The FiiO CP13 Blue is a portable cassette player that delivers pure analogue sound with a level of engineering rarely seen in modern tape playback devices. Built around a 100% analogue audio circuit, it runs the signal path from the custom magnetic tape head through to the 3.5mm output without any digital conversion, preserving the character of analogue tape in full.
The CP13's mechanism has been developed from scratch, with FiiO investing heavily in the supply chain to source components of sufficient quality. The centrepiece is a custom oversized pure copper flywheel, 30.4mm in diameter and 4mm thick, which keeps the tape transport running as smoothly as possible to minimise wow and flutter. The motor is powered by a high-voltage 4.2V supply, well above the 1.8V or 3V found in most cassette players, and works in tandem with a motor speed stabilisation circuit to maintain consistent speed across all tape types, from Type I through to Type IV.
Rather than the single-ended signal acquisition found in most cassette players, the CP13 employs a differential circuit for balanced acquisition of signals from the custom magnetic head, delivering a higher signal-to-noise ratio and lower distortion. The audio is amplified by the classic JRC5532 op-amp, long regarded as a benchmark component in audiophile circuits, providing a familiar, musical sound with genuine analogue warmth.
This finish wraps the CP13 in a powder-coated blue aluminium body, with a window in the cassette door that reveals the mechanism and tape in motion. The body is fitted with hard-oxidised buttons for durability, and the volume control uses a large analogue potentiometer for a quality feel. Power comes from an 1800mAh lithium cobalt oxide battery rechargeable via USB-C, delivering more than 13 hours of playback per charge and a standby time of over 268 days.
