Memory Tape

Niko Stratis writes about the comfort of physical media and older technology.

Let us suffer no worries or troubles, we have salvation in our walkmen and their analogue batteries. Never mind the truth of these eras, the 90s and the days before and after are years often cast in imperfect light as moments in time when we were a proper society. That’s not true for all, and you only need to engage with the culture of the time with eyes open enough to see the hardships and downfalls for many. But still, I understand the desire to glamorize it, and hold the past as indelible proof of a better time.

Pockets have gotten smaller, I’ve noticed, and I imagine that’s because of the shrinking of technology. We don’t have to carry Walkmans and CD Walkmans anymore, and so the pocket industrial complex has responded in kind. Who needs all this space when we no longer own anything we’re able to hold.

After looking at many single-purpose portable music devices (DAPs to the geeks), I’m finally getting over searching for a separate device for music. I can use my DAC3 Mobile Headphone Amplifier & DAC with my iPhone or iPad and some over-the-ear headphones and get crisp, detailed, nuanced sound. I’m already carrying those devices, so getting another one for music, going through all the work to transfer local files onto a device, arrange my library and separate playlists, etc. doesn’t feel particularly efficient.

As they say about cameras, “the best one is the one you have with you.” Perhaps the same can be said of portable music players.

via Opus