I just went hands-on with this retro boom box that's also an amp, cassette player and karaoke machine — and it's one of my favorite gadgets of the year

I'm a music nerd. I love testing out all the latest audio gear, whether that be soundbars, speakers, headphones, earbuds, or, in the We Are Rewind GB-001's case... everything at once?

The newly unveiled We Are Rewind GB-001 is such a unique speaker. It's not just a portable party speaker: it's also a cassette player, karaoke machine, amp, and well, you read the headline — you know the rest. This could definitely become one of the best speakers around.

At IFA 2025, I got thirty minutes to test out the GB-001, and here are my first impressions. Honestly? It's going to be a hard innovation to beat. The GB-001 is a creative product meant for creative people.

The little boombox that could

The GB-001 isn't a one trick pony. Not in the slightest.

Not only is it a Bluetooth speaker, it's also a: cassette player, cassette recorder, wired speaker, turntable speaker, karaoke machine, and an amp.

There are a series of dials on the top of a speaker: a mic volume, recording volume, type I/II cassette switch, Bluetooth/aux/tape switch, and the classic bass, treble, balance, and volume dials.

This design adds to the retro feel without sacrificing usability — it's still as easy as you'd think to switch between playback modes.

As you can see, there are three inputs on the speaker too: a 3.5mm aux jack, a headphones, and a mic input. As I said earlier, you could even use this speaker as a recording device if you're a home musician.

And on top of all of that? It looks cool.

So how does it sound?

I only got very limited time to test out the GB-001, so I didn't get to try all of the connectivity modes. I used the Bluetooth connection to play music on Qobuz, our best music streaming service for audiophiles.

The two songs that impressed me the most were 'UPWARDS' by Ella Minus and 'Kill Me' by Hayley Williams. Actually, the former track was so mind-blowingly good that We Are Rewind's representative asked me for the song name.

On both the tracks, the female vocal was clear, perfectly tuned, and melodic. Some of the male-sung tracks didn't sound as good, and I think that's because I had the speaker on a wobbly table rather than a proper surface — the table's material wasn't conducive to great bass.

Don't fret — we'll have a full review as soon as possible to help you make an informed decision. We'll test all of its listening modes and give you our honest, comprehensive opinion. Obviously, when we review the We Are Rewind GB-001, we will test it much, much longer than the thirty minutes I had with the speaker.

Sign me up!

While the GB-001 (also goes by the name 'Curtis') isn't available to purchase right now, you can pre-order it.

The GB-001 is available to pre-order for €449 and £379, from We Are Rewind direct. Unfortunately, there's no information regarding a U.S. release yet. Seeing as the GB-001 has only just been announced, this could change.

If you're in the U.S., I recommend checking out the JBL Xtreme 4, which sounds just as loud and floor-filling as the GB-001.

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