Music is the ultimate nirvana to numb the stresses of life or derive inspiration while taking up focus-intensive tasks. The hobby of listening to music has come a long way from the dated radios to the current generation of high-resolution Bluetooth music listening gear. But then, things always come back in circles, that’s why we’re seeing a revival of old school analog media like record players, CDs, and even cassette players.
Countless companies are experimenting with the idea of infusing old-school charm into current-generation music players without losing out on the tactile feel. Teenage Engineering has been a pioneer in modern times when it comes to creating electronic music instruments with design that’s second to none. The signature TE aesthetics and color theme can be clearly seen to be inspiring designs in unrelated domains.
Designer: Jinkyo Han
For this time around, however, the concept player here stays within the audio listening gear domain; nonetheless, has clear signs of a TE-inspired design. The retro Bluetooth player is a music accessory that’s reminiscent of the classic cassette tape player design, but on the inside, it’s a modern music player that plays music wired or wireless. The aesthetics are purely for arousing the nostalgic feel of listening to music on a cassette player, while the audio is digitally played via a DAC for high-resolution output.
The mono speaker can output 10W sound with a frequency range of 80Hz – 18kHz. Clearly, in the mono speaker mode, the audio accessory is suited for casual listening. For more analytical listeners, the wired or Bluetooth mode is suited to enjoy the nuances of music. Either way, the spinning cassette player takes you back to a happy place, making the music sound more soulful than ever.
The front displays the spinning cassette player with the perforated speaker grill section. At the top, there are the big player controls to keep things minimal. Other than that, the music player follows a clean design language, which is much appreciated. The designer has not mentioned the exact dimensions of the player, but we presume it’ll be palm-sized given the reference size of the buttons.
Clearly, such a retro-modern music player is recommended for people who appreciate design and love their tunes. Revival of the analog music era is another influence that should resonate well with people who want the tactile feel of the visual elements while enjoying their favorite playlists on music services like Apple Music, Spotify, Dezeer or Tidal in high resolution.
