Ten of the best CD players as the compact disc makes a comeback

Vinyl owns crackle and tape has hiss, but aside from these analogue anomalies, the main attraction of the two formats is pure nostalgia. Granted, record players of impressive quality and sophistication are still being made (along with vinyl storage), and the low-level tape revival (with accompanying cassette players) marches a steady path between TikTok pop and the audio avant-garde. But as any casual aficionado of high-fidelity sound will tell you, Compact Disc (CD) is where it’s at and always has been.

In this era of infinite, always-on streamed media, choice and curation often take a back seat to just letting music wash all over you. The CD is a near-perfect medium for enjoying that most widespread art form of the past 60 years, the album. Offering exceptional sound, neatly packaged, CDs are less hassle than their analogue forebears, but more intentional than just popping on a Spotify playlist.

CD sales peaked over 20 years ago, when around 650 million were sold each year. Downloads and streaming decimated these numbers, but the billions of discs sold are mostly still around and in perfect condition. Many manufacturers stepped away from making CD players – you’d be hard pressed to find a modern car equipped to play discs.

Manufacturers are seeing an uptick in the demand for CDs, noting that they’re actually more sustainable than pressing on virgin vinyl. John Service at North London’s Key Production has noted that many labels and artists are shying away from the fragile ‘jewel cases’ of the past. ‘There has been a 70 per cent increase in cardboard packaging orders in the last year alone,’ he says.

We’ve sought ten of the best contemporary CD players that’ll make the most of the digital disc’s most enduring qualities, whether it's been thrifted, remastered, or simply dug out from deep in your archives.

CD players to embrace the compact disc revival

Loewe klang s3

German audio manufacturer Loewe specialises in television sets, but its hi-fi products are also well worth a look. This is the klang s3, a slender (but hefty) all-in-one unit that splices together a DAB radio, FM radio, internet radio, streaming services (Spotify, Amazon, etc), plus that all important slot for a CD. Operated via a remote control or Loewe’s radio app, the klang s3 sounds punchy, is beautifully built and comes with more choice than you’ll ever conceivably need.  

Loewe Klang s3, £719 from Amazon.co.uk, Int.loewe.tv, @loewe.international

Pure Evoke

Another all-in-one, Evoke’s Home was designed by Sam Hecht and Kim Colin at Industrial Facility. With its cherry wood grill, pop-up screen and meticulous design, the Evoke’s easy minimalism is countered by a full feature set, including slot-operated CD player, and the trio of FM, DAB and internet radio. There’s also Pure’s UNDOK app for smartphone control, and a total of 100W of power.  

Pure Evoke Wood Edition, £449.99, Pure-Audio.com, @pureaudioworld

Philips Audio M6805

Philips – the original inventor of the CD format back in 1982 – currently offers this impressive micro music system to keep it in the game. It’s a more conventional alternative to the chic stylings of Loewe, Ruark and Pure, but the functions certainly aren’t lacking. The ability to play mp3 files burnt onto CDs allows you to revisit the noughties equivalent of the mixtape, and there’s also a USB port for plugging in old school thumb drives. The CD player is a front loader and makes full use of the 50W sound system.

Philips Audio M6805, £259.99 from Amazon.co.uk, Philips.co.uk

Ruark R3S DAB

Ruark used to have several CD players in its range, but now it’s reduced that down to one, the R3S DAB (even the flagship R410 and R810 systems don’t have space for compact discs). That’s OK, because the R3S is still a winner, a compact shelf-mounted all-in-one unit that pairs a front-loading CD player with a suite of streaming, internet and radio tuners. It’s available in a soft grey finish or with a dark walnut veneer.

Ruark R3S DAB, £649.99 from JohnLewis.com, RuarkAudio.com, @ruarkaudio

Roberts Stream 67L

The final recommended model in this survey of all-in-one systems is the Roberts Stream 67L, a familiar form factor and feature set, distinguished by the curved wood case, acoustically tuned to accommodate the four-speaker set-up. Roberts has been building radios since 1932 (and has a royal warrant to show for it), with a strong whiff of retro-style creeping in throughout the 21st century. The Stream 67L is more mid-century than pre-war, and offers a distinctive, elegant form to go with the excellent sound. 

Roberts Stream 67L, £499.99 from Amazon.co.uk, RobertsRadio.com

Brennan B3+

Brennan’s B3+ needs to be hooked to speakers – either wired or wireless, or your existing Sonos set-up – so it can’t be considered a standalone product. Back in the dawn of the digital era, Brennan started building simple to use players that could rip CDs to their internal hard disks. That’s still the case, and the core users have typically been audiophiles looking to create lossless FLAC files, rather than compressed MP3s. With 2 terabytes of storage, the B3+ is good for storing over 4,400 CDs at the very highest quality, archived and searchable. Or you could simply play the CD itself. 

Brennan B3+, £729 from Amazon.co.uk or Brennan.co.uk

Cambridge Audio AXC35

The AXC35 is a very traditional-looking hi-fi separate, of the kind that used to be available in their hundreds. High-quality CD players are few and far between at this price, and Cambridge Audio’s longstanding commitment to hi-fi dates back to its founding in the eponymous town in the late 1960s. The company built the first ‘two box’ CD player with a separate decoder unit in 1985 and has distilled all that know-how into this contemporary no-frills model. Finished in Lunar Grey, like all CA’s products, it’s a welcome step back to simplicity. 

Cambridge Audio AXC35, £349.00, CambridgeAudio.com, @CambridgeAudio

Lyngdorf CD-2

Minimally styled but with maximal commitment to fidelity, the Lyngdorf CD-2 is a player for golden eared aesthetes. Slender and simple, the CD-2 is designed to be used in conjunction with Lyngdorf’s other separate components and is dedicated to playing standard CDs only. Lyngdorf was set up by the Danish audiophile Peter Lyngdorf in 1975 and started making its own components in the early 1980s. All products are designed and made in Denmark. 

Lyngdorf CD-2, £2,600, available from RobertTaussig.com, Lyngdorf.Steinwaylyngdorf.com

Naim Uniti Star

The Naim Uniti Star is a mighty system that adds TV connectivity and smart assistants to its long list of services and functions. Naturally this includes a CD player, alongside USB and HDMI inputs. Support for SD card storage allows you to rip discs to the device, while there are wired speaker outputs and support for Naim’s own wireless speaker series, as well as Apple AirPlay and Google Chromecast systems for multi-room playback.  

Naim Uniti Star, £3,499, available from RobertTaussig.com, NaimAudio.com, @naimaudio

Marantz SACD-30n

The SACD-30n is the flagship of Marantz’s CD player line-up. Made in Japan, this standalone player can handle DVDs as well as SACD – the short-lived ultra-high definition ‘Super Audio’ format. It also incorporates Marantz’s HEOS system, a multi-service search engine that will find tracks across Amazon, Tidal, etc, incorporates digital assistants like Alexa, and can be app-controlled from anywhere. It’s designed to pair aesthetically with Marantz’s MODEL 30 series. 

Marantz SACD-30n Streaming SACD Player, £3,000, Marantz.com, @marantzofficial