It’s hard to deny the power of music. Studies have shown that groovin’ to your favorite songs can put you in a better mood, relieve stress and even help you process grief. A recent HuffPost Life story shared that bopping to the beat isn’t just emotionally healthy; it can literally amp up your brain health — as in, potentially lower your risk of dementia. If you’re looking to increase your tune time without dedicating a ton of money and space to an expensive “home audio system,” we spotted a pint-sized, portable CD player and speaker with a ton of extra features. And right now, you can snag it in white for 30% off.
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So, what was this music and dementia study?
As Senior HuffPost reporter Brittany Wong writes, “A research team from Monash University in Australia looked at data from more than 10,800 adults over the age of 70 and found that those who listened to music most days experienced a 39% lower likelihood of developing dementia compared with those who sometimes, rarely or never listened to music.”
The whole study found that frequent music listeners had a nearly 20% lower incidence of cognitive impairment, as well as higher cognitive and memory scores. A biomedical honors student who co-authored the study told HuffPost, “we know that listening to music engages multiple brain areas at once, acting like a full-brain workout,” noting that music has been linked to strong processing speeds, coordination, language and memory. “Plus, it often involves socializing with others, which helps protect brain health,” they said.
A CD player, FM radio, Bluetooth speaker and AUX input that barely takes up space, for under $30? Now, that’s music to our ears.
Far from clunky boomboxes of the ’90s, this baby is effortless to store and a breeze to use. Weighing 1.1 pounds, it can easily slide on a bookshelf or counter, then be tucked away when it’s not in use. Apart from playing CDs, it works as a Bluetooth speaker and radio and can be hooked up to a variety of devices (including other speakers) through its multiple inputs.
“I have been looking for something small to play my collection of CDs that doesn’t require additional speakers, and this meets my needs,” GrammyT wrote. “It was easy to set up, and doesn’t require any space. The sound fills my small townhouse…I’m able to hear it clearly even in another room.”
While it needs to be plugged in to work, it comes with a handy remote letting you control the sound from across the room. You can even connect your headphones to it to listen to your CDs without filling the room.
Reviewers say it’s simple to operate, making it particularly ideal for little ones and more senior folks.
Whether you’re showing your favorite bands to the younger generation, want to listen to music without your phone or want to put that CD collection to work, this little thing may be the tool to do it. And with the ability to play music through a bunch of different ways, it’s a one-time buy that gives you endless options.
“Love it, easy to use for elderly folks,” one wrote. “Yes. Just yes,” another said, calling the machine a “great option for seniors! We have been looking for small, simple CD player. […] Tried several, all returned; buttons confusing or too small, broken, device too big, just hard to use,” they said. “This little $38 player is awesome. Great sound, simple functions, highly recommend.”
Others say it’s a great gift, particularly for older people who live alone.
“Bought this as a Christmas present for my sister who enjoys listening to CDs; turns out my parents loved it too,” one wrote. “They all share it.” Reviewer Barbara gave the player to a 70-year-old friend who lives solo.
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“She loved the sound of the speakers. They’re such great quality, will keep her relaxed and enjoying her music all day,” they wrote. “It fills her days with nice sound and she was so grateful she told me this is the best gift I’ve ever given her in the last 35 years.”
Reviewers say this versatile CD speaker makes listening to music effortless. Read more 5-star reviews and grab one for yourself for under $30.
“Love it, easy to use for elderly folks.” — tags
“Easy to use once set up, and I love having Bluetooth, FM radio, USB playback, and CD playback all in one unit. It does exactly what I wanted, and I’d definitely recommend it.” — Tiffanie G.
“Look, at this price no one expects opulence or concert hall acoustics. May of us still have a reserve of CDs that can collect dust in today’s technology. Very few computers/laptops or cars include optical drives any more and even if you order a separate drive you have to pump the sound out somewhere. To have a simple, easy-to-use CD player for a compact space this thing does the job. Also, if you really want to enhance you can easily hook it through some compact external speakers (like a tv sound bar) through the earphone jack and it takes it to another level. Simple. Clean. User-friendly? My aging CD collection can now easily be revisited and that’s what we wanted. As stated, this does the job very inexpensively for much less square footage than a boombox.” — Just a consumer
“I was very pleased with this CD player! It arrived early the next morning after i placed my order. The sound quality is just fine, unless you are a serious audiophile. I have been looking for something small to play my collection of CD’s, that doesn’t require additional speakers, and this meets my needs. It was easy to set up, and doesn’t require any space. The sound fills my small townhouse…I’m able to hear it clearly even in another room.” — GrammyT
Looking for more ways to groove? Check out these small, under-$40 speakers, courtesy of HuffPost Shopping.
A compact but powerful clip-on speaker
This small portable speaker has a whopping 10 hours of playtime and has a very strong sound for how small it is. Waterproof and durable, you can wirelessly stream high-quality sound from your devices no matter where you are.
Promising review: “I actually just bought this to place in my shower.
The Bose is just so bass heavy I couldn’t listen to a podcast while the shower was running. There was just no clarity. The sound was distorting. Imagine my surprise at this much less expensive and much better sounding little shower Bluetooth. I highly recommend! My house is large. I can play this in my bathroom at one end of my 2000 square-foot UPstairs and still hear it at the other end of the upstairs portion of the house. Seriously!” — Annie
A Bobtot speaker with a built-in microphone (12% off)
This sweet Bluetooth speaker does indeed work well as a speaker, connecting to devices up to 33 feet away, but it also has a built-in microphone too for hands-free calling. Additionally, it has a whopping 20 hours of playtime on a full charge and is extremely lightweight and portable. Plus, isn’t it cute? Hit the coupon for 12% off.
Promising review: “I have purchased many small speakers over the years but this is the best one. Size is good and sound quality is excellent. Battery life seems to also be quite good.” — Amazon Customer
A cute little speaker with punchy bass (20% off)
This super portable JBL speaker features punchy bass and seven hours of playtime. Waterproof and dust-proof, this cute speaker is available in nine different designs and is made in part with recycled materials. Plus, it has over 2,000 five-star ratings on Amazon. Get it for 20% off.
Promising review: “The sound of the speaker itself is pretty decent. Obviously, you can’t compare a speaker like this to a full on party speaker or anything like that but it sounds pretty good. There is no tin like or static sound whatsoever, and the device doesn’t rattle when the bass hits even when at loud volumes. I listen to a lot of different genres of music and everything sounds good. you could definitely compare the quality of sound from this brand to a few more well-known, but more expensive brands that are out there.” — Amazon Customer [This review has been edited. Read the full review here.]
The Real Deal: We use deal trackers and commerce experience to sift through “fake” hike-and-drop deals and other deceptive sales tactics. Products will usually be rated at least 4 stars with a minimum 15% discount. (And when there’s an exception, we’ll tell you why.)
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