Why cassette tapes are having a resurgence
When I recently showed a cassette tape to my 11-year-old daughter, she looked genuinely baffled. ‘What is it?’ she asked. My first thought was that I’d failed as a parent, but then I realised there’s no reason for her to have been troubled by wobbly audio quality and the pain of having to rewind with a pencil to save battery. She’s got virtually every song ever recorded at the swish of her finger.
Remarkably, however, tapes are having a resurgence, and there’s an increasing number of new, and fashionable, portable players now available. Driven partly by the same vintage trend that is boosting vinyl and CD sales, many people, especially Gen Z, are investigating older technology from the 1990s and 2000s.
2024 was the first year in over two decades that total physical music sales grew. Vinyl led the way, but cassettes saw a rise too, with sales up more than 200 per cent, helped by mainstream artists such as Taylor Swift offering cassette versions of her latest releases. CDs remain the most affordable physical format, and the second-hand market for both discs and tapes is thriving, but what is available for you to play them on? And is it really worth your time and money, when streaming is just so convenient?
The best new portable cassette players
A physical album gives you artwork, sleevenotes and something to hold, and playing a tape or CD encourages a slower, more deliberate approach – you choose an album, put it into a machine and listen from start to finish. To traditionalists this might seem obvious, but on the move, most people are fed their music via streaming algorithms and have never known the joy (sorry, pain) of trying to fast-forward a cassette.
Very few companies still manufacture the miniature mechanisms required to play a cassette, which means modern players tend to be simpler than the ones you might remember. That does not make them any less charming. The FiiO CP13 (£109; fiio.com) is a good example. Its design is minimalist, made from bare aluminium in a range of colours, with straight edges that echo the look of the early Sony Walkman. It’s basic, with play, pause, fast-forward and rewind, and you’ll need wired headphones. There is no recording option, but it does include a built-in battery that charges via USB C.
French brand We Are Rewind have also embraced the old Walkman aesthetic (see below), but have also added Bluetooth, recording and line-out options. They’ve also recently announced the 104-watt Boombox (£389; wearerewind.com), which revives the classic portable cassette radio, albeit with wireless streaming alongside tape.
The best new portable CD players
The latest portable CD players offer a slightly more refined experience, not least because they play uncompressed audio at 16 bit, 44.1 kHz, which is a major improvement on both tapes and basic streaming services. You can still buy simple portable CD players – Bush has one for just £16 – but don’t expect much. FiiO’s all-metal DM13BT (£139; fiio.com) has twin DACs (Digital-to-Analogue Converters), Bluetooth, built-in battery and the ability to rip your CDs to a computer via USB, just like it’s 2004 all over again. There’s also a newer DM15 R2R version (see below) with upgraded components, meaning it can plug into your existing amplifier and bring your CDs home too.
Better known for their headphone amps, the Chinese brand Shanling have recently launched the EC Zero T portable CD (£569; shanling.com). It’s the first I’ve seen boasting two vintage-style analogue tubes alongside a host of modern features including 24-bit R2R DAC architecture, powerful headphone amplifier, Bluetooth, skip-proof playback and multiple connections.
If you enjoy discovering new music, CDs remain unbeatable value, at a fraction of the price of vinyl and with charity shops full-to-bursting. Tapes are less common, but are increasingly being reissued, and some new albums are released on cassette as part of limited-edition runs. And remember: buying new physical media also supports artists more directly than streaming – something that many listeners feel strongly about.
Portable cassette and CD players... we recommend
Syitren R300 £124
I’ve been surprised by how much time I’ve spent listening to this great little CD player. The design is simple, stylish and, thanks to the scrolling volume knob, lovely and tactile. The walnut sample I received looks great on my desk, and I like how it has an SPDIF optical port that connects easily to a hi-fi or pair of active speakers for high-resolution playback. There’s also Bluetooth and AUX port for headphone, and while not strictly designed for the daily commute – the lid doesn’t lock shut – it doesn’t skip when knocked, and the battery lasts roughly six hours. It’s a hugely enjoyable listen too, with enough power to make my favourite headphones sing.
FiiO DM15 R2R £249.99
From FiiO there’s a more grown-up take on the portable CD player, pairing a solid metal body with a tempered-glass lid that shows off artwork beneath. True to its old-school roots, the buttons are plentiful, useful and oh-so-tiny, but it’s a nice change from the imprecision of a touchscreen. Inside, FiiO’s custom R2R DAC and upgraded amplification give a clean, confident sound with enough power to make the most of full-size headphones. You can tweak the sound, too, with a host of EQ profiles and connectivity is impressive, with hi-res USB DAC mode, Bluetooth transmission over aptX Adaptive and aptX HD, plus the option to rip CDs directly to a computer. Oh, and there’s also a remote.
fiio.com
We Are Rewind Cassette Player £129
Inspired by the original Sony Walkman, this cassette player has oodles of retro charm. The aluminium shell feels solid and surprisingly upmarket, even if the boxy shape and plastic buttons lack the finesse of the slim pocketable designs I grew up with. That said, the appeal is its simplicity.
The ports are clearly labelled, with a 3.5mm headphone socket and a 3.5mm audio input so you can record from other sources and make your own mixes. Volume is handled with a basic dial, and Bluetooth pairing takes one button press. The battery charges over USB-C and lasts 12 hours, though frequent rewinding will drain it faster. It is not pocket-friendly, and feels pricey, but has brought some long-forgotten music back to life and sounds better than my old tapes deserve.
wearerewind.com
