The smallest 'Walkman'?

[@NandR]

Matt came in with the most polite way of saying I told you so.

[@DumahBrazorf]

After years and years of blatant pillocks comments he mastered the art of passive aggressiveness.

[@spugintrntl]

Well he is British after all.

[@philcarter9738]

Techmoan 1.... The Internet 0 😁

[@samwiseknows]

So mean.

[@VanAdventuresBavaria]

My Grundig “Walkman” that I sent you finally came into use. Nice to see it again and that it gets the fame it deserves.

[@kyliandc9276]

how do you offer something ? I checked I couldn't find an email

[@graealex]

For the curios - the "Elbow" is missing a capstan, which you need for constant-speed playback. Spinning the spools is only to take up the slack, but the actual transport of the tape is done through the capstan.

[@stragulus]

Yup.. you could design a more triangle-shaped version of the elbow and it would work, BUT... designing a cassette mechanism from scratch AND getting it produced for something remotely cost-effective is not going to happen in this day and age.

[@mc_cpu]

Also known as the pinch roller?

[@graealex]

@@mc_cpu Well, the transport is capstan plus pinch roller, but either way, you can't transport tape by spinning the spools, since the amount of tape already on the spool varies the speed with which the tape runs in front of the playback head.

[@Lumpio2]

@@mc_cpu If you want to be pedantic, in the usual mechanism, the capstan is the metal axle that actually spins, and the pinch roller is the soft roller that pushes the tape against it.

[@graealex]

@@Lumpio2 And to be even more pedantic, you do need the other spool to at least have enough friction to keep the tape tought. Not sure if the friction of the head against the felt pad would be enough. But a capstan is an absolute requirement for *playback* in any case.

[@Boardy60]

If you are thinking of a colour for your time machine, please consider the off white colouring of some plastics. That way, as it gets older it yellows, and that would be very useful if you bump into yourself coming back from a different time. It prevents you from using the wrong machine and setting up infinite loop paradoxes. Just a thought.

[@Cimlite]

These are the important details of time machine design. I agree!

[@hoilst265]

If you come at the Techmoan, you best not miss.

[@JacGoudsmit]

The nice thing about time machines is that you can postpone working on them as much as you want.

[@frednitney5831]

I seem to have mastered forward, but I must confess that reverse is proving to be a bit tricky.

[@wobblyboost]

Mine will be completed by last easter.

[@spacejihadist4246]

That's called a clock.

[@PeoterRhubarb]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@steve.b.23]

I think we've proved that Mat knows his Arsebook from his Elbow.

[@wobblyboost]

badump tish. 😁

[@frankowalker4662]

Nice

[@padawanmage71]

At Face value, for sure 😅

[@bejay69]

If the Toshiba doesn't work how about sending it to 'Mend it Mark' for a collab.

[@AlyxxTheRat]

I love how you effortlessly (albeit with great effort) demonstrated why we just say Walkman about all personal stereos despite it being a brand name.

[@markhearsey4294]

Hey Matt, thanks for the mention I was quite surprised to see my name flash up on your video… It was great to see the comparison and the KT AS10… I wonder if Mend It Mark would be the interested in fixing it…👍🏻

[@JohnCena-rf2lw]

as a music loving millennial i always enjoy watching this channel. modern tech is awesome, no one can deny that. but the older stuff with all those tiny gizmos, remarkable designs and tactile feeling is just something else. fidgeting with older gadgets was a true pleasure indeed....

[@revivedfears]

I'm of similar age, music is my life pretty much but I find that I've really lost the connection I used to feel back in the days of CDs. Reading the booklet, the lyrics, the thanks lists, it added a mystique to the artist. These days, there's so much choice, it's always available, there's no connection despite everything being so accessible. Music feels disposable nowadays.

[@Safetytrousers]

@@revivedfears I go back to vinyl albums. Those had true real estate. ELO's Out of the Blue double album came with a cardboard thing you could put together that said 'hope it flies'.

[@FerHivore]

I interpreted the thumbnail more literally than I should’ve and kept waiting for Matt to bust out the micro Walkman 😅 I shouldn’t watch Techmoan this early in the morning…

[@adammorrison9705]

"...but making a time machine is a heck of a more tricky..." Sayeth the dude with the time machine.

[@Techmoan]

In this timeline I haven't bought that one yet.

[@ThePerradox]

How does your Tardis grow?

[@segaretro92]

there are multiple techmoan timelines?

[@georgeprice4212]

@@ThePerradoxask Doctor Who….or The Who….or Cindy Lou Who…or The Guess Who…or even The Wonder Who. 😆

[@andybarnard4575]

​​@@TechmoanIm at a loose end this morning and fancied making one too, but you never said in the video what colour paint I would need. Im hoping you will clear this up next week and will be looking out for the video as always.

[@gordonwill6885]

That replacement magic smoke comes in quite pricey..!

[@curtisscott9251]

It seems to be the one component that functions the longest on these old devices.

[@r__and__r]

That was the politest and most in depth "I told you so" I've seen in a long time.

[@jamesleung2450]

That Toshiba's thicker than a bowl of oatmeal

[@FrankHaul]

👉👉

[@Haffmatthew]

Mornings are always better with a new TechMoan vid!

[@gumboe2007]

Always good to watch these videos, reminiscing at it's best

[@video99couk]

2:52 How the tables turned. Grundig used to have their products re-badged for other brand names. I'm presently working on a Siemens V2000 video recorder that was built by Grundig.

[@bobbymelbourne4502]

Funny! I was just watching your video on the Siemens Video 2000 recorder and remembered Techmoan made an excellent video covering the format.

[@meowchin]

In the 80's they had a lot of stuff being made in Japan and rebadged. I have a Grundig turntable that's a rebadged Technics.

[@Luenebahn]

By the time the cassette player was made, Grundig still was OEM for other brands but they simply never had a production line for Walkman style cassette players. They also have never produced record players. They mostly sold rebadged Technics devices or just had Dual turntables in their compact systems.

[@johnnycats5157]

"See all that stuff in there, H̶o̶m̶e̶r̶ Elbow guys? That's why your r̶o̶b̶o̶t̶ Walkman never worked."

[@darkdeity2012]

At least Homer eventually built a sophisticated robot - he just lost interest before he gave it legs.

[@tomires]

You see the ‘Tosh features what us compact stereo connoisseurs call ‘negative volume’ - you can make use of the extra space by stuffing thin items like underwear or socks inside. Since the machine is ingeniously designed in a way that exposes the mechanism, said item of clothing can hang from the side meaning you can effectively subtract the volume of the cutout from the total.

[@The_Laser_Channel]

When I was a kid, I had a dream about a portable cassette player that was KIND of like the Elbow....except it just slid on top of the cassette tape and played the tape that way. Granted, that was way before I knew how cassette players worked

[@WilliamBurton-1980]

I had a super cheap "walkman" in 1984/5 from a farmers department store. I loved it so much.

[@thingi]

There's an AIWA Personal Stereo that isn't on the list that is definitely a title challenger. The one I'm thinking of had either a gumstick battery or a single AA battery compartment which clicked onto the bottom. My brother owned one... It had FF and Rewind right next to each other, a HUGE design flaw, if you accidentally pressed both together they stayed pressed down and required internal repair. The shop replaced it with a tiny Kenwood model from memory (not the CP-3X though, it was smaller than that and had touch sensitive flush buttons).

[@suikogarden]

I'm grateful that I still own a Walkman from its heyday that's still functioning marvelously thanks to the people who are experts at servicing/repairing.

[@mattrobinson973]

Very much tempted to make a working version of the Elbow now just for laughs

[@padawanmage71]

‘Arsebook’. - omg, i choked on my coffee when i laughed so hard! I vaguely remember seeing a similar smallest Walkman back in the late 80s in high school, but also not a fan of the exposed parts too. I wouldn’t want hairs or dust getting in there and I’d need to use a tape cleaner every so often. Let’s hope your Time Machine doesn’t require 1.21 Gigawatts

[@kwacker45]

Luv the internet! Never let the facts get in the way of a good moan

[@nosville22]

I suspect that even with the radio pack the sheer depth would've made it larger in volume. But morr importantly, Toshiba made a pocket stereo that wouldn't survive in the pocket unless something was in it, which deminishes it's advantage.

[@curtisscott9251]

"Assbook" I got laughing so on hearing that term that I about fell flat on my face. Correct me if I'm wrong Matt but isn't the smallest personal stereo cassette actually a digital microcassette?

[@Techmoan]

Now we're getting into 'some antics'. I hope I don't get corrections on this play on words from the Literal Net.

[@collectingonthecheap56353]

As a kid, I could only dream about owning something as small as that Grundig. My budget was a GPX cassette radio. Bottom of the line, only had Stop, Play, and Fast Forward, and the radio tuner dial and volume dial. Had that background hiss noise while the cassette was playing, but I got use to it. Today, I have a slightly better RCA branded one that has the rewind button, and digital tuner for the radio and the ever important late nineties bass boost. I know that I could order any model online today, and maybe pay a bit more for it in working order, but at my age now, my hearing is not so great, so would not likely notice the difference between a budget model and premium model.

[@benmarchal]

Love the comparison with the suitcase 😁

[@philosoaper]

I got a "Walkman" as a prize at a fairground once that used these miniature cassettes that answering machines used.... I remember the audio quality was shit but it did actually work.

[@raythomas4812]

Re the Toshiba - Yep, it was not without its drawbacks - but they tried to be different . I love this channel

[@macdaniel6029]

Trying to be different doesn't work out in most cases.

[@Claro1993]

The fact that in modern days with a cassette loaded, it has been compared to a docked Nintendo Switch minus the Joycon.

[@strayiggytv]

It does really bring that silhouette to mind 😂

[@RDEnduro]

When i watch your new videos i always find myself checking out the wall behind you and all the cool stuff from past videos.

[@bobblum5973]

Regarding the _Elbow,_ it's like that old expression: _"Looks aren't everything."_ (Thanks as usual, Matt!)

[@stephensmith6290]

This channel is the time machine... Fantastic stuff!

[@DanielFSmith]

I started with a JVC CX-F5K, which my memory has convinced me is smaller then either the Grundig or Sanyo. It got a lot of use!

[@mackpines]

I’d love to see a review on Casio Radio Cards. I think they were even thinner than this. Of course, it’s just a radio and not a cassette player.

[@Techmoan]

Funny you should say that…

[@macdaniel6029]

These credit card sized radios? At some time I had one of them but it wasn't really great.

[@champipy]

I'm still getting hard seeing these juicy tech pieces from the 80's. Used go to sleep with Sony and Panasonic brochures back then and dreaming having the smallest possible walkman, and how cool I would be next day in the school.

[@videomentaryproductionschannel]

Very good video even better was the bit about the Elbow Recorder player lol As always a great video.

[@bowieinc]

Great episode! I’d love to see one showing futuristic retro concept designs that didn’t (and maybe a few) that did, make it.

Man, I just watched a video from the Verge about the lack of new "compact" cassette players because all the tech to make new compact cassette players aren't available to them, and here Techmoan makes a video about the tiniest old cassette players from the past. Weird coincidence lol...

[@nigew25]

Happy New year Matt! Thanks for the videos!

[@springbay1]

I'm here from my future to make a comment about the video I have yet to watch

[@camlegs2423]

Thank you for doing this piece on the Toshiba. I own one, and thought it was the smallest unit until you did this great review

[@jlitagibfonseca]

Very nice video, Matt! Congratulations!

[@bosstowndynamics5488]

I think the idea of the Toshiba being "too small" to fit the whole cassette in creates the illusion of being smaller than it actually is, even though the Sanyo is actually much more efficient in terms of volume and "in use" size

[@brianjames5685]

It reminds me of the small record players. They were definitely smaller until you put a 12 inch record on them! Doesn't explain why I want one of those Toshiba's though lol.

[@RPG_ash]

LOL @ 02:00 Arsebook LOL @ 11:45 Gave up by teatime. @ 14:37 Looking forward to your Time Machine POC in the next video 😂

[@freekfaro5606]

What a wonderful video, again, Matt! I had a small Toshiba like the one you showed, with the slide in FM radio, but it was black, and definitely didn't have that triangular push button. Another Toshiba model I guess, from the late 80s.

[@TheEriksniper]

I remember that there were a wery small ”walkman” that when you opened it to put in a cassette you had to extend the body of the player to fitt the cassette. As I remember it was not an open design like the one you are showing here and I have no idea how small it was compared to all other I only remember that it was thin and kool!

[@alanforsyth2628]

Way back in 1981 in my office, I used a Grundig dictaphone, which had miniature cassettes, about half the size of the standard cassette. If I remember correctly, you could record for 30 minutes a side. The machine itself was quite large. I'm sure someone must have made a Walkman type personal stereo using those miniature cassettes!

[@CalumRaasay]

Somewhat unrelated but fantastic thumbnail/title. Couldn't resist clicking! 😂

[@XMarkxyz]

I guess we'll see a "smallest strange snow vehicle" video in the near future

[@greatguy2003]

It took me a minute to realize you said Arsebook and I laughed SO HARD! I needed that. Thank you.

[@benji.B-side]

I thought my Panasonic RQ - S40 was the smallest. It may not be, but when it comes to a small, all metal case, tis a thing of beauty my good sir!

[@spamanator666]

I had the WM-F10 in junior high and up, 1985 or so, man was it awesome for the time, it cost a whopping $300 USD, a fortune at the time to a 12 year old kid, I saved for six months, but it was so much better than the walkmans everyone else had.

[@NikEdw70]

Fun fact: the personal stereo compact cassete players were called "Freestyles" in Sweden. Walkman was Sonys Freestyle.

[@ZhoRZh37]

Please show more stuff from vintage Grundig, they were amazing, especially radios and speakers.

[@AndreasR1]

Thank you. The JVC CX-F5(K) and JVC CX-F7(K) were very small. The could be closed "more" without a cassette in the device.

[@McKluskie]

I had A cheap no brand Red plastic copy of one of those that was even smaller and lighter but it only lasted six months before the motor started going, I can't either remember where I bought it from but it was absolutely tiny this was about 1986.

[@bosanquet123]

You must remember to install Doc Brown's Flux Capacitor in your time machine and that you can reach 88mph

[@AdvancePlays]

The elbow stuff reminds me of that Karl Pilkington bit - "I've come up with a watch that tells you the date and time you'll die" "Well how does it work" "Just put it on your wrist"

[@Zerbey]

Oh dear, once the magic smoke escapes electronics die.

[@ncot_tech]

I like the grumpy sarcastic Techmoan videos the best 😄

[@Spookex166]

Didn't realize that the WM-F701C is that small, I have 2 of them (one as a parts donor and one that I can only use as a radio because capstans had rusted) and they are really neat machines

[@jimihendrix6969]

I owned a Kenwood player 89-90. Tiniest and best player I've owned. Next to a cassette case, it was smaller on one of the dimensions. It even had a half circle indent into the rear metal casing, reducing it's volume even more. It fell out of my inside jacket running with the dog....

[@Bumphuk]

This video reminded me of a cassette player that I would regularaly see in the 'Innovations' catalogue. I think it was called the bean and the description claimed it was the smallest ever cassette player.

[@GeneralPoison]

Wouldnt this be an awesome collab with Mend It Mark?

[@ianpdavis]

Assuming Toshiba dont slap him with a copyright strike........Ahem.

[@GeneralPoison]

@ianpdavis think someone has been regretting that lately.. I think I've been recommended 10 different uploads of that repair.. 😂

[@markmiwurdz2248]

“Hello Tosh, got a Toshiba” - Alexei Sayle.

[@DjDestinyChicago]

⁠@@ianpdavisLouis Rossman will upload it to his channel then tell Toshiba “I dare you!” 😉

[@Dukefazon]

I can feel the sheer "I'm showing you who's the idiot now" energy :D I don't know how else to say it. That design is nonsense. Now I gotta mention again my "new" walkman I got last year, it was the most amazing model I've seen as a kid and always wanted, now I was finally able to import it from Japan: the Panasonic RQ-S33. If you use it with a gumstick battery it's around the same size as a cassette case. I loved the lines, the form factor and the soft touch buttons, it still feels like something from the future in 2025.

[@admiralandersen]

Techmoan, thanks to your time machine I saw this video a couple of years ago 😆

[@RomanTrollanski]

I am here since the day you we're reviewing spy pens... And that egg roll fryer. You are awesome, I like technology, but I'm not an avid collector.

[@Kumimono]

With the right kind of time machine tech, you could make a Walkman the size of a matchbox. Just, bigger on the inside. But this did make me wonder, if anyone ever made serious micro cassette Walkmen. Designed for music, all the bells and whistles.

[@Dave001968]

That put us ars bookers in our place! Maybe you would consider showing some more of your broken tech off some time? Some of it must be fascintating.

[@australianstig]

Definitely prefer the Grundig/Sanyo unit as far as the prospect of breakage goes. Reminded me of a Sony auto reverse walkman with an odd fault from new where it would only read one pair of tracks regardless of tape direction. Until I had a bike crash that sent it flying 10 feet up before landing, must have shaken a switch free as it worked perfectly afterwards

[@strayiggytv]

The Elbow is like half the stuff on kickstarter. A neat render that had zero chance of ever being delivered lol

[@A3Kr0n]

That would be a no-sale. I like the regular players. Watching the reels turn would be cool, though.

[@piccolo1976]

Walkman battles still going strong in 2025 and KZbin is all the better for it!

[@edwardfletcher7790]

I think a LOT of people are saying the Toshiba is smaller based on pictures.... Aiwa was always my favorite, especially the models that used a single AA battery. I loved Walkman models that had TV audio reception 👍

[@JF-em6hr]

There was also another walkman, my uncle had one (I think an aiwa, I can't remeber) that could "colapse", or "push in" a little when the casset was not in the machine.

[@morzemus1805]

Is Technoan's time machine broken? That's how he got all those mint gadgets years back. Or is this the timeline where he haven't invented it yet? When he finishes it, he can then send himself a copy of a time machine in the past and we close the loop.

[@mandowarrior123]

He closed the loop, but they've stopped making the correct size rubber bands & the chronostyluses aren't what they used to be. It can only seem to hit a woolworths at christmas '95

[@ClaireWW]

I'm sure I had a rounded corner walkman in the mid 90s that was smaller than that. I can remember being astounded at the time how little there was to it other than the tape itself.

[@encodersofia]

I imagine the speed this open design gets full of dirt

[@GruntUltra]

I like the 5mm thick Apple Mac design, but where does the 3.5" disk opening on the front lead to?

[@bluevanman2008]

Must be based on "TARDIS" technology 😁

[@mark_kelly]

Appreciating the video thumbnail!

[@martytoo]

My tiny Toshiba headphone driving AM FM radio also died. I replaced it with a Sony SRF-M80V which still works great and will undoubtedly outlive me. When you finish up with the Time Machine give me a ring. I'd like to take my Sony back with me to compare it to the Toshiba.

[@TimHollingworth]

"ArseBook" thats going to be the new name from now on Mr Zuckerburg. 😂

[@jonasglanshed]

I used to have a Sony Walkman that was the size of a cassette tape, but when you put in a tape you pulled it "apart" making it bigger I believe it was a WM-20 *Edit* it was a WM-F20, solid built unit with a metal case, and built in radio.

[@DjDestinyChicago]

Mend it Mark can get that Toshiba working like new

[@michaelmiller641]

I look forward to the video about how your time machine works!

[@kanalnamn]

I have a Hitachi CP-88R, the one that takes the spot above the KT-AS10 on that size list. I also have the radio add-on. Offered it to you via mail a couple of years ago, but never heard back. Haven't really dared to try it yet.

[@awo1fman]

You haven't mentioned the object of my desire from the 1980s. I never could afford one, and I don't know the model number or anything, but it was a Sony, and it was far smaller than any of the ones you've mentioned or shown. It was almost exactly the same size as a cassette case. Maybe ever so slightly thicker. In order to play a cassette, it expanded along the short side (thickness and length stayed the same) and was maybe a half inch wider (on the short side) than the cassette when a cassette was inside. There were several models, from a playback-only version to an auto-reverse and recording model. The buttons were slim and arranged IIRC diagonally on the long edge. They were all silver, none of them were black or yellow or any other color. I think some of the buttons were different colors. It was far smaller than anything else I've ever seen, and it completely enclosed the cassette while playing. And no, I wasn't smoking anything. I saw (and held) them in lots of different Hi-Fi stores in the USA in the mid to late 1980s. I was a "starving student" at the time, and had no possibility of being able to afford one. Most of the stereo equipment I had at the time was bought second-hand. I was extremely dismayed when I finally graduated and got a real job and they had disappeared from the market.

[@Bob-d6g]

Maybe Mend it Mark would like a look?

[@broadsword6650]

This is the video equivalent of putting your thumb to your nose, wiggling your fingers and chanting na-na-nana-na.

[@nonsuch]

I bought a WM-F10 around 1985 with money from mowing lawns 😂. I was 13 yrs old and thought I was cool with this super slim Walkman that was the size of the cassette tape itself. Obviously, to play a tape I had to extend it out a bit but, I loved the hell out of it. I don't remember what I did with it though. I'm sure it just broke with the amount of use it got. I didn't realize they got even smaller. By then, I had bought a full rack JVC component stereo system and started to get into CDs slowly leaving cassettes behind.

[@spaceodds1985]

Great and informative. As always you have the edge when it comes to knowledge. I mean its just like you said regarding the luggage. IMO the Toshiba is a flawed design due to the inevitable build up of debris, and twice as thick to boot.

[@DOSdaze]

This seems like a prime opportunity for a puppet skit. I miss those.

[@mr.frogman9939]

Now you need to do the smallest boombox... I picked up a Fisher/Sanyo PHM88 last year and it is certainly an odd thing! Maybe not the smallest, but possibly the only micro cassette boombox...