French company ‘We Are Rewind’, emerged last year with the bold statement: “The Cassette player is back!”. Let’s see if that’s true!
With the help of independent engineers (affiliated with Thomson and ORA), they crafted portable shiny metal boxes for a medium many of us thought obsolete. Inspired by the first Sony Walkman, this tape player surely catches the eye. Last Christmas at Richer Sounds, it was flying off the shelves, and as an owner of many cassettes, I decided it was time to put its popularity to the test!
Firstly, let us look at the features. Apart from your basic, so-satisfying-to-press buttons on the top, there is volume control on the side, headphone jack, line input for recording, and USB-C for charging the battery. Remembering how frustrating it was to keep on top of powering the unit, the chargeable battery is one of the product’s wins.
There is a Bluetooth switch for headphones, however a cabled connection is a better choice for testing the sound quality. Regardless of the wireless connectivity and battery attribute, I would dispute the portability – the deck is bigger and heavier than most competitors’ products out there. Still, a manufacturer who compromises weight and size, rather than build and quality, is undoubtedly respected in the world of audiophiles.
There is a semi-automatic stop for playing after it reaches the end of the tape. Carefulness is advised when rewinding and fast-forwarding, as the mechanics will keep going. Being mindful of that is imperative because this can destroy the belt.
While unboxing, one might also notice a pencil for manually rewinding cassettes. This is a nice callback to the olden days and the cassette geeks out there. Unfortunately, unlike the Japanese scribbler, the pencil does not have the correct width, so one might have to pop to the stationery shop. Alternatively, a pinkie might suffice! One more feature worth mentioning is on the back of the player – a point to access the motor for speed adjustment, should one be needed.
Rewind to a golden era of analogue music, with this thoroughly modern classic.
Impressions of the first listening experience fulfilled the expectations. With the mid-range hi-fi headphones from AKG (N-series Hybrid 9) and type II chrome cassette of 90s electronic selection, the sound seems balanced yet punchy. There is just enough low-end clarity and slight type of hiss to give it that warm analogue flavour so many of us enjoy. One could argue the quality of the tape listening experience is very dependent on the genre, as we who grew up with music made specifically for cassettes often do.
This little deck surprises – it can deliver on most modern pop music, hard-rock, and even classical. Some frequencies are to be lost to the process, but nothing the everyday user would find noticeable. The recording capability is pretty decent, with automatic level control on the input that prevents gain distortion. Capturing some very bright electronic music from the laptop at high volume did not encounter any problems.
The analogue mechanism itself is possibly the only backlash of the stereo player. When testing with high-quality studio monitor headphones at very high volume one can notice the tape hiss more prominent. Interestingly, some cheaper headphones and earbuds somehow distort the experience as well (pun intended). The more you compromise on headphones, the more you notice slight fizz, especially when played at high volumes. With over-recorded cheap tapes, the rotation of the motor is also noticeable.
Yet, it is beside the point to expect CD quality, and despite this kickback, We Are Rewind is still one of the best-sounding tape players out there. Investing in good headphones or quality portable speaker will pay off in this case.
As the last little hallmark, we cannot possibly ignore the fun of choosing differently coloured coats – the blue Kurt (Cobain of course), the dark Grey Keith (Richards), and the orange Serge (Gainsbourg). As of recently, W.A.R. added black & yellow Amy and pink & green Edith. Having a bit of selection makes this tape player a great gift, as well as a statement for yourself.
Want to put this device to the test yourself? Come down to your local Richer Sounds for a demonstration – and do not forget your favourite tapes 😉
Author: Linda, Bristol Store
