A Japanese Hi-Fi Company’s Affordable Music Player Breathes New Life Into an Old School Audio Format

Maxell is a heritage Japanese audio and electronics manufacturer with a history dating back to the 1960s.

Over the years, the brand has become synonymous with audio cassettes and other recordable media (including as VHS tapes, CDs and DVDs)— in fact, in 1966, Maxell sold the first cassette tape in Japan.

And now, thanks to the resurgence of old-school media, including cassette tapes, Maxell has decided to release a portable cassette tape player to accommodate new listeners.

Maxell MXCP-P100

Maxell

Old-school nostalgia

The Maxell MXCP-P100 is a portable cassette tape player that looks straight out of the 1980s. It also has the old-school click-y buttons for playback and a tactile volume wheel that you’d expect from a retro player.

The MXCP-P100 is a pretty straightforward cassette tape player. It lacks fancy features, such as noise reduction technologies, so the tapes will probably have a nostalgic hiss to them.

Unlike other players, the MXCP-P100 only supports stereo playback. It’s not capable of taping over or recording your own audio cassette tapes.

Maxell

New-school tricks

Of course, the MXCP-P100 is a modern portable cassette tape player, meaning it has two key features: built-in Bluetooth and a rechargeable battery.

There’s a Bluetooth button on its side, which allows the MXCP-P100 to stream audio to your wireless headphones. It also features a traditional 3.5mm jack, allowing you to go full retro and use wired headphones.

The player charges via USB-C and the battery promises nine or seven hours of playback, depending on whether you’re using wired or wireless headphones, respectively.

Maxell

Price and availability

The Maxell MXCP-P100 portable cassette tape player is technically a Japan exclusive, but you’ll have no problem snagging one on eBay — they’re going for around $130.

It comes in two different finishes: white or black.

Maxell

Maxell MXCP-P100

The Maxell MXCP-P100 is an affordable portable cassette tape player with modern conveniences. It supports wired and wireless headphones, the latter thanks to built-in Bluetooth. And there’s no need to swap batteries as it has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Unlike other more expensive options, the MXCP-P100 only supports audio playback — it doesn’t have any recording capabilities. Technically a Japan exclusive, you can stag one of these on eBay for around $130.

• $90 at Maxell (Japan)
• $130 at eBay

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