Personal CD Players

Personal CD Players offer hifi quality reproduction when you are on the move without interfering (too much) with other people. This guide to buying a Personal CD Player is intended to give you an overview of the options available - check what you want and you should be able to buy a Personal CD Player which suits you best.

Anti-shock
As Personal CD Players are intended to be used 'on the move', there is always a risk that they will be knocked and the play head slip. Players are rated as so many seconds anti-shock. Typically Personal CD Players are rated from zero seconds to over 100 seconds, the more seconds the better. Jog proof Personal CD Players are available which can withstand constant movement.

In-line controls
Positioned in the ear piece leads, in-line controls give easy control over players when the player itself is in a bag or pocket.

Programmable
Programmable Personal CD Players allow you to set the sequence of track played, check if the Player can be programmed and, if it can, the number of tracks that can be - 20 and 24 programmable tracks are fairly common, while some Personal CD Players offer upto 64 programmable tracks.

LCD
Personal CD Players usually incorporate a liquid crystal display (LCD) which shows details of the tracks etc. Make sure that the display is readable and not too small for you.

Controls
Personal CD Players usually have the normal controls associated with CD's - Stop, Start, Search, Skip. In addition some Personal CD Players include Bass Boost.

External speakers
Some Personal CD Players came with speakers which can be plugged into it so that it can be used without the ear pieces.

Size and Weight
If you are going to carry the Personal CD Player around, you need to consider the size and weight, the thickness is the most variable dimension - these can vary from under 20mm to over 30mm.

Compatible with computer CDs
Some Personal CD Players are compatible with CD-R and CD-RW computer CDs, check the models of players if you are going to want to play material recorded onto these types of disc.

Batteries
Most Personal CD Players use AA sized batteries, being a 'common' size there should not be problems with obtaining them. When buying a Personal CD Player look to see if any indication is given as to the expected numbers of hours which a set of batteries will give, this can range from under 10 hours to over 70 hours. Some Players come with a mains adapter so that they can be run off the mains if you are not moving around. Also some incorporate a recharge circuit so that there is no need to remove rechargeable batteries or for a separate charger. If no recharger is included, it is worth thinking about buying a set of rechargeable AA batteries and charger - have a look at our page on rechargeable batteries.