The FiiO CP13 cassette player goes on sale this week at £99 / $129. 2024 benefits include USB-C charging, 13-hour battery life and an all-analog circuit for an enhanced yet classic sound. From the sound of it, cassettes are making a comeback, just like vinyl has over the past few years. Here’s what the FiiO press release had to say about the new CP13.

For truly analog playback, the entirety of the CP13’s audio circuit uses analog devices – from the magnetic tape head all the way to the signal amplification. The result is a classic, unmistakably analog sound.

The CP13’s motor is powered by a high voltage 4.2V power supply, more than the 1.8V or 3V typically found in portable cassette players. This power supply works in tandem with a custom motor speed stabilization circuit, which increases the drag on the motor as necessary to ensure stable movement speeds. This mitigates unwanted pitch changes and also allows the CP13 to be able to handle more cassette tape types.

Unlike the single-ended signal acquisition typically found in current cassette players, the CP13 employs a differential circuit for balanced acquisition of signals from the custom head, ensuring more stable signal transmission, higher signal-to-noise ratio, and lower distortion.

Though ultimately restricted by the size of the cassette player’s movement, FiiO engineers paid much attention to making the CP13 as compact as possible. Through the integration of manufacturing and structural design ingenuity, the CP13 ended up only being 31.8mm thick, making it thinner and more compact than most portable cassette players.

The CP13 is powered by a lithium battery, which can be charged through the USB Type-C port. The battery is lighter than the original AA batteries in previous players and lasts for 13 hours per charge.

• Battery Capacity: 1800 mAh
• Battery Life: 13 Hours
• Op-Amp: JRC5532
• Flywheel: Copper
• Mechanical Core: Customized Mechanical Core
• Head: Customized Balanced Amplification Magnetic Head
• 3.5mm Power Output: 250mV
• SNR: >55dB
• Dimensions: 120mm x 88.3mm x 31.8mm
• Weight: 310g