I think I am having a similar problem...I'm not sure it's the same as yours...but it's worth noting.
I am trying to make a CD of .mp3 files (using Nero Express).
First, I converted the ".cda" files from my "conventional" CDs. to .mp3 format. Nero Express (NE) has an "Convert Audio CDs to Audio Files" tool for this conversion.
(The tool also allows you to convert the .cda files to .wma, for use with Windows Media Player. )
Both .mp3 and .wma provide significant compression of the size of the .cda music files. For example, you may put a total of about 20 .cda tracks onto one CD; but alternatively, you might fit 200 tracks of mp3-compressed music onto one CD.

Problem of Unreadable CDs

1- An "old-style" CD player will play ONLY .cda files; but, there are newer CD players that ALSO play .mp3 & .wma files.
Check the file extensions for the music files on your computer.
If the files on your computer are in .mp3 or .wma (compressed) formats, they cannot play on an old-style CD player; but, they COULD play on a newer one.

2- Also, there seems to be a "catch" when burning compressed files onto a CD using Nero Express: NE can make a "multi-session" CD!
Multi-session CDs are good because you can continue to add files after the first group is burned; i.e., you can burn a second group, later, onto the original multi-session CD!
But, they are also bad because the CD player will not be able to play ANY of the compressed files on a multi-session CD. There seems to be no way to "Close" (or Finalize) a multi-session CD; you can only use them for compiling the files you want to later burn to another (non-multi-session) CD.
Under the "More" button on the Make Mp3 CD tool, it allows you to check a "Finalize" box. If you want to play the CD, make sure this box is checked! (If you do want to make a multi-session CD, leave the box unchecked).
I have found that the compressed music files on a CLOSED CD WILL play on the .mp3 & .wma compatible CD player .

Difficulty with Making mp3 "Playlists"

I believe I have encountered a second "catch". Nero Express (or Windows) seems to reorganize the .mp3 tracks in alphabetical order by Filename, and there seems to be no feature for re-arranging the compressed files into a particular order (playlist) for burning.
I have been setting the "File Name Creation Method" box in the "Audio CD to Audio Files" Conversion Tool to arrange my .mp3 files by Track #. I set the File Naming Creation Method box to "User Defined", then add "%N" before "%F". This automatically adds the track # before the .cda file title. Nero Express then lets me sort by file name to get the mp3 files in order of Track #.

This seems like a poor, inflexible work-around!
Is there a better way?
Any suggestions?