Preserving the Ritual of Listening
Since I got a turntable at home, my record collection has grown quite a bit in a short time. The player itself is connected to a 2.1 stereo set that I have had in my living room for ages, and that works fine. But as it goes, after a while you always start to notice things that could be better, or at least different.
The turntable is directly connected to that stereo set and can therefore only play music through those speakers. In other words: I have to be in my living room to enjoy it (or set the volume so high that I can also enjoy it in the kitchen – the neighbours will appreciate that much less). A quick trip on the internet shows that there are obviously several solutions in the form of an analog‑to‑digital streaming system. Connect the turntable to the streamer, then configure the streamer so it connects with all the smart speakers around the house and voilà: the analog world has been turned into a digital one with a few cables and some electrical wizardry.
Then I started to question myself. Why did that turntable end up in the house in the first place? Mainly to keep appreciating the music I have seen at live concerts as a physical memory and to listen to it attentively. An strange, but very strong connection forms with the music you play when you have to put in all the effort a turntable brings. Doesn’t that connection disappear like snow before the sun the moment you make the link with all the digital conveniences?
Before I even think about buying such streaming gadgets, it’s time to return to my “sleep on it for a night” principle. Even though – after writing this text – I actually think I already know the answer.