Listening to music is a universally relaxing pursuit. Whether your tastes are for classical or for drum and bass, it is a way of recharging your own personal batteries.
Over the years the way we listen to music as a way to relax has changed. The portable record player (1) and the cassette player (2) provide sociable ways of relaxing by sharing and enjoying music with friends. The mp3 (3) player gives a more personal, introspective listening experience, and with the use of headphones (4) the music is kept private to the listener.
Not only has the miniaturisation of technology such as printed circuit boards provided the catalyst for smaller music players but the actual media from which the music is played has had an effect on the size and portability of the device.
Early long play (LP) records were large discs of delicate shellac and later vinyl both requiring sturdy carrying boxes to prevent scratching and damage, making the portability of the heavy player and records limited. The cassette player is much lighter with a polyester magnetic tape housed in a polystyrene casing, it is pocket sized but relatively bulky. The small mp3 player, on the other hand, can hold thousands of digital tunes and can keep you entertained for many hours.