Pocket Musicology

"Is that a phone??" My intrigued neighbor on the local train asked me, interrupting the illustration I had in mind: lying beneath the twinkling Eiffel Tower at midnight, add Billy Joel singing to complement the tranquility feeling.

I usually don't take off on flights of fantasy, especially not in the canned tuna locals, but when you witness something very beautiful, it inspires you to forget the world and just imagine.

"No, it's an MP3 player" I replied, pleased with the inquiry and the fact that she could not help but keep her gaze locked on to the newest Samsung player I held in my palm that had a blinking interface, and which had caused the illusions.

Our ten minutes conversation hinged around the player's stunning looks. I also gladly fixed a few product queries and asked her to log on to Techtree for the ones I couldn't. By the end of it, a lot of people in the compartment knew about the admirable innovation, and my neighbor desperately wanted a chic MP3 player from Dubai.

The mulatto of beauty and technology has raised a new breed of consumers who want to be tech-savvy. This tete-e-tete in turn made me ponder about the increasing number of head bangers because of technology advancements.

The portable player evolution theory suggests that the iPod be held responsible for musical revelations among the ignoramus in early twenty first century. We all know that players existed prior to it, but the alleged 'style quotient' was seeped in by Apple which lured many, generating head swings - all with its soft, simple, stylish appearance and most importantly its features. Everyone wanted one, I guess still wants one. I too was infatuated by its originality and freshness when it just came along. Alas, the phase didn't last long, but that is another story altogether.

Time and again, with brands developing products that uncannily resemble the iPod has only reiterated its successful reign. I remember the latest Sagem phone as their last sycophant, apart from several MP3 players acting as iPod twins, to name one: heard of Wespro? As a matter of fact, the new love of my life - the twinkle face Samsung too looks like a Nano, which once again advocates that Apple after all did create a classic blueprint for successful portable players. But then, we cannot ignore the brands that have evolved themselves from basic to beautiful without flattering Apple, creating their own alcove, namely: Creative, iAudio/Cowon and iRiver.

Be it an iPod, its clone or any other brand for that matter, without spectacular sound to complement it, there's no stunner. It's incredible how good sound can change the way you listen to a particular song or a piece of audio. I used to own a Creative Muvo two years ago and had upgraded it with iPod earphones for the best experience possible. It worked well for me then, but I'll probably not go in for the same combination today because things have only got better with other brands and will continue to do so. If you've got the dough, I'd say go for the kill with the Bose headset. It'll definitely blow your mind away and yes, wearing Bose is stylish no matter how plain it looks!

These acoustic pleasures obviously come with a price tag escalating in proportion to their goodness; and since possessing a sleek gadget has become fashionable, 'the others' don't mind reaching out for their wallets when cupid strikes at gadget watch. The awe of holding something futuristic could be so exotic giving warm fuzzies even to the un-tech savvy.

Music has existed for the longest time and so have the people who appreciate it, be it through a good old cranky transistor or the classic gramophone. The reason for increase of the 'other' music loving consumers is not just because of the fact that some Reshammia has taken over, the new hybrid music devices coupled with uber cool looks give you the feel good factor just by owning it, hence enticing the junta to make a style statement, listen to the rhythm at best quality and fall in love with it. Hereon develops a generation that will cultivate a future generation with some music values in their blood.

And anyway, after you pay a bomb for that slick piece of work, you will not only enjoy the music, you'll feel like becoming a sound connoisseur.