Listening to chocolate Chip Trip on Apple Music by Tool. What a great song to enjoy on your audio system. Great speaker dust off!

#music

Could Apple Bring Back The iPod For A Special Anniversary Edition?

…Apple released the iPhone Pocket a day after the iPod turned 24. That said, could the company bring back its iconic product for a special anniversary edition in 2026, when it completes 25 years?

Yes, please! Maybe it’s because I’ve been on a music rediscovery kick lately with my (new) Sony Walkman, but I think this would be an awesome idea. How cool would it be if Apple reintroduced the iPod Classic to celebrate its 25th anniversary? I don’t think they would do it, but it would be cool.

I have my old iPod Classic and it still works, so instead of having Apple bring back the old iPod Classic purely for nostalgia purposes, what if they brought back an entirely new dedicated music player? It would have to be something that entices audiophiles and casual listeners alike. With the resurgence of physical media being purchased by younger generations, I don’t see this as a stretch.

Imagine Apple releases an iPod that’s like the Classic in that it has one purpose: to play music at the highest quality possible. I think they have a real shot because younger people are buying vinyl, Blu-rays, DVDs, and old CDs to go back to a simpler time. It’s like they’re trying to experience something new, because to them, streaming services are “so yesterday.” They want to try something cool, like listening to vinyl or busting out a Sony Walkman like I did and enjoying that for an evening.

Maybe it’s not nostalgia for them but something genuinely new that sparks their interest. I think they’d be hooked because they wouldn’t have to listen to the compressed streaming quality they may be used to. Instead, they’d get high-quality lossless audio that I’m sure Apple could deliver in an iPod 2026 edition. What a cool thought experiment. I’m all in.

Sitting down to intentionally enjoy your music isn’t something most of us do these days. We put music in the background while showering, driving to work, cleaning the house, or hosting a party. The music is there, it sets the mood, and we enjoy it, but we don’t listen to it the way people used to back in the 60s and 70s.

The other day, I saw Randy talk about taking the time to really enjoy our music on his cheapaudioman YouTube channel. He mentioned that streaming services give us incredible variety, but having so much choice creates a paradox. With virtually no limits on what to choose from, we listen to a bit of a song, click to the next one, and keep clicking until we either get tired, move on to something else, or actually find something we like. The problem? We’re not really taking the time to enjoy songs the way the artist intended, like we would if we listened to an entire album.

I get it. Not all of us have time for this. But every once in a while, it’s nice to just slow down, sit back in your favorite chair, and listen to your music collection. Revisit old tracks that remind you of great times gone by. Just as fun is discovering new music that’s been hiding in plain sight within the collection you’ve always had.

I did just this today. I actually started a couple of nights ago for about an hour, but today I dedicated a nice chunk of time to it again. I took my music collection (ripped from CDs a while ago and stored on my NAS) and put it on a microSD card. Once I had everything I wanted, which was my entire collection since it’s not that big, I loaded it onto my “new” Walkman, a Sony NW-A55/B. I paired it with my HiFiMan open-back headphones and went to town.

I loaded up all the songs, put them on shuffle, pressed play, sat back, and enjoyed. Some of these songs brought back awesome memories, while others I’d never heard before, or at least didn’t remember hearing. A good example is “3121” by Prince. It’s a fun, rhythmic song I don’t remember ever listening to before, so I’m glad I discovered it.

If you have the opportunity, try something like this yourself. One of these days, I’m going to dig into my vinyl collection, pick an album at random, and just put it on. Even if I end up not liking my choice, at least I can say I listened to it and made an informed decision. There’s a slim chance of that since most of the vinyl records I have are ones I chose myself, but there are a few that were handed down to me or bought by family members, so there’s always a possibility. But I love music so much, I’ll probably find something I like in everything I listen to.

Anyway, that’s a project for another day. Today was such a joy, and I experienced it uninterrupted because I didn’t have my phone buzzing or beeping at me. I was just listening to a dedicated music player with wired headphones, a cup of coffee in my hand, and my memories. Period.

I heard about a band named Goose from Marco Arment on the Accidental Tech Podcast the other day, so I started listening. I like them a lot, so far.

Checked them out on Apple Music, Bandcamp or your favorite streaming service of choice. Heck… knock yourself out andg o buy the physical album.

Tiny Vinyl is a new pocketable record format for the Spotify age

“I’ve already pre-ordered two Tiny Vinyl records,” Fred Whitacre Jr, a teacher, drummer, and record collector from Warren, Ohio, said. “But, I don’t think it’s something I’m going to delve very heavily into. I always like when vinyl pressings try something new, but for me, I’m probably going to stick with LPs and 45s.”

Tiny vinyl? That’s the coolest thing I’ve heard of in a while! I didn’t grow up with vinyl myself, but I inherited my first few records from my dad. Now we have a collection of about 100 or so. The funny thing is that my teenagers love vinyl too. I didn’t encourage them to listen to records or anything—they just picked up the love themselves. It’s amusing watching them flip through albums like in the old days, selecting their favorites to take to their rooms from time to time. I hope tiny vinyl records are compelling enough to gain traction and stick around for a while. I, for one, am rooting for them.