


Prices for home audio CD players vary depending on the number of CDs they hold, the number of audio formats they support, their DAC/sound quality, and the other features they offer, but you can find models that cost from $30 to $1,000.Ī single CD player that only plays a few audio formats, features a lower-quality DAC, and doesn’t offer many special features typically costs $30 to $100.Ī single CD player that plays several audio formats, has a 16-bit DAC, and has a few special features typically costs $100 to $300. Look for a model that allows you to preset your favorite stations, so you can listen without having to search for them. Radioįor an even more versatile piece of home audio equipment, choose a CD player with a radio. There are more expensive players that are compatible with nearly every format.Ĭheck the product specifications for the CD players that you’re considering to verify that they can handle the discs you’re likely to play. Some home audio CD players also support high-resolution discs (HDCD), which offer superb sound quality, as well as super audio compact discs (SACD) and DVD-Audio (DVD-A). You’ll be able to play every commercially made CD in any player, but CD-Rs or CD-RWs that you’ve recorded yourself may not work in all models. It’s important to consider the audio formats that a CD player supports. This means that fewer details are lost when the digital data is converted to an audio signal.įor the best sound quality, choose a home audio CD player with a 16-bit or 24-bit DAC. The digital-to-analog converter is usually the most important feature in determining a CD player’s sound quality.Īll models have a DAC, but you want to choose the highest quality that you can afford to make sure that your music sounds as good as it can.Ī DAC’s quality is measured in bits – the higher the bits, the faster the CD player can read the disc.


Home audio CD player features to consider DAC Because of the added complexity, this type of player is more prone to mechanical failure. These models typically hold five to six discs, though there are some larger changers that can store as many as 500 discs at once. CD changersĪ CD changer is a device designed solely for audio playback that can hold multiple discs at once.
