make appearances in any guide having anything to do with audio products and sound quality. From quarter-sized headphones to the Bose Wave SoundTouch IV music system, Bose has listeners covered.

The Bose Wave SoundTouch IV CD Player fit perfectly into my home’s aesthetic and immediately recognized the Alexa Smart technology already present in my home. It has a similar build as retro CD players and boomboxes: two Bose proprietary waveguide speakers on either side of a centered informational display. Despite its size, the speaker’s sound filled my house with deep bass and clear audio. Using the dual alarms, the rich sound was pleasant but loud. In the SoundTouch Bose app, I set the six preset buttons to my favorite radio station, playlists, and music apps. The infrared remote also had six preset options and power controls, volume and track adjustments, and alarm functions.

For a big sound, you need the Philips FX10 Bluetooth Stereo System CD Player. The traditional stereo system has a 230W output and fools you into thinking it’s larger than it is. Dual amplifiers create better sound performance by giving each transducer a dedicated amplifier. Using MAX sounds technology, the stereo CD player has an instant MAX power boost and a bass boost. The MAX tech calibrates to the playback and volume level to not distort the output.

Gold accents on the receiver and bookshelf speakers break up the rest of the entirely black unit. The stereo has a Bluetooth connection for Bluetooth-enabled devices and a USB and an audio-in for external MP3 players without Bluetooth. Philips includes a remote with all the controls necessary to complement the control panel on the unit. The radio is tuned with a digital tuner and has six preset options for your favorite stations.

Some CD players would stand out within a modern entertainment system. But the Yahama CD-S300BL Natural Sound CD Player unassumingly fits with other components without catching an eye. The slim, black deck resembles a DVD player with the CD drive on the front with the controls and a USB plug-in for external MP3 devices like your phone or iPod. 

The Yahama is compatible with MP3, WMA, iPods, and CD R/RW discs. There are RCA audio jacks and coaxial/optical digital jacks in addition to the USB port on the front. It features a high-performance Burr-Brown DAC; it is precise with minimal distortion. The laser pickup floating mechanism alleviates skipping due to vibrations of the CD player. 

90s kids unite and reminisce on the summer days when the boombox poolside pumped out tunes instead of a modern waterproof shower speaker. It was an all-day struggle to keep the stereo powered with pounds of D batteries or an outlet. With the NAXA Electronics NPM-426 Portable CD Player, you only need to find shade and a dry area.

Not only useful outdoors where a power source isn’t available, but the AC power cord and a tape player and recorder and CD player make the NAXA great for the homes of vintage-motivated audiophiles. This unit does not have Bluetooth but does have an audio jack for modern music devices. Twin speakers output 16W and detach from the main body for a surround-sound atmosphere.

Disc changers like the Sony CDP-CE500 5-Disc CD Player are great for habitual listeners or folks who only use their CD player. The 5-disc CD tray allows listeners to keep their go-to favorite albums in the CD player simultaneously, with a few slots left open for shaking up the vibe. There is a control panel on the front of the CD player and a remote.

Adding the Sony CDP-CE500 to your home entertainment center requires a receiver/amp and external speakers. The unit has both an RCA L/R analog and optical digital outputs. A USB input is on the front of the unit. Playback from the USB is supported as is burning a CD onto the USB drive or vice versa. This Sony supports CDs, CD-R/-RW, multi-sessions, and 8cm CDs.

Now for the real modern Walkman, the HOTT CD903TF Portable CD Player. You’ll look old-school HOTT with this handheld CD player. But it’s a far cry from players of old with a Bluetooth transmitter to connect wirelessly to Bluetooth speakers or headphones. Or hook it up with an aux cord to your home speaker system. Better yet, find that old Fleetwood Mac album for the HOTT CD player, pair it with your shower speaker, soak down into the bathtub. And you know those FM transmitters you used in your car to play your iPod before there were aux and USB inputs in vehicles? The HOTT CD player has a built-in FM transmitter. Use the HOTT CD player while you road trip and play those embarrassing CDs you burned as a kid.

There are no built-in speakers, but the unit does use HiFi decoding technology to decrease the loss of sound quality to external outputs. A rechargeable battery has a playtime of 12-hours at medium volume or 9-hours playing the radio or Bluetooth. After a three-hour charge time, the HOTT CD player is ready for round two. The addition of its anti-shock and anti-skip protection makes for a trouble-free listening experience.

Aesthetically, the KEiiD CD Player smashes the competition. The faux wood exterior surrounds dual 4-inch woofers and dome-silk tweeters for a smooth sound. In the center sits a refurbished Volkswagon entertainment panel with a 5-inch display, CD drive, and controls with a retro feel. From the display, users can adjust bass, mid-range, and treble separately. The KEiiD supports a Bluetooth connection for wirelessly streaming from your phone. Users can take phone calls as well using the built-in microphone.

The refurbished car stereo now is a multi-media home stereo. Not only does it support Bluetooth, but it has a USB and SD card drive, an RCA aux line-in, and FM radio. If your home TV has an analog connection via a 3.5mm aux or RCA cable, the KEiiD CD player works double-time as your new soundbar.

I mentioned the poolside boombox from your childhood earlier. The Philips Portable Boombox CD Player is the relic itself, but with added features to reflect modern advancements. It is complete with a Bluetooth connection, MP3-CD, CD-R/-RW, FM radio, USB port, and an aux cable input. But visually, the Philips Portable Boombox CD Player resembles a  15-year-old boombox.

This is a powerful boombox. A Bass Reflex Speaker System allows for a 12W output to produce big sound without distortion or rattling. A bass pipe is acoustically aligned with the woofer, keeping frequencies low and distortions obsolete. Dynamic bass enhancement adds to the bass response independent of volume level. 

For nostalgic simplicity, the GPX PC332B Portable CD Player will trigger fond memories while creating new ones. The small portable CD player runs off two AA batteries and displays the battery level on a screen on top of the CD tray; there is also a headphone jack, a dial to controls volume, and a latch to open the tray. The CD player has three playback options: random, repeat one or repeat all.

If you have an extensive CD collection and a curious kiddo, the price, easy controls, skip protection, and simplicity make it an ideal choice. Unfortunately, the GPX CD player is not compatible with Bluetooth headphones but it does include a pair of earbuds.