A tribute to the classics: FiiO's CP13 tape driver has a retro feel and modern craftsmanship
The post-80s generation has unique feelings and unforgettable memories of tape machines. In those days, we put music in our pockets and used our Walkman to listen to our favorite songs during recess. The mechanical sound of the tape machine turning became the beat of youth and accompanied us all the way to grow up. When FiiO launched the CP13 tape drive, it instantly aroused our nostalgia and yearning for that era. This compact and delicate device, which perfectly blends vintage and modern craftsmanship, allows us to relive the unique feeling of analog music.
In those days, our love for music was so pure. In order to buy a tape of our choice, we will save money for a long time. The moment I got the new tape, I carefully unpacked it for fear of scratching the tape inside. Put it in the Walkman, turn it up to the optimum volume, and the familiar prelude rings in the headphones, and the excitement and anticipation is still exciting in retrospect. In the era of no streaming, we cherish every note of music more and listen more attentively and devotedly.
Product positioning and design concept
The design concept of FiiO CP13 is to reinvent the experience of classic tape drives with modern technology. Its appearance design is extremely simple, with an all-aluminum alloy one-piece fuselage and four well-designed double-spelling colors, which are both classic and stylish. The large transparent flap on the front of the fuselage allows people to see the rotating tape inside at a glance, as if returning to the audio-visual rental store of youth.
Weighing only 280 grams, this compact tape player is about the size of an A5 folder and can be easily carried around in a bag. You can enjoy a nostalgic cassette music experience anytime you go away. The front operating area is well arranged, the large metal knob can adjust the volume accurately, and the 3.5mm and 4.4mm ports can meet the needs of different headphones. The Type-C interface is also designed on the side, which supports external digital audio sources, and has a wider range of use scenarios.
Core hardware upgrades
Although the designers of CP13 are committed to recreating the classics, they have put a lot of effort into "modernizing" the internal hardware construction. It is equipped with a customized high-precision tape movement, which ensures that the tape has a low jitter rate during operation, and the playback is more stable and smooth.
The oversized 30.4mm pure copper flywheel is the heart of the CP13. Ordinary tape drives use plastic flywheels, while pure copper flywheels not only weigh more, have better inertia, but also are resistant to high temperatures, which can greatly improve the belt speed stability of tapes. The CP13 also uses a 4.2V high-voltage motor, which has a stronger drag force than ordinary 1.8V or 3V motors, further enhancing the stable operation of the tape.
In terms of signal processing, CP13 adopts a balanced head amplification circuit, which can effectively reduce the signal distortion from the head and restore a purer and more penetrating mid-frequency sound. The CP13's analog circuitry is also designed with great care, striving to achieve the best balance between noise floor control and sound resolution, and to restore the inherent warmth and rich analog sound quality of the tape as much as possible.
The sound quality experience and feelings are reproduced
For audiophiles, the CP13 is not about the ultimate in hi-fi sound, but about recreating that unique "cassette music feeling". It retains the noise floor inherent in tape playback, but through careful circuit design, this noise floor is controlled to just the right level, giving people a sense of the temperature and texture unique to analog music, without affecting the overall listening sensation of the music.
The mid-bass is CP13's forte, with a deep and long reverberation, giving people a sense of impact without being stiff. In the high frequencies, the CP13 deliberately gave up the overly rounded performance, but retained some of the unique "thorns" and "astringency" of the tape, making the music sound more tense and energetic. The sound quality of the CP13 is quite excellent, even when paired with an audiophile-grade decoder, it can show a unique charm.
The biggest charm of CP13 is not the absolute level of sound quality, but the unique experience and feelings of the post-80s generation to relive the youth of the tape machine. The familiar sound of mechanical turning, the joy of manual tuning, and the sense of ritual when turning over, all these memories have been perfectly recreated. With CP13, a small and delicate retro device, we can finally regain the innocence and love of the past anytime and anywhere, and make the music full of ritual and temperature again.
Market prospect and development direction
The advent of CP13 has sparked a "retro trend". Young people are beginning to take a keen interest in tape culture, eager to experience the way their fathers used to live, and to feel the sense of ritual that has passed away. Some independent musicians and labels have also begun to release limited cassette albums in an effort to create a wave of tape culture among young people.
This organic combination of "retro nostalgia" and modern lifestyle is giving birth to a new cultural form. We have reason to believe that in the future, there may be more products like CP13, which perfectly integrate classic design concepts with modern craftsmanship. They can not only satisfy people's nostalgia for the past, but also allow us to maintain a unique sense of ritual and feelings in the rhythm of modern life.
This kind of benign interaction will surely promote the development of the entire music industry. Music companies will be encouraged to release more limited original tapes to meet the needs of young people; And the love of young people for tape culture will further stimulate their enthusiasm for music itself. In this process, our understanding and experience of music will be more profound, and the music culture will continue to rejuvenate.