The Cassette Comeback Marches on With This Glorious Retro Boombox

There’s no query that bodily media is making a comeback. Nonetheless, one of many extra unlikely codecs that’s seen a small surge in recent times is cassettes. The issue is there’s a definitive lack of excellent trendy cassette gamers. We Are Rewind is one firm attempting to alter that, and it simply introduced a really cool-looking boombox.

You could be shocked to study that cassette gross sales have risen by over 400% within the final decade. In fact, that’s as a result of gross sales had virtually died—however nonetheless. So, what does a cassette participant in 2025 appear to be? The We Are Rewind GB-001 is one firm’s tackle it.

With its retro design, the GB-001 is a correct, old-school boombox in each sense of the phrase, nevertheless it’s filled with trendy tech and conveniences. You have bought 4 Hello-Fi class audio system—two 32 W Rms woofers and two 20 W Rms smooth dome tweeters—that present 104 watts of complete energy. There’s additionally refined equalization and a spatialization perform for a wider and extra immersive sound.

In fact, the GB-001 is at the start a cassette participant and recorder. It makes use of We Are Rewind’s cassette deck mechanism, which has the identical pitfalls as different trendy decks, however is among the finest choices in the marketplace. It includes a user-adjustable motor and inner velocity regulation. You’ll be able to play each Kind I and Kind II (chrome) cassettes, and it makes use of an lively AC erasing head to make sure low-noise recording. There are two beautiful backlit VU meters that offer you management over each playback and recording ranges as properly. You’ll be able to even plug in a microphone with an adjustable stage for stay recordings..

The boombox additionally options Bluetooth 5.4, a chargeable, user-replaceable lithium-ion battery, and a 3.5mm jack enter. Even should you’re not within the temper to take heed to a cassette tape, you should utilize it as a speaker for just about any audio supply. You may discover controls for quantity, bass, treble, stability, and tape sort on the highest panel. The GB-001 will retail for €449, which is about $522 within the US. It’s not but obtainable, however you can sign up for updates.