Fiio CP13 assessment: Lovely look and sound

When you consider moveable cassette gamers, you in all probability would not affiliate phrases like “premium” or “trendy” with them. As an alternative, you’d in all probability take into consideration extra retro cassette players, ones that you’d use within the Eighties that now really feel low-tech, possibly even a bit fragile or rickety. However what if I instructed you that cassette gamers are nonetheless made to this present day, and are making a comeback? And in a sea of low-cost cassette gamers in the marketplace, the Fiio CP13 seeks to face out with its trendy design utilized to retro sensibilities.

This moveable cassette participant is not like the opposite ones. It has a sturdy, and dare I say, luxurious construct. The system boasts greater high quality inside elements than different mass-produced moveable cassette gamers, and it is garnered the eye of cassette nerds on the web. So does the Fiio CP13 stay as much as the hype? I obtained my palms on one, put in my favourite tapes, plugged in my favourite headphones, and set to work to seek out out.

Really useful

FiiO CP13

$82 $100 Save $18

The Fiio CP13 is a transportable cassette participant that blends trendy options like a modern design, a lithium ion battery, and glorious internals with the retro enchantment of enjoying cassettes. It sounds fantastic, appears to be like stunning, and has a premium really feel to it.

Professionals

• Nicely-built and durable
• Nice inside elements
• Aesthetically stunning
• Sounds nice

Cons

• Would not document
• No belt clip

Value, specs, and availability

This system is hefty, easy, and exquisite

The Fiio CP13 is accessible on Amazon and AliExpress, in addition to different platforms by way of third celebration sellers. It retails for $100 USD, although costs can fluctuate, and it may be discovered on sale as effectively. It is moderately hefty, weighing 310 grams, and its dimensions are 1.2 x 8.8 x 3.2 cm. The housing of the system is aluminum, and it is available in quite a lot of colours, with the blue and pink gamers having a silver backing, and the white participant having black accents.

This cassette participant has a 3.5mm jack for headphones, and would not have any Bluetooth, so you will want to make use of wired headphones to hearken to cassettes on it. It has a 1800mAh battery with a 13-hour battery life, so you will get fairly a little bit of listening outing of it with out having to fret about charging. It fees utilizing USB-C, so it additionally fees up fairly shortly.

What I appreciated in regards to the Fiio CP13

I do not suppose I’ve ever seen a cassette participant fairly as aesthetically pleasing as this one

The very very first thing I believed once I unboxed the Fiio CP13 was simply how stunning it’s. The cassette participant has an aluminum housing, and the system has some weight to it, making it really feel like a premium audio product, versus a few of the cheaper plastic cassette gamers yow will discover on-line. The buttons are pleasantly easy to press down, the amount knob feels fantastic, and the luster of the housing is nearly mesmerizing. The entire expertise of simply holding and looking out on the cassette participant is unbelievable. It seems like holding a chunk of artwork in my palms.

Not solely is it fantastically constructed, the internals of the cassette participant are spectacular too. The Fiio CP13 has a pleasant, thick copper flywheel that ensures tapes play easily with as little frequency wobble as attainable, and a high-voltage motor to make sure tapes are performed at a constant, steady pace.

And certain sufficient, whereas utilizing the cassette participant, I did discover much less frequency wobble, generally referred to as “flutter” and “wow.” I performed just a few of the identical cassettes within the Fiio CP13 together with two different cassette gamers I’ve, the ByronStatics cassette player and the Gracioso cassette player, and each cassette sounded significantly better within the Fiio CP13 than the opposite two. This is sufficient to show to me that the CP13 stands out as a top quality moveable cassette participant with a give attention to good internals and good design.

Lastly, I actually like that the CP13 has a chargeable battery. It has an extended 13-hour battery life, and I feel this helps bridge the hole between retro and trendy tech. You get the genuine feeling of utilizing a retro product that simply performs cassettes and would not have something frivolous like Bluetooth, however you do not have to rummage by way of your drawers for AA batteries to make use of it, and may simply use the USB-C chargers you have already got in your home when you might want to energy it up.

What I did not like in regards to the Fiio CP13

If I may document with it, and if it simply had a belt clip, it could be that significantly better

One factor I want is that Fiio CP13 had recording capabilities. I’ve used different moveable cassette gamers which might be capable of document in addition to play cassettes, and it could’ve been good for this one to have the ability to too. After I was youthful and used cassettes extra, I might usually use them for recording, like recording my singing classes, recording voice memos, or recording mixtapes. Having the ability to do these issues would make this cassette participant really feel a bit extra authentically retro to me, however once more, this is not a significant qualm.

I additionally want the CP13 had some form of clip to connect it to myself, so I can clip it to my belt and use it whereas I stroll round. It is moveable in that it is sufficiently small to carry in my hand and transfer round, or that I can put it in my tote bag, but it surely’s not moveable sufficient to stroll round and hearken to music with it exterior and even round my home. It seems like extra of a stationary system on this means, and if I may connect it to myself indirectly, it could be considerably extra helpful.

Understandably, this cassette participant is fairly expensive, coming in at $100. The worth, for my part, is justified by how well-built it’s, however at that value, I might’ve appreciated to see extra options with this cassette participant. I might nonetheless purchase and luxuriate in this cassette participant for that value, but it surely definitely will not be a steal, and extra of a splurge.

Do you have to purchase a Fiio CP13?

I might advocate the Fiio CP13 to any cassette lovers who need a top quality, stunning, and easy cassette participant. Individuals who desire a cassette participant with a pleasantly vibrant sound profile and prime quality inside elements will take pleasure in utilizing this cassette participant.

Its excessive value generally is a little bit of a barrier to entry, so this is not for anybody on the lookout for an inexpensive cassette participant that simply will get the job performed. There are definitely cheaper moveable cassette gamers on the market, and if you would like one thing that can do extra than simply play cassettes, like with the ability to document and having a radio, you will not discover that right here.

FiiO CP13

$82 $100 Save $18