Look… I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s and loved my cassette collection. I also loved my Sony Walkman because my parents couldn’t pick up on the gangster rap I was listening to. I have a lot of my original cassette collection from back in the day but over the past few years I’ve been building my inventory back up. People see my cassette tapes and trip out. Others ask me what my fascination is with cassette tapes and it honestly just takes me back to my childhood. It takes me back to simpler times. I remember the excitement of going to Tower Records or The Wherehouse with $10, looking for what to buy, and then committing to one cassette tape. I’ll still never forget saving up that lunch money in 1993 to pick up Too $hort’s Get In Where You Fit In on cassette just to get home, rip the plastic off and throw it right into my walkman. Press play and let it ride until I had to flip sides. Shuffling songs? Nah… Let the project play from front to back.
Last year it was reported that cassette tape sales were the highest they’ve been in 20 years. And yes, I’m fully aware that the buzz (and numbers) on cassettes over that span has been low but it is noteworthy to see top artists including cassettes as part of their physical launch strategies. Vinyl continues to do well year after year and I found it interesting that more than half of the consumers don’t even own a record player. I always loved the size of cassettes and my walkman and apparently the youngsters today do as well. It doesn’t hurt that the pandemic brought 40 somethings back to their youth and 80’s and 90’s nostalgia stays relevant in tv shows and movies.
I will still collect cassettes regardless of where this trend goes but I’m here with my popcorn watching what comes next. Buying vintage walkmans and cassettes will always remain my primary focus but it is cool seeing new products hit the market. The more artists produce cassettes with their new releases, the more of a need there will be for cassette players. Will Sony get back in the game with a portable cassette player? I’d love to see that come to fruition but for now, I’ll gladly take companies like We Are Rewind that raised cash via Kickstarter and then got enough support to release their cassette player and some blank tapes right alongside of it. The color selection is dope and the aesthetic is on point. The price point is premium at $165 these look clean. I’m surprised they haven’t come out with some retro looking foam headphones but maybe that’s coming in the near future.
In January, at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, there was a new portable cassette player generating some buzz. The Chinese electronics manufacturer FiiO introduced the CP13 which will be dropping in March. The CP13 is a portable cassette player that pays homage to the original Sony Walkman which came out in 1979. The design is clean and very minimalistic which I love. These will carry the same price point of $165 at as the We Are Rewind models which is interesting to see. These cassette players can be charged via their USB-C port and the battery life is 15 hours which is longer than the We Are Rewind model. Based on their look alone, I lean toward the FiiO CP13 more but I might have to cop both???
Seeing these new walkmans, I wanted to go back in time to come up with a list of my favorite Sony Walkman cassette players of all time. I would like to note that this is simply based on the design and the aesthetic of these past models as I’m not taking their sound quality into account here. Maybe that can be another article if this one picks up any traction. Here are my favorite Sony Walkmans of all time.
Sony Walkman TPS-L2
The Sony TPS-L2 was the first personal stereo cassette player ever made and originally came out in Japan in July of 1979. Due to its success overseas, it dropped in the US in the Summer of 1980. This portable cassette player was easy to carry around with you to listen to your favorite cassettes without lugging around your boombox. The first Sony Walkman gained popularity immediately. It had 2 headphone jacks on the player that allowed you to listen to your music with a friend at the same time. There was also a “Hotline” button which gave you the option to talk to your friend who was plugged into the other headphone jack. The TPS-L2 was offered in several colors and the headphones included were pretty fire.
Sony Walkman WM-10
In 1983, Sony came out with the WM-10, a portable cassette player that was less bulky than the OG TPS-L2 and perfectly fit a cassette. The shape, thickness, buttons, and overall design were fresh. It ran on only one AA battery which was pretty slick too. Take a trip back through time and check out this commercial from the early/mid 80’s.
Sony Walkman WM-D6C
Sony produced Walkmans that catered to the needs of professionals. According to Walkman Central, the WM-D6C also came equipped with a line-in connector that enabled direct connectivity to other audio equipment without requiring the microphone socket. The level meter on this model also underwent modifications, allowing it to display both the recording level and battery status. Additionally, it could be switched off to conserve battery life. This thing is sleek and clean and fresh from ‘86.
Sony Walkman WM-101
The Sony WM-101 came out in late 1985 and is noted for being one of the first Walkmans to use a rechargeable battery. This made the cassette player highly portable and cost-effective compared to its predecessors. Additionally, the WM-101 boasted a range of features including auto-reverse and Dolby NR noise reduction. I like the buttons on this one, its slim profile and the window on the front that lets you see the tape playing.
Sony Walkman WM-F5
Now we get into a couple of the sport models featuring the iconic yellow body. The WM-F5 dropped in 1983 and had the subtle pops of green and blue and that circular cutout with all of your buttons was stunning. This walkman was splash proof and can withstand the rigors of outdoor use. The overall design of this one is top notch and the icing on the cake, is the breakthrough earbuds that came included with the unit. That case they came in was such a flex when you pulled it out of your pocket to prepare for some listening.
Sony Walkman WM-F45 1986
The Sony Walkman WM-F45, released in 1986, was a portable cassette player that became an iconic device in personal audio entertainment. It came with an auto-reverse capability that ensured continuous playback without the need to manually flip the cassette. With its convenient size, features, and look, the Sony Walkman WM-F45 remains a throwback symbol of portable music listening.
Sony x Tiffany & Co. Walkman
Last but definitely not least, I have to shine light on the Tiffany & Co. collab with Sony Walkman with the limited-edition balled out version of iconic portable cassette player. This exclusive version of the Walkman was released in 1989 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the first walkman dropping. This one was released as a luxury item, targeting ballers who wanted to flex. This is really the holy grail in the walkman world and there were only 250 made. One of these days when I fall into a bag of cash I’ll pony up and snag one of these.
For anybody looking to pick up a new walkman, you have a few questions you need to answer. Is this going to actually play tapes for you or will it just be a flex? Or maybe you want both? Do you want something new or something old? Do you want something to have as an art piece? Well if you want to know which ones play best, this is a good video to check out.