The Best Cassette Adapter For Your Car – 2021 Reviews

The Best Cassette Adapter For Your Car - 2021 Reviews

Are you tired of listening to the radio while driving? Flipping through the same three stations to hear the same ten songs can definitely get old fast.

Plus, radio ads are the worst when all you want to do is rock out and belt along with the words at the top of your lungs. Nothing kills the vibe like another obnoxiously loud used car commercial after your favorite song.

With all the different music streaming services out there now, there is no reason you should not be able to listen to whatever song you want while on the road. Even if you have an older car radio in your ride, you can still bang your own favorite tunes whenever you want.

You do not need Bluetooth, or a USB port, or even an AUX port. All you need is a cassette deck and one of a variety of cassette adapters and you can listen to any song on your device. Finally, a use for that thing since no one has cassette tapes anymore. You might have thought that slot was useless, but with a cassette adapter you will be able to play any song on your smartphone or mp3 player whenever you want. Plus, no commercials.

Check out this useful guide to determine which of the many cassette adapters works best for your situation so you can get to cruising down the highway while blasting your favorite tunes.

Compare Our Picks For The Best Cassette Adapters 2021

Our #1 Choice
Walkman Car Connecting Pack for MD Walkman and CD Walkman (Model# CPA-9C)
Runner-up
Car Cassette Adapter, Standard Packaging
Honorable Mention
BESDATA Universal Car Cassette Player Adapter with 3.5mm Male Jack and 2.5mm Plug Adapter for iPod,...
Walkman Car Connecting Pack for MD Walkman and CD Walkman (Model# CPA-9C)
Car Cassette Adapter, Standard Packaging
BESDATA Universal Car Cassette Player Adapter with 3.5mm Male Jack and 2.5mm Plug Adapter for iPod,...
Our #1 Choice
Walkman Car Connecting Pack for MD Walkman and CD Walkman (Model# CPA-9C)
Walkman Car Connecting Pack for MD Walkman and CD Walkman (Model# CPA-9C)
Runner-up
Car Cassette Adapter, Standard Packaging
Car Cassette Adapter, Standard Packaging
Honorable Mention
BESDATA Universal Car Cassette Player Adapter with 3.5mm Male Jack and 2.5mm Plug Adapter for iPod,...
BESDATA Universal Car Cassette Player Adapter with 3.5mm Male Jack and 2.5mm Plug Adapter for iPod,...

Top 5 Best Universal Cassette Adapters For Your Car

1. Sony Walkman Car Connecting Pack

The Sony Walkman Car Connecting Pack does not just have to be used to play your Walkman. Odds are you cannot even find a Walkman that works anymore. Luckily, this technology works just as well for your smartphones, tablets, and other mp3 players. This cassette adapter is more expensive than the other adapters on this list, but since it is still under $20, that is not as big of a deal as it normally would be.

The Sony does a great job reducing mechanical noise caused by the cassette player, and it fits and works with all styles of cassette decks. This cassette adapter has some of the best sound quality you will find, making it the best overall choice of cassette audio adapters available.

Pros

  • Reduced mechanical noise
  • Maintains good fit inside of cassette player
  • Works with all styles of cassette players

Cons

  • More expensive than some other adapters
  • AUX cord does not work with newer Apple products without adapter

2. RCA Car Cassette Adapter

The RCA Car Cassette Adapter is very easy-to-use choice that also produces good sound quality. Just pop the adapter right into the tape deck, plug the aux jack into your phone, and you are ready to drop some sick beats.

Sometimes the background noise can become distracting, but overall the sound quality is top notch among car cassette adapters. However, the RCA is not the most durable choice, and it will likely not last as long as many of these other options.

Pros

  • Good sound quality
  • Easy to use

Cons

  • Background noise can sometimes be overpowering
  • Not very durable
  • AUX cord does not work with newer Apple products without adapter

3. BESDATA Universal Car Cassette Player Adapter

The BESDATA Universal Car Cassette Player Adapter is a versatile option for those who are not sure what they will be hooking up to play music. It comes with two sizes of aux jacks for different devices. It also comes with a microphone built into the cord that can be used to take phone calls. Pretty high tech for something using a cassette player, am I right?

The BESDATA does deal with regular background static. However, it also produces some of the most natural sounding audio of any cassette audio adapter. Overall, the versatility is what makes this cassette adapter such a good option.

Pros

  • Two sizes of AUX jacks for different devices
  • More natural audio
  • Microphone that can be used to take phone calls hands free

Cons

  • AUX cord does not work with newer Apple products without adapter
  • Regular background static

4. Dynex Cassette Adapters

Dynex Cassette Adapters are another choice that is best used with friends who have good taste. This cassette adapter has a long cord that will reach anyone in a sedan and 5/7 of the seats in an SUV. This way, when you go on long road trips, you can delegate the DJ job to one of your pals while you focus on navigating the open road.

The Dynex is a little confusing compared to most other cassette audio adapters. Yes, it still operates on the same basic idea of putting the adapter in the slot and pressing play. But to get the right sound, it might take some fiddling with the settings on your radio and on the device you are playing music from. The effort tends to be worth it, though, as this cassette adapter has some of the better sound quality around. But if you do not have the patience to figure it out, one of the other cassette adapters is probably your best bet.

Pros

  • Above average sound quality
  • Long cord

Cons

  • Takes a while to figure out the right settings for best sound
  • AUX cord does not work with newer Apple products without adapter

5. Reshow Travel Cassette Adapter for Cars

REVIEW8

Pros

  • Good sound quality
  • 30 day money back guarantee
  • Cool retro style design

Cons

  • Short cord
  • Sometime has playback errors

How To Choose The Right Cassette Adapters

Cassette audio adapters may seem like they are all the same, but that attitude can wind up with you accidentally buying a piece of junk that does not work for you at all. This will help you realize what you need to be looking for in a cassette audio adapter and which choice will work the best for your vehicle.

The most important thing to worry about when deciding which cassette audio adapter to purchase is whether or not it will work. While this may seem like an obvious point, everyone’s audio set up is different, and there are a number of things that can factor into whether a cassette audio adapter works or not.

First you need to make sure that your cassette player still works. You likely do not get much use out of it now, and there is a good chance you have no idea if it still spins or not. That also means making sure your cassette audio adapter can fit into the slot and stay locked into place there. Some cassette player slots have different directions for the tape to be inserted. Make sure that your adapter will still be able to function and that the cord will still be free once you insert it.

Another major aspect to focus on for cassette audio adapters is the cord. Most end in a typical aux jack, and that requires a standard aux port to receive it. The issue with that is a lot of devices, like the new Apple iPhones for example, do not have an aux port at all and require an adapter to be used with most cassette audio adapters. Also, you will want your cord to be a decent length. The freedom to choose whatever song you wish will soon feel more like a burden if you are stuck holding your phone right next to the radio because you bought an adapter with too short of a cord.

The last thing you need to focus on when deciding on a cassette audio adapter is the sound quality. What is the point of being able to play whatever song you want if they all sound like recordings from the 1930s? Make sure that the adapter you are looking at meets your high standards when it comes to sound quality and clarity.

Conclusion

Nothing gets old fast quite like a song that gets overplayed on the radio. Avoid having your favorite songs ruined through overexposure and get yourself a cassette audio adapter. With one of these adapters, you will be able to play any song off of any device with a viable aux port. No more switching through stations avoiding ads or searching for something besides that Maroon 5 song that is on every station. Be your own DJ and only give songs that you love airtime in your car.

Cassette audio adapters are a simple way to upgrade your car’s radio to the 21st century. It’s not like you were using that slot to play old tapes anyways. With a cassette audio adapter, you can finally find a use for the tape button on your radio. And with this helpful guide, you can find the best cassette audio adapter for you.

Brett Gordon
 

The engine behind editing at DigMyRide and the brains behind its build. During the day, Brett is a thirty-something dude from SoCal climbing the corporate ladder, but by night, he spends his time contributing to the online world of automotive tech & trends.