BY LOGAN SCHLOSSER
WEBMASTER
Recently, I had found a strange fascination with vinyl and cassette tapes. In all honesty, it is not a surprise at all, considering that I already love retro game collecting. Anyways, many people reading this article might not know what a Sony Walkman is, or even what a Walkman in general is.
To make it as basic as possible, the walkman is a generic term referring to any mobile tape player. They were originally created 1968, and were used from the 1970s to the mid-2000s. Their predecessors were eight-tracks, which were essentially just cassette tapes but bigger. Later, walkmans were later replaced by better mediums such the compact disc (CD) and the MPEG audio layer-three (MP3). For the sake of this article however, I will be referring to the Sony Walkmans, specifically the ones that included a radio.
Anyways, I decided to buy a Sony Walkman of my own off of Ebay. However, the whole buying process of a Sony Walkman is not exactly all butterflies and roses, it’s somewhat hard to find one that actually works. For example, the first one I bought, I had to return due to the fact that only the radio worked. The radio being the only functioning part is actually incredibly common when buying a walkman, which is why knowing walkman repair is especially important. Overall though, I eventually got a new walkman from another seller that works really well, and for a really good price too! You may be asking though, “Why would someone want to own an outdated form of music playing technology?” The truth is, I really can’t give you a straight answer. I can, however, type a two-paragraph comparison between the good and the ugly of Sony Walkman ownership. So, let’s get right into that!
Right off the bat, I feel as though I should start with the cons. As these should be taken into consideration before converting to this form of entertainment. First off, these things break, FAST. Cassette players are incredibly hard to find in working conditions. It is also the exact same thing with the tapes themselves. The tapes, like VHS, break down slowly after each play, a lot faster than most physical mediums. There is also the running issue of buying tapes, as not many companies and artists want to port their songs onto cassette tapes. Another issue is the fact that you cannot really pick songs too efficiently. This process basically just involves either listening to the whole side of the tape, or skipping and hoping you can find your spot. Lastly, It’s pretty hard to actually use a portable tape player. As in, they do not fit on a belt well, nor do they fit really anywhere.
I do, however, want to shed some light on these pieces of history, as I literally would not have bought it if it had no value to me. To start us off, you get to support many independent music artists one websites such as Bandcamp. These artists usually port their songs and albums onto both vinyl and cassette in limited quantities, so you can truly feel like you are helping these artists make a name for themselves. Walkmans also have a sort of aesthetic to them, they may be bulky, but that is why so many people have grown to love them. Many of them also have a portable radio, allowing you to listen to radio stations on the go! Lastly, they truly do just have a nice feel to them, like a nostalgia from a product you’ve never had in your life. All of the music I own on my Sony Walkman feel special to me, and they have value.
In conclusion, a walkman may not be for everyone, but if you are looking for a way to change up your music game, then by all means buy one. It’s also kind of an experience to go out and buy tapes from garage sales and antique malls. It’s truly a really great way to connect with the music you own. Anyways, I truly hope you enjoyed this article. I really do appreciate it!
Thank you for reading!
-Logan Schlosser