What’s higher than partaking within the time-honored custom of listening to a cassette tape whereas on the go? I’d argue it’s having the ability to see tape itself — in all its glory — as you take pleasure in your favourite combine, or a prerecorded album. That’s what you get with the brand new clear version of the Fiio CP13, a contemporary interpretation of the basic Walkman that prompted a minor stir when it debuted at CES 2024.
The clear version joins the CP13’s current colours (purple/silver, blue/silver, and white/black) on the official value of $129, nonetheless, we see that Amazon is already promoting it for much less at simply $99.
The CP13 really is an homage to the glory days of analog audio. The machine has no Bluetooth for wi-fi headphones, and no digital storage or playback of any form. You merely pop a cassette in, join a set of wired headphones or earbuds by way of the three.5mm jack, and press down on the basic, outsized play button.
Nonetheless, it’s not with out a few enhancements. The primary and arguably most essential is the built-in rechargeable battery. Chances are you’ll miss the heyday of the combined tape, however I’ll guess you don’t miss having to swap out a set of lifeless AA batteries mid-album. The CP13 is rated for 13 hours of playback, after which you’ll recharge it by way of the USB-C port.
Then there’s amplifier and motor. Each have been upgraded from the parts that used to drive these tape gamers. So whereas analog cassettes are nonetheless the identical previous, variable medium they’ve at all times been, there’s an opportunity they could sound higher than you bear in mind on the CP13.