New Fiio CP13 "Walkman" Portable Cassette Player - Unboxing, Review & Audio Comparison.

In this video I unbox a new Fiio CP13 Stereo cassette player. I show and demonstrate it's features, as well as comparing it to a modern competitor and a vintage classic. Then I give my thoughts on it.
For your North American cassette needs, go to:
www.cassettecomeback.com

[@nazznomad]

I wish there was more of a market for Tony to make a good living from cassette videos and sales. His videos are endlessly entertaining

[@CassetteComeback]

It's awesome being number one in something the vast majority couldn't care less about 😆

[@macdaniel6029]

@@CassetteComeback Well, I couldn't care less about the majority :)

[@ingenfestbrems]

Majority have never cared, The majority as far as i think have always been buying what they are told to buy. Like from magazines, commercials and so,, Back in the days the lifestyle magazines incl playboy 🐇🐰 Almost always have a hefty stereo to be seen in homes they was wishing

[@ShazeemKhan]

@@CassetteComeback as long as it makes u happy, u do u, mate :)

[@petpot6908]

@@CassetteComebackhey, I’ve been listening to my cassettes for the past two days. I’ve been digitizing it for playback in my online radio station. You’re invited to join in the fun if you like. It would be fun to have someone on that side of the pond

[@Distorted-Vision]

A new Cassette Comeback from Tony is like a new episode of The Simpsons back in the day when we all cared about The Simpsons.

[@cpufreak101]

seems there's never gonna be another one tho :(

[@Micjoh]

Thanks Tony for putting your wonderful archive back up. Your work , enthusiasm and dedication over the years may not have made you the fortune you deserve but you have the admiration and thanks of many of us. Good luck !!

[@LaPineBear]

I threw my cassette tape collection away years ago and have no desire to go back! but I always enjoy watching historic stuff on all the vintage formats! and seeing a company like Fiio bring out a modern player out is definitely cool to see.

[@lizichell2]

You probably slung out loads of metal and chromes without realising

[@e28forever30]

defiantly?

[@RebeccaTurner-ny1xx]

@@lizichell2 Even a cheap mp3 player sounds far better than the best metal cassette tape. No wow and flutter, to start with. No tape hiss. Massive library of music. Cassettes were meant for dictaphones and could never be truly hi-fi without a Nakamichi.

[@lizichell2]

@@RebeccaTurner-ny1xx mp3s sound far worse than a decent cassette on a good dual capstan deck

[@RebeccaTurner-ny1xx]

@@lizichell2 Which mp3s? A 192kbps or higher mp3 to most people's ears sounds excellent. Walkmans, which this video is about, need plenty of expert maintenance and repairs to keep going and most of them sounded awful. Cassettes are the past and were never much good. I hated them and was delighted when I could record and play digitally.

[@C.I...]

A pleasant surprise. I've spent nearly as much on getting worse quality just by dint of buying faulty/electrically worn out portable cassette players, so to have new product that actually sounds acceptable is great.

[@CassetteComeback]

That's the point. It's not 1986. There is no better competition to this, short of restoring a vintage one, if you can.

[@douglasallen9428]

What a pleasant surprise… another video from you!

[@clarencehoover6748]

Great down-to-earth review, Tony. ⭐️ I agree that we should support the manufacturers making the better quality cassette hardware so they can improve on subsequent generations.

[@hughjanus6975]

It appears they've finally done it. Glad to see a Walkman available today that sounds decent.

[@paper_panzer]

It is encouraging to finally see a quality portable cassette player on the market. Only concern over getting one is the point you referenced at the beginning: replacing the lith-ion battery when it can no longer charge. Lack of obvious screws when you spun the player around means getting inside is a big question mark. As an aside I have a TASCAM 202mk VII cassette deck that uses National Semiconductor's n.r. system, and to my ears it's quite compatible with Dolby B recorded tapes. 👍

[@ReaganLodge]

Love the haunted house "HoOooOOaaAuuUUgh!!!" every time the Super USB player gets mentioned. Fantastic comparison vid. Glad to see the FIIO sounds pretty solid, definitely something I'll consider grabbing now.

[@Takepowers]

Yeah, I unfortunately have one of those things. While it was slightly better than the old one, it's still a bit mediocre compared to vintage and sometimes modern cassette players. (also the USB recorder is so lossy is useless lol)

[@tigerclaw4537]

This is (without a doubt) the BEST review I've seen on KZbin for the FiiO CP13. AWESOME AAA+++

[@ralphreinhardt6020]

AWESOME ! A new vid from Tony ! Hi Tony glad to see you're looking well and up to you're usual kicks. This was a fine review of a pretty cool new walkman type cassette player. Job well done sir. 🙂👍 Also a pre congratulations on coming up on 26,000 subscribers. Always nice to get a new Cassette Comeback. Thank you Tony and ...................have a good one ! 😎

[@daniel_dumile]

Got my first cassette from you in the mail the other day, 1988 Maxell type II, and I had a blast recording drum breaks to it on my four track and back into my MPC. Love the sound. Much easier to use cassettes than taking my large 80s sony VHS player and hooking up the audio which is what I was doing before I found a Portastudio at an auction

[@Acoustic_Theory]

The Fiio player is extremely similar to the Aiwa, maybe just a smidge more 'meat on the bones' in the midrange from the Aiwa but when switching from the Fiio to the Aiwa, the upper midrange became a little 'crashy'. These changes are tiny in comparison to the huge difference between either player and the Tomashi. If you don't want to scuff up your Aiwa player for portable use, get a Fiio player and take it with you, and you can be quite happy. The CP13 is a product you can buy today to treasure your music.

[@virus7g7]

Tony, I'm overjoyed to find out you've changed your mind and making your videos available to watch along with the comment section open so I can message you this. I think I can speak for many people that they are happy you decided to keep this channel open. At the very least an archive for people to use, learn, laugh, and share the joy of this format with each other and for those who have yet to discover it. One thing I have noticed is that when everything came back except for the comment sections, initially the number of videos available to watch was 152, now it's 148. I was wondering why that is, if those 4 videos got deleted, claimed, privated, and or removed by you, KZbin, or something else. I only ask because I know it might be only 4 videos, but they could have been important enough to keep. I hope you're doing better and good in general Tony, I know I'm just some guy but just want you to know that what you do and your work matters. -Take care.

[@CassetteComeback]

Copyright reasons. When new, the music was royalty free, years later, they turned the copyright on. Sneaky trick.

[@virus7g7]

@@CassetteComeback Oh that really sucks. Do you know what the videos were and what they were about? It's hard to remember with all of them gone briefly, then coming back, then to loose them again, even if it's only a few gone now.

[@freaknoutful]

Nice review Tony. Got to be happy that people are making anything cassette and even better that it's decent!

[@Rompler_Rocco]

Oh, man. I have been sadly selling off my cassette collection out of necessity. A few minutes of Tony's voice has me about to pull all my ads and skip town.

[@CassetteComeback]

Don't feel bad, I've been doing the same. Ultimately, it's all nostalgia, but we can't live in the past, we only ever live in the now...

[@shelxp]

There's a fine speed adjustment inside the door close to the head :)

[@hughjanus6975]

Nice comparison of motor noise to "a swarm of bees" had a nice laugh.

[@RareBrink]

loved the video, very interesting to hear the A-B-C test between the three players. EQ wise I thought both the Aiwa and Fiio sounded fine, I could hear a bit more detail in the Aiwa. I would not be unhappy at all listening to the Fiio. If you want the old school equivalent of it, the Toshiba KT-S1 is probably the closest in terms of form and construction. I adore mine and should it ever need a repair bigger than a belt, I'll probably grab one of these Fiios. I can't be bothered to recap walkmen anymore.

[@bletheringfool]

Its great to see this kind of product. I enjoy using my 80s walkman but like you I'm always on the hunt for a decent modern machine. I applaud companies for trying. Like Argos bringing back BUSH tapes and tape recorders. They're poor but usable for voice stuff which I enjoy messing about with. I bought the TOMASHI and still get enjoyment from it. Thanks for another great video. - Jonny

[@Seiskid]

Looks ok. Thanks for the review. My experience with fixing up hard rubbish tanashin type decks (for fun, no other reason) is some of them are "fine" and some of them are garbage. The ones that fall into the "fine" category are pretty robust and pleasant to listen to. I'd be happy with this deck as a portable.

[@MillerWissen]

Love the tune will get it when it's out :) Nice to see you back Tony.

[@jeg1972]

Apparently there is a speed control inside, but you have to lift the cover.

[@disienna]

It does, and the wow & flutter is actually pretty low.

[@FLH3official]

I actualy have the Aiwa HS-PC202 but the MKII. Bought new (for less than 100£ 😁) . I changed its belt 4 year ago. An excellent machine I used up until I bought an iPod. Happy to know this Fio it's not "so worst" I could imagine. Today we're unable to built a Saturn V, a LEM and shooting them to the Moon with 3 dudes inside. Same story with the "walkmen".

[@lizichell2]

No innovation in tech these days

[@FLH3official]

@@lizichell2 Cassettes players are not an "innovation" per se, we just want to have them as good as they were. But well, who could build a big steam locomotive today?

[@lizichell2]

@@FLH3official probably only China

[@FLH3official]

@@lizichell2You're probably right.

[@angelfire2023]

I knew you'd get around to doing a video on this eventually. Much like with VW's review of it, I'm glad you made sure to test it with what is currently available on the market. That's something that's always frustrated me about other KZbinrs. They compare today's players with top-of-the-line Walkmans from back in the day, and then proceed to call it crap and that no one should buy it. It's not about if its comparable to the then, it's about it better than what we have at the moment. Clearly, from your demonstration, it is. I really wish more people had the mindset you have with tapes: thinking about them in the now as opposed to the then. Tapes are about having fun, at the end of the day. Btw, where can I find that tune you made?

[@CassetteComeback]

Thanks. You get it. Most people who have lots of money and time invested in old gear, don't. The tune is unlikely to ever get released.

[@BG101UK]

It's great to see this is still something some people feel worth investing in. Shame there is no decent choice of mechanism for these new machines today though, and probably never will be. Also the ever diminishing pool of cassette media to use with them. The audio quality is certainly quite respectable; certainly knocks the socks off some of those cheap personal stereo cassette units we had back in the day.

[@manti1923]

Good to see you dropped a new video...I wouldn't feel brave enough to put my top tapes in that Fiio...

[@MattJH]

The first thing my Mulann B-1000 EW did was eat my chrome Goonies soundtrack. I was so bummed. No problems with the B-1000 though. Must've been a bad unit, but man, that tape is expensive to replace.

[@thejoojooman6538]

I have been umming & ahhing about getting 1 of these. U may have helped me make a decision.

[@comicmania2008]

I've got that same Aiwa as you Tony. Bought it from new - old stock about 5 - 6 years ago, lovely sounding thing, still use it lots. I like the Fiio, but I wouldn't pay 103 quid for it, maybe I would pay 70 quid though! I'm a pensioner now, and on my money I'm glad I bought the Aiwa when I was working.

[@krz8888888]

Nice to meet you

[@vnv_jruza]

Great to see a new video Tony. And great to see, to my surprise, that Fiio actually bothered to make it sound not crap!

[@perfectdelsol]

So these go for about 100+ on Amazon and after this video I’m leaning more to get one. Do you know anything about the turn table labs cassette player? Or what retro walkmans would you recommend in the in the same price range as the Fiio?

[@jitmancanth6698]

Your initial point of an accessible and replaceable rechargeable battery is worth reiterating. Much better that then having to buy a whole new unit every few years. But that sounded better than any new tape player I've heard through KZbin in the last ten years.

[@chuckaluck123]

Thanks Tony! So glad to see you again!

[@dendipeza]

Interesting comparison! Good thing they are making decent "Walkmans" again. A true sign of the cassette comeback! I still have my Sony YPPY Walkman. It's very rare and sounds pretty good. In addition to a bass boost feature, it has an AVLS (Automatic Volume Limiter System) feature, which limits the volume so as not to damage your hearing. But even when the setting is turned off, the limiter seems to be engaged, because I can see the peaks of the waveform cut off when I record it.

[@Silanda]

While I'm glad someone's trying harder to produce a higher quality player with the parts available, the non-replaceable battery combined with it looking difficult to disassemble is a virtual deal breaker for me. There's no excuse for making a relatively simple device, that's the size of a brick, hard to service. I really hate the modern trend of turning everything into guaranteed future e-waste.

[@museonfilm8919]

Agree totally! All Fiio need to do, is to look at the collectible 'walkman' market, and they'd have their answer.

[@adamgenard3188]

I couldn't possibly agree more. I am sick and tired of manufacturers almost going out of their way to make virtually as many products as they can non-serviceable. While I'm pleased Fiio has managed to create a decent tape deck here there is zero excuse for not having service access or a manual, really anything that won't leave you high and dry when the battery eventually gives up the ghost.

[@stevengagnon4777]

Those Aiwa portables sound good many had EQ and weren't expensive, I never see them anymore. I got lucky a while back and my freind found a Sears and Roebuck personal cassette player ,still sealed in the original packaging. It was made in Japan and fairly large fir what it is. I think it came out either right after the Sony or perhaps even earlier. Any it sounds pretty good even though the door hinge broke. I do use a JDS Labs Cmoy in the peppermint Altoids box with Audio Teknica ATH M-50X'S that definitely made a big difference and the little bass boost switch inside was used all the time. I used this alot for the years I lived in a car. Good to see you back...a long term follow-up would be nice to see how it holds up. Did you ever find a speed adjustment...I would be kinda important to me...if I was currently looking for one. While the inexpensive Aiwas sound good they tended not to hold up long so finding a working one for a hundred bucks would be a fortunate chance opportunity. The Filo does look well constructed and I like the easily rechargeable battery hopefully they didn't skimp on that. It seems that if they optimize the head gap for play back since there is no need for recording with it one could make a real good sounding unit as long as the azimuth could be held precisely too.

[@minecraftpc3036]

Nice to see another upload from you.

[@jasonhandy8442]

Great to see you back Great video by the way😊

[@tvelektron]

Nice to see something is going on. Actually i dont see any screw to open the device if necessary - this is what i would realy like to see at any premium product. Maybe the lithium cell has to be replaced or the belt at some point - and i realy want this to do without leaving marks from prying the housing open...

[@moogultop]

I fully agree with you on this one. At this moment, I don't think you can buy anything better. Let's hope Fiio keeps on improving this one and maybe, just maybe, bring one with all the bells and whistles in thr near future.

[@ju6452]

Nice video again Tony and good to know, if my Aiwa breaks down that there is a choice😊

[@peterw1213]

Nice video there Tony. Recently in my local Cassette tape FB forum, there were some hype on Toshiba (Aurex) Walky series AX-W10C new portable tape player at €45 but currently sold only in Japan. I've seen the reviews seems on the positive side. It has wired and BT headphone connectivity. Runs on 2 AAA battery.

[@CassetteComeback]

Looks cheap. Has a Tanashin mech, but if the electronics are good...

[@peterw1213]

@@CassetteComeback Yes, it's pretty obvious it's a Chinese made Tanashin mech. It's the electronics that made it stand out.

[@nazznomad]

When Tony talks, I listen. End of story

[@jasonhandy8442]

The speed adjustments on the inside

[@DinkyDoughnut]

That 3rd one down is probably more controlled, preventing mids over riding the rest of the composition. The middle one is far too narrow with Mid bands skyed. The top one is a little Less than emphasised but the bottom one seems the sound I’d prefer. Well now to re-edit with an update, I have always been a fan of AiWA Cassette Deck, probably amongst the best for the Budget. But did I say the same re one down sounded to my Preferences…😂. So FiiO has made a good product. This is how the compact cassette started, everything was the feel of pure quality until gradually it went to semi and then full plastics as an alternative to that all metal bezel fronts. But on saying that the manufacturers packed in performance and features like a punch🥊

[@hughjanus6975]

As always, thank you for another free video.

[@RadioweArchiwum]

What you think about another similar to tis called We are rewind? I heard that it have a recording function, but as always can't find any test which will demonstrate it on yt.

[@ryderr7914]

There’s no shot this dude and I have the exact same intro with the exact same song

[@lizichell2]

For me the aiwa and the fiio sounded very similar but the tamashi was clearer but more fluttery

[@Alexander128l]

i wanna buy a trasperent version of this player. Looks really good)

[@mathumphreys]

Great to see the Deepmind in the background!

[@amayer182003]

Aiwa sounds the best no surprise.

[@amayer182003]

The Fiio is the best of the new...

[@joeyjustin6895]

Hi Tony WE Love IT When You Make a new vid. I was hoping long ago before you stopped you do a buy old average decks and record on those and make vids on those buy one do vid sell buy one make vid sell. But I'll Do It For you I'm One The First Guys To Tell People Cassettes ARE Great. Thanks For The Vid .

[@pixoontube2912]

As a young person who does not has a walkman but only a stationary tape deck, I approve.

[@Recordology]

There is a speed control pot under the lid.

[@ingenfestbrems]

Glad you’re not totally given up 😊👍🏻 The others you talk about have been tested by vwestlife and think he’s conclusion was that this one was the best, maybe second best sounding. Also think it should have a belt clip but on that you also can mount on the player itself

[@kevinh96]

I would hazard a guess this mechanism is the slightly better quality Tanashin clone mechanism made by CSG, the same company Sony and Teac/Tascam use for their mechanisms. VWestlife's review picked up a few issues with this Fio unit, nothing major but needed some minor adjustments that Fio didn't make easy to do. The main issue, as you picked up on was the speed being slightly fast. Hopefully Fio put an adjustment hole on the back of the unit in a future version as the adjustment screw does exist inside.

[@daniel_dumile]

The difference in sound is quite remarkable. It reminds me of the drastic difference I found in the 3 different phono preamps I tested on my turntable. Is this mostly the amp built in or something else?

[@independentvoice6686]

Bought my Sony WM-GX674 from new and still sounds great. Still original belt.

[@fins59]

Good comparison and usefull information thanks, it will help me as I narrow down the choices of which modern portable cassette player to buy. Bought a Digitech recently, thin wowy sound, took it back for a refund next day.

[@michaelhamlet8869]

Hello tony watching your as I type and noticed the awai tape cassette and i have the exact model All these years later and in still good working condition, good taste my friend and LTD edition Sony ones in mint condition ..... considering we are going around again with Tec for the new generation 😀! P.s good show!

[@tarstarkusz]

Have you opened it up and seen what battery is in here? It would suck if it had a 1 off battery that once it's dead makes the player no good any more.

[@ghostcruncher1043]

Cassettes are a very underrated format. They may not sound as good as a vinyl record or a CD, but they sound way better than some people say they do, and they're more durable. Part of the reason it has such a bad reputation is because of the Tanashit that gets released nowadays. The Fiio wouldn't too be bad if it had better quality control.

[@daniel_dumile]

Cassettes sound great for certain things, I love anything drum heavy or piano/synths. Some of my Blue Notes cassettes I found at a thrift shop sound amazing

[@Ruinwyn]

Tapes also have bad reputation because cheap shit existed in cassette heyday too. People using type 0 tapes on cheap boombox to tape barely audible radio never sounded good. Mono Alba walkman wasn't much better than modern Jensen. But the one buying Alba knew they were getting the cheapest option, and it didn't get worse than that.

[@84patking]

I thought it sounded very similar to the Aiwa! Is it at all possible that the Tomashi's azimuth is a little off? It sounds a little muffled by comparison. I agree, Dolby is mostly useless, but I do like a bass boost switch for my portables. Oh, and I've heard there is an adjustment hole on the inside of the cassette well.

[@museonfilm8919]

Nice audio comparison, but I'm still feeling the design (though robust) is not really premium 'minimalist'. I'd like to see a modern take on the Sony WM-10 or 20 - that would be a challenge!!

[@bakytkozbagarov5166]

Соскучился по вас . Выходите по чаще..

[@GazzaBoo]

The last walkman I bought was the Sony Walkman Pro. It was awesome.

[@danniielle]

Not much more for me to add here other than I'm pretty much in agreement with all you've said as usual Tony. :) I bet the low end response would be quite easy to improve upon with future models too. It is probably a coupling capacitor value being the primary limitation here and that would be a simple tweak. Great to see your face in this video too Tony. You're looking fit and healthy. :)

[@CassetteComeback]

I'm half the man I was this time last year 😁

[@danniielle]

@@CassetteComeback Great work my friend! Feels good doesn't it!

[@andreinegus6894]

Thank you for this review. I want a cassette player to connect it to my home stereo system. Can I do that with this?

[@kforkrish]

Sir you may post an guidance video on how to adjust tape speed and give information on required tools to do such. I was today had to adjust tape speed on my onkyo TA-2055. Without any frequency alignment tape or wow and flutter measure unit. (Had to do by simultaneously playing both cd and cassette version of the same album.) It took almost 2 hours of struggle to get the correct speed. Also my english is bad forgive me please.

[@hughjanus6975]

Hey, the comments are back! I hope you're all well.

[@paulb4uk]

It is the best looking unit so far to be fair the sound was not to bad the highs were great considering a bit more bass and improvements in mids it could be perfect .definate the best looking unit so far i love the looks.

[@tarstarkusz]

If Fiio is checking out the comments... There are two things I wish about this. 1) A built in AM/FM receiver. 2) A replaceable battery. Otherwise, it sounds like a reasonable walkman.

[@krz8888888]

I commend the effort on this one, just wish we had better mechanism’s available

[@voltare2amstereo]

I had a recording version of that aiwa

[@SmilyTheMare]

welcome back

[@kpkp2655]

Big up on the weight loss. congrats.

[@orion1983uk]

Another great video. I only recently found your channel and have been binge watching a load of your videos this afternoon, so it was a nice surprise to suddenly see this appear just as I was about to stop. All things considered, this really didn't sound too bad, and I really like the modern look of this (and the We Are Rewind unit) with the metal case - I wish when making 'modern' cassette players / boomboxes they would stop trying to make them look 80s retro and just go with a clean modern look. The sealed battery is a disappointment, but the biggest annoyance for me is the lack of Bluetooth (something which the We Are Rewind unit offers) - not everyone will agree I appreciate, but again, I just see Bluetooth as a must have modern feature of a portable music player regardless of the medium it is playing. On another note, watching your videos today made me look out my old Sony Walkman WM-FX113. Motor sounded horrendous and the belt is completely worn out. A few drops of bearing oil sorted the motor, and I've ordered a new belt so we'll see how it goes.

[@Solitaire001]

I like the simple and plain look of this player. It looks like there is nothing extraneous about this player, and that is a contrast to many audio players to this day. The only thing I consider a negative about this player is the rechargeable battery. I'd rather they just had it powered by four AA or AAA batteries to give it plenty of playback time even if they had to increase the size of the player a bit (just lengthen it a bit like the We Are Rewind player). Then, the User could just install rechargeable batteries if desired.

[@CatOnVenus183]

I think it would be more fair to compare the Fiio to a similarly priced (when refurbished) vintage players on ebay. Most people who are going to buy this player are younger, scared of repair, and wanting to try out the format. The FiiO costs about 110 retail, and for that price you can pick up a refurbished Walkman WM-EX1 (or similar model). The model you compared it against cost way more than the Fiio so it wouldn't be a fair comparison whatsoever. Obviously the FiiO isn't going to compete with a top of the line player from back in the day, especially when its priced the same way mid range machines were back in the day.

[@ingenfestbrems]

Wondering if using the flywheel as a strobe(or a digital rpm lazer thing) is actually a very good way to mesure the speed. Getting the maths right, counting in the diameter of the flywheel, Actually could make better measurements than a tape with a tone with is only as accurate as the recording deck. Not saying that everything must be spot on 100% But the idea in itself applying strobe spots and using the light on smartphone with strobe app would be easier than getting expensive calibration tape

[@andreinegus6894]

Could you please compare it with the We Are Rewind one? It would be very helpful to make a decision on which one to buy. Thanks.

[@CassetteComeback]

I don't have one of those and they won't send me one.

[@rdrgtreer]

We will never get anything else than Tanashi...

[@martynlewis9020]

I did see some early, presumably computer generated, images of the design of the CP13 and it had “auto reverse” embossed on the case so they were maybe considering that feature at some point. A pity they didn’t follow that through.

[@Ruinwyn]

Autoreverse probably would have increased the price too much. High quality mechanical parts are expensive and it would have almost doubled the need for them (flywheel, gears, motor upgrades possibly, more levers etc).

[@benjaminzarkhin1293]

This feels like the first Walkman, and if enough people bother to buy and be interested in these modern Walkmen more could be made, with Auto Reverse, noise reduction and overwrite protection, as this mechanism has the space for a record function.

[@JoshFisher567]

The Tomashi sounded fuller in the lower mids and bass but it's KZbin audio. Capturing how it really sounds is harder than reviewing a TV. . You have to hear that difference in person. Not all ears are the same. The Fiio and the AIWA sounded similar but once again, source issue. I was surprised when you said the Tomashi sounded the worst when it sounded the best to me. It really shows you how much that compression and having to record takes away from the actual experience. Some more genres would be nice, I listen to a lot of acoustic stuff and some devices just handle that better. I'm usually losing out somewhere else though but I don't need chest thumping bass personally. Did Sony release a walkman or was it a DAP that just looked like an OG Sony walkman? It was one or the other. If Fiio put magnets in that tape player they better have engineered it correctly. . A tape is just data stored on a magnetic strip of a metallic like material. Not as thick as a hard drive player, more elastic. Working in IT, I know till this day, with continuous research for improvement , including shelf lif. for other purposes and it can still damage a tape for backup that an new released LTO tape that can hold 30 to 59 terabytes of data with compression per tape.. You don't put those near magnets. All using pretty much the same technology as walkmans. If built and engineered properly, it won't be an issue. Maybe I'm wrong, the first spinning disk was 20K and held either 4MB or 40MB on that. That would have made tapes the first somewhat digital format, especially if the data is stored in 1's and It's on tapes made in the 80s for audio. Everything gets converted to analog , preferably right before a good amp or the speakers directly.

[@filipp7611]

Hi Tony! Can you make please a video about modern prerecorded cassettes? I am buying a lot of those but Im curious how good they are for a professional ear:) They sound good to me, but people saying that they are very bad. So will be great to hear your opinion, universal music sale a lot of new albums on cassettes for a reasonable price ± 11.99$. I understand that maybe there is no music you are interested in but for us it will be great to get your opinion. For example from electronic music it can be The Chemical Brothers - For That Beautiful Feeling.

[@CassetteComeback]

Modern pre recorded cassettes are passable quality at best. Buy them to support independent artists and have a nice keepsake.

[@dkd1228]

The most persistent problem I've had with cassette technology is a lack of consistency in recording head azimuth.

[@1969longshanks]

A nice machine which could be improved upon ❤

[@retrorambles517]

Looking good Tony

[@retrorambles517]

Not to be a Debby downer But the last 90s early 00s Sonys on eBay have bass feature and auto reverse Most around £30 to £50 sound better than this and the modern walkmen It would be good if they could make one that's a little shrunk down with a mega bass a clip and auto reverse Then I'd be interested Btw glad you are happy with it

[@museonfilm8919]

Yes, those last generation Sony's - the EX series, some of those are premium quality metal housing, with all bells and whistles - still at a good price.

[@retrorambles517]

@@museonfilm8919 yep Very affordable and great sounding Some probably need a new belt but for about £30 to £50 and for the sake of a £5 belt they are worth snapping up

[@juanme555]

I just wish fiio put more effort into their designs, the modern minimalistic stuff crushes the vibe most cassette enjoyers are going for.

[@bubexpress5435]

which stores can you buy the fiio cp13 at

[@typhoontim125]

It sounded fine with that track....but wow and flutter is important and so testing with a track that includes piano or keyboard would be better.

[@nexus-sk9dr]

Buen video Confebask gracias compadre

[@JD-lk7im]

Aiwa wins . The Fiio in second place . A bit thin on the mid and low frequencies and the last one sounds like I've disconnected the tweeters on my speakers. Thanks Tony.

[@John3.16saves]

Actually o removed my last comment because ive decided that i actually the design!! I do. It curiously provides a new old nostalgia, like you said without the hassle of ebay.

[@bubexpress5435]

i got the tomashi from aliexpress and it doesn't even play tapes as well as it should i think i've gotten a faulty unit

[@CassetteComeback]

The QC isn't the best...

[@AlexMitchell-sj4sb]

I would buy one, when and where will it be on sale? I don't see a price on their website yet.

[@Ruinwyn]

It is been available from German Fiio-shop for a while (and AliExpress) but seems like it's heading to most distributors this month. Around 130-150€.

[@AlexMitchell-sj4sb]

Thank you