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Topic: Small footprint CD player? or optical drive with coax/optical outputs? (Read 3574 times) previous topic - next topic
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Small footprint CD player? or optical drive with coax/optical outputs?

I have a Centrance DACmini on my desk, and I'd like to get a small CD player to sit on top of it. The DACmini is 164mm square (~ 6 1/2 inches).  A small portable optical drive would work perfectly, but I cannot find one with coax or optical outputs (the USB input on my DACmin is taken up by my PC).

Is there a compact drive out there with a coax or optical output? Or CD player? or DVD player?

The quieter the drive spinning noise, the better, as it would be sitting right in front of me.

I can't be the only one who could make use of a tiny CD player,

Thanks.

Re: Small footprint CD player? or optical drive with coax/optical outputs?

Reply #1
Could you add a USB hub; this would give, say , 4 USB ports.

Re: Small footprint CD player? or optical drive with coax/optical outputs?

Reply #2
Hmmm. Would that work as input to a DAC? Is the USB output from my PC totally silent when not playing audio?

I had a portable NEC SCSI drive with coax digital output from the early 90's! I can't believe such a thing doesn't exist almost 30 years later ...

Re: Small footprint CD player? or optical drive with coax/optical outputs?

Reply #3
Can't you play a CD using the optical drive in your PC?

There's a Sony D-303 Discman on eBay right now. It has an optical out.

Re: Small footprint CD player? or optical drive with coax/optical outputs?

Reply #4
Can't you play a CD using the optical drive in your PC?

There's a Sony D-303 Discman on eBay right now. It has an optical out.

There is no optical drive. It's a tiny footprint, no moving parts, silent PC that also sits on my desk. The portable USB Samsung optical drive I have whirs like an airplane engine. It is unusable for listening to music.

Re: Small footprint CD player? or optical drive with coax/optical outputs?

Reply #5
"Hmmm. Would that work as input to a DAC?"

That's what I am doing. PC to USB hub to DAC.


Re: Small footprint CD player? or optical drive with coax/optical outputs?

Reply #6
Does your PC have Bluetooth? There are players like ... first searches, no guarantee they work:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Portable-Lecteur-CD-Bluetooth-3-0-sans-Fil-Audio-Stereo-USB-Mural-Blanc-Plug-EU/162801073625
https://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-3-0-CD-RW-DVD-RW-Burner-External-Drive-for-PC-Laptop-Bluetooth-Receiver/122940757384

Now back to spdif ... if you make a search, you will find Discman model numbers. Many used the 3.5", so it could be hard to tell from pictures. Like this: https://www.cnet.com/products/sony-discman-d-ej815-cd-player-cd/specs/  I think Toshiba produced some. Denon had one (I owned it ... "150".)
Question: Was Sony's "MD link" an spdif?
But likely you will find portable DVD players cheaper on eBay. But IME, DVD players had long startup time, and many cheap DVD player mechanisms made mechanical noise that would never have been tolerated in the Discman age.

Ain't this one cute? https://www.ebay.com/itm/DISNEY-P600D-Princess-DVD-Player-NEW/351152092096
Even ones with a screen could qualify as small footprint:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Audiovox-D1708-Portable-DVD-Player-7-w-AC-Adapter-Works-Great/312049347767

Re: Small footprint CD player? or optical drive with coax/optical outputs?

Reply #7
"Hmmm. Would that work as input to a DAC?"

That's what I am doing. PC to USB hub to DAC.



But the question is, can you go:

external optical drive over USB -> USB hub -> DAC , with no PC in the chain?

Re: Small footprint CD player? or optical drive with coax/optical outputs?

Reply #8
How do you control the CD/DVD i.e. what software selects which track; unless optical drive is more than a transport, unlike mine:-

Optical drive to PC to USB hub to DAC.