I have just ordered one of these cool looking cassette players. The specs say, regarding in-ear headphones and type 1 cassettes, that:
So I asked their chatbot why this is, because I got worried, since I naturally intend to listen to music with my PortaPros and my Sennheiser IE900s. This is what it says:
chatbot conversation
Can I not listen to type 1 cassettes with wired headphones on your cassette player?
The Cassette Player does support wired headphones via its 3.5mm jack for Type I cassettes—so yes, you can listen.
In that case, what does it mean that it’s “not compatible with in-ear phones”?
Good question. The Cassette Player has a headphone output that delivers 2 × 2 mW of power at 32 ohms. In-ear earbuds typically have higher impedance or different audio characteristics that don’t work well with this output level—the sound would be too quiet or not perform properly.
Wired over-ear or on-ear headphones like PortaPros work fine because they’re designed for this type of output.
Does this apply to wired in-ears or wireless in-ears or both?
The incompatibility applies to both wired and wireless in-ear earbuds. The issue is the design of in-ears themselves—their impedance and audio characteristics don’t match well with the Cassette Player [Keith]'s headphone output, regardless of whether they’re wired or wireless.
Over-ear and on-ear headphones work reliably with the player.
But the portapros have 60 ohm impedance.
You’re right—PortaPros have 60 ohm impedance, which is higher than the 32 ohms the Cassette Player [Keith] is rated for. However, the player should still work with them since they’re over-ear headphones designed for portable devices.
If you want optimal performance, I’d recommend testing them first or contacting [email protected] for specific compatibility details with your PortaPros.
How much power would the cassette player be able to output at 60 ohms?
That’s a good technical question, but I don’t have the detailed power output specifications for the Cassette Player [Keith] at 60 ohms—only the rating at 32 ohms (2 × 2 mW).
For precise power calculations at different impedance levels, please reach out to [email protected] and they can help you determine if your PortaPros will perform optimally.
Could you make a text or PDF file out of our conversation or send it to [masked] ?
I’m not able to generate files or send emails directly. For requests like this, please contact [email protected] and they’ll be happy to help you with a transcript of our conversation.
How come they’re “complaining” about having weak output at 30 ohms, but at the same time tell me they’ll be able to drive my 60 ohm over-ears?
I think Techmoan has a review of this tape deck. TL; DR: modern tape decks cheap and pricey all use the same substandard mechanism because there is only one manufacturing line left for cassette tape decks. Better to buy a bog standard one from the 90s that supports Dolby noise reduction and metal tape than get a modern one.
Ah, thanks for the headsup! I ordered it because €150 is just about what vintage players with any kind of reassurances go for around here. Perhaps I’ll give it some more consideration.
Yes, there will be a noticeable wobble and flutter in the playback of modern decks. Also, they typically don’t play back at the correct speed either.