What with everyone on Earth having an iPod, if you’re going to dare to make CD players, it’s a good idea to at least make them different. One way to do that is to make it look like a UFO. A UFO that says, “Screw you human, we believe CDs are far superior to MP3s”. If you don’t believe them, they’ll convince you with a rectal probe or two. Has anybody ever done a study on how many abductees rush out and buy new CD players? The numbers might shock you.

The Chinese company Shanling specializes in shall we say odd CD players with unique looks and characteristics. Their latest, the CD-T300 Pro has four amplification valves, two remote controls, and gold-plated tube legs. But the most striking thing about it is that it looks like it is about to shoot a beam out the bottom and pull a cow onboard.

Here’s an iPod dock that took the design path a little less traveled and it appears the results have turned out nicely. The Shanling MC-30 iPod Music Center combines a CD player, AM/FM tuner, iPod dock and a tube power amp into a compact and sharp looking brushed aluminum frame.

The music center runs by an included remote control but also has volume and input selector knobs concealed in the top of the front leg columns. A blue LED light shows off the disc player and an LCD panel on the front displays current …