It doesn’t necessarily require a different tape head for recording, but ideally a different head is used. For recording it should have an erase head though, otherwise you’re recording over what is already on the tape. Digitising tape in high quality requires a good playback mechanism that has low wow and flutter, I doubt this thing has that, most recent portable cassette players had the same bad mechanism.
It also most likely has the same cheap head and mechanics as any other new tape player you can get nowadays. If you want good quality, get something that was good in the 90s.
That’s often true with new models of old technology. It’s the same with mechanical typewriters: there are still new ones constructed and they are far from ugly; but if you want to actually use one, run far away and buy a vintage one.
It’s stupid that this thing apparently can’t record from a computer or line-in onto cassette.
It’s also unclear whether it can digitize music from cassette onto a computer with high quality, and if it can’t do that that would also be stupid.
The article states that the usb-c port is just for charging, so that should answer all your questions with a solid “No, it cannot do any of that”.
Digitising should be a given but as long as it has a high quality audio jack you can do it through that.
Recording onto cassette is different though because doesn’t that need a specific writer head?
It doesn’t necessarily require a different tape head for recording, but ideally a different head is used. For recording it should have an erase head though, otherwise you’re recording over what is already on the tape. Digitising tape in high quality requires a good playback mechanism that has low wow and flutter, I doubt this thing has that, most recent portable cassette players had the same bad mechanism.
Why stupid? It’s cool to have analog-only things.
Recording from line in was the way to make mix tapes. Seems like it’s missing the record function completely
It also most likely has the same cheap head and mechanics as any other new tape player you can get nowadays. If you want good quality, get something that was good in the 90s.
That’s often true with new models of old technology. It’s the same with mechanical typewriters: there are still new ones constructed and they are far from ugly; but if you want to actually use one, run far away and buy a vintage one.