Anyone who has ever done spring cleaning knows that you will still find some old compact discs and cassette tapes in your pile of junk. CDs are also still pretty popular now specifically in the K-pop and J-pop industry. The challenge though is to find devices that can still play these “artifacts”. Kickback is a brand that banks on nostalgia with its line up of retro products. Three of the more popular ones are the Discman, Portable Cassette Player, and the Jukebox Mini.
The Discman is inspired by the Sony portable CD player that was very popular back in the days. Aside from being named after it, the design sensibilities is also taken from that particular CD player. What makes this different is that it has a fully transparent exterior so you can see your disc spinning around as you play it. The Bluetooth-enabled device also has a small digital display so you can see what track is playing and some buttons for various controls.
The Portable Cassette Player has a simple name enough so you can understand what it is. Well, that is, if you still know what a cassette tape is. For though of us who know what it is, it is also a portable device with a simple and minimalist design. Just like the Sony Walkman where it draws its design from, it is small enough to fit into your pocket. Well, if you still have cassette tapes of course.
Lastly, we have the Jukebox Mini, which is just semi-nostalgic when it comes to its design. It’s a Bluetooth speaker but with a retro design with two round speakers encased in a rectangular case. It claims that it carries the same quality as speakers from Sonos or Beats Pill. It can be placed on a shelf or desk or mounted on the wall, or you can also carry it around. It comes in cute mint, white, and pink colors.
They say history always repeats itself. Vinyls are making a comeback right now, which means in a few years cassettes and CDs will make a resurgence all over again, and when compact discs do enter the mainstream, you’re going to be glad you had this cute CD player from Semetor. Spotted on the floor at IFA 2024, the K8 is a playfully retro CD player that embraces the design aesthetic of European appliances in the 50s. Designed with an open top that allows the CD to sit on its platter like a vinyl on a gramophone, the K8 comes with a few translucent typewriter-inspired buttons that let you control music playback. But wait, it’s 2024, and just being a CD player obviously won’t cut it… which is why the K8 also has an FM radio, a Bluetooth-enabled wireless speaker, and even an ambient lamp built into its adorable design.
The K8 isn’t a cutting-edge CD player… but it’s cute. It has the adorable demeanor of one of lofree‘s older products, with its retro aesthetic that’s brought about by its rounded form and use of pastel shades. What instantly grabs your eye first is the open-top CD player. While most players usually conceal the CD within a casing, this one does not. You see the CD spin as you play music, and the disc’s radial spectral finish looks absolutely gorgeous.
Playback is easy. For running a CD, just hit the CD button on the panel, and use the controls below to play/pause, or skip tracks. A BT/FM button lets you toggle the Bluetooth player or FM radio. Backlights in the button glow to let you know which mode you’re in, and a seven-segment LCD screen on the bottom allows you to see things like track number (for CDs) or radio station (for FM). A gold-plated ‘gear’ on the right side lets you switch on or off the K8.
If all that wasn’t enough, the K8 also packs a warm glow-light for ambient lighting. Hit the button on the top right and a halo around the CD player lights up. It isn’t enough to light a room, but it does bestow a warm wash of golden light in the immediate vicinity, perfect for late-night listening. Pair it with a nice soft jazz CD and you’re absolutely set!
In case you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that CDs have made a comeback the past years, thanks in part to the Japanese and Korean music industry. A lot of fans have been buying CDs (sometimes multiple copies) of their favorite artists and Gen Z in particular has a particular fondness for something they actually weren’t alive yet when it was popular. The older generations buy it for the nostalgia. Both are benefitting from the audio quality of uncompressed music. However, the quality of CD players are not on par with what we were used to back in the day.
Designer: Anthony Chupp
Most of the big name audio brands have not been producing CD players but what if someone like Bang & Olufsen comes up with one? A designer came up with a concept for the Beosound Compact after studying the design and quality principles of the brand. What he came up with is a sleek and minimalist portable CD player that seems worthy of the brand that he created this concept for. It also brings back nostalgia feels for those who brought their Sony Walkman CD player around, although this is much more classy and shiny.
To reduce the need for an LED display, the player uses turntable styles for its volume controls and actual touchable buttons for its play controls. It is also textured to highlight the touchpoints that you need to access various controls. But the player can also be connected to the Bang & Olufsen app on your smart device in case you’re away from the CD player. There is Bluetooth connection as well to your headphones or wireless earbuds of choice as well as analog and optical output.
As someone who owns several CDs but still don’t have a CD player, I wouldn’t mind having something like this if Bang & Olufsen eventually decides to produce one. Having a quality CD player is just as important as having quality music from these CDs. Hopefully brands will catch on to this “trend” as it may be here to stay, for at least a few more years.
Believe you me, just the way vinyl made its glorious comeback, CDs too will see a resurrection in popularity… and when they do, the Cp1 CD Player will stand out as the most sophisticated-looking player of our time. Combining age-old technology with a clean, minimalist, design-driven aesthetic, the Cp1 is a wall-mounted compact disc player that doubles as wall art. Its all-white design with clear lines and subtle detailing makes it blend perfectly into modern Japandi-style homes. Dieter Rams and Naoto Fukasawa would be proud.
“Streaming may be all the rage, but it often eclipses the holistic experience of a full album,” says the Cp1’s designer Tatsufumi Funayma. “While artists pour their souls into their albums, streaming emphasizes single tracks. NEW Cp1 nudges you to revisit the magic of entire albums, offering a chance to truly understand an artist’s intent and narrative, all while enjoying the accompanying art.” A billion CDs are still produced annually, yet the only way to buy a CD player today is to search for one at a thrift shop, on eBay, or go garage-sale hunting to grab a second-hand one for dirt cheap. The Cp1 changes that by hat-tipping an existing technology that doesn’t get enough credit, and is heavily due for a nostalgic resurgence.
At first glance, the Cp1’s design is a striking balance of retro and modern aesthetics. Look at it and you’re instantly reminded of a Polaroid film with the way it’s designed. It has a border on all four sides, with a thicker one at the base, like an instant photo. The center is where the magic occurs, where you can either observe the CD playing through a clear window, or slide the CD cover’s artwork in, transforming the player into a large retro-style relic of your eclectic music collection. The minimalist front, dominated by the disc tray and tiny display for track-number, exudes a no-nonsense attitude towards music playback. Look on the top edge and you’ll see the Cp1’s controls – simple self-colored tactile buttons that are easy to understand with zero text or labeling, reinforcing the Cp1’s clean design.
Despite its retro functionality, it’s equipped with modern connectivity options like Bluetooth 5.1. This means it can easily integrate into a variety of audio setups, from traditional home stereo systems to more contemporary multi-room setups. A 3.5mm audio jack encourages you to use wired headsets or speakers (as any audiophile will rightfully suggest), a built-in li-ion battery gives the Cp1 portable playback, and a USB-C port on the base lets you charge your CD player (never thought I’d say those words in 2023!) If you DO choose to mount your Cp1 on a wall, each CD player ships with a wall-mount that lets you attach the device temporarily, removing it whenever you wish like you would a wall-hung photo frame.
The Cp1’s transparent window is suitable for displaying photos and pieces of art too. Whether it’s abstract art you’ve created, images off the web, your own photos, or NFTs you may have regrettably invested in. You can slide a print right into the player, allowing it to serve as a larger-than-life Polaroid that sits on your desk or your wall. The Cp1 comes in white and even black variants, although the former is clearly a personal favorite. Even with its built-in battery, it measures a mere 26mm (1 inch) in thickness, which means it won’t occupy much real estate on your wall. The 1800mAh battery offers 7-8 hours of playback on a full charge – that’s roughly 10 or more albums for you to listen to while you relish the music as well as the art on the front facade of your gorgeous CD player from a minimalist future!
Although digital music, especially through streaming channels, has become the most common way to listen to music these days, they are hardly the only options available. Vinyl has made a comeback in the past years, and audio CDs haven’t really disappeared despite their lower sales. Physical media such as these still have their advantages, especially when it comes to the jackets and sleeves they are packaged in. These usually have images and art that were carefully chosen to visually complement or represent the collection of music the album contains. For convenience’s sake, these jackets and sleeves are often set aside once the discs start turning, but this rather charming portable CD player gives them a special spot so that you can enjoy the art of both the music as well as the cover wherever you go.
Anyone who has used a music streaming service or media player app will probably be familiar with how these display the album art associated with the currently playing track. In a sense, these have replaced those jackets that come with physical CD cases, though the irony is that there is no physical equivalent to the way they function. Once you pop a CD into a player, the case and the jacket are practically forgotten until it’s time to put away the CD again. While practical, it loses the unique flavor that these CD jackets provide by adding a memorable visual element that can be associated with the music.
This minimalist CD player delivers a rather distinctive listening experience that combines the pleasure of audio with the impact of visual art. Rather than having to set aside the CD jacket or sleeve, you can slip it inside the specially-designed pocket so that you can show it off to anyone in view. It’s like the physical equivalent of displaying digital album art, except you have the opportunity to boast about owning the physical original CD, especially if it’s a rare, limited run.
What makes this unique CD player extra special is its portability. It has a built-in 40mm full-range speaker as well as a woofer unit, ensuring that you can listen to your favorite albums wherever you are or wherever you place it in your room or home. The 1,800mAh rechargeable battery promises 7 to 8 hours of playback before you need to plug it in again. Of course, you can still connect an external speaker via the 3.5mm headphone jack or Bluetooth 5.1, but those would probably be the exception rather than the norm.
Despite the addition of a speaker and a battery, this Portable CD Cover Player retains a simple, minimalist, and thin design at only 27mm thick. Thanks to this and its wireless operation, the player can even serve as a piece of decoration, whether standing on a shelf or hanging from a wall. With this ingenious and elegant portable CD player, you get to enjoy your favorite music not just with your ears but also with your eyes.
Over the past years, we’ve seen a lot of “old” things becoming hip again. For young ones who weren’t even born when certain fashion items became popular back then, they found these things to be cool and cute. Even gadgets and devices from the 90s and aughts are enjoying a resurgence, even though the current purpose is much more different than the original. We’re seeing items designed like cassette tapes, vinyl players, and now, even the classic CD player has been repurposed.
Desginer: Coperni
The Parisian designer label Coperni has looked to the aughts for design inspiration for their latest Swipe bag iteration. The CD-PLAYER Swipe bag looks just like the silver metallic CD players that became popular back then when we still had CDs to play our music. But this one won’t be able to bring your old Britney Spears CD to musical life even though the bag does come with wired headphones.
The handbag has the faux CD player as its main body with a metallic plated handle so you can carry it around. There are also realistic looking buttons and a small display to really make it look like the CD player, although what these buttons do remains to be seen. And as mentioned, it comes with wired headphones to complete your retro look. But it also is not clear what the headphones are for.
The bag also has a USB-C-chargeable battery so maybe there is indeed a music component that will be revealed. My main concern though is what can actually fit in the bag since the CD player compartment is pretty small. But those who have been using the iconic Coperni Swipe bags are those that can fit everything they need in tiny purses anyway.
