"We Are Rewind" cassette player & recorder: Any good?

[@TBNTX]

I have one of these We Are Rewind models. I very much enjoy mine.

[@MarquisDeSang]

I love the Trebble adjustment on mine : cassette door down for maximum trebble (clarity) and cassette door up for trebble down (muffle). I love my WeAreRewind, it is not perfect but it is good enough to appreciate the potential of cassettes. The product itself is is really well made and made from quality material.

[@timoeveraers336]

But the true potential of cassettes is in Type II and IV. We Are Rewind can't handle those properly.

[@MandrakeDCR]

@@timoeveraers336 No it's not. The true potential of any technology is what you can buy off the shelf and expand upon. Guess what you can buy off the shelf right now? Type I cassettes and cut-rate technology to manipulate them. You're still living in a world we don't have access to anymore. I'm sorry, but we can't refurbish the world back to the 80's as much as I would like it sometimes. The best we can do is see what we might do to manipulate the shoddy hardware into better hardware or filtering to create better products if anyone will do it.

[@waytospergtherebro]

So glad the internet empowers illiterate morons to share their unsolicited opinions on things nobody cares about in the most incoherent way imaginable.

[@jerryspann8713]

​@@MandrakeDCRThe only thing that'll happen is some greedy shutter will try and get rich on 80s nostalgia.

[@jacobsgarage1458]

You’re out of your mind It’s not possible for anyone to make a decent tape player nowadays cause they don’t make a decent mechanism 😢

[@classicrock7890]

It would take a company with past experience and deep pockets to develop a decent player, so until Technics, Teac or Sony decide it's worth it decent cassette playback is dead.

[@ZeusTheTornado]

Even then, they would just release rebadged pieces of Chinese plastic with their logo on it alluding only to their past experience to get sales, with 0 effort to make a decent product whatsoever

[@QoraxAudio]

Might as well just copy an old design high-end mechanism, no need to reinvent the wheel. Just update the electronics with a modern instrumentation amplifier and microcrontroller.

[@anadialog]

Teac already tried recently, twice! (Tascam). The results are dramatic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJuvhneHpbGWisU

[@idontsmile666]

@qorax if someone was copying a mechanism I'd try and replicate mechanisms by alps. yamaha, denon, onkyo and I believe a few technics models used them and they were very good, mostly using heavy flywheels and two motors, few parts needed and very reliable, mostly only requiring one belt. Perhaps teac will use them instead if that does happen.

[@paularcher8596]

Even a low end machine from the 90s would beat it. It sounds terrible

[@lichtbild2740]

I was thinking quite a long time if I should spend the money on this cassette player, but finally I bit the bullet and got one. All in all I am not disappointed. I did not expect a high end player though this one is more than decent. Before I had a Sony WM 22 which cost me a little fortune to CLA and after 4 weeks it broke forever. No chance to repair, If I compare this new player to the old Sony I must admit this one is clearly better than the 35 years old device (even after renewing pinch rollers belts and so on). I am very happy with this one. Even playing chrome cassettes is no slouch on it. Thanks for sharing your review. Much appreciated Edit and update: it seems that the player needs a little time to burn in until all mechanical parts working perfect together. Just make sure you have a good recording and a decent headphone and you won’t be disappointed.

[@alec_2112]

Arrived late to the party. Dude, you're italian? I swear... you have the best accent I've ever seen on an italian person. Congrats haha

[@anadialog]

Nobody is ever late! Thanks but my mother was from the US so I am actually bilingual even though I am mainly living in Italy and speaking Italian.

[@AIainMConnachie]

Very helpful review, thanks. I have several original Walkmans, Sony & Panasonic.. I’ll stick with them. Bonuses: 1. DIY reparable 2. True retro cool factor 3. AM/FM

[@NickP333]

Hmm, there were pitch differences between the first, especially compared to the other three players. The first was running faster than the others. The second had a bit of noticeable warble. That being said, the We Are Rewind seemed to have “eh” sound quality using a standard cassette, but the Sony sounded a bit better than the WAR one, imo. The quality type ll cassette obviously sounded much better. As you mentioned, the build quality and recharging ability of the WAR is another plus, but the inability to open it up isn’t good. I pretty much agree with your thoughts, and appreciate your review. Thanks as usual, Guido. 🔊🎶😊 Merry Christmas to you and the family as well. 🎄⭐️😊

[@anadialog]

Mary Christmas Nick!

[@erikmolnar6585]

It rewinds me of the cheap Walkman I had in the 80s, which also played my tapes too fast, and I had to stuff paper in the belt loop clip to correct it. I was 12, so I was not very tech savvy, but that worked if I remember correctly.

[@NickP333]

@@erikmolnar6585 To know to do that at 12 to slow down the tape, I’d call that very tech savvy, especially for your age. 👍🎶😊

[@sugarbone-cage8497]

I got a new „We are Rewind“ tape player for 90 Euro. Mine one sounds pretty decent and I was quite surprised how good it is actually with my Sennheiser HD 800 (ok that is a an odd couple, I know😂). I also think the rechargeable battery option works indeed very well for 10 hours. This is something the 80ties walkman never had. I use it it now at my company office during working and listen to lots of old tapes, which is memory lane fun. Maybe the first test song with slide guitars on it, is not the best take to check wow/flutter. Piano pieces e.g. might be a better choice. Nice review Guido and I agree with your pro & cons. This portable player is the only option people have at the moment when it comes to new players. Cassette player around 30-50 Euro at Amazon are the real trash in comparision to the We are Rewind player!

[@davis_taylor.1984]

Where did you buy it at 90 euros?

[@sugarbone-cage8497]

@@davis_taylor.1984 hi, I ordered in august 22 via preorder. At this time there has been an offer from „We are Rewind“ with an advantage of 40%. So I paid 89€ for the tape player excl. the 12€ for shipping to Germany It is a crowd funding project, I believe.

[@benthenirut]

Pro: The sound is nice and very less white noise was noticed. The case is made of aluminum and is very decent. Con: It only has 3.5mm headphones and Bluetooth output. The corner is a bit sharp and the player is relatively thick to put into your jean pocket.

[@micheleploeser7720]

Just the player/recorder i have been looking for FOREVER, thank you!!!!!

[@anadialog]

Thank you Michele!

[@sidesup8286]

I did an experiment with a stopwatch. I have a classical recording on both cassette and cd that has quite a bit of triangle playing on it. A very simple instrument that simply struck with a piece of metal, makes a ringing sound. You can actually guage with a stopwatch that the decay into inaudibility is longer with analog tape than digital; and with tape you even have a faint layer of hiss that competes with sound going toward the noise floor. Cd, even with a lower noise floor does not reproduce the decay for as long a time. Once it hits a certain low level amplitude it just suddenly disappears, while a slight still decaying ring is audible with analog. I find cd resolution and sound quality fine on everything but the subtleist low level sounds. I like my digital sound too. Although it still does have just a barely audible leaning toward edge accentuation and a slightly but noticeably more electronicy sound. There is less of this electroniy sound on say the third cd I play in a row, than on the first or second cd. The cd player is still warming up. Do phono cartridges take time to warm up? Probably less if any, but I'm sure phono preamps do. Tape decks sound less electronicy after a few hours play also. Anything with a bunch of electronics inside takes a while to warm up and its sound does change over the first several hours of play and I've experienced differences to the 5 hour mark. My cd player, my tape deck, my phono playback all sound more truly acoustical and less electronicy sounding, on the 3rd musical selection I play than the first. In fact I would go so far to say that unless you have occasionall played your stereo for 4 or 5 hours straight; you have never really heard your stereo. The sound gets warmer and less electronicy the longer you play it. If your reproduction doesn't sound just a little bright on the first thing you play, the 4th cd, lp or tape you play will almost certainly sound a bit dull, unless you play a bright recording. Maybe save the old Columbia recordings for later in the listening session. Columbia is a great label, but they often tend toward brightness. If we had to do without the music released by Columbia and its spin off labels, I think we would be deprived of more great music than any other label. If we could only listen to one label; for me it would be them. Over the years, they released more great music than anyone in my opinion. I just save playing them till a little later in the listening session. You will hear what great recordings many of them are then. Some Columbia employees got together in the 1970s it is said, and came out with a new brand of phono cartridge. Micro Acoustics was the name of the brand. They used a small electret inside the cartridge. I don't think they used any magnets inside. The cartridges were the lightest in weight phono cartridges on the market. The sound was fast, with obviously superior transient snap, they tracked well but had a spongy, springy type of bass, not really the last word in bass tightness. The midrange and highs were... you guessed it. On the bright side. They could make playing a Supertramp album like Crime Of The Century, an impressive experience, but at the same time, a very bright sounding wrong sounding experience. Switching back to your old Shure V15 III cartridge you had sitting in a drawer for months since your new detail/speed king relaced it, restored the tonal beauty; enough that you didn't miss the superior transient snap and detail that much. It made you realize what qualities were more important. Another step toward growing up as an audiophile.

[@anadialog]

Thanks for sharing your reflections

[@greg5650]

I ain’t reading allat

[@audioupgrades]

Cassettes are fun. The real issue isn't lack of players, although Walkmans are somewhat scarce. It's the scarcity of quality cassettes that is the real demoralizing issue.

[@MarquisDeSang]

Scandroid's Dreams Of Darkness is almost CD quality and you get horrible scam like Washed Out's Purple Noon where everything is clipping and distorting because it was recorded too loud. But I would say, most of them are good to amazing.

[@Jefferyscottgreer]

Merry Christmas Guido. Enjoyed the video. thanks Jeff

[@anadialog]

Merry Christmas Jeff!!!❤️

[@paolorams767]

Guido, thanks a lot for your fantastic channel ❤️ unfortunately the result of the recording is due to the bad idea of ​​using the permanent magnet, which causes a lot of background hiss

[@anadialog]

Thanks Paulo, yes, I don't understand why not go the extra mile.

[@LetThereBeSound1]

In re-watching this video again after many months I can't believe I did not pick up on the fact the RTM unit was running so much faster than the other three players in this shootout. Wow. This really stood out this time around. Listen @ 17:57 and then compared the tempo of the others. That unit was running crazy fast and I am surprised that fact went unnoticed by Guido. Other than that, I actually preferred the way that particular unit sounded even over the WAR unit. It had more top end, more sparkle. All and all, even though I am moderately interested in this unit and would support any new venture like this, I am going to remain in the sidelines until that day We Are Rewind decides to come out with their next generation unit. Cheers! Oz Let There Be Sound, L.L.C. (Weston, Florida)

[@mateokll]

Hi. I'm sorry I'm going off topic a bit but I just saw your video "a tale on how I discovered my favorite headphones" and like you it took me a long time and a lot of money to find the one that suited me. I also gave a chance to the one proposed in the video and I liked it a lot but I was still not completely satisfied, I always found that the headphones in general no matter the price did not sound right I always found that the timbre and / or the tone was not realistic. And I finally got my hands on a Sennheiser hd600 and I was blown away the image is holographic the timbre is right, the tone is neutral and the rendering is natural. There again I had not done a break-in and I was using the headphone output of my amp. So I decided to buy a headphone amp to go to the next level. So I took a tube amp in kit (bottlehead crack) and there it was the revelation, the holographic rendering became palpable as if I could touch the instruments or the voice of the singer, the sound stage which was the only defect of the headphone is extended and allows me to estimate the distances between the instruments, the separation of the instruments is clear and precise and the tonality my God it sits perfectly. This one is neutral with a touch of warmth, it's lifelike! This message is not a purchase advice but a simple personal experience BUT I warmly advise you to take this headphone in consideration if you want to try something surprising.

[@anadialog]

Thanks for sharing that, good job!

[@MarquisDeSang]

There is a video on how to open it for repair, it is really easy. Check the video on youtube : "We Are Rewind Portable Cassette Player Teardown | Prying it open [English]"

[@spicetbedhead]

I don’t know what people are complaining about but this player and recorder is great! Looks like this is it for me! Tapes are coming back!

[@sagebellic5466]

Same!

[@Underp4ntz_Gaming_Channel]

cheap chinese mechanism, and bad wow and flutter with these things. they seem they "upgraded" aka changed some parts in the chinese mechanism to increase the quality but overal just a product to create hype. while Sony is hinting to re-release a cassette walkman

[@danijelujcic8644]

@@Underp4ntz_Gaming_Channel AFAIK all Sony is (still) doing is a small line of expensive Android "Walkmans" :-(

[@izwanshaari9854]

Someone made a teardown video of this player. It's on KZbin. From what I saw, the mech is indeed generic but they installed a brass capstan in place of the original plastic/metal sandwich capstan. The unimpressive w&f is most likely due to the el-cheapo motor they're using. Definitely they need to address that. Circuitry-wise nothing fancy. They're the same design like any other Chinese made player. Battery is li-ion but of cylindrical shape, not rectangular style as in smartphones. Pretty easy to service actually as long as one knows how to open it😆

[@anadialog]

Yes I saw that after I edited my video.

[@Johand1985]

I got my own "kurt" yesterday, i've let it run empty all night as i charged the battery, this morning i tested it, adjusted speed and azimuth a little.. i also compared it with my late 90's or early 2000's panasonic rq-p35.. and it sounded pretty much the same to my ears. I think they atleast are on the right way to make a good player, but yeah, electronic ereasehead, maybe adjustable reclevel, and little better qualitycontrol before sending out the products would do it, youre not supposed to adjust azimuth and speeds on new decks / players in my opinion.. But listening to it most of my day with cassettes.. i really like it, worth thr money i spent on it.. next one will be the fiio cp13 also in blue colour.. then maybe the dirttape's because of the autoreverse feature..

[@ChrisMag100]

Watched out of curiosity, stayed for the dancing. =)

[@MarquisDeSang]

I have one and I enjoy it a lot. I ask people for old cassette and they give me all sorts of mix. Really interesting to dig in.

[@analoguecity3454]

I think you hit it on the head when you said "a great player/recorder is not going to help a bad tape!" Just like a great turntable will not make a bad record (bad mastering, bad vinyl type, etc) sound better! The opposite will happen actually and the better equipment will "expose" the flaws more because better machines can retrieve "higher" resolution!

[@josexavierjr.5633]

Great video, Guido. It appears to me that the cassette return looks to be very bleak, unless someone builds a decent recorder/player, along with quality cassette tape. I'm glad I still have a Sony WMD6 Walkman Pro, along with great cassettes I've kept from the 80's and 90's..................

[@anadialog]

Indeed...

[@sidesup8286]

Tape is not just a different format; it's a "distinctly" different sound. It does not sound like lps or cds. It has a sound of its own. You may even like cassette sound better, if played on something really good, especially if clarity and dynamics are not your one and only priority. On great equipment it's clearer than you think. In an issue of The Absolute Sound years ago, the editor then, Harry Pearson, compared one of the better RCA Living Stereo recordings. One on 2 track reel tape vs. the lp. It was the Prokofiev Lt. Kije Suite. He mentioned how compared to the tape, the lp has a whitish sound which is endemic to vinyl playback, not just the comparison in question. He said you don't realize that whitish sound unless you compare it with tape playback. He also said the tape made the lp sound akin to listening to a parade outside with your windows closed, while the tape playback sounded like you had opened the window a bit. Of course cassette isn't 2 track reel tape. It is lacking the dynamics, size and immediacy of 2 or even 4 track reel tape playback. But with the right playback gear cassette is a very smooth sound, a very natural sound, involving, and surprisingly open. It's like on a sonic checklist it might not score as high as some other formats, but it's a sound you'll like nevertheless. And at least sometimes, you'll hear what makes analog special. Compression is its main limitation. It is not sharp sounding at all. It errors on the side of roundness, but with that comes a pleasantness and relaxing presentation. It is a good format to supplement the other formats you have. There are even some decent vintage double cassette decks, and they often have auto reverse. When one side ends, and it reaches the end of the tape, you'll hear a few clicking sounds and then side 2 begins. Some vintage double cassette decks were even the manufacturer's top of the line cassette deck model. I have never seen a cd changer be a major manufacturer's top of the line cd player. I modify cassette decks and enjoy the improvements in the sound that come about, and it makes me wonder just how good cassettes can get. They're never going to have great dynamics, but the resolution, purity and spatial qualities sort of hint at reel to reel playback quality, but not the finest reel to reel playback.

[@anadialog]

Now you understand why I choose my logo

[@haraldgrasdahl130]

Great review my friend!

[@stackoverflow8260]

Recording the masters + We are rewind = We are the masters!! Seems like the French are having trouble naming companies 🤔!

[@anadialog]

Or rewind recording!

[@jasejj]

Problem with stuff like this is that a typical low-end, maybe $20, 1990s personal stereo from the like of Sharp or Sanyo, blew this away. You didn't even need high-end. If this is the best they can they really shouldn't bother.

[@michalandryszak2552]

I have been considering buying this player for some time, mainly because of the possibility of listening with wireless headphones. Cassettes have never died for me, I am aware of their imperfection, but I still listen to them on Technics tape recorders all the time. I have already tried various portable players from China, unfortunately each of them was incorrectly adjusted, they played either too fast or too slow. How about "We Are Rewind"?? Maybe something better has come out since this movie was published?

[@anadialog]

I must admit the whole Bluetooth thing is just illogic and kills the basic principle behind this. If you use Bluetooth there is going to be a low quality analog to digital conversion and strong compression. The best solution is always to get a refurbished Walkman, much much better sound, more portable and a piece of history in your hands. How cool is that? 😎

[@khurrammalik5865]

I really miss the 90s quality built electronics specially TVs they have ruined them in the name of LED and LCD slim panels. I would rather want a heftier tv rather than compromise on the picture quality

[@paulb4uk]

I wonder if the quality of the belt they use is the main problem, maybe it comes with the Chinese mech they put in maybe a better qua;ity belt will make much more stable wow and flutter.

[@yanivshef992]

The last track played nicely (and it’s not even on type4). IMO you don’t need to record via this portable deck . If you want to play your records you should record them via a proper tape deck and use the portable deck for playback only and you’re set to go.

[@Badassvidsz]

Another great video as usual .. My best wishes for the Christmas to you dear Guido and to everyone ................Nick 🙂🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

[@anadialog]

Merry Christmas Nick!❤️

[@bobsbits5357]

you are right about pre recorded cassette that are bad there's alot of wear on the gear that they used i got hold of some cassette dubbing gear there is very heavy wear on all the slave decks in the long run it's not a good plan to spend alot on cassette gear we need new 1/8 reel to reel deck we can record on and move tape in to cassette i do it this way as the recording is far better in the long run and can hear what we have record yes i am a audio tec and iknow what i am saying money in some format are right money pits

[@Nile9063]

I've had two different models measured at quite a big difference for wow and flutter, so maybe that's something that'll improve over time as the production quality gets more consistent. Unfortunately the player I now have has quite bad w&f values but I still find that listening to music is enjoyable. However that's an area that would need attention in a next generation of this player that will hopefully happen at some point. I want more choice on the market.

[@rachtreiber3811]

Can you tell me what values you were getting exactly?

[@TheSoundrookie]

Hi Guido. I like that you specify that this is for newbie's, and is far from top notch. It makes this review one you can count on, and clears misunderstandings. Techmoan made a review of this recently which also can be worth checking out for those who might be interested in this product. With the still growing cassette crowd, I think the present day selection of machines and tapes are a mockery, and I hope that people will keep their money in their pocket's till some company/s starts making products that are actually worth the money. I mean; Even newbie's not expecting much will be disappointed by what you can buy these days, including the Teac decks, so why keep feeding the vultures instead of forcing them to get their shit together? While I personally don't have any intentions of going back to cassettes, I still hate to see people's sad faces when they realize they've been scammed. We have not only lost the quality of most hi-fi equipment these days - The biggest loss is probably the last vestige of decency the manufacturers had left. Thank God we have you as our spiritual guide. Merry Christmas Mate.

[@sidesup8286]

It's fairly common knowledge (and technical knowledge) that the resolution of digital playback gets worse with very low level detail signals. Digital excels at detail that is medium to loud. In that way it is the opposite of analog tape or lp. The distortion of all phono cartridges increase as the groove velocity goes up. Tape at really high sinal levels; same thing. It overloads the tape and distortion increases. So digitals weakness is extremely low level detail and analog runs into trouble at the complete opposite end; the really loud signals. Both my digital equipment and analog playback equipment is way beyond Cass A. They are both probably in a class by themselves. The instruments and voices in my system sound like they are coming from the ceiling; as a room can only handle so much air volume, and the sound has to go somewhere, so it goes upward. The fact that analog has noticeably better low level subtlety has nothing to do with compression. For instance, I could hear echoes and which way the echo is going on a singers voice on a Christmas tape I played recently. With the same track on cd, it was not nearly as long an echo or nearly as convincing. Don't assume you have better equipment or better ears and perception; or better understanding. Merry Christmas !.

[@per-henrikpersson1884]

Well The casette used for testning! Wow I like that musik. Please tell me Who is Playing, What Music Band, Where can I find and buy it. Preferebly on Vinyl of course. A MAGIC feeling this song really hit me back a couple of decades. Taj Mahal feeling combined with a feeling of a lonely countryside place. ❤️❤️❤️😀👍

[@anadialog]

Here he is Half Deaf Clatch: www.halfdeafclatch.com/albums

[@per-henrikpersson1884]

@@anadialog thanks!

[@rajugupta-chaudhary6467]

Honestly for 120 I had a UNICEF Sony copy rebuilt. It sounds years ahead of those. I would spend the 150 on a used Panasonic rather than buy these. Shame great video very detailed thank you.

[@anadialog]

I agree, if you can find a vintage player in good shape, it will always be the best choice.

[@paularcher8596]

Any Sony Walkman from the 90s will beat that heap of junk for playback quality

[@horaciodelre2210]

Very good cassette player for a good recording, it sounds great on my computer, well, I don't have a simple pair of speakers, I have a Noblex MNX500 BT.

[@theycallmejames7649]

I'm 18 and got into tapes in summer. Got about a 100 tapes with the Sony deck I bought (later sold it and bought an early 90s pioneer 3head one). Listen and record everyday. In the streets I'm carrying an Aiwa PX-570 player. So awesome to listen to your favorite 80s hair metal from the tape. It has some special feel to it. And my walkman type device from Aiwa is just awesome. I'm not gonna invest in tanashin-based player until they make anything with wow&flutter about 0.2% and soft touch control. Just not gonna be as good.

[@anadialog]

Good job!! Thanks for sharing that.

[@Nile9063]

Soft touch control would need another mechanism, as the mechanism regarded as "the tanashin mechanism" is mechanical, so if there should ever be something with soft touch controls we can be pretty sure it uses a different mechanism.

[@Balrog-tf3bg]

I would love a decent Walkman that doesn’t cost a fortune, or is cheap but doesn’t work and you never know what you’re getting in to

[@richh650]

Unfortunately, this is basically E-waste due to nonremovable battery which will certainly die over time. Also, not backwards compatible because it has no Noise Reduction such as Dolby B, C, or DBX for existing tapes. The lack of tape bias adjustments also makes this probably a harsh nasty listen when trying to enjoy pre-recorded tapes as well.

[@Ruinwyn]

Servicing the belt "in 20 years" is moot point when the battery is expected to die in 5 years. Battery removal requires a bit desoldering and glue removal. I know they call it more sustainable, but building a case that lasts 50 years around electronics that last 5 years, isn't any more sustainable than building a case that lasts 5 years. Rechargeable AA batteries are available everywhere and 1 or 2 of those can run most later model walkmans for over 12 h. There are also radios with internal lithium batteries that can be accessed by screwing open a panel in the back. Either solution would have been more sustainable. Soundwise it's fine, but the price is too high. Put money on wrong places, I feel.

[@claredin]

YES, FLORENCE!

[@museonfilm8919]

This is maybe a step closer to what 'some' of us want from a new-built portable cassette player, so good on them, and I hope they refine their product. Cassette tape is always going to be a niche market, and it's a shame someone like Elon Musk isn't a cassette fan - he could approach Sony!!! Tesla cassette player anyone???

[@thinkgeeks]

when will the next analog TV come to the market?

[@sidesup8286]

Maybe the most interesting thing subjectively about cassette playback that I've found is that even though great cassette playback is not particularly close in clarity to great cd playback, they still outperform digital playback in low level spatiality and spatial details like little echoes and decays. Stuff like that is low level subtleties. Low level detail. How can something (a cassette) sound quite veiled overall, but still have better resolution of subtleties like that? It's like cd players are an orator that knows how to speak with much more articulation, yet does not know how to whisper.

[@jaydy71]

Tape compresses the sound, which probably explains the difference you're hearing.

[@audioupgrades]

That really depends on your playback equipment. A good digital player will of course out-resolve a cassette player in every regard.

[@anadialog]

Good point. I exposed this recently in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qX6piJ-sl7eMmqM

[@petergoldberg6293]

Who is the artist that you were playing for the song when you tested the tape player I’d like to get that song and more album ‘sfrom that artist

[@anadialog]

Check the video description!

[@cdnowuk48]

Doesn't this use the same mechanism as the Mulann B1000-ew? We Are Rewind were even advertising RTM's tapes on their social media page

[@anadialog]

Indeed, but they modified it.

[@cdnowuk48]

@@anadialog you mean they added the battery and the Bluetooth or the actual mechanism?

[@MultiWirth]

Did you experience any issues when tilting the device around? On mine the azimuth goes way off when it´s laying flat vs. it´s standing straight. It´s probably the shitty mechanism i guess. Seems like the capstan and flywheel have lots of space to move around. Otherwise i´m currently having swollen ears and unable to tell how good or bad it sounds otherwise. Wow&flutter however wasn´t bad, actually closer to 0,2% WRMS and the speed almost on point with 2993hz vs 3000hz

[@anadialog]

I must admit that it didn't change much when rotating or moving around. It probably changes from unit to unit

[@UncleDon226]

I feel like I am the only person who hears "rechargeable battery" and thinks "oh no". I've heard it is just an 18650, but is super difficult to replace (someone said it is glued in place?). If it were an 18650 that can be popped in and out, that would have been perfect. But no, now it has to sit on the charger for an hour or two because I wanted to go for a walk and the battery was dead. If it had AA batteries you can just toss a couple fresh ones in there and be on your way.

[@khurrammalik5865]

I’m Sure Sony Panasonic/Technics can make a really nice Cassette players and I would be the first one to buy but I want them Made in Japan not Chinese crap same thing they did with all other electronics DVD player is just a one to name shrieked down to the weight of two dvd in the case 😂

[@BobbyLeeCarroll]

Hello ANA[DIA]LOG, I very much enjoy your channel. 11 months ago you teased us about new cassette tape decks on the horizon presented to you via 'a little bird'. Unless I missed a post, did that ever happen? Which may be the newer decks to look at? I already have the info where you made a video about budget, good and the best rated decks and suggested prices. I apologize up front for hijacking this post. Any follow up from your 'Little bird'?

[@anadialog]

Did you watch the beginning of the video?

[@BobbyLeeCarroll]

@@anadialog I thought I did, let me go back and review.

[@BobbyLeeCarroll]

@@anadialog I apologize. Maybe it's because I am old, but I did watch it over again and I just got from it that 3, maybe 2 decks were on the horizon and one of them might be French. At the end of the video you mentioned they would be revealed soon. Anyway, thanks for your work and enthusiasm in these videos and your attention to detail. Perhaps I overlooked something in your video; I was left hanging. Are those decks out now? Or were they never marketed? OR, did I get the entire video wrong? Thanks again and your quick response. PEACE!

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

👋 HI ,GUIDO ,HERE TO SUPPORT YOUR CHANNEL 👍🤗😎💚💚💚

[@anadialog]

Thanks!

[@LyndonSoulGroove]

Frequency Response , not quite as good as FM radio which goes up to 16 KHz, was quite impressed by the type 2 Pre-recorded tape demo. instruments & voice clear

[@MatrixAlphaCWX]

Why can we still not re create what our parents had in the 80's/90's? xD We are suppose to be way more advanced now. But yet can't even make a new cassette player that matches our old ones. I think it's hilarious. It's like the history on how to build a proper cassette player literally vanished.

[@anadialog]

Because we are missing the whole chain and most importantly it costed cents in the 80's because everybody used them. Now it's practically a luxury.

[@MatrixAlphaCWX]

@@anadialog : (

[@BioFactory1]

18:59 - Um, that second one sounded slow and bobbley like the batts were soon gonna klunk. I have no clue how that sounded better.

[@Hungaification]

Wow, das ist eine echt verdreckte Aufnahme. Ich weiß nicht wie sie es in den Kopfhörern gehört haben, das was ich hörte, haben die ersten 2, wesentlich besser den Sound durchgebrach. Geräuschpegel, was direkt von Band kommt, bei den beiden war niedriger, der meschanische Geräusch etwa gleich stark ausgeprägt und ein wenig lauter als bei dem neusten Model. Dafür hat der neue Player, das Geräusch, von den Band selbst, etwas lauter. Die Aufnahme: Hier gleich die Frage nach Geräuschunterdrückung. Hat der Player Geräuschunterdrückung? Was den Sony Walkman angeht: Die Elektronik-Geräusche sind so gut wie nicht zu hören. Das Geräusch vom Band selbst, ist am Anfang, bevor die Musik anfängt, recht laut, werden aber mit Musik, gut unterdrückt.

[@taktikschleuder]

Your point about the best feature of the player being "rechargeable" is, at the same time, its worst feature. The manufacturer states that the battery will be dead after five years at the latest! Since the battery is permanently installed, the device can then only be operated via cable, which is outrageous! There is a 18650 battery inside, so why they didn't make it replaceable with an accessible compartment at the back is simply another way to push you into buying a new device.

[@anadialog]

I am sure that if you contact them they will replace it easily. Simply you are not 100% autonomous and that sucks.

[@johngreek]

So , no Dolby B C select? If i Play a dolby cassette in we are rewinding the treble are in verry high?

[@anadialog]

Yes infortunately

[@lucianobellebono5835]

Ciao, non conosco il tuo nome ma ti seguo sempre volentieri anche se non capisco praticamente niente, leggendo i sottotitoli qualcosa riesco a intuire. Comunque un bel video e interessante le comparazioni.

[@UnderEu]

Video starts at 02:17

[@NeilBlanchard]

The second one sounds better than the first, but it *seems* to be slightly slower?

[@anadialog]

It is! All players have different speed...they should be calibrated for better performance

[@WayJilliamRohnson]

we are rewind or dirt tapes' tape roller? which one would you recommend?

[@anadialog]

As you can hear from the video the WAR wins!

[@WayJilliamRohnson]

@@anadialog tanks for the answer. but its 150.- vs 40.-, so is it that much better as it's more expensive? :-)

[@ox_film2944]

16:00 What is the brand name of this cassette player?

[@anadialog]

It's the Tape Roller from Dirt Tapes

[@zulumax1]

12:59 You have the Nak-T-100 Function switch set to level setting, this is reading the VU db scale in the center for left and right output. Function needs to be set to speed wow/flutter, then click Q-pk and change it from peak to RMS. Now it will read the speed on the top scale and the wow/flutter on the bottom scale in average mode. Love the software, but it does take some practice to figure it out.

[@zulumax1]

I just ran the audio of that 3k Hz tone on the video from my phone to the same software on my laptop. It showed the speed was 3005 Hz, which is only 0.5 % fast, which is excellent. The wow and flutter measured between 0.16 to 0.32% RMS and was typically around 0.20% most of the time.

[@anadialog]

Those settings are for autogenerating a tone. I was using a digital high-res capture from the device.

[@zulumax1]

@@anadialog That's ok, but you are reading the decibel scale in the middle, you are monitoring your line in level and are measuring just under -4db on each channel. Function selection is what you want the meter to read. The far left functions are speed options, one of those must be selected to monitor speed and W/F. Hope that helps.

[@german_dude_]

My Sony Walkman Professional cost me 300 eur and is doing great. The fact that this unit cannot be opened is a show stop for me

[@omahahnful]

why did you choose a cassette that sounds like it was recorded in the 1930s to test the different cassette players 😅

[@anadialog]

I used different albums...right up till the end...always watch all the video! ;-)

[@jeffkelly5972]

I miss cassettes and still have a home deck but can not find any source for blank cassettes.

[@andreasklindt7144]

Amazon for Type I blanks. Ebay if you want bulks of old cassettes, Type I-IV, to record over.

[@tushyd]

Finding new old stock is fairly easy on amazon/ebay. ATR Magnetics and Recording the Masters sell new blank tape, ATR is not cheap though.

[@NikoNoxious]

Get the FOX C60 or C90 for best type ones being made.

[@jeffkelly5972]

@@NikoNoxious Where can you find them?

[@lawrencedevere2242]

I think it's meant to be kurt for Kurt Cobain, Keith for Keith Richards and Serge from kasabian.

[@martineyles]

Huge! No Dolby. No nice touch controls. No tape-type detection for proper chrome/metal playback. Someone needs to make a decent player like the ones they made in the late 90s.

[@roytofilovski9530]

I have heard the wow and flutter gets better once the unit settles in.

[@anadialog]

That could be....loosing it up!

[@vadimmikhailyuk1205]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@user-Merovingian1980]

you can get a great Walkman for 50 pound just change the belt ,, most 1995 models and after this is very easy

[@alessandrograldi4334]

Nice alu chassis but ugly plastic buttons, rechargeable battery apart it would be good to have a mechanism without belts or at least with durable belts, about performances vintage Sony 1988 had a frequency response of 20/18000hz equal to a home high quality deck, ok it’s a cheap one but i would expect at least a 40/16000 thinking that it’s a old Technology nothing new to invent, anyway it’s nice to see that there’ sa market for things like that! A friend of mine used to say: half of the world it’s to sell, the other half it’s to buy! 😂

[@josielewis4007]

Nice review, but I think the choice of the cassette wasn't good... But it does bring me to the old computer saying which is still relevant today, Rubbish in, rubbish out. I love the idea of the Wearerewind... But, why make a unit that performs worse than an older Sony or Toshiba unit from the 80s/90s? Secondly, yes... the rechargeable battery is a good idea but once that fails, it's dead. I'm sure you could simply use the DC adapter to keep using it but that may add more noise to the playback/recording. Thirdly... It's sealed and because it's not direct drive (which in 2023, I'd expect) it uses x2 rubber belts... these perish over time, and they can slip. So, because they sealed it (stupid move), it's not serviceable. The mech is cheap... no doubt. They might have made some changes but it's not enough. I love cassettes, I've grown up with them but, come on.... I'm sure it can be done better. The aesthetics are great, but I'm sure the casework is where all of the money has been blown. Nice case, shame about the sound and the sound is the main reason, isn't it?

[@anadialog]

Did you seen the end of the video? Should be a better choice ;-)

[@streetlife20]

It’s all fun and games until you’re trying to pull stuck tape from outta the deck lol. Then it’s wrinkled and will never sound the same 😭😭😭😭

[@sushiko_me]

15:54　17:57　19:26　22:16

[@anadialog]

I added a detailed index ;-)

[@sushiko_me]

@@anadialog I wrote it for myself, but the detailed index was added, which was helpful🤩

[@afnanurrahman5184]

I want to buy this. How to get?

[@anadialog]

In the video description there is a link to their website

[@Bob-1802]

Without any noise reduction, indeed it's gonna be hissy.

[@rdrgtreer]

I am not going to bother with new cassette players unless there is one with a completely different tape mechanism than this one that has been copied over and over...

[@dona635]

Those spindles are so very close to the circuit board, makes me wonder if it is Direct drive with NO belts?

[@snx70]

From "2-3 high quality tape decks units are about to hit the market any day now. Huge backers behind this!" to "Meh, it was too expensive and they dropped it." Suggestion: Get better birds.

[@anadialog]

I am just an ambassador. The little bird is a cassette label and manufacturer. Quite reliable. In fact the companies changed ideas, but the projects where on the table, that is for sure.

[@livonian]

You can buy exactly the same player branded as Renault from Renault merchandise store 😁

[@anadialog]

Yes, I saw those...maybe they got a big financial aid from them...strange!

[@WeAreRewind1]

@@anadialog actually the Player5 is a limited edition made in collaboration with Renault to celebrate the launch of the new electric Renault 5. Same mechanism but different color ;)

[@anadialog]

@@WeAreRewind1 nice! Even if it was a sponsor no problem with that!

[@jakefiersing]

Why did you use a bad quality cassette for the main comparison?

[@anadialog]

Did you watch ALL the video?

[@PaulJCost1]

With that kind of money (or even less) there are a lot of alternatives, the Sony DD range or the FX/EX/GX models are a good choice too. Other brands too, those from the 90's till 00's... These do need service, new belts and that but its something that we can do ourselves. I repaired a Sony DD33 and DD2 myself which i bought for less than 150€ each one and they pull out the socks of those new players. Not worth it for me. Thanks but no.

[@ZeusTheTornado]

A Sony DD for anything close to 150€? Yeah, right

[@PaulJCost1]

@@ZeusTheTornado I bought them at OLX ... i got lucky. But those FX/EX can cost less.

[@jerryspann8713]

I saw a Sony deck with Dolby S like Techmoan has at my local thrift shop for $40. It needed work, probably belts but I would have gotten in trouble if I had bought it as I have too much junk already.

[@rawDIYman]

no MEGABASS nor Dolby buttons?? ; )

[@anadialog]

Can't, they are Sony and Dolby patent

[@littleandy1209]

Though the exterior's seemingly robust, the interior's exactly the same as in the cheap unbranded Chinese ones. Right down to the bad Mabuchi motor replica and the cheap tape head with the same model number that's found on all cheap tape heads these days. The motor speed will either drop or increase after a short while, and adjusting the motor speed with a screwdriver won't fix the problem permanently, as the speed will continue to wobble endlessly. This never happened with genuine Mabuchi motors! And don't buy any tape players from SoundMaster!

[@jerryspann8713]

Just saw a video from VWestlife a few weeks ago and he showed a brand new stereo cassette deck that looked like a cheap Aldi brand and the sound quality blew all 3 of those pieces of junk out of the water. T

[@anadialog]

...but it's a deck!

[@jerryspann8713]

​@@anadialogNO, this was a portable that ran on batteries.

[@kjererrt7804]

the playback frequency response is pretty much ok but wow/flutter is no good. the mechanism is crap.

[@Downhuman74]

The problem with these newer cassette players is that they all have the same exact player mechanism inside -- right down to the serial numbers on the individual components. Unavoidable since there's only one single manufacturer making cassette mechanisms anymore. They are very basic and have nominal-to-terrible wow and flutter. But, with that said, they're probably still better-sounding than most vintage players due to the age of those units. So, you really don't have much of a choice here. They're nice enough, I suppose. Just wish they didn't cost so much.

[@anadialog]

No, don’t make the mistake to equal old to faulty. Just need some new belts and oil in most cases and they will sound 10 times better than any new device.

[@Downhuman74]

@@anadialog Oh, I'm not doubting that. But you may not be able to get belts for those units that are up to the quality of the original belts. I've actually been looking into this myself. Been reading the horror stories of people replacing the belts and such only to have unit sound just as bad as it did before. And certain units go for ridiculous prices even when described as "junk". Anything in the Sony DD line is just off-the-charts -- anywhere from $250 to $1,000 for something that "works". It's depressing.

[@rfc4172]

I don't think this tape is the good one to be used for making comparisons among players. Anyhow the only one good here is the WM-DD 9, the rest are jokes.

[@anadialog]

Wait for the end!

[@StrangeBrewReviews]

its too bad someone like Tascam can't just remake 1980's 122 MK3 decks....clone them

[@matrix101redorblupill4]

Brother why ?

[@janedoe6350]

Techmoan did a review on this also.... kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZ3Ii3qNdsqVqbs Nice aesthetics and would make you look cool while traveling on a train or something... but i think i'll give this machine a miss. No way to open it to change the belts, adjust the azimuth or replace the battery without causing damage. No auto stop on F.F. and R.Wind. No chrome/metal. No isolation between motor PSU and amp PSU resulting in motor noise, however it seems to record kinda OK. Not good... but building a good personal player that's affordable is not easy these days. Much better to get a good old-school player that has been professionally serviced in my opinion. I still prefer my 5th Generation iPod over a portable tape player. Good honest review all the same. You hit all the pros and cons of the "We Are Rewind" tape machine and have shown you haven't sold your soul for a free player. Good stuff and fun to watch, thanks.

[@golen05]

Actually, it's quite easy to take apart without breaking it. Here is a video of a guy who did it and shows the internals: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZm6dZR3n8mXfJI

[@janedoe6350]

@@golen05 Thanks, i'll take a look. It's only a matter of time before someone drops one of these on my bench.

[@anadialog]

I actually asked them to take the player back...but they said no...I guess I will use it for future comparisons...

[@janedoe6350]

@@anadialog I'm sure it will come in handy for something but In fairness, this was a good attempt. Building an affordable personal cassette player/recorder is next to impossible. The reason these machines where so affordable back in the day was because of "economy of scale"... i.e. there was one in every home. Now that this is a niche market... it's always gonna be high cost for just reasonable quality. Given time... maybe this company will improve on this first attempt and eventually make something that would be desirable to own. But the market will always be small. Anyhow, I wish them luck!

[@LoveMeBack]

It’s not a (Sony) Walkman.

[@user-xu6pt9eh3v]

Where the hell is the belt clip?? Who is designing these things just bought a new cd Walkman from Jensen,,, no goddam belt clip… and now this

[@spikeyfied]

Recharging is nice yes but why would a company make a new walkman device, that has no support for Batteries and is generally hard to repair. If the belt snaps or the Battery dies after a few years, thats it. You sit on a 150 € expensive piece of junk. They should rework this device. Make a plastic version of it with no Bluetooth, with replaceable batteries, easy to repair for 79-99€ and that would be it. As of right now this is just fancy Hipster Stuff that has no real use. Although i admire their passion bringing the Tape back. On the other hand including a pencil to rewind tapes that doesn't even fit/work tells you all you need to know really... not including a case, no wallplug, and no headphones also tells a lot about this. So no thanks We are Rewind I'm not buying this as long as you have shady business practices like this.

[@0livera.lorenz0]

I don't like the buttons