South Korean company das_POD has introduced CD-ROM PLAYER 01, a DIY audio-player kit built around old IDE CD/DVD drives. The idea is simple: instead of buying a finished CD player, users take an unused optical drive from an old PC and install it in a separate enclosure with a control board.
The manufacturer describes the project as a device that can be “assembled and repaired by yourself,” with an emphasis on reusing old electronics and the physical experience of listening to music. The IDE drive itself is not included: it must be salvaged from an old computer, found on the second-hand market or purchased separately.
CD-ROM PLAYER 01 comes in a design-focused enclosure. Two versions are currently available: a white model with a semi-gloss anodized finish for $220, and an orange powder-coated model for $190. The kit requires no soldering, but the AUX cable and 12 V power adapter are also excluded. Buying them adds roughly $25–30 to the total cost.
Technically, the product is a neatly finished DIY enclosure with a controller for an IDE CD/DVD drive and its own power board. Commenters have noted that similar optical-drive controllers can be found on AliExpress for around $30. The project’s main value therefore lies not only in the electronics, but also in the ready-made design, enclosure and idea of turning old PC hardware into a standalone audio-CD player.
CD-ROM PLAYER 01 is unlikely to become a mass-market product: the kit costs considerably more than many ready-made alternatives, while the drive and several accessories must be purchased separately. Still, for fans of DIY audio, old CDs and unusual desktop gadgets, it offers an appealing way to give an obsolete IDE drive a second life.