Gracioso Portable Cassette Player Recorder Converter,Cassette to MP3 via SD Card,Tape Player with 1000mah Rechargeable Battery,Built-in Microphone&Speaker,Headphone Jack,16GB SD Card

I know I already reviewed this purchase, but I guess I have to do it again!This cassette player is terrific. I makes digital copies of your cassettes so you can upload to your PC and then download to an MP3. If you plug in a speaker the sound is really great. No complaints and the company Gracioso has a really good customer service. Highly recommend the company and the product.

Bought this for a friend that is a dj to record some garage style music we did in the 90s. Not only did this cassette converter work, but he also ran the playback through Serato Pro and the sound was incredible. While I can’t speak for the exact cassette to mp3 sound experience, just converting it to a digital file was well worth the $ (also make sure you don’t test it with a good cassette! Just in case!)

After discovering ancient artifacts (cassette tapes) in my basement, I set out to find a device to play them. Digital conversion wasn't on my mind. I didn't even know such technology existed. What a time to be alive! For the price it didn't seem like too risky an endeavor (apart from the reviews that say this thing mangled their tapes, but that's a risk with any tape player).This isn't quite idiot-proof to use, although the instructions leave much to be desired. You need the on/off button on the side (different from cassette players in my day). It is very weird and confusing that it defaults to the SD card, which comes with a sound file of running water (as another reviewer pointed out, can be deleted). Also wish there was a window to see tape progress, but not a deal-breaker. Also as another reviewer suggests, start with a tape you don't mind getting mangled as a test run. It's all plastic but feels reasonably sturdy in your hand. The tape door is a pain to open manually too.Now, for the good. It didn't mangle my tapes, and I was soon tumbling down an audio rabbit hole of mixes from college, silly recordings I made with my sister growing up (in the days before camcorders), and old out of print music I hadn't heard in decades. The conversion process couldn't be easier. Just play the tape and hit record on the front (nice that it requires a bit of a long press to avoid accidental firing). It would be nice if it had a slot for a thumb drive instead of an SD card, although this makes it a lot sleeker to use, and the inclusion of a thumb drive SD card player makes this a great value (as well as an actual SD card. Who else throws those in for free?) Of note, a couple of times I put the card in and the screen said "No," which the instructions say means the card isn't properly mounted. But I tried a few more times and the message persisted, so I hit record anyway and it worked fine. I didn't really dive deep into the SD card capabilities on the player itself since I just put it straight on my computer. Another big bonus is the sound from the device's speakers. It's not Bose, but still louder and less tinny than I expected (this is good, because I started with headphones and the device seemed to have trouble registering they were plugged in, flipping back and forth between the phones and the speaker. A minor quibble.)All in all, this is a nifty little machine and I think well worth the price. Now make one to convert VHS tapes this easily!

This is an updated review.After I wrote my unfortunate experience with this Gracioso Player, the seller promptly contacted me, and sent me a replacement machine. Customer service = 100%! I decided to wait a bit before updating my review, as I wanted to ensure that my first experience wasn’t repeated.I write this update as I’m listening to an 90s tape. I haven’t had the experience I had with the first tape player, and I’m confident to say that it seems that with the first player, I received an outlier product that was slightly defective. (Actually, I opened it up (not too easily) and discovered that the problem was just that one of the rubber bands was a tad loose to move a rotating wheel.)What I love about this Gracioso player:1. The sound is clear and loud enough for regular listening, even without using the earphones2. It uses the universal and easy to get USB C charger3. It keeps charge for a long time4. It’s just so convenient to record from tape to the microSD. I don’t have to use audio apps to have playable music on the go.5. The micro SD comes slotted into a USB flash disk (and it’s removable) meaning that you can record and easily play with any player compatible with a USB flash disk or micro SD6. The price is definitely worth it7. A clear digital display with a counter8. It’s easily portable: the size, and the fact that it carries chargeWhat I wish (future improvements?):1. That there was a see-through display showing the tape playing (that’s how we used to see them in the 80s and 90s!)2. That it had Bluetooth connectivity to speakers3. A variety of colours: I wish I had a choice not to buy the white4. That it had direct USB flash disk recording5. When it’s on but without the Play button pressed, it automatically plays the plugged in microSD card: I wish there was a toggle for that.All in all, this is a great Gracioso player worth buying!Previous review:Aaaargh, this product is so annoying!It worked for exactly one week, playing for about 15 hours in total, and then died out!From the look of things, it's probably the wheels that pull the tape that have stopped rotating. Not only has this caused the device to stop working, but the device has spoilt several of my 30 year old tapes as i tried to play them: the tapes have been "chewed"! And who repairs these things anymore?? So, i'm left with no functional tape player, damaged tapes, and money gone.Yet the device had so much promise, with good sound recording, and portability. I just wish it was more durable.