Established in 1946, Onkyo has revolutionized the music sound space, bringing high-performance audio and home theatre electronics to music lovers at relatively low costs. It’s been credited with quite a number of pioneer products like the first receiver with Surround EX, the first modular receiver, and the first THX-Certified 5.1-Chanel receiver. Having one of the best lines of sound systems and technology in the world, it is ranked way up the ladder with other well-known names in the electronics industry.
The Onkyo Compact Disc Player (Selling for $169.95 – Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) is a sturdily built CD player with 1.6mm-thick flat chassis base which helps reduce interfering vibrations, and a sleek aluminium front paneled finishing. It’s easy to use and set up, and is very affordable. Its functional features include:
Established in 1897, Yamaha Corporation in Japan is one of the world’s largest and foremost electronic companies. Its commitment to improving the lives of people all over the world is unparalleled and can be seen in the high-quality products and services it offers, showcasing superior technology, acoustics, craftsmanship, and design. Its wide range of products and services command huge respect among its counterparts in the industry and end-users, as it meets their needs. Its customer-oriented management, provision of excellent products and services, in-depth research and development, top-notch after-sales services, and positive growth through diversification are the bedrock of the corporation.
The Yamaha 5 Disc Changer (Selling for $369.00 – Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) is sleekly designed to provide you with the best sound system possible. With its built-in PlayXchanger which changes 5 loaded CDs, you’re set to enjoy your music uninterrupted. It’s also compatible with MP3 and WMA file types. Its other features include:
Bose Corporation has been in the electronics industry for decades. Its well-designed products are built with the highest level of scientific and technological research. Their aim is to discover novel concepts to create very trendy and modern products for the utmost delight and satisfaction of its customers. Its values center around integrity, excellence, innovation, passion, and respect and its products, workers, practices, and leadership are all expected to reflect them. Its sound systems are crafted by the best engineers, developers, and researchers from around the globe.
The Bose wave SoundTouch Music System (Selling for $599.00 – Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) is a high-end, high-tech sound system that lets you experience an amazing room-filling sound with the convenience of wireless accessories. This system has a very sleek design and allows you to stream millions of songs from music services online, or from smartphones, tablets, or computers. Its other features include:
For over 60 years, Marantz has been synonymous with quality in home entertainment. Driven by the need to stand out from the crowd, it was established by Saul Marantz to broaden the sensory horizons of even the meanest music aficionados. Its technical excellence means creation of components with the capacity to unlock the very essence of music embedded in the scale, timbre, pitch, and dynamics of the recording, thereby giving its consumers the best, purest, and most realistic music in the home. Its vast range of products is designed to complement the lifestyle of the listener.
The Marantz Home CD Player (Selling for $499.00 – Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) is beautifully designed for the music lover who’s looking for the best performance at a reasonable price. It’s built with rigid feet that eliminate unwanted vibrations and has an IR remote control that also controls the M6006 amp. Following are some of its other functional features:
For the past 30 years, TEAC has been a global player in the sound and music industry. Its recording tools are second to none and are seen everywhere from the high-end audio pro in a studio to the novice at home. It has pioneered several products in the professional recording arena including the first ¼-inch 4-track cassette recorder, first 8-track reel-to-reel/mixer combo, and the first R-DAT recorder. Its products, while offering high quality and durability, are also as affordable as it gets. It is committed to promoting the use of conflict-free minerals in the manufacture of its products.
The TEAC CD-P650 Compact Disc Player (Selling for $129.95 – Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) is a remote-controlled machine that combines CD player, USB, and iPod playback options. It has gold-plated analog audio output jacks for reliable connections. Its other features include:
CD players are used for several purposes, including playing audio CDs, recording, and storing files. The upsurge in acceptance of advanced technology has introduced devices like Mp3 players and iPods, which has caused a dwindle in the sales and purchase of CD players. However, you will not allow your amazing collection of CDs go to waste, and that’s why you need to buy a good CD player.
Let us start by looking at the types of CD players in the market based on configuration:
Single-disc players:
CD changers:
Universal players:
Standard DVD or Blu-Ray players:
Other types based on functionality are:
Portable CD players:
Boom box:
Car CD players:
Computer disc drive:
We trust that you now have a better understanding of the functions and types of CD players, and that you are already thinking of what your CD player should be able to do. If you want to gather more knowledge about the features of your CD player and what to look for, come along with us as we point out the required features of a good CD player.
For a CD player, it is very likely that the higher the price, the higher the quality and value you will get from it. However, there are other factors, such as type and features or accessories, that can affect the price of your CD player. For instance, a universal player that plays both audio and video will cost more than a single player with better audio quality, because you are paying for two functions. The price does not actually determine the audio quality.
During research, we saw CD players that cost as high as $25,000, but we think that's a very expensive buy. Most reviews on these products showed they didn’t produce audio quality that was commensurate with the price. We decided that between the very cheap CD layers and the very expensive ones, there should be affordable players with most of the features of the most expensive players. That is why we came up with five products that are feature-laden and budget-friendly. You’ll get high-quality CD players between $150 and $600, and that’s the range we’ve focused on in this review.
What's the point of a CD player if it cannot produce good sound? You could call up any five-year-old to sing you a song instead, right? Sound quality should be a top feature to look for when purchasing a CD player. However, there are other features that aid the functionality of your CD player. For instance, you need a CD player with controls that are easy to use, and can handle shuffling, repeats of individual tracks or full albums, or playing the disc straight through. Your CD player should be built to last. A warranty is a good backing for it.
Choosing the best CD player poses a problem to a lot of music lovers, because they are faced with deciding on options that will meet all their music needs. You have to decide what configuration you need, whether multi-player or single CD player. As you already know, the different types of CD players have different features. The list below will help you see the features that are peculiar to some CD players:
Imagine that you are listening to a very beautiful selection of songs on your portable CD player, and it just keeps skipping as you move! When choosing a portable CD player, look for one with anti-skipping features. It should have an anti-shock technology to support the laser that reads the music. This helps it to not miss a beat, even while you are in motion. A memory buffer is also of importance because it reads the music ahead of time. It does not play straight from the CD, but from memory.
Some CD players come with additional features that give them an advantage over other players. Some have radio with presets, so that when you want a change, you just switch and listen to the radio. Some others have recording options so you can record something playing on the radio. If you love a bit of randomness in your life, you may want to change how your music plays. You may want to arrange the songs in a disc in another sequence so that it doesn’t follow the original sequence, maybe in the order of your favorites, and some CD players allow you do that. You can set them to repeat or shuffle.
Consider your CD player's ease of use. You don't want to have to check the owner’s manual anytime you want to operate the player. A remote control can be a vital accessory. You can just sit back and do your selection without having to move close to the player. The buttons on the body of the player should be easy to use too.
Of course, it is obvious that a portable CD player should be “portable.” If your player will be moved around, either in the house or elsewhere, go for a player that can be moved easily.
Your disc transport is what picks your CD and plays it: the disc drive. Drives that minimize vibration are usually sturdier and produce purer audio signals.
A trusted CD player should have a warranty backing it. This shows that the manufacturers trust their products and are ready to put this trust to test. Most times, products with warranty are better trusted than products without warranty.
Listening to rock music without bass is one of the most annoying things that can happen with a CD player. If you are a high-energy song lover, it is advisable to get a CD player with good bass boost.
Your CD player should be able to read common disc formats: CD, CD-R/RW and MP3 CDs. If your player cannot play these formats, it is not a good player. There are other formats that advanced CD players read, such as SACD and HDCD. If you have music in these formats, you may need to purchase a more advanced CD player. Most CD players have USB ports that let them access music from MP3 players and other USB-compatible devices.
The basic thing a CD player does is to convert digital files in CDs to analog files that play in our ears. Some high-end CD players convert digital signals at higher sampling rates; this is known as “upsampling.” This means that the song is converted and played at a higher frequency than it comes in on. Most of these conversions are done with the Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC), which brings out every tiny detail from the disc, and minimizes sound degrading effects like jitters to produce a cleaner and more vibrant sound. Some players come with single DACs, while others come with double DACs. Obviously, the double DACs will produce cleaner sounds. The good news is that you can purchase a DAC independently and connect it to your CD player.
Do you know that the way your CD player converts power can affect the playback? Clean power is essential for great sound quality. That is why the best CD players use toroidal power transformers for generating the power needed for great playback. Your power source will also add to the overall cost of the CD player, so consider the power source that best suits you and your music needs.