Photo Credit: Maxell Japan
Maxell Japan releases a portable cassette player with loads of modern features, including Bluetooth, USB-C, and a rechargeable battery. The release comes as cassette tapes have become massively popular in Japan.
The interest in retro tech with a modern twist continues as cassette enthusiasts hope to bring about a renaissance for the format like the vinyl resurgence. While cassettes haven’t yet reached the same levels of comeback hype in the United States and elsewhere, more companies are creating players to go along with artists’ cassette releases.
This is most apparent in countries like Japan and South Korea, where artists often release cassettes to accompany CD and digital releases. Now, Maxell Japan has launched a portable “Walkman” style cassette player, and it’s packed with features to buoy modern convenience.
The new Maxell MXCP-P100 may look very familiar to the older generations, with a style not unlike that of the old Sony, Panasonic, and other cassette players popular in the ‘90s. But this version boasts features now standard in 2020s audio tech, like Bluetooth and a rechargeable battery that connects to a USB Type-C charger.
It might be confusing to many in the west as to why Maxell felt it necessary to launch such a product, but J-pop and K-pop fans are well accustomed to contemporary cassette releases. It’s not unusual for pop idol groups to release exclusive cassettes, often with unique cover art that makes for a great collector’s item.
In fact, cassette tape sales in Japan experienced a dramatic resurgence in 2023, according to the Recording Industry Association of Japan. Cassette tape sales rose by 241% in 2023, reaching 212 million yen ($1.37M). Unit production of cassettes also increased by 224% to 119,000 units—though small, highlights the popularity of the format among dedicated fans. That growth continued well into 2024.
Other key features of Maxell’s portable cassette player include its battery life. The company says the rechargeable battery lasts nine hours using wired headphones, or seven with an active Bluetooth connection. Notably, the device also features a 3.5mm headphone jack, something greatly missed in the newer generations of smart phones. A USB-C charging cable also comes with the device, though it will, of course, work with any USB-C cables you might already own.
Maxell’s MXCP-P100 sells for ¥13,000 in Japan, or around $90. However, the cassette player is already sold out as of this writing. It will be interesting to see if this is due to demand, or if Maxell only released a limited number in its initial batch to gauge consumer response.
