The Sony M-100MC Microcassette Recorder with Voice Operated Recording is a good option
You can get a standard cassette voice recorder online for between $25-$50. Cassette voice recorders of this price range may not have the best quality but will perform the basic recording needs of the average person.
A CD player offers a superior sound then a cassette player in which the cassette player offers a low quality stero sound.
A cassette tape was the standard of audio recording through the 1980's and 1990's mainly. Before then, there were 8-tracks and reel-to-reel tape for which people could record with, but the cassette market dominated it. So, basically, it was used as a music medium, and to make amatuer recordings.
The brand Tascam is widely regarded as the most professional grade, and industry standard cassette player. Their models come complete with pitch shifting capability, XLR connections, and RCA connections that producers require. In recent years they have begun to manufacture Tape/CD models capable of doing both at studio quality.
Yes, this system has great playback quality.
For recording an acoustic guitar the most affordable quality microphones are the Oktava MC012 ($99) and the Marshall MXL 603S ($99)
A normal quality car cassette player costs about $25. If you already have a cassette player, you can purchase a cable to connect it to your car's audio panel.
A mini cassette was used in transcriber machines. It is a bit longer in length than the micro cassette, but the same height. The reason I know this is because I have transcribed from both sides for doctor's office, beginning back in the 1990s. The mini was never used for very long. Kind of like the beta and the VHS tapes for video recording. VHS won out over beta.
Yes there is a noticeable reduction in the quality of my recordings on lower quality tapes.
You can pay over one hundred dollars if you really need cassette playback.
A cassette deck is only as good as its cassette, which wears down over time. A CD player will always sound as good as the day you bought it, since it's digital.
The Pyle can record, and can do it with reasonable quality.