This portable cassette player blends retro charm with wireless convenience

Vinyl might be well and truly back, but cassettes are also on the upswing: sales grew by over 200 per cent in the first three months of last year, according to Music Week. But you're going to need something to play them on.

While it might look retro – right down to its translucent cover that lets you see the tape moving – the Gadhouse Mike Cassette Player has a decidedly modern touch: Bluetooth. That means you can play your cassettes wirelessly through a Bluetooth speaker or some of the best Bluetooth headphones.

It's not the first Bluetooth cassette player we've seen – We Are Rewind's Edith model came out last year. But Gadhouse's effort is considerably cheaper.

It promises to combine "the warmth and character of traditional cassette playback with practical features that suit everyday listening".

As well as Bluetooth 5.3, it has a 3.5mm headphone socket for plugging in a wired pair. For the full retro effect, use it with Gadhouse's Wesley headphones.

Just like Walkmans of old, it has simple five-button controls for play, stop, fast forward, rewind and record. The built-in mic lets it double as a recorder for old-style voice notes, ideas, or for recording songs onto.

The Miko is out now for £70 / $99 (around AU$130). Better dig out those old cassettes.

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Pair it with the best Bluetooth speakers

Or the best wireless headphones

Gimmick or Godsend? I spent a week with FiiO’s retro cassette deck and Discman to test their modern-day merit