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VINTAGE RECORD PLAYER
I have a friend who can't understand my obsession with my vintage record player. We have been best friends for a long time, but we still don't get each other. You see, in many ways we are complete opposites. He is the quintessential neophile. He loves anything high tech, fancy, advanced, or shiny. I am the exact opposite. I love the look of age. I love the old, quirky, and clunky. Both being music lovers, it is natural that we argue about antique record players.
For me, nothing compares to a vintage record player. I love everything about vintage record players. I love the way they look. I love the way they sound. But most of all, I love the physicality of them. I love anything that is mechanical. When you listen to a CD player, or an MP3 player for that matter, you don't see anything happening. It is just some magic box that makes music for you. With vintage record players, however, it is different. You actually see the needle tracing over the surface of the record. You can actually hear every piece of dust, every tiny scratch, and of course that beautiful, raw analog sound. I love the way that vintage records sound. I love listening to an old 45 rpm record. For me, perfection is overrated. I would rather have something that feels physical, tangible, and real. I hate digital sound, and for that reason, I love the sound of a vintage record player.
My friend is much different. He only has to see my vintage record player to start into a tirade. He can't stand my obsession with old things. He finds it sentimental and nostalgic. For him, it is all about practicality. He doesn't like a vintage record player because there are new analog devices that do the job more efficiently. For me, however, that is not the point. You can always find something bigger, better, more efficient, or newer. For me, the beauty of the vintage record player is that it takes physical processes and creates actual sound out of them. You can see the music happening, and it allows you to contemplate the miracle of sound recording. Paradoxically, it is much easier to forget how far technology has come when you're using newer technology. A vintage record player always puts you face-to-face with the miracles of modern life. An MP3 player just makes you jaded.