We all remember the times when audio tapes were very popular. It was then that the radio appeared in almost every Russian family. But gradually, CD-ROMs replaced the magnetic view of the carrier. And now their era has come to an end - it is much easier to save music on a USB flash drive or memory card. But this does not mean that the radio tape recorder disappeared from the store shelves. Just now they are bought much less frequently. And now we need to focus on completely different parameters than a dozen and a half years earlier.
Supported Media
No tape recorder has its own memory, where you could download music. And, you see, it would be terribly inconvenient - you need to search for the appropriate cable, connect the radio tape recorder to the computer ... It is much easier to use this or that medium. However, not all of them are supported by modern devices.
- Audio cassette - we can safely say that this type of carrier is a thing of the past. On the market there are only a few tape recorders equipped with a cassette deck. There are no advantages of tapes, unless you recorded your children's conversations on them, which I would like to digitize now. And for these purposes, it is better to purchase a time-tested Soviet tape recorder.
- CD - The vast majority of tape recorders are still equipped with a disk deck. The CD Audio format is supported by all of them, but many manufacturers forget about MP3. Without compressed format support, it makes sense to use the device only to play licensed discs, if you have any.
- DVD - Some receivers are able to recognize this type of discs. A convenient option, as the DVD fits more than 4 GB of music. This is about a thousand MP3 tracks!
- USB - if the radio is equipped with such a connector, then you can easily connect a regular flash drive to it. Or even a memory card, supplemented by a mini-card reader. Of course, the music will be recorded in MP3 format, since all other such devices rarely recognize. Although exceptions happen - if you are a fan of high-quality FLAC recordings, then look for a tape recorder with their support.
- Memory card - Not every radio has a slot for it. But if there is one, it is very convenient. You can buy a separate card that will be used only to save music.
- Audio input - also a rare guest in the tape recorder. If it is present, then with its help you can connect a smartphone or tablet, repeatedly increasing their sound.
Wireless modules
In the cheapest models, you definitely will not find support for wireless communications. But if you look at more expensive radio tape recorders, in their characteristics you can find references to the following standards:
- Bluetooth - The easiest way to output sound from a mobile device without using a cable.
- NFC - allows you to connect a smartphone or tablet in just a couple of seconds (they should also support this technology). The subsequent signal transmission is already through more energy-efficient Bluetooth.
Other functionality
When choosing a radio, you should pay attention to other parameters:
- Appearance - the device must be beautiful, it is difficult to argue with that.
- Remote control - if it has a tape recorder, then its management is noticeably simplified.
- LCD display - usually it uses a monochrome screen. Pay attention to the size of the characters, which should be large. The backlight does not hurt, but not very bright, which could only interfere. If the device supports the display of ID3-tags, then you should not rejoice prematurely - with high probability, the Cyrillic radio tape recorder will not show you.
- Speaker power - The more this parameter, the better, the deeper the bass you can hear. But there is no need to hope for the ideal - such devices have only two dynamics, this is their main difference from the music center.
Popular manufacturers of tape recorders
If you think, then the release of the radio is nothing complicated. Inside such a device there are simple components, which cannot be said about, say, smartphones. That is why theoretically any radio company can produce radio tape recorders associated with the creation of electronic equipment. However, the Chinese switched to smaller portable speakers, making them easier to deliver to the consumer. And the radio is the lot of major brands. For example, gorgeous specimens produce Sony and Panasonic. But such products are also very expensive - not everyone will dare to pay more than five thousand rubles for a radio tape recorder.
If you are not interested in such high-budget models, it is better to look towards Telefunken, Philips, VITEK and LG. These companies try not to overestimate the price tag, while producing quite high-quality products. You can also consider purchasing a radio BBK, but it will delight you noticeably less - this is a purely Chinese device.
