The humble compact disc was, at one point, the last relic of a dying era – a format usurped wholly by the untrammelled convenience of the nascent streaming age. Just as the generations before us dropped the vinyl record, so too did we drop our CD collections to welcome a new standard. And, just as vinyl records came back with a vengeance, so too has the CD, and with it, the there's been a rise in portable CD players.
As a format, the humble CD has been unfairly maligned against audio tech standards both newer and older. Despite being a crystal-clear and functionally-bombproof format through which to listen to music, it’s lost out to the crackly glamour of its stamped-wax predecessors and the infinite possibilities of its digital successors. However, and at just the right time, the great CD rehabilitation is nigh, and with it a renewed interest in the hi-fi tech that enables their playback.
This is especially true for portable CD players, which are making a comeback all of their own. Today’s portable CD players fold the disc-reading tech of yesteryear into the techy smarts of modern-day devices with which we’re accustomed; not only can you (re-)unlock the potential of your CD collection – and of your charity shop’s undoubtedly-bulging CD racks – but you can do so with newfound retro-futurist panache, in pursuit of a mobile listening experience that outperforms a great many home hi-fi stacks. Put simply: you need one of these in your life. But which one do you need?
If you’re struggling to answer this question, you’re in the right place. What follow are six of the best portable CD players on the market, ranging from budget-friendly beginner players to hi-fi heaven-on-a-stick. If you’d like a little more context on what to look for in a portable CD player, my buyer’s advice section will cover all the bases.
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Quick list
FiiO’s DM13 is a gem among portable CD players. It combines rugged and seamless portability with the functionality of full-size hi-fi CD players, and does so while looking kind of snazzy as well. This is just as at-home in your bag or in your living room, and will sound good however you tap its audio.
The KLIM Nomad is a different kind of ‘does-everything’ portable CD player, that offers some genuinely surprising features in a genuinely wallet-friendly package. A great CD player with an FM radio build-in, this device also has a TF card reader that can handle up to 32GB micro-SDs – ideal for bringing your digital collection to your car.
The Oakcastle CD100 is a no-nonsense portable player which does exactly as it says on the tin. An integrated rechargeable battery with a 12-hour life makes this an excellent all-day device, and its austere-ish casing design suits it to both your pocket and your car’s dashboard.
The Shanling EC Zero AKM is a solid-state version of the prior EC Zero T, and a pristine portable player with some profound versatility to its name. Excellent internals and prodigious outputs make this a great player for your high-end hi-fi and your mid-commute manbag.
Philips brings new meaning to ‘sharp’ with the AZB798T – an amusingly-angular boombox that revives old-school portable CD player tradition. It’s a bit finicky to power with batteries, but when you do you get a portable boombox that marries old-school formats with nu-school connectivity (and a loud amp, to boot).
This primary-coloured entry from Lenco is a cheap and (exceedingly) cheerful portable CD player, with all the essential features and some built-in safety measures – including a volume limiter to protect your children’s hearing. It’s a vibrant little thing, perfect for introducing your kids to your QOTSA collection early.
Best overall
✅ Buy if you’re a hi-fi enthusiast: The DM13’s cavalcade of outputs enable it to speak to practically any system, and sound very good while doing so too. It’s a true versatile player, equally at home on the road or at home.
❌ Avoid if you’re on a budget: The price tag is justified by the sheer functionality crammed into its minuscule frame, but that doesn’t change how much you might be willing to pay for a portable player.
The FiiO brand has come to dominate the latest wave of nostalgo-futurism, at least with respect to this fun niche of portable legacy media players. The CP13 portable cassette player was a slam dunk for tape enthusiasts, and this – their latest – threatens to do exactly the same for CD walkmen-adjacents.
There are scant few CD players on the market that touch every aspect the much-anticipated FiiO DM13 does. This is a CD-centric everything-box orders of magnitude smaller than your average player – and orders of magnitude better-sounding than a fair few genuine hi-fi separates on the market too. Peerless connectivity means this will slot in to practically any system and use-case, from feeding Bluetooth speakers to USB-interfacing with computers.
The DM13 has a built-in battery with an 8-hour life, ideal for a day’s listening out and about; a handy Desktop mode also lets you bypass the battery and power the player straight from plug, so you can dock your DM13 somewhat permanently if you wish. All told, this is an elegant device with an elegant design – and if you can make peace with its cost, possibly the last portable CD player you’ll ever need to buy.
"The FiiO DM13 is a portable CD player that does it all. Between its eight different connectivity options, sleek build and solid performance, it doesn’t have much in the way of competition – and even gives some non-portable players a run for their money. While it’s a hugely capable machine for its size, it lacks a little of the chutzpah demanded by louder, heavier CDs. Still, it’s a steal for what it is, and how it does what it does."
Read our full FiiO DM13 review
Best budget
✅ Buy if you’re a digital audio hoarder: The built-in card reader trivialises accessing your digital library on the go.
❌ Avoid if you’re an all-weather rambler: Well-featured and well-priced as the Nomad is, it might not survive harsher conditions or handling.
The KLIM Nomad is quietly a stacked affair, being a portable CD player with some unique features that set it apart from others at its price point. For starters, it’s rare to see a discman-style CD player with a built-in FM radio. This is a smart touch, too, giving you a little more longevity with the device if you’ve only brought one CD out with you.
The next feature, though, is a genuine surprise. The Nomad features a TF card reader that can accept micro-SD cards of up to 32GB, which is a supremely nifty solution for accessing your digitised collection on the go. This makes the Nomad an excellent driving companion, being its own 800-album-ish CD changer (in spirit, of course).
These nice additions, coupled with Bluetooth connectivity and a built-in 14-hour battery, put the Nomad miles ahead of most other budget portable CD players. As for the actual CD-playing bit, it’ll play practically any CD you chuck at it – and has a 100-second anti-skip buffer for keeping your listening seamless while on the move. A steal!
Best budget
✅ Buy if your needs are simple: You won’t find a better-priced device for simply and reliably playing your CDs.
❌ Avoid if you yearn for more: The CD100 is an essential marriage of old and new, so its bells and whistles number few.
The Oakcastle CD100 is an unassuming little CD player, with an austere black plastic chassis and a basic, easy to read control surface. This minimalist device is a highly affordable portable CD player, with a basic feature-set that will meet the vast majority of needs.
Its 12-hour battery life is more than enough to cover the daily comings-and-goings of the CD listener on the move, and its 5V USB charging makes keeping it juiced easy enough – even if the micro-USB port is a little dated at this point. It does a sturdy job of playing, and its Bluetooth connectivity is especially welcome at this price point.
The CD100 lends itself well to most outdoor jauntery, but is especially useful in the car. Anti-slip rubber feet keep it safely stationed on your dash, and you can connect to your car’s hi-fi either wired or wirelessly. It’s a no-nonsense player, and will do precisely what you ask it to – without hurting your wallet in the process.
Best high-end
✅ Buy if you want a top-performing, portable unit: Shanling has decades of experience in the audio marketplace and the EC Zero AKM is another excellent product from the Chinese firm.
❌ Avoid if you’re on a budget: This is a lovely product, but it comes at a price, and I'd like the battery life to be a little better.
Shanling’s been doing it since the 80s, but it’s really in the last decade or so that the Chinese hi-fi company’s started getting its due flowers. Portable hi-fi heavyweights are one of the brand’s signature streams, and the EC Mini CD player series is a masterclass in combining top-flight tech with portability.
The EC Zero AKM is a more accessible alternative to Shanling’s EX Zero T, a notable portable CD player for its inclusion of vacuum tubes in its circuitry. The EC Zero AKM carries almost everything forward besides the tubes, their requisite window indicators and some other audio-circuitry specifics – leaving a solid-state portable player that’s pretty much as musical, practical and fun as its arguably-bougie predecessor.
The EC Mini AKM offers 10 hours battery life when on the move, and some robust playback even on buffet-y commutes. The variety of connectivity options, from balanced outs to optical to a built-in USB-C DAC, this is equally at home in your expensive hi-fi stack. It’s also a gratifyingly tactile machine, particularly when it comes to that linear volume slider – an excellent touch, and, to say the least, a smart control for the form.
It’s not a cheap portable CD player by any means, but the Shanling EC Mini AKM could be the last CD player you ever buy. A remarkably well-engineered machine with some serious attributes.
Best boombox
✅ Buy if you’re a mixtape master: CD-R/W and cassette-tape compatibility make this the ideal portable hi-fi for blasting your own mixes.
❌ Avoid if you want a sleek player: It’s loud-looking and a little costly to power portably; you might want something a little smaller in scope.
The humble boombox has all-but disappeared from public life, having been unceremoniously usurped by the wireless Bluetooth speaker – but here, we have a stubborn remnant of tech formats past, in Philips’ AZB798T portable boombox system. And it’s got a CD player in it.
The AZB798T is a portable boombox with a raft of features, some of which are less expected than others. In keeping with convention, this boombox also has FM radio and a cassette deck; in keeping with modernity, it enables Bluetooth connectivity for streaming tunes, offers access to DAB+ radio stations, and will even read MP3s off a USB stick.
The AZB798T can be battery-powered, but will require some old-school investment in D-type batteries (and six of them, as well). This investment is but a gateway, though, to all the adolescent fun of a sharp-looking CD-blasting loudmaker.
Best for kids
✅ Buy if you want an entry-level CD player for younger ears: With a volume limiter, the Lenco CD-021 is an excellent option for young music fans.
❌ Avoid if you want more bells and whistles: This is a stripped-back player targeted at a younger audience.
Lenco is a frequent flyer in best-of guides like this, thanks to its wide-ranging roster of budget hi-fi devices including turntables. Here, we have a budget portable CD player designed specifically for young ears – the CD-021, replete with a red, yellow and blue colourway and some matching cheap-and-cheerful headphones.
There’s nothing much to write home about with the CD-021. It’s a bare-bones feature-set, uplifted by CD-RW readability and the option to power it direct from mains with a plug adapter. There are some extra features to benefit the younger listener though, including a volume limiter that prevents your kids from blasting Meshuggah too loud.
As far as portable CD players go, this won’t blow anyone with discerning ears away by any stretch. What it will do, however, is offer your little ones a safe and exploratory entry point into the world of physical audio media – at least, when they’re old enough to stop trying to eat your CDs. The free headphones are a bonus, too, especially as a sacrificial pair of Baby’s First On-Ears!
FAQ
Why are CDs coming back?
The CD is coming back for a variety of reasons, from the resurgence of demand for physical formats to a returning interest in lossless audio formats – all of which exist against a background of predatory streaming-subscription formats and the general loss of control over what music we actually own.
The CD’s fall from favour has been slow but sure, with the format having taken a great deal of unjust flak over the years. Despite the CD’s objective merits over most other formats, the hip glamour of the vinyl record posts-revival eventually outshone the CD’s practicality – and the one-two punch of smartphones and music streaming services put paid to the CD’s convenience-based supremacy as well.
But the second wind of CD, and hence of the portable CD player, is testament to the endurance of the format – and inextricably linked to streaming-service fatigue. Poorly-optimised audio and poorly-adjudicated AI playlists have turned many music-lovers off the apps, with the high fidelity and near-permanence of the CD there to pick things back up.
Why should I get a portable CD player?
You should get a portable CD player so you can listen to your CDs, but portably. Just kidding. But also not! Fundamentally, portable CD players are an excellent and accessibly-priced route to listening to CDs – or, indeed, back into enjoying your now dust-covered CD collection of days gone by.
As more and more people get switched off by streaming services, whether due to ever-changing libraries, issues with sound quality or even just the essential wish to own their own music collection, CDs rise up as an hardy, high-fidelity physical-media alternative. And carrying CDs around to listen to is much more convenient than carrying around a portable record player (cool as they are for their own distinct reasons!).
Today’s portable CD players are cheaper than standalone hi-fi CD players, and far more versatile too. They tend to be a little more full-featured than the skippy, lightweight CD-Walkmen of the CD format’s frontier era, and even give some modern hi-fi separates a run for their money in the process. With something like FiiO’s DM13, a portable device with some incredibly connectivity, you can have both an excellent CD player for your home hi-fi and a bombproof listening experience for your commute at the same time.
What are the benefits of listening to CDs?
There are a few reasons to listen to CDs over other formats. Firstly, CD collections are still incredibly easy to come by. CD is still a popular format, even if it doesn’t dominate music industry conversation. Relatedly, CDs are extremely inexpensive – at least, if you know where to look.
The ubiquity of the format in its 40-something years of supremacy means you can find pretty much anything on CD, and in vast quantities too; charity shops, thrift stores and online auction sites alike are teeming with second-hand CDs that sound exactly the same as they did on day one, and selling them for pennies. If you want to start building a strong library of music you actually own, physical or digital, second-hand CDs are the most cost-effective place to start.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that CDs are a bit of a time machine, at least with respect to listening trends. The loudness war was very much a thing in the CD age, but nonetheless, CDs are not as widespread a victim as the modern streaming library. Besides which, there are some CDs that have never made an appearance on streaming libraries at all; how else are you meant to hear them?
Do CDs sound high-quality?
Listening to CDs is actually one of the better ways to consume professionally-released music, on account of their being, essentially, the foundation for modern digital audio standards. In fact, CDs objectively exceed the fidelity of the vinyl record, and can sometimes (depending on your service and settings) exceed the fidelity of streaming-subscription media too.
Digital audio files possess two attributes that determine their fidelity: sample rate and bit depth. Sample rate is how many slices make up the file, with more slices per second meaning more information for your lughole. Bit depth is basically how many volume options each slice has, with higher bit rates meaning more notches on the figurative volume knob, and more dynamic range accordingly.
CD audio possesses a 44.1k sample rate, which exceeds the human ear’s capabilities for discerning fidelity. There’s not enough room here for an essay on sample rates, the Nyquist frequency (fascinating if you’re a nerd!) and human hearing, but rest assured that 44.1k isn’t hiding anything from the vast majority of ears.
As for bit rate, CDs are 16-bit. 16-bit is an older standard, borne of the limitations of the CD’s physical size, and today usurped by the 24-bit standard – particularly in the music production process – thanks to its incredible dynamic range and headroom. But even 16-bit audio has a dynamic range of 96dB, which goes from quieter-than-you-can-detect to louder-than-you-need. Vinyl records have an average approximate dynamic range of around 70dB, for reference.
(Before the audiophiles drop the guillotine off outside my house, it is true that higher sample rates reduce the chance for digital and audio artefacts to ruin your listening experience – particularly foldback distortion, which is when frequencies above the capabilities of the sample rate ‘fold back’ into the audible range and interfere with the sound. Realistically, though, this isn’t enough of a problem for the CD to ever be a redundant format. And many hi-fi systems have filtering systems in place to handle this for you anyway.)
Are CDs a lossless format?
Yes, CDs are lossless. ‘Lossless’ is a term which relates to the compression of a digital audio file. Lossy compression means the loss of information in the truncation process, while lossless compression reduces file sizes without losing anything in the process. CDs (specifically, 44.1kHz/16-bit PCM-encoded CDs, as opposed to MP3-populated data CDs) are lossless formats. Some digital audio files, like MP3s, are ‘lossy’ by virtue of certain information being deleted to keep file sizes low.
How do portable CD players work?
Portable CD players have the same essential functionality as hi-fi separate CD players; a laser reads information stored on the surface of the disc, and that information is translated into audio. The difference between standard CD players and portable CD players is, most prominently, the technology employed to minimise read errors when the unit is nudged or shaken; after all, portable CD players are, by definition, on the move.
As such, a good portable CD player is capable of replaying audio from a CD without any major hiccups, even while the player is being moved. This was much more of a trade-off in the 1990s, when portable CD players first took off, but is less of a problem for modern CD-player designs – many of which also squeeze in some clever hi-fi circuitry.
How to choose a portable CD player
Choosing the best portable CD player means selecting for your individual needs. Nascent as this market is, it’s broad – and what works for one won’t work for all.
For one, if you’re really serious about long-listening on the move, you might be better-served selecting a CD player with a built-in rechargeable battery a-la smartphones and other such devices. USB-C charging would be ideal in many cases, since you could treat your new portable CD player just as any other piece of portable tech in your life (right down to emergency-charging from a power bank).
If you’re an audiophile, meanwhile, you might want to focus on outputs. Wired headphones aren’t going the way of the dodo, but they are nonetheless becoming less and less practical in a world of wireless connectivity. This is an unmitigated disaster for the in-ear headphones-owning, analogue-audio-preferring hard-heads among us – but not if you pick a portable CD player with forward-thinking DACs and headphone outs built-in.
For the men of convenience amongst us, a Bluetooth-enabled portable CD player is a godsend, much more likely to integrate into your pre-existing personal-tech ecosystem and minimise any on-the-go jiggery-pokery.
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Louder’s reviewing team consists of music fans, musicians and professional product testers, who between them have accumulated decades of product reviewing experience, writing thousands of words on music listening gear across thousands of reviews on Louder. Our tests also inform our buyer's guide - just like this one.
As lifelong music fans, we're serious about the tech we listen to our favourite artists on. We want them to sound incredible, giving us all the detail those bands intended us to hear, and deliver the perfect balance of bass, mids and highs. We're looking for pure immersion in our chosen sounds, whether it's a classic '70s rock album, or a cutting-edge noise band.
Meet the expert
James Grimshaw is a freelance writer and music obsessive with over a decade in music and audio writing. They’ve lent their audio-tech opinions (amongst others) to the likes of Guitar World, MusicRadar and the London Evening Standard – before which, they covered everything music and Leeds through their section-editorship of national e-magazine The State Of The Arts. When they aren’t blasting esoteric noise-rock around the house, they’re playing out with esoteric noise-rock bands in DIY venues across the country; James will evangelise to you about Tera Melos until the sun comes up.
Latest updates
10/11/25: The guide has been updated to include two new portable CD players: Shanling EC Zero AKM and Lenco CD-021. Expert verdict panels have been included where applicable and the FAQ section has been completely rewritten. A section on how to choose a portable CD player has been added, alongside a section on why you can trust the Louder team.
