The Midnight Gives The WE-001 Cassette Player A Neon Makeover

Cassettes are not the cleanest or most convenient way to hear music, and that is part of their appeal. They turn listening into something physical: choose a tape, press a button and let the album run instead of skipping through a screen.

We Are Rewind has teamed up with synthwave duo The Midnight for a limited-edition version of its WE-001 portable cassette player. The blue-and-purple player comes with the band’s album Syndicate on a Purple Swirl cassette and adds modern features including Bluetooth and USB-C charging.

Quick Reference

• What it is: a limited-edition portable cassette player and recorder based on the We Are Rewind WE-001.
• Included music: The Midnight’s Syndicate album on Purple Swirl cassette.
• Listening: 3.5mm wired headphone output and Bluetooth 5.1 for compatible wireless headphones or speakers.
• Recording: stereo recording from an external source to Type I cassettes.
• Battery: built-in rechargeable battery with a claimed 10 to 12 hours of use.
• Price: $199, £159 or €179, depending on region.

A Modern Player For An Old Format

The Midnight edition keeps the aluminium body and large cassette window of the standard WE-001, but changes the colours to match the band’s neon-night visual style. Physical controls handle play, stop, fast-forward and rewind, so there is no touchscreen or app between you and the tape.

We Are Rewind gives the player a stated playback frequency response of 30Hz to 14,500Hz with a Type I cassette. That number does not mean cassette beats modern lossless digital audio. It simply describes the range the player is designed to reproduce from a suitable tape.

Bluetooth And Wired Listening

Bluetooth 5.1 lets the player send cassette audio to many wireless headphones, speakers and soundbars. A normal 3.5mm socket is also available, so wired headphones remain the simplest option and avoid any Bluetooth delay.

There is one important limit: We Are Rewind says compatibility with in-ear wireless earbuds is not guaranteed and lists the player as not compatible with in-ear earbuds. Check your intended headphones or speaker before buying if Bluetooth is essential to you.

Making Your Own Mixtapes

The WE-001 can record in stereo through an RCA or 3.5mm input, using a Type I cassette. That opens the door to making a real mixtape from a suitable music source or recording voice with compatible equipment.

Tape recording happens in real time. A 45-minute side takes 45 minutes to record, which is much slower than copying digital files but makes track choice and running order feel more deliberate.

Where It Fits In Starter HiFi

At £159, this is not the cheapest way to play music and it is mainly for people who genuinely like cassettes, physical releases or The Midnight. It can still be a useful source in a small HiFi setup because it works with wired headphones, Bluetooth speakers or an amplifier with a suitable input.

The built-in 2000mAh battery is rated for about 10 to 12 hours and charges over USB-C. The player weighs about 404g, so it is portable, although larger and heavier than a phone.

Price And Availability

The We Are Rewind x The Midnight WE-001 package launched at $199 in the US, £159 in the UK and €179 in Europe. It is a limited edition, and the official US product page was showing it as out of stock when checked, so regional availability may change quickly.

What The Terms Mean

Type I cassette: the common ferric tape type used by many blank and pre-recorded cassettes.

Frequency response: the range from low to high sound frequencies that a product is designed to reproduce.

Wow and flutter: small speed changes in a tape mechanism that can make notes sound as if their pitch is wavering.

Line input: a connection that accepts audio from another source at a standard signal level.

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