Cmill24

I bought a new 2021 Powerboost after driving my last truck for 11 years. I am a big fan of using CDs to listen to music and have a large collection (about 3000). I have them all ripped to my phone but prefer the sound of uncompressed CDs especially with a nice system like the B and O unleashed. was looking to get a usb connected CD deck to put in my console to use CDs still since none of the new vehicles have CD players. Any recommendations of one designed to work with an automobiles infotainment system. Please no recommendations to just use a USB stick or stream etc. I really just want recs on specific CD players or CD options.
thanks

Mark Miller

I also miss having a CD player in my truck and also have a bunch of CD's for as much as these newer Cars and Trucks cost there's no reason IMO they shouldn't have CD players in them!!

WolfR1der

Rip your CDs to FLAC instead of MP3. It's lossless compression (allegedly). Most phones support FLAC playback. If yours doesn't then download something like VLC to play music via Bluetooth.

Cmill24

see above. Want CD recommendations only. I already have 150 Gb ripped to my phone at 128 Kb/sec. But I want to play my cds. Thanks

henfield

There are portable CD players powered by USB, that you can get from Bestbuy and other places. Brands include Dell/LG that will also double for computers.

papashelby

I'm with you on this. Car makers always cost cutting. The engineers and bean counters are probably 20-30 something in age. Never heard of CD's much less cassettes or 8 track. I still have cassettes from the 70's that play just fine. I like being able to grab what I want to listen to rather than scrolling through a list and then hitting the wrong button because of fat fingers and having to start over, especially while driving. Oh well, not much we can do about it. Us old farts still like some of the old school things.

Creston

I hate the cost cutting and I agree. Like not having a paper owners manual. Not having frigging wheel well liners, i also like old school. My 66 has no radio. My 79 doesn't either. My 86 has cassette. My 93 has aftermarket cd. BUT not including a cd player isn't exactly cost cutting. I had a teacher back in school that had a car that had a record player that folded out of the seat. I believe it was a 60s Plymouth but don't remember. We called it the bat mobile (yes im aware that was a Lincoln). I also have a few 8 track players I pulled from cars around the 90s. I had one of those tape to cd converters in my first car. Lol. Having cd now is just as pointless as having record player in your car was to us kids in the 90s. If you buy a home and it don't have a vcr or beta is not "cost cutting". Buying a computer that doesn't start up in dos isn't either.

like others have said, IF I wanted to play cd I'd go with a Bluetooth one

Bucho65

I miss CD players too. I wouldn’t mind it so bad if your phone or iPod went to the next album after it finished playing one, like a cd changer, but it stops and then you have to select another one. Then you’re stuck with what’s on the screen because sync doesn’t let you scroll through the list while moving. I’m not against technology but it’s pointless if it’s not an improvement of what came before it.

16IngotFX4

I fully disagree that the reason they are absent is strictly cost cutting, along with the other theories that they don't exist because of a 20 year old who doesn't know what a CD is. Is Ford saving money, perhaps. Did they make a decision to abandon current tech at the cost of money, nah? If this were 1998 and they refused to add a CD player, yeah that is probably due to cost.

What I like to mention in threads like these , but not to be argumentative or disrespectful. We tend to hold on to the past. No problems there. The CDs in this case are something that 'why did they take it away because I am one out of thousand that really really prefer it.
I'm fairly confident though that while some of the things are outwardly discussed that there is something the manufacturer did that was dumb, but during that save drive where they miss something, they enjoy the quietness, the dual climate HVAC, maybe a heated steering wheel on a colder winter morning, nice leather interior?

Again, not trying to argue, but it's hard to hear people say "they shouldn't have taken away dying technology" but thanks for everything I have never experienced that I really like.
I installed a CD player in my previous vehicle, 2008 GM. I do not own a lot of CD, probably counted by the 10's, not 1000's. When I traded it, the sales guy ejected the CD for me (that I had forgotten about). I had to play it at home to even know what I had left behind.

I hope you can find something that works for your needs. Look at Crutchfield online. They usually have a good product line with nice information. If you order from they they give a few freebies with purchase but they are not work a lot. You will at least get a reduced cost, or free wire harness used to install in today's more complicated head units, so to speak. The dash kit that came free with my previous purchase was pretty much cheap junk. You can even chat/call Crutchfield to ask questions you'll have as well. I had better information from them than a kid at Best Buy with limited knowledge.
Next up would be stopping by a local installer. Get a feel for them to determine if they know what they are doing and if they seem reputable and responsible. The kid from Best Buy may still work there at the stereo install, but the owner may make sure the installer kid is good.

kfergiez

This. This right here.

I appreciate that folks want to listen to CDs, but don't blame Ford fore removing a rarely used option. There's also a reason we don't have cassettes and 8-tracks in cars these days...