Best Portable Cassette Players & Recorders of 2025

“The product looks good and is of good quality, fulfilling its purpose as a cassette player. However, the sound quality is quite poor. If you just want to plug it in and listen to your music without worrying about quality, it's wonderful. I give it a 10 for delivering the basics.”

“I received this as a gift, and I find it easy enough to use. I love my Evanescence cassette, and this player is a cool gadget for it! The little speaker is neat, and I enjoy using headphones too.”

“This is my first cassette player in years. It’s well-priced and fits nicely in my pocket. It plays tapes perfectly, although the outside speaker is not very loud and it seems to be mono. It’s a bit fragile, but for the price, it’s a solid starter player.”

"For my Grandma's 100th birthday, I used this recorder to capture memories from family members at a big reunion with 100 people. Even with the noise of the party, each person's message came through clearly, allowing my grandma to listen to heartfelt wishes she can rewind and cherish."

"I bought the MCR-100 recorder and was eager to use it after a couple of months. Unfortunately, I wish I had tested it earlier. My recordings were muffled and noisy, even in a quiet room. I’m hoping I just got a faulty unit, as I expected better from this device."

"I'm all for supporting analog recording devices. Honest records are essential, and there's something special about them that digital recordings can't replicate."

“I waited six months for the transparent version of the CP13, and I'm thrilled to finally have it! The design feels sturdy and all the buttons operate smoothly, unlike those cheap plastic ones. The sound quality with my Sony Metal Master tape is impressive, and the frequency response is excellent.”

“I really appreciate the sturdy build and functionality of this player. After using it with my stereo receiver, the sound quality was pleasing. However, when I plugged in my entry-level Sennheiser headphones, the sound felt a bit tinny and muddy. I believe it performs better with higher-end headphones.”

“Having tried and returned several cheaper walkmans, this one is definitely a keeper! It has a low wow and flutter level and feels of great quality. It’s worth the price, especially when considering what a good Walkman cost back in the 90s.”

"I bought this cassette player for my husband, who is learning conversational Italian from cassette tapes, and it was perfect for him."

"I wasn't expecting much, but the device's functionality was fine. The volume is really low, which was disappointing, but since it was inexpensive, I decided to keep it for occasional use."

"After searching for a while, I finally found a solid product to play my vintage cassettes. I'm satisfied with it, although I had to get a converter for the plug."

"I found the device to be sturdy and easy to use. However, I was disappointed as the built-in speaker sounds blown, and the audio quality is truly awful. It's like recording on sandpaper!"

"This cassette player is just what I needed to take minutes at meetings, especially for older individuals who aren't tech-savvy. It's perfect for that purpose."

"For an outdated piece of tech, I think it’s not terrible for the price. However, the power supply is very noisy, and the recording quality is quite poor. If you're looking to make quality mixtapes, I’d suggest looking elsewhere."

"I ordered this cassette player to listen to a wedding tape recorded in 1978. After 46 years, it worked perfectly and brought back sweet memories."

"This player is great for my 40-year-old cassette tapes. It worked well and even allowed me to record to my phone!"

"I was worried about the sound quality for my son's old recording. To my relief, it sounds good enough for what I need, and I'm thrilled that these players are still available."

"I found the instructions to be clear and easy to follow. I successfully converted a 1969 voice recording to digital using the Microcard and USB adapter with my MacBook. It was very inexpensive but well made!"

"I purchased the KLIM K7 to convert some old cassette tapes. The recording quality was acceptable for my needs, and I had no issues transferring the files to iTunes. However, I encountered a compatibility issue with my iPhone. Thankfully, KLIM's customer service was quick and helpful, guiding me to convert the files to AAC format using iTunes."

"This KLIM K7 cassette player is fantastic! Super easy to use and requires no special software for converting cassettes to MP3 files. I’ve already converted four cassettes and still have battery life remaining. The sound quality from both the onboard speaker and digital conversions is good. It’s a great way to preserve precious recordings!"

“I was looking to downsize from a larger tape player, and this one has been perfect! It's loud, reliable, and the color is adorable. I've been using it outdoors, and it holds up well. The sound quality might not be top-notch, but it's acceptable for casual use. I plan to update my review if I encounter any problems.”

“I purchased this tape player and was really impressed by its retro design and sound quality. Although I only tested it once, it worked well for my radio station, despite some static due to my location. The plastic casing is lightweight, but I wish it were sturdier. Overall, it’s a good deal for the price.”

“This little radio/cassette player has been a great find! Its small size and amazing sound make it perfect for any spot in my home. I love that I can play all my old tapes instead of letting them collect dust. The color is just fantastic!”

“I tried this tape recorder and it works really well. I played my old tapes and they sounded great! I just needed to turn up the volume, but otherwise, it works wonderfully. I gave it five stars, and it truly deserves that.”

“I ordered Sylvania but received Proscan. I was a bit hesitant to try it after 35 years without playing an old cassette, but it played my Christmas music cassette clearly with no weird sounds. I’m genuinely surprised at the quality of sound; it’s definitely a keeper!”

“I bought two of these recorders for my congregation meetings. Initially, I loved it, but after testing, it made a loud buzzing noise instead of recording my voice. It ended up ruining my tapes. I called support, but after trying another tape, the buzz persisted. Now I can't record for my dad, which is really disappointing.”

"I found this recorder super simple to use for converting my old cassette tapes. I was thrilled to revive music that hasn't been available in years. The sound quality exceeded my expectations!"

"This device is a game changer for me. I was able to transfer my family recordings easily and store them digitally. Plus, the built-in speaker is surprisingly good for casual listening!"

"Overall, this player is fantastic for digitizing cassettes. I love how I can listen while charging, and the 16 GB SD card holds plenty of music. Just wish it had Bluetooth capability!"