I saw this advertised somewhere online and instantly fell in love with it. It looks so cute, or “kawaii” (かわいい or 可愛い) as they say in its home country 😉
It arrived promptly after ordering via Japan post. It’s beatifully packaged and the slightly-extra-sized cassette case also holds a USB-C charging cable.
Given the physical constraints of such a small enclosure the sound quality is not great (it’s not even as good as the built-in speakers in any recent smartphone) but it just ticks all the boxes of cute, retro + nostalgia for someone like me who grew up with compact cassettes being such an integral part of my life. I like carrying around a cassette in my bag again, it feels good 😉
It also features an SD card slot so you can play back your MP3s without any need to attach another device. Playback time is quoted at 6 hours and recharge from flat is 2 hours.
To quote directly from the Yanko Design site:
More Than a Memory
Imagine holding an object that sparks a memory before it even plays a note. Perhaps it takes you back to the days of making mixtapes for a crush or the times you had to fast-forward with a pencil when your Walkman chewed up the tape. Or maybe it simply makes you smile—and that’s reason enough.
Whether you’re playing lo-fi beats while you work, soundtracking a lazy Sunday, or proudly displaying it on your shelf as the coolest little time machine, the Side A Cassette Speaker turns every room into a conversation.
It’s the perfect gift for the music lover in your life—or an even better gift to yourself.
Small, stylish, and delightfully specific—it’s everything we love about design that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but still delivers.
Room 7609 