At first glance it looks like a record player, but it’s not a record player – it’s a Crosley Cruiser CD portable CD player. The Crosley company has been riding the wave of retro design and lifestyle audio products for years. Their stylish Cruiser case turntables are among the cheap tickets to the world of vinyl and for many people who are looking for a stylish addition to their apartment rather than a serious Hi-Fi component, they are often the ideal “gramec”.
Recently, the brand came up with a small, but quite funny variation: instead of a record player, it placed a classic CD player in the same looking “case”. The whole is reduced so that the proportions are preserved and at first glance the whole looks like a gramophone. There is also an arm, which you can use to move the disc playback over the CD and start the music.
The novelty has the simple name Cruiser CD Player and at first glance it looks like a smaller version of the well-known case record player. It retains the textile cover, metal buckles and overall retro aesthetic. Only after opening the lid, instead of the plate, a classic mechanism for compact discs appears.
The equipment is definitely not wasted. You have integrated stereo speakers with a power of 2 x 3 W, but the device can also handle wireless transmission via Bluetooth 6.0 – so you can connect wireless headphones or a larger and more powerful Bluetooth speaker. Since the BT receiver is also integrated here, the speakers in the “case” can be used to stream music from the phone. Or you can play the built-in FM/AM radio. An additional audio source can then be connected via the analog AUX input. You can also connect classic headphones.
Add to that the fact that the built-in battery promises 4 hours of playback without a network, so you can easily take the case out on a picnic and play Vivaldi’s Four Seasons from a CD there. In terms of dimensions, it is a compact device with a width of about 21 cm, which is easily carried like a small suitcase. The construction is to use MDF boards covered with a decorative foil, so appearance plays as important a role as function itself. Power supply and charging are handled via the obligatory USB-C.
The Cruiser CD Player is not a return to “honest” Hi-Fi, but rather proof that even a compact disc can have a stylish, designer look in 2026. While vinyl has returned more as a nostalgic analog format that has its dimensions and requires careful handling, the CD remains a practical, cheaper, smaller and more durable physical medium. And Crosley just wrapped it in the same retro coat they’ve been selling on turntables for years.
The nice thing is that the Crosley Cruiser CD is not expensive and copies the prices of the company’s turntables. The official price in Europe is 85 euros (2,000 CZK), you can choose from several pastel colors. For some, this is a funny curiosity, for others a stylish CD player for the work desk. In any case, it’s another reminder that physical media is far from the last word.
Sources and additional information: Crosleyradio
date:2026-02-11 14:41:00