Compact audio CD players emerged on the market designed to replace the ever-popular Sony Walkman audio cassette player. CDs did not break or become damaged in CD players and the sound quality was exceptional.
Audio Quality
CD quality music far exceeded the quality of audio cassettes, which boosted the popularity of portable CD devices.
Size
The first portable CD players, introduced by Sony, were large and bulky. Portability was an issue.
Skipping
Compact CD players use lasers to read the data contained on the CD and play the music. When the device was jostled or bumped, the laser would skip or fail to read at all, making compact CD players unreliable. Buffer technology attempted to correct this.
Battery Consumption
Battery consumption made compact CD devices impractical to use long-term. Most ran on AA batteries, which were drained quickly, making the device difficult to use in remote locations.
Data Storage
CDs were not able to hold much more data than a standard cassette, making it difficult to carry a music library. It was this issue that ultimately killed portable CD technology and gave birth to the MP3 device.
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