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Product: Thinkya JA310R - portable CD player
Manufacturer: Thinkya/GZ BlueLight - China
Approx. price: ±70€ (shipping included)
Reviewer: Lucio Cadeddu - TNT-Audio Italy
Reviewed: June, 2026

Foreword

Why feature a portable CD player in a HiFi magazine? For one thing, this type of component is enjoying a second youth, with more and more brands adding them to their line-ups: FiiO, SMSL, Ruark, Moondrop and, most recently, Shanling, which has introduced a decidedly ambitious audiophile model equipped with an R2R DAC and even a valve output stage (with JAN6418). Not exactly inexpensive, though, at around €600. The reasons behind this renewed interest are outlined in a recent editorial: in short, the need to keep playing one's CD collection while saving space and money - two increasingly decisive factors when choosing a HiFi component.

The second reason I decided to try this Thinkya JA310R is its remarkable versatility. With a remote control and an optical digital output, it can serve as a highly practical, easy-to-use CD transport, and it even doubles as a file player via USB stick. Let's take a closer look at its distinctive features.

A closer look

Thinkya/GZ BlueLight is a Chinese manufacturer producing a range of audio components - including tube amplifiers, music centres and CD players - based in the Guangdong region (China), with around 300 employees and an annual turnover of roughly 10 million dollars.

This JA310R caught my attention because it is one of the few portable CD players on the market (at this price point) to offer an optical digital output, meaning it can be used as a transport when paired with an external DAC. Not only that, but it features a solid headphone output (on minijack) with adjustable volume, which also doubles as a line-out for an external amplifier or active speakers.

It includes a built-in Bluetooth 5.1 transmitter, allowing wireless connection to external devices such as active speakers, amplifiers and Bluetooth headphones. It supports MP3/WMA/WAV playback via a USB-A port, accepting FAT32 external drives up to 32GB. As if that weren't enough, it uses a Samsung CMS-M93BG6 CD transport (seen on the Tascam CDVT2 CD player) mounted on a three-point elastic suspension, an enclosure that appears to be made of real wood (!!!), a small display, physical controls duplicated on the front panel (volume included), and a stylish smoked lid that lets you glimpse the spinning disc.

And as if all this weren't enough, for the €70 asking price - shipping included - you also get an optical cable, plus a complimentary test CD with 12 pop/fusion tracks (in Chinese!) totalling 55 minutes, recorded to a more-than-decent standard. You can also opt to buy it without the optical cable, should you already have one, and save a few euros.

Inside, as the pics show, it's not easy to identify the components used, since most of the chipset markings have been deliberately erased. The output stage relies on a dual op-amp, the Texas Instruments RC4558, hardly a modern or particularly refined device. The overall build quality - starting with the (genuine) wooden cabinet - is clean and extremely tidy, with fully SMD construction. Power is supplied via a USB-C connector and can come from any decent phone charger, as none is included. Thinkya recommends a 5V/1A PSU. I used a high-power 2A unit - better to have some headroom in these cases.

To connect it to an amplifier with RCA inputs, you'll need either a minijack-to-RCA cable or a minijack-to-RCA adapter. I recommend the adapter paired with a good interconnect, as the usual minijack-to-RCA cables tend to be of very poor quality. The manual advises against using the line output and optical output simultaneously. In practice, you use one or the other. The package includes a minijack-to-minijack cable, a USB cable and a user manual in Chinese, with reasonably clear illustrations. In any case, just photograph the page you need and feed it to Google Lens, which translates the characters flawlessly.

The remote control handles power on/off, volume level, play/stop/pause/repeat, track skip forward/back, fast forward/rewind, Bluetooth activation and CD/USB mode selection. The red LED display is easy to read even with the lid closed and provides all the key information.

A curious detail: the player carries a sticker with a QR code and password, allowing you to verify the product's authenticity via a dedicated website.

You can buy it through the usual online channels (Amazon, AliExpress, etc.), but it is also distributed in Europe by Audiophonics (the JA310, without remote), alongside another tabletop CD player and a hybrid tube/transistor amplifier.

Claimed tech specs

• Cd Transport: Samsung CMS-M93BG6M93
• Bluetooth management: AOP4558 + PAM8908 chips
• USB file playback: WAV/MP3/WMA (FAT32, up to 32GB)
• Samsung MCU Servo chip
• Bluetooth 5.1 transmission codec: SBC (A2DP V1.3)
• S/N ratio: 80dB
• Dimensions: 131 × 157 × 28mm
• Weight: 310g

A small, unusual, digital Swiss Army knife

With all these features and considering the price, I honestly didn't expect it to work at all. So the first question was: does it work? Yes, it works. Not only does it work, it works well: CD reading is quick and accurate, with no hesitation, and track skipping is equally precise - easily controlled from the armchair via the remote. It's fairly insensitive to shocks or vibrations; even tapping on the lid didn't cause any playback issues. In short, it offers all the conveniences of a standard tabletop CD player. The display showing the track number, of course, isn't visible from afar, as it's not positioned on the front panel.

The second question, naturally, was: does it sound acceptable? Yes - beyond simply working, it actually manages to sound good, with no obvious flaws or shortcomings. Of course, it doesn't deliver the big, refined sound of a quality CD player, but it holds its own against any entry-level tabletop model. Bass is solid, reasonably deep and controlled; the treble is extended and carries a decent amount of harmonic content; dynamics are sufficient to handle all music genres with dignity. The midrange, especially on vocals, isn't flawless, and there's a hint of strain on the highest notes. This CD player is not lightning-fast, but it doesn't do anything dramatically wrong either. It lacks the refinement of a mid-range CD player - nor should we expect it to. Like all budget CD players, it falls short in terms of sound-stage depth: the image doesn't extend much backwards and tends to sit slightly forward.

The third question was: will it work as a CD transport? Indeed it will. Its internal electronics (DAC and output stage) can be completely bypassed by connecting a quality external DAC - and that's when things really change. The only limit becomes the external DAC you pair it with. It's perfect for playing tricks on friends: hook it up to a good DAC and then reveal what's actually supplying the bits from the CD, much to the dismay of all the usual anxieties about jitter, interfaces, error correction, vibration sensitivity, and so on.

Fourth and final question: how does it perform when driving headphones or over Bluetooth? Another positive answer here: everything works smoothly and without glitches. Volume is adjustable in 31 steps and, by default, it's set to the maximum value - so be careful when plugging in your headphones! The headphone output is far more than a token feature: it delivers enough power to drive even fairly demanding models (I even tested it with the Fosi i5!). With low-impedance, high-sensitivity headphones, the maximum listening level goes well beyond what's tolerable. In any case, you can also use Bluetooth headphones, potentially even mid-to-high-quality ones.

Used as a LINE OUT, the headphone output can be connected directly to active speakers or to a power amplifier, for an ultra-minimal setup. The output level seems to be slightly lower than the standard 2V of a full-size CD player.

All in all, I really enjoyed this little gadget and consider it a true must-have for a second system or as a backup should your main CD player start acting up. And if space is an issue, it's nothing short of miraculous: connected via optical to an amp with a digital input, to a DAC, or wirelessly to a pair of Bluetooth speakers, it becomes your indispensable digital Swiss Army knife.

Remarks & Complaints

Manufacturing & Finish.

I'd be truly nit-picking if I started complaining about anything, considering what's on offer here, the good level of finish and the price. But... I am nit-picking! 😝

• The ideograms on the remote will hopefully be replaced at some point with something more universal (and it's unclear why some buttons have them and others don't).
• The display is small and not visible because it sits next to the physical buttons on the top panel. You can only see it if the player is positioned lower than your listening point.
• It weighs 300 grams and the lid doesn't exactly guarantee real portable ruggedness. To be clear, I wouldn't walk around using it to listen to CDs... but does anyone actually need that?
• There's no battery compartment, so you'd need a power bank to run it on the go. It works, but it's not convenient.
• Be careful when opening the lid not to intercept the laser beam - unless you're in need of a quick myopia treatment.
• There isn't enough room for your fingers to grip the edges of the CD and lift it out of the mechanism, due to a single small recess meant for leverage. You need to press slightly on the centre of the disc and get used to the motion. Definitely something that could be improved.
• No anti-vibration feet are included; experimenting with some inexpensive DIY solutions might be beneficial.

Conclusions

It's hard to ask for more from a device that not only costs next to nothing, but also works as a full CD player with remote control, a USB file reader, a CD transport via optical output, and even interfaces with Bluetooth headphones and speakers. At this price, you'd expect something barely above a toy - yet its build quality, looks and performance are all impeccable. Chapeau, Thinkya!

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Copyright 2026 Lucio Cadeddu - direttore@tnt-audio.com - www.tnt-audio.com

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