Hifiverse

Compact Cassette

The compact cassette is a magnetic tape format in a small plastic shell, introduced by Philips for portable recording and home playback. It remains part of Hi-Fi as a collectible analogue medium with new decks, portable players and blank tape.

John Makovsky

John Makovsky

Audio

Amadana CP10 - New Inexpensive Portable Cassette Player

Amadana has introduced the Amadana CP10, a portable compact cassette player with a minimalist design. The device uses mechanical controls and is aimed at people who want the distinctive sound of cassette tapes without carrying bulky audio equipment.
Stas Ustenko

Stas Ustenko

Audio

We Are Rewind x Elvis Presley Limited Edition – Cassettes Are Alive

We Are Rewind has released the We Are Rewind x Elvis Presley Limited Edition portable cassette player, created in honor of the King of Rock and Roll. Only 1,957 units will be produced. Each set includes a portable cassette player based on the We Are Rewind WE-001 model, as well as a cassette tape with a reissue of the classic Elvis' Christmas Album.
John Makovsky

John Makovsky

Audio

Revox and National Audio Company are Reviving Compact Cassettes

The Revox Group has announced a collaboration with the American National Audio Company to introduce new audio cassette tapes. To achieve this goal, the two companies are combining their expertise - National Audio in cassette production, and Revox in audio systems and music recordings, including master tapes.

Hifiverse Editorial Team

Audio

Understanding the Evolution of Audio Quality

The development of the music industry in terms of formats was cyclical - the era of analog tapes and vinyl was followed by the era of the compact disc, then file formats, Hi-Res sound and, finally, streaming. However, today we can confidently say that in the highest echelon of quality the pendulum has swung back - and vinyl has become more alive than all the living again. Not to mention the revival of interest in magnetic tapes, compact cassettes - analog sound demonstrates such a luxurious sound that music lovers and audiophiles are ready to put up with the inevitable ergonomic limitations.

What the compact cassette is & why it matters

A cassette holds 3.81 mm tape running at 4.76 cm per second between two hubs. Tape formulation matters - Type I ferric, Type II chrome and Type IV metal need different bias and equalisation settings. Noise reduction systems such as Dolby B and C lower tape hiss. Deck mechanics, tape guidance and head alignment decide how well a recording made on one machine plays back on another.

What you'll find in this tag

News about the format's return fills the tag. We Are Rewind appears with portable players, a Duran Duran edition, an Elvis Presley edition and the Curtis GB-001 boombox. Revox and National Audio Company work on reviving tape production, Denkyosha brings back Maxell cassettes as the UD-60A, and Amadana adds an inexpensive portable player.

Key players & brands to know

We Are Rewind - a French maker of retro-styled portable players. Revox - a Swiss tape specialist teaming with National Audio Company on new cassettes. Denkyosha - the Japanese firm producing the revived Maxell UD-60A blank tape. Amadana CP10 - a low-cost portable player. Curtis GB-001 - a boombox with a cassette deck and 1980s styling.

Related topics & where to go next

Explore Reel-to-Reel (R2R), Analog Audio, Maxell, Denkyosha and Amadana next. Tape decks are listed under Sources in the catalogue, while the news section of the site follows new tape and player releases.