The portable CD player ain't what it used to be. New formats enable a single disc to hold up to 675 songs. That's 45 hours of music on a CD mp3 player that fits in your pocket or purse.
Personal CD players can play pre-recorded CD's and HD (high-density) CD-R/RW discs burned in formats like mp3 and WMA. They'll hold 30+ hours of music. MiniDisc players using the ATRAC3Plus technology are smaller, with even larger capacities.
Sony developed a three inch CD in the early 1990's that can be played on MiniDisc Sony CD players. The player is only slightly larger than the disc and about an inch thick. Some allow audio CD duplication you rip directly from your CD collection without additional software.
New CD mp3 player portable devices can play high density discs with capacities comparable to a 4GB mp3 player. And some discount portable CD players are priced less than half the cost of 512MB mp3 players. Use RW discs and you can edit your playlist anytime you want.
Things to consider when selecting a portable CD player include:
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Compatibility - Will it play both standard and HD CD's? Will it accommodate multiple formats (mp3, ATRAC, WMA, etc.)?
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Storage Capacity - depending on the format, HD discs will hold up to 32 hours, and MiniDiscs up to 45 hours.
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Lifestyle - anti-skip features vary, so if your player is subjected to shock or vibration you'll need the best. To listen to your songs without headphones, look at a portable CD player speaker accessory.
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Size - personal CD players are compact, but MiniDisc players are much smaller and hold more music.
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Features - there are many including: FM receiver, direct record, battery type and average life, AC/DC adapters, etc.
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Price - starting around US $25, these players can exceed $400. Decide which of the above factors are most important to you, pick an appropriate price range and stick to it. You're sure to find what you want.
