If listening to music is your hobby, what is your favorite audio recording medium? As always, audiophiles are the snobs they are and swear by the quality of vinyl. Although turntables never truly became obsolete, the same couldn’t be said about other playback platforms. Lately, compact discs (CDs) have become trendy, but RETROSPEKT’s CP-81 evokes another type of nostalgia.
Plus, the translucent housing of this Sony Walkman wannabe is a welcome cosmetic extra. While portable cassette players do show up on the shelves of thrift stores or garage sales, modern upgrades make a huge difference. Just like vinyl records and CDs, leading music labels are apparently releasing cassette tapes, albeit in limited numbers.
However, digging through storage for the vintage originals is what we should be doing instead. Hopefully, the plastic shells are still intact, while the magnetic tapes remain mold-free. Pop one of these bad boys into the CP-81, plug in the Koss x RESTROSPEKT p/21 headphones, and hit play. For certain, this would make a cool gift for loved ones this holiday season.
“The CP-81 from Retrospekt is a new portable cassette player offering a classic cassette tape experience. It features a minimalistic design aesthetic anchored by a clear plastic body with all of the core cassette player functions. Features include play, fast-forward, rewind, and record,” describes the product page.
Likewise, it’s awesome of the manufacturer to offer optional accessories that let you get the most out of this gadget. These include an acrylic cassette tape rack that can hold 20, a black leather clip case for the CP-81, replacement foam pad cushions for the headphones, and replacement felt pressure pads to repair busted cassette tapes.
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Images courtesy of RETROSPEKT
