DNG-9901 - The Cursed Whispers Cassette Player

There's something deeply nostalgic: the satisfying click of the play button, a soft hum of a tape winding, and the rich cracking sound of analog audio—all these things cassette players relate to. Of course, not all cassette players evoke comforting memories. Some, similar to the one that arrived in our collection recently, carry a weight that happens to be sinister.

We call it "The Whispers Deck," although that sounds rather poetic when trying to define how we are uneasy.

Brand

It's a device bearing the insignia of ████████ Electronics, a little-heard-of Japanese company battling giants like Sony and Panasonic before folding in the late 1980s. Known for innovative yet frequently unreliable designs, its legacy remains obscure.

Model

This is the ████████ AutoPlay-1500, made to compete with Sony's Walkman. Built between 1984 and 1986, the unit is almost four decades old.

Serial Number

The serial number is 1500-3X91A, with one anomaly—the last digit having been scratched out and replaced with an engraved "X." No records are found of ████████ issuing serial numbers in this format.

Key Features (Pre-Curse)

Auto-Play Mechanism: Among the first portable cassette players with a feature to automatically resume playback upon inserting a tape. Ironically, this ensures the cursed whispers start immediately.
Dual Playback Modes: Mono and stereo playback are made possible by this unit; however, the stereo feature is defunct.
Durable Casing: Though made of plastic, the casing has borne wear and tear nicely over time—a testament to ████████'s craftsmanship.
A Rare Unit: Only a few thousand AutoPlay-1500 units were sold, and these were available only in Japan and parts of Europe. How it ended up in rural Ohio remains a mystery.

Technical Anomalies

The Tape Heads

While badly worn, the playback head functions normally during technical playback. However, during use, it emits strange electromagnetic interference—within norms by standard instruments but atypical for a cassette player.

The Circuit Board

Upon examination, numerous strange modifications were discovered:

Soldering inconsistent with the time period.
A customized amplifier circuit, soldered in an amateurish yet intentional manner.

Motor Assembly

The motor runs unevenly, causing distortions in audio. Even at a constant speed, the whispers persist.

Anomalous Frequency Response

Tests show the device amplifies sounds in the range of 14–18 kHz, a range where human hearing diminishes but some associate with paranormal activity.

Discovery

This cassette player showed up at an estate sale in rural Ohio. It sat alone, its surface scratched and decorated with unevenly applied, faded '80s stickers on its casing. A simple sign read "AS-IS," but most intriguing was the tape inside.

A handwritten label on the cassette read ominously:
"For You."

Despite better judgment, we added it to our collection, eager to test its functionality. What happened next has been a constant mix of fascination and terror.

The Eerie Playback

At first, the tape played static—the sort common to old media. But as it continued, the static changed, coalescing into an unnerving pattern, almost like respiration. Then, whispers surfaced, disjointed and overlaying:

"Do you hear me?"
"It's so dark."
"Come closer."

We stopped the tape, thinking it was a joke. But no matter what tape we used—blank tapes, self-recorded ones, even brand-new ones—the voices were always there.

The Make and Model

To the untrained eye, the cursed cassette player resembles any other artifact from the golden age of portable audio. A closer inspection, however, reveals peculiarities matching its unnerving nature.

The Experiment

In hopes of deciphering the whispers, we digitized the audio output. Spectral analysis yielded unsettling results:

Concealed Patterns: The waveforms in the voices weren't random, suggesting they were recorded deliberately.
Coded Messages: Spectrograms revealed faces, symbols, and sigils. One symbol resembled an occult emblem associated with "binding souls."
Anomalous Origins: Played in reverse, the audio produced a chilling message repeated three times:
"They're here because of you."

The Curse in Action

Since the cassette player came into our workspace, strange occurrences have followed:

Lights turn on and off when the device is powered.
A heavy feeling of being watched accompanies playback.

Some claim to hear whispers even when the player is off. One brave soul reported seeing their reflection mouthing the whispers silently during playback.

Attempts to dispose of the cassette player have failed. It always finds its way back into our collection, as if unwilling to let go.

A Word of Warning

This accursed cassette player reminds us that even the most obscure corners of logic and innovation can break free from explanation.

Should you find an old cassette player that feels out of place, think twice before hitting "play." You may hear something you will never forget.

Disclaimer

The object is kept under close surveillance. Any attempts to repair or reproduce its design are strongly discouraged. Proceed at your own risk.