CD Player Styles

Crawling towards obsolescence

Deciding what to do about the compact disc, digital music's lame duck, is a befuddling issue.  Twenty years ago, when Dire Straits swayed reluctant rock masses by releasing Brothers in Arms on CD, many thought this technical innovation would defy history and forever withstand obsolescence.  Down but not out, the CD trudges alongside the MP3 and its eventual heir, the Super Audio Compact Disc (SACD).

Since it is still too early to dismiss them outright, you will occasionally run into the need to purchase a player.  Knowing you may be replacing it shortly with a superior successor; do you buy bare-bones ware or premium?  Given that they no longer enjoy the status as the dominant musical sovereign, it is not hard to get both.  But there are still plenty of considerations to weigh when picking out your new hardware.

If a manufacturer expects you to purchase a new CD player - be it for the car, under cabinet, home, or portable - they should make it compatible with all new formats.  Excluding MP3, CD-R, and SACD, from a new player is a sure sign that they aren't trying and don't deserve your money. 

Magazines, carousels, or MEGA-rack?

By now you probably have opinions on all the types of compact disc storage and transport mechanisms.  Magazines are nice but result in several unchanging bundles of six CDs that require a different sized magazine for your car.  Carousels offer the possibility of varying your selection at will, but lots of moving parts means more possibilities for error.  Not to speak of the mysteriously-affordable, behemoth 300 disc changers.  Typically cost constraints require reliable electronics to be sacrificed for complicated mechanics. 

Don't throw out your CDs, but do get ready for the next thing.  Buy an affordable, high-quality, single-disc player that accepts all formats.  If you want variety or portability, spend some time setting up a high-volume MP3 player.

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