How to Buy a Portable Cassette Player

The suggestions here best apply to portable cassette players to be used for listening to music, rather than for taping.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Portable Tape Players

1. Expect to spend between $10 and $100.
2. Decide which sound-improvement features you want, such as Dolby noise reduction, metal tape capability (Type II/IV switch), and anti-rolling mechanism for consistent tape speed.
3. Decide which performance features you want, such as built-in AM/FM tuner, LCD display, recording capability, and bass-boost switch.
4. Decide which convenience features you want, such as auto-reverse playback, automatic shut-off, remote control, longer battery life, battery-life indicator, light weight with batteries, and water-resistance ("sports" models in harder cases).
5. Decide which accessories you want, such as AC adapter, headphones, carrying case, standard or rechargeable batteries, and belt clip.
6. Understand that extra hardware and extra features add to the price.
7. Consider a "designer look" unit if buying for a child or young adult.
8. Buy a model made by a major Japanese manufacturer for best reliability.

Tips & Warnings

• A cheap player with decent headphones may sound better than a more expensive player with included headphones. Consider buying the headphones separately.
• If you're going to be using the player while jogging, consider how heavy it will feel after that 4-mile run.

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