It’s time to dig out those CD binders you’ve been refusing to part with. Fiio, a Chinese audio hardware maker, is releasing a $179 portable CD player in September that brings modern improvements the Sony Discman never had — including support for wireless headphones, which didn’t exist during the Discman’s heyday.
The DM13’s most welcome upgrade is a Bluetooth connection that supports aptX, aptX HD, aptX Low Latency, and SBC codecs, allowing the player to connect to wireless headphones. For CD purists who don’t want to subject their ears to Bluetooth’s audio compression, the DM13 also includes a standard 3.5mm headphone jack and a 4.4mm balanced headphone connection.
A rechargeable battery provides around eight hours of playback on the go, but the DM13 can also be integrated into a home stereo system. Analogue audio, SPDIF and USB connections are included, and the rechargeable battery can be bypassed when the CD player is in ‘desktop mode’ and connected to a permanent power source.
Electronic shock protection can be enabled to buffer music and prevent it from skipping when the DM13 is being transported, but it’s not limited to CD playback. It’s also compatible with MP3, FLAC, WAV, AAC and WMA audio files burned to a CDR.
At launch, the Fiio DM13 will only be available in a silver finish, but four additional colors will be introduced later, including red, blue, black, and titanium.