das_POD CD-ROM Player 01 is a DIY audio kit from the Korean design studio das_POD that turns a salvaged IDE CD-ROM drive into a fully working, repairable music player, built entirely from 1mm laser-cut aluminium panels that the owner screws together by hand.
das_POD Builds Around Repairability, Not Convenience
The das_POD CD-ROM Player 01 is described by its maker as “not a conventional CD player.” Rather than hiding a proprietary transport inside a sealed chassis, the project is built specifically to be assembled, repaired and owned – every panel is laser-cut aluminium held together with visible screws, and every internal part is meant to be accessible rather than glued shut. The result is a small, boxy player with a bright OLED-style track display, transport buttons (eject, play/pause, stop, previous, next) and a distinctly industrial, hand-built look. Three finishes are offered: a shot-blasted semi-gloss anodized version and two powder-coated options, matte black and a bold RAL 2002 orange-red.
Bring Your Own Drive
True to its repair-first philosophy, the kit does not include a CD-ROM drive. Instead, das_POD asks owners to source their own standard IDE CD-ROM drive – the kind once found in nearly every desktop PC – from old computers, second-hand markets, recycling centers or forgotten boxes in storage. Because every donor drive carries its own history, das_POD notes that “every player becomes unique.” The kit itself includes the laser-cut aluminium enclosure parts, an IDE controller board, a power PCB, a remote control, buttons, cables, hardware and an assembly manual; an AUX cable and 12V power adapter are sold separately. Full specifications, finish options and ordering are listed on the official das_POD CD-ROM Player 01 product page.
Watch It Come Together
das_POD has published a full assembly walkthrough on its own YouTube channel, showing exactly how the laser-cut panels, IDE controller and a donor drive come together into a finished player – a fitting demonstration of the repairability the project is built around.
A Physical Ritual in a Streaming Era
The das_POD CD-ROM Player 01 arrives at a moment when plenty of high-end brands are chasing the opposite goal: seamless, invisible, all-in-one streaming boxes with no moving parts and no user-serviceable insides. das_POD takes the position that some of the appeal of physical media lies precisely in the friction – inserting a disc, watching a tray open and close, hearing a drive spin up.
A product built to be opened, understood and fixed by its owner has a different kind of value than one designed to be replaced when it eventually fails. Repurposing a salvaged IDE CD-ROM drive also gives an old, otherwise obsolete PC component a genuine second life instead of letting it end up as e-waste, while the laser-cut aluminium shell keeps the manufacturing footprint deliberately small. It is less a hi-fi component in the traditional sense than a design object and a statement about ownership, aimed at people who enjoy building things as much as listening to them.
Pricing and availability
The das_POD CD-ROM Player 01 kit is available now directly from das_POD, priced at $220 for the anodized semi-gloss finish and $190 for either powder-coated finish (matte black or RAL 2002). Pricing excludes the CD-ROM drive, AUX cable and power adapter.
Key specifications
- Enclosure: 1mm laser-cut aluminium, hand-assembled
- Finishes: anodized (semi-gloss), powder coated (matte black), powder coated (RAL 2002)
- Drive compatibility: standard IDE CD-ROM drives (not included)
- Power: DC 12V (adapter not included)
- Audio output: 3.5mm AUX (cable not included)
- Dimensions: approx. 160mm (W) x 130mm (H) x 230mm (D)
- Included: enclosure parts, IDE controller, power PCB, remote control, buttons, cables/hardware, assembly manual
- Price: $220 (anodized) / $190 (powder coated)
For readers interested in physical media making a comeback in high-end audio, our coverage of the Shanling SCD3.3 Reference SACD Player looks at a very different, far more conventional take on disc playback.
