Fosi Disc Nano (exposed portabe CD player)

[JaccoW]

So this little thing popped up in my feed;

The Fosi Disc Nano.

(Source: The Verge)

Specs:

• $99/€109
• 3.5mm + 4.4mm balanced out
• 3.5mm optical out
• USB-C Power input
• Bluetooth
• Internal battery
• CS43198 DAC
• Gapless playback
• Shock protection
• MagSafe compatibility (not charging)
• LED screen to show track number
• Black or White colours

Here is a small review by someone who has gotten his hands on it already.

I've been waiting for a little wall mounted player and while the ports are in a weird spot (the optical and USB port sit at the top) and it looks like it lacks a remote, for $100 I'm going to try to work this into my setup with a wall mounted magsafe connector.

 

[morillon]

re-readings of this such classic thing...
...but in this case, with a need for a battery and a buffer, and a certain ruggedness solidity..
;-)

 

[JaccoW]

re-readings of this such classic thing...
...but in this case, with a need for a battery and a buffer, and a certain ruggedness solidity..
;-)

Ha, there are plenty of modern discman coming into the market from different Chinese manufacturers. All of them with batteries and shock protection.

This seems to be more of a reimagining of the classic Sony D-88, the smallest discman made at that time.

Techmoan made a video about it:

 

[morillon]

It’s funny... there are always revivals/trends to wait patiently for...
;-))

 

[oPossum]

No sliding spindle? (like D-88)
No MP3/AAC?

Swing and a miss.

 

[JaccoW]

No sliding spindle? (like D-88)
No MP3/AAC?

Swing and a miss.

On the other hand, is there anywhere you can still find the 8cm mini CDs that the sliding spindle would be useful for?

And no clue about MP3 support. There is no product page yet but the DAC should be able to support it.

 

[oPossum]

8 cm (mini) CD-R are still available. With AAC they would typically be able to hold the contents of a 12 cm (full size) audio CD.

 

[Cogito]

Not sure what market they are going after with this. A conversation piece, perhaps?

 

[oPossum]

Everyone who has wanted a D-88 for the past 38 years.

 

[Nopiano]

MagSafe compatibility (not charging)

Is it just me, but if it isn’t charged via MagSafe what benefit does this feature bring?

 

[MCH]

Hmm, not my cup of tea from a design point of view: the enclosure (2nd pic) reminds the 80s walkman / Hewlett Packard designs withe those corners and rectangular buttons, but those devices were big. Then later when walkman and disman became as tiny as possible, they were all about curved and rounded features.
Then, why battery powered in a device that can't be portable with the disc poltruding? I don't understand the use case they are thinking about.
That said, the display in that position looks like a great idea.

 

[Ste_S]

Not sure what market they are going after with this. A conversation piece, perhaps?

The younger CD collectors that have sprung up? I’m glad the Chinese manufacturers continue to take risks on new products, when the Western and Japanese companies are a bit staid.

 

[JaccoW]

Is it just me, but if it isn’t charged via MagSafe what benefit does this feature bring?

Magnetic mounting of the player or accessories.

Mount it on a magnetic surface and wirelessly connect it to a speaker over Bluetooth and you have a really fun (but maybe not sonically perfect) setup that doesn't take up much space.

I plan to mount mine to a wall with a little magnetic or steel plate and have two cables pop out.

Most of the modern Discman devices (like the Fiio DM15) are closer to being movable than pocketable like the original devices back in the day. They're just too big for that. This one is just tiny to carry around.

 

[Cogito]

The younger CD collectors that have sprung up? I’m glad the Chinese manufacturers continue to take risks on new products, when the Western and Japanese companies are a bit staid.

I'm not questioning buying a CD player, I'm questioning buying THIS CD player.

 

[Nopiano]

Magnetic mounting of the player or accessories.

Of course, I realised that I must be missing something! Thank you!

 

[Roland68]

Is it just me, but if it isn’t charged via MagSafe what benefit does this feature bring?

Google MagSafe accessories and see how many products there are without a charging function.

 

[Ste_S]

I'm not questioning buying a CD player, I'm questioning buying THIS CD player.

Previous response still stands. It looks pretty cool and can be stuck on a wall.

 

[Martin]

CD players as art have piqued my interest recently...

Martin

 

[Chrispy]

Cute, I guess. Can't imagine buying one.

 

[Roland68]

An awesome piece of kit and a great idea from Fosi.
I hope they’ve nailed gapless playback and the playback of the opening second.
At that price, I’m going to order one. It’s super compact—ideal if desk space is tight—and, best of all, it doesn't need a permanent spot. It looks great and is easy to take with you. The Toslink connection is a great feature, of course.
For use on the go, there will be a 3D-printed cover that just shields the part of the CD sticking out.
The MagSafe connection is brilliant, too; there are plenty of print files available for that.

The Sony D-88 was too expensive for me back then, and today it’s unaffordable.