Against everyone's expectations, the portable CD player is back

The FiiO DM13 looks like a classic portable CD player, but it's much more than that! Image: Courtesy of FiiO©

Nostalgia is all the rage in the tech sector. Now, a Chinese manufacturer is revisiting the portable CD player, a device that took the world by storm in the '80s and '90s.

For several years now, Nokia has been releasing revisited, slightly more modern versions of iconic cell phone models, such as the 3310, the 8110 and, more recently, the 3210. For its part, Sony has brought out new versions of its famous Walkman, even though it's now a digital audio file player, and you can't insert a single audio cassette. Now, a classic from the end of the last century is making an unexpected comeback: the portable CD player.

While there are still a few regular CD players on the market, the new FiiO DM13 is a perfect blend of nostalgia and modernity. Indeed, this being 2024, it doesn't just play audio CDs, but can also play burned discs, with support for numerous digital formats (MP3, Wav, Flac, Aac, etc.). Its USB port lets you play music from other storage media, and Bluetooth connectivity lets you listen to your music through wireless headphones or a connected speaker. Those who want to keep things old-school will still be able to plug in wired headphones, as the device features a jack plug. This portable CD player is due to go on sale in the fall.

Earlier this year, Chinese manufacturer FiiO launched a surprising audio cassette player, the CP13, largely inspired by Sony's famous Walkman.