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frumper15
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Replacement for cheap CD players?

Fri Apr 06, 2012 8:54 am

Each of my kids has a CD player in their room that they like to listen to music when they go to bed. I think we've been through about 5 cd players of varying quality and brands and all of them have failed at some point. So, we now have 5 radios, some of them have tape players - but they're mostly useless for their intended purpose. Two of the kids have birthdays coming up and rather than flush another $50 or so down the drain trying to get another CD player that will last a year, I'm wondering what ideas you guys have as an alternative. I would say the budget is $100 or less and ease of use would be paramount (has to be manageable for my wife and/or children).

I've thought about something like a sqeezebox, but that misses on both the budget and ease of use side of things.

Also, if anyone has experience with a particular model of boombox that they've had good luck with, I'm all ears as well.
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JJCDAD
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Re: Replacement for cheap CD players?

Fri Apr 06, 2012 9:16 am

Rip all their CDs to a cheap MP3 player like a Sansa Clip and get them any cheap set of computer speakers to output the sound to. Should be doable for $50.
 
ludi
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Re: Replacement for cheap CD players?

Fri Apr 06, 2012 12:17 pm

I like JJCDAD's concept, except that computer speakers can be unwieldy. For greatest flexibility, find a boombox that includes an auxiliary input jack, and feed it using a Sansa Clip. The mp3 player takes the bulk of the use, saving the CD player for those occasions when someone forgets to charge the mp3 player's battery, or someone gets a new CD and you haven't had a chance to rip it yet.
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frumper15
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Re: Replacement for cheap CD players?

Fri Apr 06, 2012 2:06 pm

One of the kids does have a memorex player with an Aux. input and I do have a sansa laying around somewhere unused, but that responsibility falls to me to get the music on it and update it. Any other ideas out there?
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ludi
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Re: Replacement for cheap CD players?

Fri Apr 06, 2012 3:17 pm

In short, what you really want is exactly what you've got now, except with spinning mechanical hardware that doesn't eventually wear out?

That device doesn't exist. I still have a Sony Car Discman from 1998 (one of the last models that was still made in Japan, AFAIK) that cost a whopping $300 of cumulative gift and work money. Even with very good care and the highest build quality on the market, it started acting loopy after about four years of semi-regular use. And I doubt there's much of anything on the market for under $1000 these days which is built to the same standards as that Car Discman.

The only long-term solution is to get the moving parts out of the equation, and go fully digital.
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thegleek
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Re: Replacement for cheap CD players?

Sat Apr 07, 2012 4:43 pm

garage sales or craigs list... cheapest you'll find them. cd players are going to be extinct like cassette players already are.
 
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Re: Replacement for cheap CD players?

Sat Apr 07, 2012 5:06 pm

Another vote for a Sansa Clip and some computer speakers. If you don't like the fact that they're in multiple pieces and have dangling cables, just stick them together with double-sided foam tape and tidy up the cables with cable ties.

Newegg frequently has refurb Clip players for cheap; I use one in the car (with one of those line to cassette adapters since my car is too old to have a line in on the car stereo).
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