We’ve covered plenty of portable analogue audio, whether it’s Walkman-alikes like the Fiio CP13 or the hefty stylings of the Bumpboxx BB-777. Now there are two more cassette players among the growing array of options. Either dive deep into old-school mix tapes or make some new ones.
Gadhouse Miko cassette player
Gadhouse Miko cassette player and Wesley headphones
Unashamedly retro, the new Gadhouse Miko has just gone on sale. Taking its styling cue from the cheap and cheerful end of the personal stereo market, especially Japanese design from the mid-1980s onwards, the Miko comes with a translucent plastic case and either a smoke or mint-green finish.
Gadhouse Miko cassette player
Onboard Bluetooth can supplement the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack and the Miko can also record, either via the onboard microphone or the 3.5mm line in. The player is lightweight (just 105g) and intentionally easy to use, and while the lack of instant track access might initially confuse the younger generation, the slower pace and more intentional listening experience that results is definitely on the rise.
Gadhouse Miko cassette player
Gadhouse designed the player to pair well with Wesley, its range of foam-padded wired over-ear headphones. The company is also promising a future push into the burgeoning cassette culture scene, with a promised line of blank cassette tapes and accessories coming later in the year.
We Are Rewind WE-001 Discogs Edition
We Are Rewind WE-001 Discogs Edition
We Are Rewind, the French purveyor of a new analogue sensibility, has launched another limited-edition version of the WE-001 portable cassette player. The sister system to the GB-001 boombox, the WE-001 was one of the first concerted attempts at revitalising the ethos and aesthetic of the original Sony Walkman.
We Are Rewind WE-001 Discogs Edition
Perfectly pitched for collabs and limited editions, the latest batch of WE-001s has been released in the US market in collaboration with online music cataloguing site Discogs. Limited to just 150 matte black units, each coming with a Discogs x RTM C60 blank cassette, the aluminium player is on a different level. For a start, it’s a much weightier proposition than the Miko, coming in at four times heavier, but the build quality is also leagues ahead.
Like the smaller player, the WE-001 has Bluetooth connectivity, which makes pairing with earbuds and smart speakers a breeze. Mix tape making is positively encouraged via the onboard 3.5mm line in. The WE-001 also eschews the once ubiquitous AA battery in favour of an integral lithium pack that gives half a day of playback.
WE-001 Discogs Edition, available in the US only, Newreleases.discogs.com, WeAreRewind.com, @We_are_rewind