Playing audio cds on Linux from the command line with mplayer

$ mplayer /dev/cdrom ? nope!
$ mplayer -cdrom-device /dev/cdrom ? nope !

Try this -- and if you're getting choppy playback, define a cache buffer:

$ mplayer cdda:// -cache 5000
MPlayer 2:1.0~rc1-0ubuntu13.2+medibuntu1 (C) 2000-2006 MPlayer Team
CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) Duo CPU      T2500  @ 2.00GHz (Family: 6, Model: 14, Stepping: 12)
CPUflags:  MMX: 1 MMX2: 1 3DNow: 0 3DNow2: 0 SSE: 1 SSE2: 1
Compiled with runtime CPU detection.
Can't open joystick device /dev/input/js0: No such file or directory
Can't init input joystick
mplayer: could not connect to socket
mplayer: No such file or directory
Failed to open LIRC support. You will not be able to use your remote control.

Playing cdda://.
Found audio CD with 13 tracks.
Cache fill:  0.00% (0 bytes)  
Track 1
Cache fill: 17.28% (884736 bytes)  
rawaudio file format detected.
==========================================================================
Forced audio codec: mad
Opening audio decoder: [pcm] Uncompressed PCM audio decoder
AUDIO: 44100 Hz, 2 ch, s16le, 1411.2 kbit/100.00% (ratio: 176400->176400)
Selected audio codec: [pcm] afm: pcm (Uncompressed PCM)
==========================================================================
AO: [alsa] 48000Hz 2ch s16le (2 bytes per sample)
Video: no video
Starting playback...
A:  13.3 (13.3) of 1680.1 (28:00.0)  0.9% 51%