For audiophiles, nothing gets beyond their love for music and the audio gear they own. The exploration for the best headphone, IEM, or DAC never ends, given there is so much to discover and the different permutations of combining the gear for blissful audio output. This has consequently led to several brands trying to cater to this serious hobby while staying on a budget.

Fiio, as a Chi-Fi brand, has ensured that audiophiles don’t always have to invest in steeply priced gear to get the preferred sound without breaking the budget. The DM15 R2R Portable CD Player by the Chinese brand already demonstrated how serious they are about spreading the love for music in all forms and shapes. Now they’ve revealed the Snowsky Disc digital audio player, which is the perfect amalgam of modern audio technology and the unrelenting charm of the CD player.

Designer: Fiio

The compact DAP is designed with the needs of modern audiophiles in mind, who prioritize audio quality, intuitive operation, and a love for physical music libraries. Versatility is the key here as the audio player is compatible with all the devices you throw at it, and supports a wide array of file types. Connect it to your valued in-ear monitors or pair it with sensitive headphones; Snowsky Disc can handle it all without much fuss. The player is built on a dual DAC architecture that promises balanced, clean, and detailed audio, no matter what file type you are playing it through. This enhances the overall musical tonality for a more engaging listening experience.

The CD player-inspired design of this DAP is something anyone would appreciate. There’s a circular touch screen on the front to toggle all the on-screen controls. The inclusion of lyrics playback and album artwork adds to the engagement with your music listening sessions. The audio gadget can also be controlled via the compatible smartphone app for convenience. Along with support for 2TB memory expansion to carry your high-resolution music files, the player also supports audio streaming via apps. It has built-in Wi-Fi support for AirPlay streaming and installing firmware updates on the fly.

For wired connectivity, the player has a USB-C port, a 3.5mm single-ended jack, and a 4.4mm balanced output. The player can even be connected to external DACs, hi-fi systems, amplifiers, and other audio gear via the SPDIF output. If you want to enjoy music wirelessly, the LDAC high-res codec can be connected to supported headphones, IEMs, and earbuds. Snowsky Disc boasts 12 hours of playback, which is enough to get you through a day of work or travel. Priced at $80, the digital audio player will be available to buy in January.

The post Fiio Snowsky Disc is a compact audio player tailored for modern listeners first appeared on Yanko Design.

Streaming services turned album covers into tiny squares you scroll past on your way to something else. Phones made music convenient, but also turned it into background noise competing with notifications, emails, and every app demanding attention at once. You used to hold a record sleeve and feel like you owned something specific. Now your entire library is just files in a folder somewhere, and nothing about that experience feels remotely special or worth paying attention to.

Sleevenote is musician Tom Vek’s attempt to give digital albums their own object again. It’s a square music player with a 4-inch screen that matches the shape of album artwork, designed to show covers, back sleeves, and booklet pages without any other interface getting in the way. The device only plays music you actually buy and download from places like Bandcamp, deliberately skipping Spotify and Apple Music to keep ownership separate from the endless scroll.

Designers: Tom Vek, Chris Hipgrave (Sleevenote)

The hardware is a black square that’s mostly screen from the front, with a thick body and rounded edges that make it feel more like a handheld picture frame than a phone. Physical playback buttons sit along one side so you can skip tracks without touching the screen. When you hold it, the weight and thickness are noticeable. This isn’t trying to slip into a pocket; it’s trying to sit on your desk or rest in your hand like a miniature album sleeve.

The screen shows high-resolution artwork, back covers, lyrics, and credits supplied through the Sleevenote platform. You swipe through booklet pages while listening, and the interface stays out of the way so the album art fills the entire square without overlays or buttons. The whole point is that the device becomes the album cover while music plays, which works better in practice than it sounds on paper when you describe it.

Sleevenote won’t let you stream anything. It encourages you to “audition” music on your phone and only put albums you truly love on the player, treating it more like a curated shelf than a jukebox with everything. This sounds good in theory, but means carrying a second device that can’t do anything except play the files you’ve already bought, which feels like a lot of friction for album art, no matter how nice the screen looks.

Sleevenote works as a small act of resistance against music as disposable content. For people who miss having a physical relationship with albums, a square player that only does one thing might feel like a shrine worth keeping. Whether that’s worth the price for a device with a screen barely bigger than your phone is a different question, but the idea that digital music deserves its own object makes more sense than cramming everything into the same distracted rectangle.

The post This Square Player Refuses to Stream Music, and That’s the Point first appeared on Yanko Design.

Google a YouTube Music ave un budget illimité, des équipes entières de devs, des serveurs partout dans le monde… et pourtant une autre app Android open source fait mieux le job ! Cette app c’est SimpMusic et vous allez l’adorer !

Car oui, YouTube Music officiel , c’est bridé à mort. Y’a pas lecture possible en tâche de fond sans l’option premium, y’a des pubs et des trackers partout et pas de canvas comme sur Spotify (canvas, ce sont les petites vidéos qui tournent en boucle quand vous lisez une chanson). Bref, c’est pas ouf.

Du coup, le dev de SimpMusic a eu pour idée de balancer tout ce que YouTube Music officiel refuse de vous donner : De la lecture sans pub ET en tâche de fond (vous pouvez sortir de l’app et la musique continuera à jouer), de quoi vous balader dans les nouveaux podcasts et les tubes du moment et autres playlists et y’a même du cache offline et la possibilité de vous lancer dans la lecture de paroles synchronisées avec la musique. SimpMusic offre aussi un SponsorBlock intégré, et des fonctionnalités comme le retour des dislike, le support Android Auto, des suggestions et traduction IA, et un timer qui coupe tout au bout d’un moment si vous vous endormez en musique… Bref, que des bonnes idées !

Et tout cela est codé en Kotlin et utilise les API cachées de YouTube Music. C’est donc du bon gros reverse engineering pur et simple. D’où le côté beta de l’app qui peut parfois se comporter bizarrement. Mais si ça vous dit de tester, vous pouvez choper ça sur F-Droid, IzzyOnDroid, ou directement sur les releases GitHub. Évidemment, vous ne la trouverez pas sur le Play Store puisque Google n’aime pas ce genre d’app. Ils ont même banni Spotube de leur store officiel.

Quoiqu’il en soit, si un jour Google peut décider de couper les API “cachées” ou de bannir l’app, ça sera très facile pour eux. Comme d’hab, c’est un jeu du chat et de la souris entre les devs et le géant de la tech.

Merci à Lorenper de m’avoir signalé ce projet et chapeau à maxrave-dev pour avoir osé coder ce que Google refuse de donner.

Physical media is having a moment in 2025, and it’s not just vinyl records getting all the attention. CDs are selling $541 million worth of units, up 1% from 2023, proving there’s still plenty of love for the humble compact disc. While vinyl grabs headlines with its 18th consecutive year of growth, CDs are quietly finding their way back into music lovers’ hearts and homes.

The CD players hitting the market now aren’t the chunky, plastic boxes your parents had in the ’90s. These five designs show how far we’ve come, merging sleek looks with smart features that make sense for how we live and listen to music today. The CD comeback isn’t about looking backward. It’s about finding a middle ground between the instant gratification of streaming and the full commitment of vinyl. Sometimes you want to hold your music, read the liner notes, and experience an album the way it was meant to be heard, and these players make that feel fresh again.

1. ClearFrame CD Player

Now here is something you don’t see every day: a CD player that’s completely see-through. The ClearFrame takes transparency literally, housing everything in crystal-clear plastic so you can watch the magic happen. That black circuit board isn’t hidden away; it’s part of the show, turning your tech into something worth staring at.

It treats your album covers like mini art exhibitions. Slip in your favorite disc, slide the cover into the frame, and suddenly you’ve got a piece that works on your shelf, desk, or even hanging on the wall. It’s perfect for those moments when you want to really focus on an album, not just have music playing in the background. The whole ritual of choosing a CD and watching it spin becomes part of the experience.

Click Here to Buy Now: $199.00

What we like

• The transparent design turns every play session into a visual experience.
• You can mount it on the wall like an actual artwork.

What we dislike

• All that clear plastic is going to show every fingerprint and dust speck.
• The exposed electronics might need regular cleaning to keep looking sharp.

2. Portable CD Cover Player

This little player gets something that streaming services still struggle with: album artwork matters. The built-in pocket for your CD’s cover art means you’re not just hearing the music, you’re seeing it too. It’s a simple idea that makes a huge difference when you’re trying to connect with an album the way the artist intended.

The portable design with its own speaker means you can take your music anywhere without dragging along extra equipment. Kitchen counter while cooking? Perfect. Bedroom nightstand? Works great. Want to hang it up somewhere? Go for it. This player understands that sometimes you want your music to be the main event, not just background noise.

Click Here to Buy Now: $199.00

What we like

• The album art display brings back the full music experience.
• Built-in speaker means no fussing with separate audio gear.

What we dislike

• A single speaker can’t deliver true stereo sound.
• The compact size might mean compromising on audio quality.

3. Orion

The Orion takes minimalism to its logical conclusion: a flat metal box that does one thing exceptionally well. That powder-coated finish gives it an industrial vibe that’s both tough and elegant. The front-loading slot eliminates the flip-top mechanism, creating cleaner lines and fewer things that can break.

This is for people who want their music equipment to disappear into the background. Just a large eject button and an IR sensor interrupt the otherwise perfect surface. There’s something almost meditative about using gear this simple; it forces you to focus on the music instead of fiddling with settings.

What we like

• The industrial design is both beautiful and built to last.
• Front-loading slot means fewer moving parts to worry about.

What we dislike

• Minimal controls might leave you guessing about basic functions.
• Still in concept phase, so you can’t buy one yet.

4. SYITREN R300

The R300 doesn’t try to hide what it is; it’s a CD player that’s proud of its heritage while embracing modern tech. Those finish options (wood, white, and that fascinating fruit green) show that audio gear doesn’t have to be boring black boxes. The MUSE Design Gold Award isn’t just marketing fluff; this product really does nail the balance between looks and performance.

It handles different types of music amazingly. CDs, burned discs, MP3s, WAV files – it plays them all without breaking a sweat. The Bluetooth 5.3 is cutting-edge wireless tech, while the headphone jack and optical output keep traditional connections happy. That 2000mAh battery gives you over six hours means you’re not constantly hunting for outlets.

What we like

• Multiple color options let you match your style.
• Handles practically any audio format you can throw at it.

What we dislike

• The retro styling might feel too nostalgic for some tastes.
• All those features could make simple tasks more complicated than they need to be.

5. Frame CD Player

The best designs usually know when to quit, and the Frame CD Player nails this philosophy. Clean lines, minimal fuss, and just enough features to do the job right. It’s a clever design that fits into modern spaces without screaming for attention, which is exactly what you want from good design.

The Bluetooth 5.0 connection is where old meets new in the best way. You get the ritual and sound quality of CDs with the freedom to use your favorite wireless headphones or speakers. The rechargeable battery keeps things portable without turning the whole thing into a compromise.

Click Here to Buy Now: $169.00

What we like

• The clean design works in any room without looking out of place.
• Bluetooth lets you go wireless while keeping the CD experience.

What we dislike

• The minimal controls might mean reaching for your phone more than you’d like.
• The simple design could mean missing out on advanced playback features.

CDs Are Having Their Moment Again

Something interesting is happening with how people consume music. After years of endless streaming playlists, there’s a growing appetite for the complete album experience. These CD players tap into that desire for intentional listening. When you put on a disc, you’re committing to the artist’s full vision, not just hunting for the next dopamine hit. CD sales climbed by just under 6.5% at independent record stores, which tells you this isn’t just a fad.

People are actively choosing physical media again. The broader picture shows physical purchases comprised 11% of the $17.7 billion in music revenue recorded in 2024, up 5% from 2023, proving there’s real money behind this trend. These five players solve the biggest problems CDs always had: ugly design and limited functionality. They keep what made CDs great, excellent sound quality, durability, and the satisfaction of actually owning your music, while adding the connectivity and style that make sense for how we live now.

The post Top 5 Modern CD Players That Prove CDs Are Making A Comeback In 2025 first appeared on Yanko Design.