#media format

Syringe Shape USB Flash Drive

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I spotted this categorisation of listeners on Steven Wilson’s new Headphone Dust website. Casual ListenerHeadphones & Stereo“I listen on headphones, earbuds, or a regular stereo setup” Immersive ListenerSurround Sound & Atmos“I have a 5.1 surround system or Dolby Atmos soundbar” EnthusiastReference Quality“I want the absolute best lossless Atmos experience” He thinks I’m a casual listener…

— and the Provenance That Actually Matters Every so often an article comes along that doesn’t just confirm a suspicion I’ve held for years, but crystallises it. The recent Headphonesty piece on Japan’s premium CD formats — SHM-CD, UHQCD, Blu-spec and the rest of the alphabet soup — did exactly that. It laid out, with admirable bluntness, something I’ve watched play out across the hobby: the…

Another day, another snipe at music streaming. Every delivery format—vinyl, tape, CD, file download, and streaming—sparks passionate devotion and equally strong rejection among both creators and users. These allegiances shape listening rituals, creative choices, and industry strategies. Primary Drivers of Format Allegiances Sound Quality and Aesthetics Vinyl devotees praise analog warmth,…

I saw this from Headphonesty, and it struck a chord with me … Owning vinyl records and the ‘listening ritual’ that comes with it used to give me butterflies. But just like any toxic relationship, I soon realized I’ve been giving more than I’m receiving.https://www.headphonesty.com/2026/01/why-breaking-up-vinyl-going-back-cds/ … A Reflection on Letting Go and Returning to CDsThere comes a…

New Wine in Old Bottles, Old Wine in New Bottles?When it comes to music, the question isn’t just what we listen to, but how it reaches us. Distribution – the journey from creator to listener – always requires a container. And that container, whether physical or digital, shapes the experience.  For decades, we’ve had a parade of carriers: vinyl, polycarbonate discs, magnetic tape, minidisc, hard…

For those of us who treat listening as ritual rather than background noise, the decline of physical media is not merely cultural—it is technical. What’s being eroded is not just the romance of sleeves and spines, but the fidelity, provenance, and tactile rituals that define attentive listening.  The Major Label Machine … The vinyl boom was hijacked early on. Pressing plants clogged with mass…

I have a transport metaphor: the medium isn’t just a neutral carrier – it changes both the recording and the listener along the way. Imagine each format not merely as a mode of transport for the music, but as a vehicle that subtly alters both the passenger and the luggage during the journey. A vinyl pressing is a heritage train with polished wood interiors, where the ride imparts a faint scent…