- FiiO's new CD player can be added to your hi-fi system/compatible active speakers
- The RIAA says CD revenue continued to grow during the first half of 2026
- …And as these desktop spinners go, the DP11 is a looker — and quite affordable
Aren't CD players having a moment, though? They can be ultra-luxe, super-cool, and with aptX Bluetooth for your earbuds, heavy and furnished with both analog and digital inputs, fully transparent like some sort of musical trophy, or even inspired by Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and available in neon orange.
It feels as if there's a vaguely retro player for everyone — audiophiles included. TechRadar even published a roundup of 9 of the coolest new CD player releases just last month, in an effort to keep on top of them all.
And now, a new option from FiiO is joining the party! One of our favorite 'affordable audiophile' companies (most notably in DACs, but FiiO's been branching out lately) has just revealed the DP11 CD player. And this is no CD Walkman — it is designed as a hi-fi or desktop companion, allowing you to add CD playback to your hi-fi system or compatible active speaker system.
The DP11's USB socket also allows for easy ripping of CDs (no laptop required), directly to a USB stick for lossless rips of your favorite albums.
'There's something nice and tangible about a CD' — Twiggy
If you don't know who Twiggy is, look her up (and be thankful of your youth).
Of course, FiiO is quick to explain that the extensive output options on the DP11 mean it's an ideal partner for streaming headphone amplifiers such as its own FiiO K17 or dedicated speaker amplifiers such as its fabulous new analog tube amp, called the FiiO EA13. Oh, and for a truly compact desktop headphone system, you could always add the FiiO K13 R2R DAC.
Why do any of this? Because CD sales revenue was up 58% in the first half of 2026 (and 45% in volume) in the US, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Also, the success of portable CD players — I can't believe I didn't mention FiiO's own DM15 R2R portable shiny spinner! — proves that music lovers aren't against buying new, pristine CDs as well as digging out their old (possibly scratched and skipping?) collections. And listening to a full album in CD quality is one of life's great pleasures.
The DP11 boasts a 3.7-inch screen and what FiiO assures us is a "quiet tray loading mechanism" to complete the retro look, and you even get a dedicated remote control as well as MQA-CD bitstream passthrough (aka a setting that forces the CD player to output the raw, unaltered digital audio data from an MQA-encoded CD directly to an external digital-to-analog converter, or DAC).
The FiiO DP11 will launch in October priced at a rather palatable $185 / €184.99 (so around £140 or AU$265), and if you want it to look like the main image, you might want to buy it alongside the FiiO Modular Hi-Fi Device Storage Rack.
➡️ Read our full guide to the best earbuds
1. Best overall:
Technics EAH-AZ100
2. Best mid-range:
Cambridge Audio A100
3. Best budget:
Nothing Ear (a)
4. Best for noise-cancelling:
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Ultra 2nd Gen
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