Tapes are back, and you no longer have to gamble on a 30-year-old deck to play them. These are the best new cassette players you can buy: two full-size TEAC decks for your stereo and two Walkman-style portables.
The best cassette player for a home stereo is the TEAC W-1200 (~$600): a dual-well deck with Dolby B noise reduction, recording, and a USB output for digitizing your tapes.
Need a CD player too? The TEAC AD-850-SE (~$600) puts a CD player and cassette deck in one box. For headphones, the FiiO CP13 (~$88) is the best value, and the We Are Rewind Cassette Player (~$160) adds Bluetooth and recording.
Cassettes are back, but the hardware hasn't fully caught up. Only a handful of companies still make new tape players, and none of them match the best decks from the 1980s and '90s for speed stability and sound. What you can buy new falls into three groups: home decks that connect to a stereo, portable Walkman-style players for headphones, and boomboxes with speakers built in. Our picks are the best new home decks and portables, all sold new with a warranty. We didn't find a new boombox we'd recommend.
Every new player has some wow and flutter, a slight wavering in pitch. You'll notice it most on sustained notes like solo piano and least on rock, pop, and electronic music. That's part of the format's character, and it's the main thing that separates a new player from a well-serviced vintage deck.
| Player | Type | Records | Bluetooth | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEAC W-1200 | Dual home deck | Yes | No | Stereo systems and digitizing tapes | ~$600 |
| TEAC AD-850-SE | CD player + cassette deck | Yes (tape and USB) | No | One box for CDs and tapes | ~$600 |
| FiiO CP13 | Portable | No | No | Best value for headphones | ~$88 |
| We Are Rewind Cassette Player | Portable | Yes (3.5mm in) | Yes | Wireless headphones and style | ~$160 |
The only full-size cassette deck still made new for home stereos. It connects to any receiver or amplifier with RCA cables, has two tape wells so you can play one tape and record on the other, and includes Dolby B noise reduction, so tapes recorded with Dolby B play back as intended. A USB output lets you copy your tapes to a computer before they wear out, and the fluorescent level meters look the part next to a turntable and CD player.
Worth knowing: its wow and flutter is decent rather than great, and a serviced vintage deck can sound better for similar money, though without a warranty. You'll need a stereo with a spare line input; see our stereo receiver picks.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.If your stereo doesn't have a CD player either, this full-size TEAC puts both formats in one box for the same price as the W-1200. The CD drive plays regular CDs and MP3 discs, and the cassette deck plays normal, chrome, and metal tapes. It can record to cassette from a CD, a USB drive, or anything plugged into its RCA input, so making a mixtape from your CDs is easy. It can also copy CDs and tapes to a USB flash drive, and it connects to any receiver or amplifier with RCA cables.
Worth knowing: it has one tape well, so you can't copy tape to tape like you can on the W-1200. If you already own a good CD player, the W-1200 is the better cassette deck. For more CD options, see our best CD players.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.From the company behind some of the best modern CD players and headphone gear, the CP13 is the best value in a portable tape player. It has a balanced, slightly bright sound that suits modern ears, a solid aluminum build, and a rechargeable battery that lasts for hours. Pair it with a good set of wired headphones and it's a cheap, fun way into tapes.
Worth knowing: it plays only; there's no recording and no Bluetooth. Some owners have reported units that run slightly fast, which can be adjusted, and FiiO has published instructions.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.The stylish aluminum Walkman-style player you've probably seen in shop windows, in a range of colors. Unlike the FiiO, it can send audio to Bluetooth headphones or a wireless speaker, and it can record onto blank tape from a phone or other source through its 3.5mm input, which makes it the one for making mixtapes on the go.
Worth knowing: it costs nearly twice as much as the FiiO, and there's no input level control for recording. It's designed for headphones; its output isn't meant to feed a hi-fi system.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.For the best possible sound from tape, a professionally serviced vintage deck from Nakamichi, Sony, Technics, Yamaha, or TEAC's own older line will beat any new player, with steadier speed, better heads, and Dolby B and C noise reduction. The catch is that 30-year-old decks need new belts, cleaned heads, and sometimes repairs, and parts are getting harder to find. Buy vintage only from a seller who has actually serviced the deck and offers a return window. If you'd rather plug in and play with a warranty, the TEAC W-1200 or AD-850-SE is the safe choice.
Collecting physical media in more than one format? See our picks for the best turntables and best CD players, and our take on vinyl vs CD.