I remember the stereo system my family had in the 80s was like a giant activity centre for me. I often slowly moved the radio needle to see how far away I could pick up stations, like obscure community radio. I used to also tape songs from the radio (and from LPs and other tapes). And I’d record my voice between each song like I was a ra…
I remember the stereo system my family had in the 80s was like a giant activity centre for me. I often slowly moved the radio needle to see how far away I could pick up stations, like obscure community radio. I used to also tape songs from the radio (and from LPs and other tapes). And I’d record my voice between each song like I was a radio announcer. Later I got a stereo of my own with a built in CD player. It was an all in one, not components like yours. But I loved the physical medium. When I listened to a CD, I’d often look at the album artwork and thumb through the booklet inlay. Some people might think I’m talking nonsense but I think the album artwork actually coloured the music I was hearing. If it was a good album cover (Nirvana Nevermind being a good example) it made the music sound better.
I agree 💯 about the physical medium. The art, the lyrics, notes, credits, etc, all combined to make listening an experience. I feel so passive when I listen to music on streaming. It converts even my favorite music into background music.
It is exactly why I keep this stereo system going. I want to force myself to make a choice on my listening and when I do so, to make it more of an experience in the hope that I can get lost in it just a little. It doesn't always work, but when it does, it is very rewarding.
Yeah, the brand was Expo. From what I can work out, it was a brand made exclusively for K-Mart Australia. But I’m not sure if it’s the rose coloured glasses talking but I remember it sounding excellent (despite what I assume was a low price) and it lasted years.
My rule with streaming music is to stick to the album format rather than a bunch of individual tracks. That gets me part of the way there but still not close. I’ve thought about collecting CDs as they’re like what retro computers were in the 90s and early 2000s - cheap and no one wants them. They’re also technically the pinnacle of good sound, and their jewel cases look like mini LP sleeves.
I had never heard of Expo, but found a few pieces online from the 70s and 80s. I like the look of all of them. The speakers I saw looked pretty solid specs wise.
It is a good time to collect CDs. People are still getting rid of them so the price on older stuff is very low.
I remember the stereo system my family had in the 80s was like a giant activity centre for me. I often slowly moved the radio needle to see how far away I could pick up stations, like obscure community radio. I used to also tape songs from the radio (and from LPs and other tapes). And I’d record my voice between each song like I was a radio announcer. Later I got a stereo of my own with a built in CD player. It was an all in one, not components like yours. But I loved the physical medium. When I listened to a CD, I’d often look at the album artwork and thumb through the booklet inlay. Some people might think I’m talking nonsense but I think the album artwork actually coloured the music I was hearing. If it was a good album cover (Nirvana Nevermind being a good example) it made the music sound better.
I agree 💯 about the physical medium. The art, the lyrics, notes, credits, etc, all combined to make listening an experience. I feel so passive when I listen to music on streaming. It converts even my favorite music into background music.
It is exactly why I keep this stereo system going. I want to force myself to make a choice on my listening and when I do so, to make it more of an experience in the hope that I can get lost in it just a little. It doesn't always work, but when it does, it is very rewarding.
Do you remember the system you had?
Yeah, the brand was Expo. From what I can work out, it was a brand made exclusively for K-Mart Australia. But I’m not sure if it’s the rose coloured glasses talking but I remember it sounding excellent (despite what I assume was a low price) and it lasted years.
My rule with streaming music is to stick to the album format rather than a bunch of individual tracks. That gets me part of the way there but still not close. I’ve thought about collecting CDs as they’re like what retro computers were in the 90s and early 2000s - cheap and no one wants them. They’re also technically the pinnacle of good sound, and their jewel cases look like mini LP sleeves.
I had never heard of Expo, but found a few pieces online from the 70s and 80s. I like the look of all of them. The speakers I saw looked pretty solid specs wise.
It is a good time to collect CDs. People are still getting rid of them so the price on older stuff is very low.