The Best CD Players to Buy in 2025

In 2023, CDs had garnered more attention than they had in decades. A recent Discogs article offered up a report on trends that suggested CDs were making a comeback, which included both the number of CDs being added to the database as well as the number of CDs being listed for sale, and more importantly, that the number of CDs being sold comprises up to one-fifth of the total items sold. Those statistics might be indicative of green shoots rather than a full bloom, but the trends seem to indicate that the long out-of-fashion format is making a comeback.

In the 2000s, CD sales were on the decline because of the rise of downloadable music, and they further took a slide in the 2010s because of streaming, which has since become the dominant method of consumption for most listeners. Yet where vinyl made a sizable comeback in the past decade, CDs have remained on the marketplace without making big waves. That’s been changing of late, in part because it’s less expensive to buy CDs now than vinyl, and in part because CDs have long been the format with the best, least distorted sound. And it’s very much still easy to find CDs, but there comes a slightly larger challenge of where to find a good CD player. So we’re stepping in to offer our recommendations for the best options on the marketplace right now: The Best CD Players to buy in 2025.

All CD players featured here were evaluated on a number of factors, including sound quality, value, ease of use, convenience, versatility and additional features. We’ve also broken them down into three different categories: Portable CD players reminiscent of the classic Discman, component CD players to connect to a stereo (and in some cases a DAC, or digital to analog converter), and boomboxes or all-in-one players. Each serves a different purpose for potentially a different audience, and we wanted to offer a comprehensive look at some of the best options available right now.

For more audio guides, check out our lists of the Best Record Players, the Best Headphones, and the Best Speakers.

This feature was originally published in 2024 and has been updated in 2025.

Note: When you buy something through our affiliate links, Treble receives a commission. All items included are independently chosen and evaluated by our editors.

Best Portable CD Players

Moondrop Disc Dream 2 ($179)

In hindsight, the portable disc players we used back in the ’90s were built pretty solid, but there are still some standout portables on the market that don’t sacrifice quality for the sake of convenience. Moondrop’s Disc Dream 2 is one of them, a hardware-quality player in a portable package, featuring 32-bit, high-fidelity sound. It plays CDs along with CD-Rs and CD-RWs, with a stable, shock-absorbent design and 9 hours of battery life. But it’s versatile enough to double as either an at-home or on-the-go CD player, an easy, all-around choice for those looking for one good player.

FiiO DM13 ($159)

Among contemporary CD player brands, FiiO has come to be a leader in this space, offering a higher quality alternative to what’s grown overcrowded with cheaper and less reliable players. A versatile player with an 8-hour battery life and CD-R and CD-RW compatibility. It’s Bluetooth capable with both analog and USB outs, and offers some of the best quality sound among portable players on the market today. It’s also a solid, well-built player, adaptable to home use in addition to portable use. You can play it anywhere with just about any configuration and expect a great sounding experience.

Aiwa PCD-810BK ($111)

A legacy brand that’s manufactured some excellent CD players of years past, Aiwa is still among the best in the game with this standout portable player. The PCD-810BL is particularly friendly to MP3 CDs, which not every player handles so well, and features a display that’s easy to navigate for those very CDs, including a programmable playlist feature. It features a bass boost that’s a bit much, but despite that, sounds great and is a solid, well constructed player. While it runs on AA batteries (just like your old Discman!), it also features a micro-USB input for an external power source.

Best Component CD Players

Denon DCD-600NE ($429)

Denon has long been one of the major names in CD players, and one of their best bets is its DCD-600NE player—a component player with RCA and optical outs that should feel familiar to anyone who has or had a hifi system. It’s more versatile, however, able to play CD-Rs, CD-RW, MP3 and WMA formats, and features advanced AL32 Processing Plus and minimal interference between circuits to provide the most accurate sound reproduction. An excellent all-around CD player for at-home listening.

Cambridge Audio CXC ($599)

The first thing you’ll likely notice about Cambridge Audio’s CXC CD player is the sleek, streamlined look of it, featuring a machined metal chassis. It’s a CD player that looks contemporary as well as providing hifi digital audio. Its S3 Servo is designed to spin CDs at the optimum speed to retrieve data, and plays audio with optimum precision and accuracy. Take note that it doesn’t feature a built-in digital-to-audio converter, so it’ll require an external DAC or compatible amplifier, like the Cambridge Audio CX81. But the investment is worthwhile for those seeking top-tier audio at a mid-range price.

Audiolab 6000CDT ($799)

A component CD player that looks as great as it sounds, Audiolab’s 6000CDT has a sleek, metallic finish that makes it instantly recognizable. But the other distinguishing characteristic of the 6000CDT is that it’s a straightforward CD transport, made to do one thing and do it as well as it can: Play CDs. That means no Bluetooth and so on, but in simplifying its features and focusing on its basic function, and as such its sound quality doesn’t suffer due to additional signal contamination. So while it requires an external DAC and might not have the versatility of a lot of modern players, it more than makes up for that by being among the best in its class for sound. Those looking for the best possible audio experience from a component will find what they’re looking for in this player. After all, when you’re focused on the act of listening, what else do you need?

Best Boomboxes/All-in-One CD Players

Panasonic RX-D55GC-K ($189)

There’s a good chance a lot of those reading this feature had a Panasonic boombox at some point in their lives, and there’s every reason to follow that instinct when seeking out a new one. In many respects, this newer boombox model is pretty similar to what’s made them great all along: durability, ease of use, versatility and high quality sound. Of course, there have been a few updates along the way, including USB connectivity and MP3 CD playback. It’s compact, but it’s mighty, offering an impressive, modern update to the classic boombox.

Aiwa Retro Boombox BackTrack ($199)

One of the most immediately striking features of Aiwa’s Retro Boombox is its design, featuring a retro look with some modern updates. Appearance alone isn’t enough to recommend a player, however, and of course this one has a lot more features than that. With AM/FM and a cassette player, it’s more than just a CD player, and it has enhanced sound, with two 5.25-inch woofers, 1.2-inch tweeters and 40 watts of sound output. The convenience factor is also high: USB and Bluetooth connectivity, along with AUX inputs and dual microphone ports, just in case you want to go karaoke mode.

Victrola Empire 6-in-1 ($199)

Technically speaking, Victrola’s Empire 6-in-1 isn’t a boombox, though much like a traditional boombox, it supports more than one format: CD, cassette, vinyl, FM radio and streaming from a bluetooth-enabled device, as well as external components. Also like a boombox, the Empire features built-in speakers, which offers the convenience of portability. But with its mid-century modern design, it brings more aesthetic appeal to any room it’s in, whether in your own home or if you choose to bring it with you on a road trip (every long weekend needs a great soundtrack, right?). The biggest addition here is the record player, which certainly doesn’t come standard on most boomboxes, putting the Empire in a category of its own. It’s an affordable option for those looking for an all-in-one option, and though the sound quality doesn’t necessarily match those of higher end options, it does feature an RCA out to connect to external speakers.