The other day, I bought a km5 CP2 CD player.
To be honest, I had never really wanted a CD player before.
I decided to try listening to music on CDs because recently, I have been trying to distance myself from algorithms as much as possible.
After actually using it, I found it much better than I expected.
I feel like the simple act of listening to music has become a little richer.
In this article, I want to share my thoughts after using the km5 CP2.
What Is the km5 CP2?
The km5 CP2 is a portable CD player for playing CDs.
It can also transmit audio via Bluetooth, so you can connect it to Bluetooth-compatible speakers, earphones, and other devices.
One of the biggest reasons I chose this CD player was its design.
What I especially like is the transparent body.
You can see the CD spinning inside, so I sometimes find myself just watching it even when I am not listening to music.
Why Did I Buy a CD Player?
I used to listen to music on YouTube.
Whenever I wanted to listen to music, I would open YouTube and choose a song I liked.
It was very convenient.
But recently, I have started to feel a little uncomfortable with that convenience.
When I open YouTube, I am immediately presented with recommended videos.
I might become interested in another video while looking for music, or simply start browsing the internet.
I opened my phone because I wanted to listen to music, but before I knew it, I was looking at something completely unrelated to music.
This started happening more often.
This isn’t to say that YouTube is bad.
In fact, one of the convenient things about algorithms is that they think about what users might want to watch next and continuously recommend new content.
But recently, I have wanted to take a little distance from that.
When I listen to music, I want to just listen to music.
So I decided to go back to something physical and listen to music on CDs.
My Experience Using It
The first thing I noticed after starting to use it was that it was easier to concentrate.
Choose a CD, put it in the player, and press play.
After that, you simply listen to the music.
Unlike a smartphone, there isn’t a constant stream of new information coming at you.
Of course, you can still use your smartphone while using a CD player.
But by not using my smartphone in the first place when I want to listen to music, I find it easier to focus on what is in front of me.
Reading a book, journaling, or simply spending some quiet time at home.
When I play music during these moments, I feel like I am enjoying the time itself more than I used to.
It’s Fun to Choose CDs I Bought Years Ago
Another thing I didn’t expect to enjoy so much was choosing CDs that I bought years ago.
Taking an old CD off the shelf and thinking,
Today, I’ll listen to this one.
That simple process is surprisingly enjoyable.
With YouTube, you can search for something and start playing music within seconds.
But with CDs, you have to choose from what you actually own.
That small limitation feels strangely comfortable.
When I find an album that I used to listen to a lot, I sometimes think,
I used to listen to this all the time.
It can even bring back memories of that period in my life.
You can enjoy not only the music itself, but also the fact that you own the CD and the memories of when you bought it.
This was something I didn’t really experience with digital music.
Listening to Music While Looking at the Packaging
I also enjoy looking at the CD packaging.
Listening to music while looking at the album artwork or holding the case in my hands.
Of course, none of these things are necessary if all you want to do is listen to music.
But perhaps these unnecessary little things are what make everyday life feel a little richer.
From a purely practical perspective, playing music on a smartphone is much easier.
Still, there are things you can enjoy precisely because they require a little more effort.
Since I started using CDs again, I have begun to think about this more.
It’s Also Fun to Watch the CD Spin
And then there is the transparent design of the km5 CP2, which was one of the reasons I chose it in the first place.
You can see the CD spinning, so I often find myself watching it while listening to music.
With a regular CD player, you probably don’t pay much attention to the CD spinning inside.
But with this player, that itself has become a small part of the experience.
Listen to music.
Look at the CD.
Watch the disc spinning.
These little details make listening to music feel a little more special.
What About the Sound Quality?
To be honest, I don’t know much about audio equipment.
So this is simply my impression based on my own setup.
I compared it with a Sony speaker that costs around $70.
My impression was that the bass felt a little weak.
Other than that, I didn’t notice anything particularly concerning.
At least for enjoying music in everyday life, I think the sound quality is more than sufficient.
If you are very particular about sound quality, you may want to pair it with higher-end audio equipment.
But if you’re like me and simply want to enjoy music more casually, I think you’ll be satisfied with it.
Bluetooth Connection Is Simple, Too
The km5 CP2 supports Bluetooth transmission.
So if you want to make the sound more powerful, you can connect it to a Bluetooth-compatible speaker or another device.
This is another feature I personally like.
The connection process is also very simple.
Put the player into pairing mode and bring it close to your Bluetooth device.
That’s all you need to do.
There is no complicated setup, so I think it is easy to use even if you’re not particularly comfortable with technology.
Put in a CD and press play.
Connect it to a speaker via Bluetooth if you want.
That’s it.
I also like the simplicity of the player for this reason.
Listening to CDs in an Age of Convenience
Today, there are so many ways to listen to music.
With a smartphone, you can listen to almost any music immediately.
You can find a huge amount of music for free on YouTube.
And with streaming services, you have access to an enormous number of albums and songs.
We live in an incredibly convenient time.
And that’s exactly why I enjoy listening to music on CDs.
Find a CD.
Open the case.
Put the CD in.
Press play.
Look at the album artwork.
And listen to the music.
These small steps make listening to music feel like an intentional activity in itself.
Rather than listening to whatever music an algorithm recommends next, I can choose an album myself and simply listen to it from beginning to end.
That time feels comfortable to me now.
I Want to Slowly Build a CD Collection
Since buying the km5 CP2, I have started thinking about looking for used CDs.
I might buy albums I used to love.
It could also be fun to burn music that I previously purchased digitally onto CDs and make my own CDs.
That doesn’t mean I want to own a huge number of CDs.
In fact, I prefer not to increase the number of things I own as much as possible.
But choosing only the music I genuinely want to listen to, little by little, feels like something that fits my lifestyle now.
Conclusion
Buying the km5 CP2 has made me think a little more about something as ordinary as listening to music.
Using convenient things is, of course, very comfortable.
But sometimes, giving up a little convenience allows you to discover pleasures that you hadn’t noticed before.
For me, CDs have become exactly that kind of thing.
When I listened to music on YouTube, I sometimes ended up browsing the internet while looking for something to listen to.
With a CD, I can simply listen to the album I chose.
Take an old CD off the shelf and listen to it while looking at the packaging.
Watch the CD spinning inside a transparent player.
These simple moments have made my time with music feel a little richer than before.
In a world full of convenient things, choosing something that is intentionally a little less convenient can also be one way to live more comfortably.
From now on, I want to enjoy music on CDs in my own way, by looking for used CDs and burning music that I previously purchased digitally onto CDs.
The CD Player I Bought
You can purchase the km5 CP2 that I introduced in this article here.
