A salvaged IDE CD-ROM drive, a set of laser-cut aluminum panels and an afternoon with a screwdriver can become a working CD player. That is the idea behind CD-ROM PLAYER 01, a diy cd player kit from the Korean studio das_POD.
The kit does not include the part that reads the disc. Builders must find a drive themselves, so each finished player is slightly different.
Bring your own drive
The diy cd player kit contains the enclosure parts, an IDE controller board, a power board, a remote, buttons, cables, hardware and an assembly manual. Claypier and Best of High End both list these contents. The optical drive, the AUX cable and the 12V power adapter are sold separately.
Builders can find donor drives in old computers, second-hand markets, recycling centers or storage boxes. Stereoindex reports that buyers often compare drives by production year, manufacturer, mechanical construction and appearance. Those choices give each build its own character.
For buyers without a spare drive, das_POD sells refurbished units for roughly 10 to 40 USD. Claypier says each one ships after a belt replacement, lens inspection and lubrication.
Compatibility is narrow. The diy cd player kit supports standard IDE CD-ROM drives only. Newer SATA DVD and Blu-ray drives will not work. Claypier explains that most IDE-era drives included an analog audio output, which the circuit relies on. A quick check is whether the drive has a 40-pin flat-cable connector on its rear.
Reusing vintage electronics is an old habit, and the story of Revolutionary Impact of the 1954 Regency TR-1 shows how a single compact device changed what people expected from portable sound.
Finishes and enclosure
The enclosure uses 1mm laser-cut aluminum panels. Builders bend and assemble the flat parts into a housing for the drive and electronics.
Sources disagree on the number of finishes. The main project description lists three: Natural Anodized, Orange Powder Coat and Matte Black Powder Coat. Claypier names only two: a shot-blasted, semi-gloss anodized finish at 220 USD and an RAL 2002 orange powder coat at 190 USD.
Stereoindex says shot blasting and anodizing increase the surface durability of the anodized version. The powder-coated finishes use a baked coating that looks more opaque. Claypier notes that minor surface imperfections may appear because of the manufacturing and finishing processes.
Assembly and controls
No soldering is required. Claypier lists a multi-bit screwdriver and working gloves as the only tools and estimates 30 to 60 minutes of assembly time. Because the panels are taken apart and rebuilt during construction, the builder learns how the player works inside.
The front panel carries a small display that shows the track number and elapsed time. Five buttons handle eject, play and pause, stop, previous and next. The unit runs on DC 12V and outputs audio through a 3.5mm AUX jack.
Claypier converts the prices to yen at 162 JPY per USD, as of July 21, 2026.
Is this diy cd player kit worth the price?
If the only goal is playing CDs, a used player costs less. The case for CD-ROM PLAYER 01 rests on the machined enclosure and the build itself. The donor drive is the uncertain part. Claypier warns that a drive with a worn pickup will not track reliably, so the total cost can rise once a replacement is needed.
The project also draws on a wider tradition of upcycling, in which objects keep traces of earlier use. Stereoindex notes that the diy cd player kit is meant to support hands-on servicing, not a sealed unit that gets replaced when it fails.
If the machined aluminum enclosure is what draws you in, this Japanese duralumin phone amplifier acoustic design explores how metal construction influences the sound itself.
The kit asks more of its buyer than a typical CD player. It returns more in return: a machine the owner can open, understand and repair. Whether that trade is worth 190 USD depends on whether the buyer wants to build a player or simply use one.
Source: designboom.com
Frequently asked questions
Does the CD-ROM PLAYER 01 kit include the optical drive?
No, the kit does not include the optical drive that reads the disc, so builders must find a donor drive themselves. The optical drive, AUX cable, and 12V power adapter are sold separately. For buyers without a spare drive, das_POD sells refurbished units for roughly 10 to 40 USD.
Which CD drives are compatible with the diy CD player kit?
The kit supports only standard IDE CD-ROM drives, and newer SATA DVD and Blu-ray drives will not work. Most IDE-era drives included an analog audio output that the circuit relies on. A quick check is whether the drive has a 40-pin flat-cable connector on its rear.
Does assembling the CD-ROM PLAYER 01 require soldering?
No soldering is required to build the player. Only a multi-bit screwdriver and working gloves are needed, with an estimated assembly time of 30 to 60 minutes.
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