We Are Rewind Portable Cassette Player Teardown | Prying it open [English]

In this video I'm trying to open up the brand new portable cassette player WE-001 by We Are Rewind.
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Music used:
Chronoton - Travelling Far in Short Strides
chronoton.bandcamp.com/track/...
creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Moondragon - Synthetic Heartbeat
Moondragon - Maneuvers
#cassetteculture #repair #tutorial

Superbe video. I serviced electronics since the 50s and is great to see young people loving these elecromechanics. Cheers Patagonia Argentina

[@lawsononyoutube]

not sure if you were aware, but techmoan actually linked your video in his pinned comment under his review of the player

[@germantechguys]

Thanks for letting me know! No, I wasn't aware of that.

[@ralphreinhardt6020]

Very nice of you to make this informative vid. Thank much, it is very helpful. 😎👍

[@altanphedap6361]

Flywheel gave me hope 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

[@germantechguys]

Always nice to see a metal flywheel, that's at least something. Currently recording the audio samples for the Review and I'm pretty ok with the audio quality, could actually end up beating my Sony WM-FX10, which is really a very cheap Walkman I have to add though.

[@tigerclaw4537]

Great video. Would love to also see a Teardown of the FiiO CP13.

[@EvenTheDogAgrees]

Nice. So they went with an 18650 Li-Ion instead of some sort of LiPo pouch. A bit hard to tell, but it looks like the leads coming off it have a connector on the end that plugs into the PCB. Too bad you didn't dig deeper, but I understand not wanting to risk breaking your €150 device just for a YT video. Thanks for sharing!

[@germantechguys]

Yeah it is plugged in via a connector. For me the next logical step in taking it apart would have been to desolder some of the wires going to the PCB, so I could really get it out of the way.

[@0x15e]

Thanks for posting this! Fortunately all I need is the speed adjustment pot (a hole in the back of the unit) but this thing is so noisy I may eventually open it up and start looking for ways to clean up that buzzing (not hiss) in the background.

[@Bob-1802]

It is advertized mostly as a player. As a recorder, well... I spot a permanent magnet (blue head) for erasing, it works no doubt but playback noise level will be higher and there is no noise reduction circuitry. As engineers usually take the same oscillator for an AC erase head and for the recording bias, I would guess the recording bias is DC here which cuts in half the tape dynamics. Such cheap implementations will just reinforce people's bad opinions about cassettes🤗

[@klausschnieder8070]

While I don't own one of these I do have an old player from around 2000. It has the exact same playing mechanism as the player you have. It plays really slow so I needed to find where I could access the machanism speed screw. Thanks, this helps a lot.

[@paolobenmore3504]

Great video, would also like to see the battery and how to take it out. As I personally understand this is the best modern effort out there. I just find it a shame the battery is "sealed".

[@deanwolfechannel]

Thanks.

[@JEEPSTR78]

Just got mine!

[@melovemusic69]

Thank you

[@Ale-gz7ef]

Danke habe gehofft dass es jemand Mal schafft den zu öffnen

[@germantechguys]

Ich konnte es auch irgendwie nicht auf mir sitzen lassen, dass es nicht möglich sein soll.

[@MarquisDeSang]

Dude, I will sleep better tonigh knowing that I will be able to repair and maintain my WeAreRewind (should receive this week).Thank you so much.

[@germantechguys]

So glad I could help! I was feeling the same and have restored peace of mind now.

[@HerecomestheCalavera]

How has your WeAreRewind been? Have you been happy with it's performance?

[@gijs]

i am curious what chips are in the machine, especially the motor speed chip.

[@giec3484]

Thanks for this video. Considering that one of the biggest drawbacks stated in many reviews is the apparent unserviceability of the WAR unit, it's just good to know it's not true. I see some spice in the comments here below, as this "new" Walkman seems to recall pretty often. I've jumped on the "cassette revival" two years ago and managed to get some old units working again (currently using a super nice WM-F24). But, truth be told, I'd rather pay 150€ for something like a WAR player, even fully aware of its limitations, rather than the same amount of money for a better unit that's been sitting around for decades and is now sold at overly-pumped prices by some spoiled tech hoarder just because cassettes are now trendy so it's easy money to make... Quality wise, any player from 80s-90s would eat this WAR player alive with no effort. But if you want companies to consider invesring in improving this tech rather than relying on cheap Tanashin assembly, you gotta invest in them first. Currently enjoying my Serge orange unit, so the F24 can have some deserved rest, even more after this video! Less arguing, more listening!

[@germantechguys]

Thanks for your comment! I strongly agree with what you said. There needs to be a demand before the market comes up with new products I think. I really want to have a really nice vintage player at some point but I bought this for two reasons: I have failed two times at fixing a Panasonic RQ-SX20 and RQ-SX10, after spending countless hours and money on parts (Belts, clips, gumstick battery, battery charger), I've had bad luck with fixing my car stereo which is shown in another video I've made, for now I just wanted to have something that works or at least has a warranty if it doesn't. Secondly I was super curious about this new player which sits in a market segment that just hadn't existed for 20 years, all we had were super basic chinese players made of flimsy plastic. While this uses similar internals, it is sold and marketed by a European company that did put effort into its design and haptics and also bothered to add Bluetooth, something worth rewarding for me. The player has its weaknesses but if it succesds on the market and shows that there is demand, we might see another improved iteration of it or a competing product by another company. In the end people have to decide whether it's worth the money for them, nobody is forced to buy this but nobody should make an uninformed decision to either buy it or not buy it. People should give it a chance and keep the market situation in mind, but they should also be critical.

[@giec3484]

@@germantechguys I've successfully brought back to life several walkmans with basic stuff, but failed some too. Gotta love how some people pretend to make it look like playing with LEGO. Tried to service a pristine CYBERNET PS101 only for it to turn cold-dead. Wasted money and overflowing frustration. "easy fixes" my ass. What I honestly don't understand is some people toxic approach to newcomers, like they are about to take a shit in their beloved garden. I've been hanging around vinyl shops for a while and not once in a life I've met such clownish elitism, just people willing to share all sorts of trivia about brands, bands and whatever.

[@germantechguys]

Yeah, I'd want newcomers to have an easy entry into cassettes aswell as vinyl, with only vintage gear available that in many cases requires fixing, many people will be put off, which is not good for the formats popularity and therefore also it's state in general. I'd want the cassette format to be somewhat popular because that will mean more releases and more development regarding new tape formulas and better playback devices. Also if there are a bunch of "hipsters" enjoying the format for lifestyle reasons that for one doesn't mean you couldn't still be into vintage gear and releases and secondly... I mean isn't every hobby we're getting into kinda a lifestyle decision? I mean my friends know I'm into cassettes, does that make me a hipster? Perhaps it does, but I don't care.

[@diegosilang4823]

@@germantechguys I bought 3 different brands of 80's era player for personal use not re-sale. Toshiba KT-AS1 and KT-RS1, Sony WM-F77 and WM-F10/F10 II and pricey Aiwa HS-P7 because I like Back to the Future (aka HS-P02 MKII in North America or HS-P07 in Europe). Toshiba KT-RS1/AS1 is built like a tank, but it got weak spots on cracked gears and failing Volume control switch and have to de-soldered several wires to replace the belt, used epoxy to fixed cracked gears and superglue on volume control switch after hours of work works almost perfect. Sony WM-F77 have worn power switch (hence not powering on) and the pulley tire hardened like plastic (bought replacement part and waiting for an agonizing 3 weeks for it) currently "open item". Sony WM-F10, the battery corrosion is so bad it rotted the voltage converter circuit, I got it working briefly but broke again while fixing the 1.5V adapter input. the 1.5 to 3V converter circuit is very frail and easy to break, so still in disrepair and I am too damn chicken to open up the F10 II. The pricey AF Aiwa HS-P7 (the cheapest I can find) just an easy belt replacement and it is almost like plug and play, but spent a few hours fixing some minor drop damage to the cassette door. Blame Back to the Future for high price, but other Aiwa models are not cheap either, I assume people like certain quality traits from Aiwa. For tinkerers, I recommend getting an early 80's Toshiba Walky KT-RS1/AS1 because of robust electronics, often cost less than Sony equivalent and time consuming but fairly easy to repair.

[@WalnutSpice]

4:07 so it's a walkman wmf41 clone. When the time comes, these'll take the same belts. Should make it easier to repair once pried open

[@michaelturner4457]

At least it's got a metal flywheel rather than the lightweight plastic ones one tends to find in these things. Which should improve the wow and flutter spec.

[@Roblecop]

Great vid! Cleared up some questions I had about it's construction. I think I'll buy one of these. I considered restoring a vintage walkman, but gambling 150-200 USD on something that I may not be able to get working just isn't worth it to me. I'd rather pay the same money for a newly manufactured one that works well enough. Also I spotted that "Days of Thunder" tape by The Midnight! Love that band and that album is great. I've got all their albums on cassette.

[@germantechguys]

Yeah, sounds like a solid plan to me. They're expensive but there is the warranty and I've actually made use of it and they're very supportive. I also absolutely love The Midnight! I've discovered them in 2016 and at this point I have every album on tape except Nocturnal.

[@Roblecop]

@German Tech Guys yeah Nocturnal is the one I couldn't get either! I misspoke when I said I had all of their albums haha. I discovered them just last year. Someone was using the song "Sunset" off of their Endless Summer album in a music mix and when I heard it I immediately had to listen to their other stuff. Now I'm hooked and recommend The Midnight to a lot of people. I'll definitely keep the warranty card handy because this costing what it does, it's not something I'd just throw away when it needs servicing/repair.

[@germantechguys]

I think you can actually still order Nocturnal, but I haven't so far. Yeah the mechanical part of the player is probably even fixable by someone who's used to a little tinkering once it is out of warranty. The electrical part is much more difficult for me. I've seen that they're already slightly reduced in price on the euro store of Tapahead City.

[@ducdepchai]

Cuold you make a video teardown Fiio CP13?

[@rancosteel]

So does the motor speed adjustment access hole allow for fixing the wow and flutter issues?

[@germantechguys]

I wouldn't think so unfortunately.

[@iscander_s]

It may sound shocking, but motor speed adjustment potentiometer is there for adjusting the speed of the motor

[@diegosilang4823]

wow and flutter is often caused by dirty/worn/rotted capstan roller or metal pulley not properly cleaned and above all incorrect belt size and vary in thickness.

[@MarquisDeSang]

Techmoan should subscribe to your channel.

[@germantechguys]

Haha, that would be huge pressure though, as I've been watching him for years and really love his videos.

[@BWPT.]

150 euro and they didn't even put a 3500mAh battery in it, shocking really.

[@himbeertoni]

Wow. It looks cheap like the wannabe walkmen in the eighties for 50DM. My Sony DD 3 Quartz looks way better. And is 40 years old...

[@germantechguys]

Adjusted for inflation this would've costed 67$ in 1990, so it's not too far off from a 50$ wannabe walkman. Obviously a Walkman DD is a much better player, really would like to have one aswell, but I'm actually with this one for the moment, comparable to my WM-FX10. Considering what else is available on the market, the WE-001 doesn't look too bad in comparison. But I'm planning to make a video that includes audio samples from this, the FX10 and one of my decks.

[@himbeertoni]

@@germantechguys Great idea! Looking forward to this comparison!

[@richardroach5866]

@@germantechguys even the decent cheap ones from gpx and aiwa were better then they crappy little players. the B team players back in the day were good sometimes dam good. but not great. still far better then they new things. if you wanted as bad as rewind level you had to go super cheap with the Hong Kong knockoffs for like 10 to 20 dollars. then then sometimes you could get a decent one there as well so theys rewind are just over priced crap in any age.

[@germantechguys]

Have you tried one yourself? People on Reddit seem to enjoy them even if they also have other vintage players available. You're obviously free to have a different opinion but spreading negativity everywhere doesn't really create an atmosphere that invites a constructive discussion. I think you've made your point clear. And in itself it's a fair point that one would like vintage players better.

[@richardroach5866]

@@germantechguys yes i have. wife got me one for a early xmas gift. wife wasted her money on this crap . I'm sorry she did. love my wife so i cant just throw it in a draw just yet so I'm listening to my tapes thur it. at least till new years or longer.

[@philiphandforth4390]

I got a Panasonic rq sx21 off eBay for 15 pounds got a rechargeable battery for 25 and new belts for a 5er and a few minutes of work later i had a fully functional Walkman with way better output quality than this one seems to have as well as tape seeking and a decent bass boost. I really don't see what makes this Walkman worth 150......

[@germantechguys]

I first bought an RQ-SX20, replaced the belts, which I had to partly desolder the PCB for and it didn't work properly, so I thought I got unlucky and could use the experience I've gained to repair a similar RQ-SX10, same thing. The battery door which is normally attached to the PCB had rotten off, I tried to fix that creatively but ended up with a player with wow and flutter to the moon, when further tinkering with it, the soft touch play button stopped working, contact cleaner revived it for a few minutes but it never came back to working condition. I tried fixing a Sony WM-FX10 next, replaced the belts which didn't involve soldering but the case was held together entirely by plastic clips, got that done only breaking one clip but after my attempt of repairing it, it then ate my tapes and I've put it on the shelf and preordered the We Are Rewind one. I've since got the Sony fully working.

[@philiphandforth4390]

@@germantechguys damn that sounds like a lot of messing around, for me it was pretty straight forward. I had to desolder the pcb too but it was super simple and once it was done my Walkman worked pretty much perfectly..... Guess I'll just count myself lucky lol

[@germantechguys]

Yeah, maybe I was also particularly unlucky, I might absolutely try to get a nice vintage Walkman aswell at some point though, but thinking about my experience I can also understand why people would just want something new that works out of the box and has a warranty, so I think it's a step in the right direction that something like that is available, while still there's obviously room for improvement.

[@philiphandforth4390]

@@germantechguysyeah it's not an ideal situation there's not a whole lot of motivation out there to produce a mechanism similar to some classic walkmans as there's not a massive market for it anymore, i do agree with you that having a modern option is a good thing but i wish it wasn't so ridiculously priced and for myself it's just not worth it when I have the knowledge and skill to restore an old one.... But i get why most people would prefer an "out of the box" option as opposed to taking the time and effort to fix something they may not be able to....

[@diegosilang4823]

@@germantechguys Soft touch electronic button is nice, but I prefer mechanical ones for reliability. One thing I like about the WM-F10 is all the playback button are so light to push. older electronics maybe cheaper, but finding parts is not easy, so heavy users should get something in production.

[@tobiaskraft6695]

So the Manufactuing coasts seems to be very low for the Player, sure under 20$ you have to desolder the battery is a crime for a luxury tech gadet why the pcb is soldering with the mechanik and not with plugging cables connected? it looks a bit cheap sorry

[@richardroach5866]

its just a little less of a piece of crap. then i thought it was. metal fly wheel nice touch bad mech still but still not as bad as i thought, but just buy a old one fix it. you want blue tooth in install it your self. you want rechargeable battery's cool buy them put them in. but for 149.. dollar i can get a far better old unit,

[@germantechguys]

Fair point, I also have a Sony WM-FX10 and tried fixing up two Panasonic's but not everybody might want to do that, for those this might be an option, this or the Mulann B-1000. This is probably a bit better than the Mulann and definitely feels nicer, but it's also more than three times as expensive. Maybe there will be more choice at some point in the future.

[@richardroach5866]

@@germantechguys repair is easy. 99'% of the time its a belt a bit of cleaning a little lube, or a wire needs to be redone. the rest is just replacing caps. if you dont want to go that far to get a decent machine sure that new crap is for you. go spend your money because you more of that then good common sense.

[@germantechguys]

If any Person new to the hobby solely relys on vintage gear that will lead to rising prices though, as the availability is limited and only declining as the failiure rate of these old players rises with their age. So somewhat decent new gear is a win for everybody in my mind.

[@richardroach5866]

@@germantechguys bull the prices are already high if you want a cleaned restored model. but not for the need repair for parts units there still affordable. so get one of them put the work in. simple

[@richardroach5866]

@@germantechguys failure rate you mean i dont want to fix it excuse??? of the some 60 players i have opened and repaired 3 have been unrepairable just 3! so the so called rate of yours should be called the lazy and stupid rate of a human. 98% of vintage players just need some care .the rest just some honest work. to play like they used to or even better.stop trying to upsell this new age of crap players and just put the work in!

[@youtubechannel-ez4wx]

this cassette player so overated price. not worth , better you buy second sony walkman than this stuff.

[@richardroach5866]

been saying that all along.

[@youtubechannel-ez4wx]

​@@richardroach5866 i've got preloved walkman just about 10 $ , it's still good, still mint condition, the quality sound is very good. make me more to love analog music ❤️

[@richardroach5866]

@@youtubechannel-ez4wx congrats. now clean the heads the pinch rollers, deox the volume control and the headphone jack. and change the belt it will be 10 times better then it is now. proper upkeep is the secret of a good machine.