MP3 players and retro audio tech has experienced a resurgence in recent years, with brands such as We Are Rewind making cassette players. I, myself, am no stranger to the popularity of MP3 players.

It starts the same way for a lot of people: You’re digging through an old drawer, maybe hunting for a charger or untangling a mess of mystery cables, and then—you spy it. That tiny, slightly scuffed ...