Today’s sounds with yesteryear’s spirit. That’s what Japanese retailer MUJI offers consumers in the United States and Canada with its new phonograph-style CD player, which is inspired by those 1950s and ’60s-era record players that folded up into their own carrying case.
The style may be retro but the technology is now. Unlike those old phonographs, which played vinyl records, MUJI’s phonograph-style CD player plays only CDs. The case is the speaker, and the power cord is the on-off switch. A screw-in bracket allows the CD player to hang on a wall, off a desk or nearly anywhere else you might like, making it an interesting conversation piece or work of art in addition to a music source.
Though inspired by old phonograph players, MUJI’s CD player is less bulky. It measures less than 7 inches square and less than 1 inch deep. But it retains the simplicity of those early phonograph players. It has no radio or headphones. The built-in speakers are the only sound source.
MUJI is best known outside Japan for its Web site, which features home furnishings and accessories. The CD player is the first home electronics product MUJI is selling in North America. The CD player sells for $129.95 exclusively on its Web site, MUJIonline.com. You’ll find it in the housewares section of the site.