Best CD Players

Marantz CD6007 sits at #1 in the A tier of our consolidated board, ranked across independent research runs over current expert reviews. Best overall value for entry-level audiophiles; solid build and sound at an affordable price.

Arcam CD5 ranks #2 (A tier). Robust chassis and strong firmware track record.

Our research places SMSL PL20, Technics SA-C600, Fosi Merak CD Player, Lenco CD-021, FiiO DM15, Sony Discman in the bottom tiers (D/F). Good mid-range durability and low noise.

Buy a home player if you have an amplifier or powered speakers, because the best sound on our board comes from full-size units. The Marantz CD6007, the Arcam CD5 and the Cambridge Audio AXC25 are all A tier home players with solid build and detailed sound. Portable players trade sound and build for size and a headphone jack. On our board the FiiO DM13 and the Shanling EC Play are the portable picks, both in C tier, which is below every home player in A and B tier.

On our board the most reliable players come from Marantz, Arcam and Cambridge Audio. The Marantz CD6007 has low reported failures, the Arcam CD5 has a strong firmware track record and the Cambridge Audio AXC25 is rated for excellent long-term reliability. At the other end, the FiiO DM15 is marked for early failures and unreliable operation, and the Fosi Merak CD Player for weak build and irregular firmware updates.

A well built CD player lasts a decade or more, because the laser transport is the only wearing part and the rest is simple electronics. Budget players wear out faster. On our board the Lenco CD-021 is flagged for a weak transport and the Sony Discman for a thin build and short lifespan. The A tier players, the Marantz CD6007, the Arcam CD5 and the Cambridge Audio AXC25, are the ones the research rates for long service.

The usual failures are the laser transport, the disc tray mechanism and the firmware. A worn laser skips or refuses to read discs, a tired tray sticks, and bad firmware causes freezes or lost features. On our board the FiiO DM15 shows early failures and limited firmware support, the Fosi Merak CD Player shows irregular firmware updates, and the Lenco CD-021 shows a weak transport. The Arcam CD5 and the Denon DCD-900NE are the players rated for firmware stability.

No. Every CD player has a built-in DAC, and the good ones need no help. On our board the Cambridge Audio AXC25 has a low-noise DAC, the FiiO DM13 is praised for its DAC performance and the Arcam CD5 offers high-resolution decoding. An external DAC only makes sense if you already own a better one, in which case look for a player with a digital output so you can bypass the internal one.

Yes. Almost every DVD and Blu-ray player reads audio CDs, because the formats share the same disc size and the player carries a laser for each. The sound comes out over the same HDMI or analogue outputs the player uses for films. A dedicated CD player like the Marantz CD6007 gives a better DAC, a quieter transport and proper track display, which is why it is worth buying one if you listen to discs often.

On our board the FiiO DM13 has Bluetooth, so it can play to wireless headphones or a speaker. The Shanling EC Play is the other portable pick and is rated for its small size and regular firmware updates. The SMSL PL20 has no Bluetooth at all and a weak headphone amp, which is part of why it sits in D tier. The Sony Discman is a wired classic with no modern connectivity.

Keep the player on a level surface away from dust and heat, and leave the tray closed when it is not in use. Handle discs by the edge, store them in cases and wipe smudges from the centre outwards with a soft cloth, never in circles. Do not use lens cleaning discs on a player that works, because the brushes can scratch the lens. A player that skips on clean discs usually needs a new laser rather than a clean.

Avoid the cheapest players and the nostalgia buys. On our board the Lenco CD-021 and the Sony Discman sit in F tier for weak transports, thin builds and short lifespans. Avoid paying a premium that the sound does not justify: the Shanling CD80 II and the Denon DCD-900NE are both flagged as overpriced for what they deliver. Also check the outputs you need before buying, because the Technics SA-C600 is marked for missing modern connectivity.

If you have already moved your music to streaming and do not own discs, a CD player adds nothing. Network streamers are a separate category on this site. A CD player is for people who own a disc collection, who want the physical format, or who want a transport to feed an existing amplifier. For those buyers the Marantz CD6007 is the pick, and the Cyrus CDi in B tier is the value option.