1. What kind of CD's did you use? CD-RW's and CD+RW's will not play on vast majority of stereos (should be CD-R or CD+R)
2. Some older stereos will not play any burned CD, no matter what kind you use
3. Try different brands; name-brand like Sony cost more but seem to work better
4. Read the manual that came with your CD burner
Hope this points you in the right direction!