5 of the Best Modern Cassette Players You Can Buy

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While most people today rely on streaming for their music, there is a growing interest in older forms of audio like iPods, CDs, and even cassette tapes making a comeback. These formats aren’t just nostalgic. They can offer you an escape from the modern world, allowing you to listen to music on devices that can’t disrupt your listening experiences thanks to message notifications and breaking news alerts. There are even companies offering new cassette players that combine old-school charm with modern technology.

When looking for a modern cassette player, it’s important to keep in mind that other formats like CDs have better audio quality than cassettes, at least in technical terms. Also, new devices sometimes eat your tape, requiring you to carefully remove it from the player and rewind the tape with a pencil. For many users, however, the quirks and lower sound quality are a plus; Even the best portable cassette players audiophiles should know about are more about charm than fidelity. Plus, if you want to make your own old-school mixtape, most cassette players can record audio as well. The five devices listed here range from budget-friendly portable players to feature-rich, multi-format stereos, with options to suit different budgets and styles.

If you want a basic, budget-friendly cassette player, go for the TOMASHI Portable Cassette Player, available on Amazon for just $19.99. It has 4 stars based on over 2,000 ratings, as well as the Amazon’s Choice label given to low-cost, high-quality, and readily available products. The player runs on two AA batteries and has a built-in speaker and a 3.5mm headphone jack, so you can use your favorite (wired) headset. It also has a built-in microphone and a port to plug in your own.

The TOMASHI portable cassette player isn’t anything fancy, but it is incredibly portable. It’s not much bigger than a band and weighs less than half a pound (without band), making it smaller and similar in weight to most smartphones. However, considering its low price, it’s definitely not a high-end cassette player. For one, it’s mono (single-channel) rather than stereo (multi-directional), so you get less dynamic sound from the start. Unsurprisingly, some Amazon reviews indicate that the device isn’t very durable either.

Still, many other users say they are happy with their TOMASHI, praising its portability and simplicity. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly cassette player or want to know if you’re going to use it before investing in a more expensive player, this is a good place to start.

If you’re willing to spend a little more on a portable tape recorder but still want something simple, the FiiO CP13 cassette player comes highly recommended by users on Reddit and Forbes. At $87.99 on Amazon, it’s a lot more than TOMASHI’s device, but it justifies it in terms of quality. The CP13 features a reproduced JRC5532 op amp, an amplifier favored by audiophiles for its low distortion and high output power, and a 1800 mAh rechargeable lithium battery that can last for 13 hours of continuous playback and 268 days of standby time.

The FiiO CP13 also has a cool aesthetic with its transparent front that lets you watch your tape while it’s playing. Many old cassettes have a basic (yet nostalgic) look, but because modern cassettes are more specialized and often special edition, many have lovely designs that you might not appreciate in a more opaque player. The cassette player has 4.2 stars on Amazon, with 79% of customers rating it 4 stars or higher. Users like the CP13’s overall appearance and battery life, earning it several comparisons to a regular Walkman. With its transparent front and low hiss, the FiiO CP13 is a good option for anyone looking for a stylish, good-sounding cassette player.

Another popular portable option comes from We Are Rewind, which offers a sleek and sturdy cassette player on its own website and on Amazon. It comes in four colors – orange, black and yellow, gray and blue – all of which cost $159.99. That may seem expensive considering you can get a good player like the FiiO CP13 for almost half the price, but the French company has received plenty of praise for the audio quality and battery life of its cassette player.

Unlike the previously mentioned devices, We Are Rewind’s cassette player supports Bluetooth, so you can connect it to headphones and external speakers. The added flexibility is nice, especially if you want to take it with you, although several reviews say the Bluetooth is difficult to connect and reduces volume compared to wired headphones. It’s also worth noting that, measuring 5.54 x 3.5 x 1.2 inches and nearly a pound, it’s heavy and bulky compared to a smartphone.

These flaws aside, users are generally happy with the We Are Rewind player. Although it comes with a mini-pencil to put your cassettes back in place, Wired claims the player went an entire year without eating a cassette. Although it’s not cheap, the We Are Rewind Portable Cassette Player is a durable, high-quality way to listen to cassettes that’s worth the investment.

If you want a music player that can do it all, you can try the Victrola Navigator 8-in-1 Wooden Record Player, available on Amazon for $149.99 to $249.99 depending on color. The music center can play cassettes, CDs, vinyl records (33 ⅓, 45 and 78 rpm) and radio, as well as streaming music via Bluetooth, USB and AUX, making it ideal for anyone who prefers to have one machine for all their music formats rather than having individual players.

I’ve had my Victrola Navigator for about a decade now and, although I’m not an audiophile, I’m very happy with it. It looks nice on a table and has allowed me to build a physical music collection of new and old cassettes, CDs and records. Thanks to the player’s Bluetooth functionality, I don’t need any other music players, saving space in my small apartment.

That said, this is a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none scenario. If you’re not too picky about sound quality, the convenience is worth it, but if that’s your priority, you should get a dedicated cassette or CD/cassette player instead. Some users say the player will ruin your vinyl, but this has never happened to me despite frequent use. With 4.4 stars on Amazon based on nearly 20,000 reviews, I’m not the only one who likes the Victrola Navigator for what it is, even if it doesn’t hold up to scrutiny.

Dual cassette decks are harder to find than portable and multi-format players, but they are the most efficient way to create mixtapes. This is because they have independent mechanisms that allow them to play back a tape while recording audio onto a blank tape. The TEAC W-1200 Dual Cassette Player, available on Amazon, is a great way to add a tape recorder to your home audio setup.

The TEAC W-1200 costs $599.99, but it’s a worthwhile investment if you want high-quality sound and modern features that vintage players lack. In addition to its playback and recording options, the cassette deck has a USB output allowing you to digitize audio from your cassettes. It also gives you more ways to control your listening experience with a noise reduction system (which you can turn on and off) and a pitch control knob that changes the playback speed.

The TEAC W-1200 Dual Cassette Player is an Amazon’s Choice product with 4.5 stars, although this is only based on around 150 user reviews. Still, reviews indicate that buyers are happy with the machine. Several reviews praise the sound quality, with even audiophiles saying this is the best cassette player you can get these days. The main downside here is its $600 price tag, but the TEAC W-1200 is ideal for anyone serious about high-quality cassettes and audio.

Since there are different types of cassette players available today, from dedicated cassette players to multi-function stereos capable of multiple audio formats, we started by thinking about what people might look for in a new device. We’ve also looked at what makes a cassette player one of the best and divided it into several categories.

When it came to specific products, we looked for those that have good reviews on Amazon and from trusted outlets. Sound quality was of course an important factor. However, given the nature of cassette tapes, it wasn’t as high a priority as it would be for something like audiophile hi-fi gadgets. After all, subpar sound can be part of the charm. Finally, we made sure to find products in different price ranges so that there is something for all budgets.