Best CD players in 2024
Credits: Verity Burns | Good Housekeeping
Bring back your old CD collection with the latest budget and premium players
Whether you’re looking to replace an ageing CD player with something newer, or you have an old CD library and nothing to play it on anymore, our pick of the best CD players will give you some inspiration as to how you can get those discs spinning again.
While music streaming services deliver on convenience, and vinyl brings plenty of nostalgia, CDs are still a really accessible and generally affordable way to enjoy physical music – not to mention that most of us have a stash of them somewhere, just waiting to be played. Even better, it won’t cost you a monthly fee for the pleasure like streaming services do.
We’ve pulled together our pick of the best CD players based on our testing, as well as some buying advice for you to consider when you’re making your choice.
How the GH Tech Team tests CD players
CD players vary quite a lot in price, design and functionality, so when it came to selecting models to audition for this list, we made sure we covered off the main types – namely the feature-packed all-in-ones, the “just add speakers” micro systems, and the hi-fi separates, then looked to hit budget, mid-range and premium price points within them.
We did this by looking to trusted brands, as well as seeing models being spoken about by owners and enthusiasts in online forums. We decided not to include any of the super-budget non-branded CD clock radio or portable players you might find online, due to their quality being questionable across the board – we only want to recommend players we could trust will last.
Once we had our longlist, we do exactly what you’d expect – we get them out of the box, set them up and then sit back and listen! We consider each model’s build quality, whether they have any additional features that you might expect and how easy each one is to set up and use. We compare this to other CD players we’ve tested, and consider their cost too, to make sure it includes and performs to what we would expect at its price.
Then, of course, it’s all down to how good it sounds. We always listen to a range of different genres of music, but try to keep other variables to a minimum – using the same additional kit for any CD players that need them so we can hear any differences in performance more clearly.
Best premium all-in-one CD player
Revo SuperCD
The Revo SuperCD is another all-in-one system, packing a whole host of features into a statement retro design. While it’s a little narrower than the likes of the Panasonic SC-DM202EG-K or the Pure C-D6, it sits much taller so feels larger, with around two thirds of its anodised aluminium front panel taken up by the speaker grille.
The upper third is given over to a bright 2.7-inch OLED display and two rows of small buttons for presets, playback and menu controls, plus a small joystick to help make menu navigation easier. There’s also a large volume knob on top of the player, which sits just in front of the vertical slot-loading CD player.
It’s a little busy to look at when compared to something like Ruark’s R3S, but everything has its use and it makes setup a breeze – particularly when it walks you through every setting you need to consider the moment you switch it on. It’s easily one of the best setups and most intuitive interfaces we’ve tested, plus everything feels incredibly well-built.
There is a small, improved remote control too, though the plasticky white and black design feels a little mismatched with the premium walnut and black design of our review sample.
As well as that vertically loading CD player, which plays quietly and has a smooth mechanism to feed discs into, the SuperCD has a wide range of connectivity options, including DAB+/FM radio, aptX Bluetooth streaming, and wifi connectivity for internet radio and services like Spotify Connect. There’s also a headphone socket, USB charging port, an aux-in, and both stereo RCA and optical outs.
As for how it sounds, it’s superb. Powerful 40W stereo speakers mean you aren’t ever wanting for volume, and they’ll fill a pretty large room with a rich, full-bodied sound. There’s a particularly engaging level of clarity through the midrange, alongside crisp highs that never sound pushed. A joy to use and listen to.
Key specifications
| Type | All-in-one |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 20 x 33.5 x 18cm |
| Weight | 9.8kg |
| Inputs/outputs | x1 line in, x1 USB / x1 3.5mm headphone out, x1 optical, x1 stereo RCA out |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, wifi |