Portable CD players are back and now work with wireless headphones

It’s time to dig out those CD binders you refused to part with. Fiio, a Chinese audio gear maker, is releasing a $179 portable CD player in September that brings with it modern upgrades the Sony Discman never had — including support for the wireless headphones that didn’t exist in the Discman’s heyday.

The most welcome upgrade on the DM13 is a Bluetooth connection supporting the aptX, aptX HD, aptX Low Latency, and SBC codecs allowing the player to connect to wireless headphones. For compact disc purists who don’t want to subject their ears to Bluetooth’s audio compression, the DM13 also includes a standard 3.5mm headphone jack plus a 4.4mm balanced headphone connection.

A rechargeable battery provides about eight hours of playback on the go, but the DM13 can also be integrated into a home stereo system. Analog, SPDIF, and USB audio connections are included, and the rechargeable battery can be bypassed while the CD player is in “desktop mode” and connected to a permanent power source.

Electronic shock protection can be activated to buffer music and prevent it from skipping while the DM13 is carried around, but it isn’t limited to only playing CDs. It’s also compatible with MP3, FLAC, WAV, AAC, and WMA audio files burned onto a CDR.

At launch, the Fiio DM13 will only be available with a silver finish, but four additional colors will be introduced later, including red, blue, black, and titanium.