Yep, they are making the Walkman again!

Discussion in 'Chat Area' started by Mister X, Nov 21, 2023.

  1. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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  2. Radio Raheem

    Radio Raheem Well-Known Member

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    what can you say to that. straight in the bin lol

    who from the 1980s who appreciate quality is gunna buy that junk lol
     
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2023
  3. StaticAudio

    StaticAudio Active Member

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    I don't think Sony will be happy about this.:hmmm
     
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  4. Emiel

    Emiel Well-Known Member S2G Supporter

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    It will certainly not over perform most of the Sony units ;)
     
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  5. StaticAudio

    StaticAudio Active Member

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    This Panda 'Walkman' could become a collectors item when Sony stops them selling it under the 'Walkman' name, but it's still rubbish probably. :biggrin:
     
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  6. Radio Raheem

    Radio Raheem Well-Known Member

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    there is no probably about it my friend, the only person i can think that may buy that is techmoan lol
     
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2023
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  7. Valentin

    Valentin Well-Known Member

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    Wonder why they keep doing units with the following "features":

    1. Recoreders with no line in, but with mic in. Also, for a recorder to be good it needs AC bias as a minimum.
    If one really wants to record something on a tape with such a walkman, they most likely want to record music, not use it as a dictaphone.
    2. Besides the mic in, there's also an integrated mic and speaker. Is this supposed to be a walkman or a dictaphone ? I have the impression they aren't sure.
    3. A built-in radio. Ok, nice to have, but I don't think it's a must. Likely a DSP-based one with typical ghost station problems.
    Hope at least the unit can record from radio on tape, that would be a nice touch.
    4. Those included earbuds are a joke, the type that will go straight in the trash. Don't really understand why they bother including these.
    Nowadays a pair of decent IEMs (like the Moondrop Chu) can be purchased for 20$/euros.

    Unit seems to be on sale at 31euros, full price being 50euros. Link: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005236190647.html
    Really can't expect much at this price, even if it was to be just a player with no extra "goodies".
    Here is a video with the unboxing:
    .
    Looks decent for such a low price.
     
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  8. soluna

    soluna Active Member

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    There`s much stuff on the road, called "Cassette Digitalizer" - Renkforce, Logilink and so on. All these stuff can also be used as walkman , but the first item to throw it instantly in garbage can is, that there is a unmistakable motor noise, you can hear with headphones, and it`s very difficult to remove during digitalizing process.
     
  9. Hyperscope

    Hyperscope Well-Known Member

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    The problem is always cost. To make a good 1984 era quality cassette only walkman, without Disc Drive, just a brass flywheel and belts, would be what, $400US? (Some models would be several thousand in today's USD of course). And what's a detailed market research work up say about expected sales volumes at that price point?

    But all that could be swept aside in an instant: All it would take is a single high net worth individual from Silicon Valley who has a hard on for cassettes... and wants a 21st century "walkman" type player. All it takes is one fanatic to approach the right players in China, finance it and take away a bulk of the risk, set them to work on something. But is there anyone out there that cares enough to bother? Easier at this point to just buy on e-bay and get refurbished. But who knows. Anything is possible, right? I would like to see it happen "just for the fun of it".
     
    Last edited: Nov 27, 2023
  10. Silverera

    Silverera Active Member

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    Yeah. Like the boomboxes. They look like something out of the late 70's but ultimately disappointing with poor bass response and clunky cassette mechanisms. The one I bought sounds half decent through external speakers like the Bose Bluetooth mini speaker using its 3.5mm input but it's mainly show without much go on these Retro boomboxes. Even Aldi stores have a 1978 looking one on sale but once bitten twice shy.
     
  11. Radio Raheem

    Radio Raheem Well-Known Member

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    again i really don't know who this is supposed to appeal to, i cant see anybody here wanting one and the young are not going to want cassette anything, someone needs to make one with a 250 price point and then things may fare better for them
     
    Last edited: Dec 2, 2023
  12. Longman

    Longman Well-Known Member S2G Supporter

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    These things are novelties designed to be bought as a present for Dad who has been going on about how great his Walkman was.
    Away from novelties a few years ago I looked at the reviews of the Sony Radio Cassette Curry's were selling. Although good most were along the lines of
    "I bought this for my 93 year old Mother who is in a care home and is enjoying being able to listen to her Joyce Grenfell tapes again.

    I actually only half made that up because my late Mother did have Joyce Grenfell pre-recorded cassettes.
     
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  13. Radio Raheem

    Radio Raheem Well-Known Member

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    but we ARE the dads longman lol heck any older and i will be carried out in a box lol i didn't buy things like that back then and wont now......heck you posted some budget currys dixons walkmans going up to 50 and most looked great lad,,,infact i owned over half of them
     
    Last edited: Dec 2, 2023
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  14. Radio Raheem

    Radio Raheem Well-Known Member

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    i mean i just spent 800 on 1 and a half grand headphones so i don't mind buying something if it's decent but not things like this haha....most of us have better walkmans even if they are not high end so why buy this..a total step backwards imho
     
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  15. Longman

    Longman Well-Known Member S2G Supporter

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    That was my point. The only people who would buy this for themselves would be the same people who bought Crosley record players not knowing any better. The same group of people might buy one for their Father thinking he would be pleased with it. That statement was based on Aldi selling those grotty fake stereo boomboxes in the month before Father's day two years in a row.

    Anyway, I am just trying out a Denon Cassette Deck I bought for £25. It needed a new belt that cost me £10 but took just minutes to fit. The good thing about having new alternatives is that they leave more of the used bargains for people like us :)
     
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  16. MICHAEL MURRAY

    MICHAEL MURRAY Member

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    I think Techmoan bought one and it was only mono.
     
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  17. Yitzhak_carlebach

    Yitzhak_carlebach New Member

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    Some people can't repair a cassette deck/walkman but just want to enjoy some old cassette or just want to explore the hobby,
     
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  18. Squiggly

    Squiggly Member

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    second crosleys being junk. my friend was given a pink crosley by her parents since she wanted a record player a year or two back
    i think it was a month later it caught fire or something blew up internally, started producing a lot of smoke and had to be thrown out only like a month after she got the thing
    better to just put in a little elbow grease fixing up an old 90s player than dealing with this modern plastic junk they produce these days. 90s being if youre new and on a budget anyways
     
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  19. Doorz

    Doorz New Member

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  20. Valentin

    Valentin Well-Known Member

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    There won't be any DD release, there's just not a big enough market for it.

    VWestlife has recently made a video comparing 4 of the common new walkmans available:

    The Fiio CP13 does the best in terms of wow&flutter, above my own expectations but well below the expectations of classical music listeners.
    However it doesn't do that good when shaken (see ANA[DIA]LOG video), which is an aspect that will matter more at the end of day if one wants to use the player while walking.
    Fiio also does the best in terms of output power, but it also seems (at first glance) it's the least repairable from all of them (customized battery, no screws).

    The We Are Rewind does better in sub-bass, but given head is the same, it's probably boosted a bit in the preamp.

    The Mulann B-1000 EW is the one I like the most as far as form factor and functionality is concerned: it's small, it has a large window, runs on AA batteries.
    If they were to ditch the recording functionality (which I think only accepts a MIC in) and do some improvements in other areas (like w&f and metal EQ) it would be great.
     
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2024
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