The rise in popularity of digital music via streaming services and smartphones might lead you to assume that CD players are a thing of the past. The truth is however, that a lot of people still have use for CD players, whether they have CD collections they enjoy, lack access to music streaming or even just prefer the format. CD players have the advantage of not depending on a Wi-Fi connection, and many are portable, making them convenient for all types of settings.

The first step in selecting the best CD player for you is to determine where you want to listen to it. You can get a car CD player if you do your best listening on road trips or while running errands, or you can get a boombox, which is a portable sound system that generally includes not only a small CD player, but also a radio tuner and maybe a cassette player. You can also choose a larger home CD player that is intended to be a component of your home theater set-up, which may also include options for other formats like Bluetooth connectivity or vinyl records. 

Once you’ve determined the optimal style of CD player for you, you’ll want to take a look at the features that will serve you best. Do you want a multi-disc CD player that gives you the convenience of loading several CDs at once, to play one after the other or in a shuffle mode? What audio formats will you want to play on your CD player? Most basic CD players can handle commercial CDs, CD-R/RWs and MP3 CDs, but if you’ll be wanting a player that will play other formats, you’ll want to verify those capabilities in the CD player specs before you buy. A CD player with Bluetooth capabilities that allows you to stream playlists from a computer or tablet can be useful for more diverse listening options. You might also be interested in features like a sleep timer, alarm function, the ability to record, programmable play, remote control or a headphone jack so you can use your preferred headphones—consider a pair of noise-cancelling headphones to completely immerse yourself in the listening experience.

While most CD players have the power to drive headphones, they need an amplifier or receiver connected to full-size speakers with the proper speaker cables. The CD player connects to the amp using digital connections or analog connections so you’ll want to be sure you have the compatible A/V cables. Nearly every CD player comes with analog cables, but in most cases, digital connections, such as coaxial and optical, provide superior fidelity because they avoid interference and noise while letting your receiver do the heavy lifting.