We Are Rewind’s GB-001 retro cassette recorder review

We are Rewind GB-001 Boombox

(Image credit: We are rewind)

published 15 May 2025

Details are scarce, but these are the basic facts: We are rewind is bringing back the boombox. This is the new GB-001, the latest product from the small French company at the forefront of the small but significant cassette revival – the company’s WE-001 portable player already has a cult following, not least because of its commitment to both analogue and digital processes and a truly polychromatic approach.

Fans of bright colours might have to wait a little longer for more bold hues, as the first We are rewind GB-001 goes for a more muted, neo-retro matt black approach, with just a few stabs of acid-tinted detailing. It’s worth noting that the new player functions perfectly well as a Bluetooth speaker, or rather speakers, as there are no less than four contained within the rectangular body, with a total of 104 watts of output. The rechargeable battery is also replaceable while a chunky metal carrying handle completes the retro look.

Bluetooth 5.4 is available as standard and there’s also a 3.5mm jack input for hooking up to older audio sources – like a turntable. But you’re not here for that. Smack bang between the woofers and tweeters is a recording cassette deck, reviving one of the most desirable form factors of the 80s for a modern audience. We Are Rewind uses a high-end mechanism, the speed of which can be adjusted by the user. It doesn’t have Dolby, but rather a circuit that emulates the famed noise reduction technology. The record button, obviously, is designed to stand out.

The other notable design element are the twin backlit VU meters, a high-end audio feature that was found on relatively few boomboxes before they were almost completely usurped by jumping red LEDs. Used in conjunction with the line level, these help you monitor recording levels via the microphone input and ping back and forth during playback for an authentic analogue feel.

Deliveries of the new system will start in the summer.

We are rewind GB-001, £379/€449, Wearerewind.com, @We_are_rewind

Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.