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We are rewind Portable Cassette Player

As is so often the case, it all began with a perhaps somewhat unusual idea, the idea of creating a portable cassette player as a high-quality, stylish solution. So a Kickstarter campaign was initiated, and lo and behold, the interest was so great that the project could actually be implemented. So the We are rewind Portable Cassette Player is about to be launched on the market.


The record was declared obsolete and outdated in the early 1980s, the CD was to be the future. In fact, the record retreated into the background, eked out a shadowy existence for years and was considered a pure niche product. Only a small group of audiophile music lovers remained loyal to vinyl. Then “MP3” began its triumphal march, led to a real revolution in the consumer segment in the way we “consume” music, suddenly music in the form of thousands and thousands of music titles could be taken everywhere and at any time, no longer albums but often only individual music titles were bought, online, not in shops.

But it is precisely this development that has contributed to the fact that the good old record suddenly became the focus of many music lovers again, because an essential factor was suddenly missing, namely the haptic experience of actually “owning” music, of being able to hold something in one’s hands. The CD was only half of the story in this respect, the record alone could really convey this.

So it is not surprising that the record gradually won the hearts of music lovers again, and this across all age groups, one could even speak of a true renaissance, and in the meantime even of a vinyl hype.

“Analogue” was out in the 1980s, but now it is a seal of quality again, and many a person is of the opinion that, in addition to the vinyl record, other analog media should once again become more important, such as audiotapes and their little siblings the music cassette.

In fact, there is again a small niche that deals with these media, manufacturers who produce corresponding products, be it the media themselves, as well as suitable playback and recording devices.

Thus, interest is also being focused on a product category that for the first time actually brought that mobility to music consumption that many, as mentioned before, actually associated with the so-called “MP3 players”, above all the Apple iPod, namely the portable cassette player, whereby one brand name for this is perceived as a synonym for an entire product class, the Sony Walkman.

It is quite astonishing what a lively second-hand market has developed around the “old” portable players in recent months, so it is not surprising that many manufacturers from the Far East are once again offering corresponding solutions, whereby their quality often leaves much to be desired and does not even come close to the top devices of the 1980s.

A young company now wants to change this and offer the whole charm and appeal of a portable cassette player on a high quality level paired with modern equipment, namely the development forge We are rewind.

According to the manufacturer, it all began with a certain 80s nostalgia, and the Sony Walkman is clearly one of them. So the idea was born to create a re-make of a portable cassette player, but with a high quality standard.

Thus, the project We are rewind Portable Cassette Player began to take shape, of course using the platform Kickstarter to ensure the financing of the player. In fact, the project was successfully launched in June 2020 and enough supporters were recruited for its realization. It is now certain that the first products will be delivered starting in September 2020.

According to the French development team, the We are rewind Portable Cassette Player is based on a solid casing, which means that plastic is out of the question, but aluminium is. This material not only provides the necessary stability for the drive mechanism, is robust for everyday use and also offers an attractive, high-quality feel.

In addition, the case can be anodised in various colours, whereby orange, blue and dark grey were chosen. Depending on the colour variant, the players were given different names, namely Kurt Model for blue, Serge Model for orange, and Keith Model for the grey version.

A simple design should convey a timelessly elegant look. As befits the design, a round viewing window at the front allows a view of the cassette inside…

On the upper side you find the buttons for control, on the right front side you find all connections as well as the volume control.

Interesting is that the We are rewind Portable Cassette Player not only offers the possibility to play music cassettes, you can also record here. Thus, there is not only a 3.5 mm stereo mini jack for headphones, but also a 3.5 mm stereo mini jack input. An integrated microphone is also available so that you can make voice recordings. But that’s not all, Bluetooth can’t be missed either, whereby one sets on Bluetooth 5.0 and thus allows the use of appropriate headphones.

The manufacturer explicitly emphasizes that one does not rely on conventional batteries but a rechargeable lithium-polymer battery with a playing time of ten hours, whereby it is charged via USB interface.

The new We are rewind Portable Cassette Player measures 13.7 x 8.6 x 3.2 cm and weighs 305 g.

As already described, the first models of the We are rewind Portable Cassette Player will probably be delivered in September 2020. Then the supporters of the Kickstarter project should receive their players. However, the We are rewind Portable Cassette Player can already be pre-ordered on the company’s website, where delivery from September is also already indicated. The sales price for pre-orders is currently set at € 89,-, the regular price will be € 129,-.

Getting to the point

Analogue was out in the 1980s, but now it is a seal of quality again, and some people believe that other analogue media should regain importance alongside the record, such as audiotapes and their little siblings the music cassette. A young company now wants to make this possible and offer all the charm and appeal of a portable cassette player at a high quality level paired with modern equipment, namely the developer forge We are rewind with its We are rewind Portable Cassette Player.

Manufacturer:We are rewind
Distribution:We are rewind
Price:€ 129,-
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Michael Holzinger

Michael Holzinger, founder and editor-in-chief of HiFi BLOG and sempre-audio.at, has been working for years as a journalist in the fields of IT, photography, telecommunications and consumer electronics.

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