A Simple Digital Audio Player
I'm trying to be more deliberately present and not-as-online. I'm very proud of myself for deleting most social media and sticking with the small web and corners of the internet that are worth my time and energy. Part of this is me wanting to download music instead of stream it. I acknowledge the major convenience of it all, but I realize that I don't "focus" on music like I used to. I can sing along to tons of songs from the 80-2000s, but nothing new. I like the music I mix, but I hardly "know" the music, if that makes sense.
A couple of years ago I purchased a used FiiO audio player for a decent price, but the OS was so laggy even with updates that I couldn't really use it. Until I get into the mood to try to flash it with another OS, I'll keep it in a drawer.
This week I bought a new little DAP (digital audio player) the MECHEN 30. It plays hi-res audio in various formats. It has no Bluetooth or wifi which is exactly what I wanted. It doesn't play video, doesn't need constant updates, you can add a bigger micro SD card for storage, and it has a good weight to it. The best part about it is the price. You can get it on Amazon (US) for $79 or on Ali-express for about $50.
I plugged it into my Mac with the included Micro USB cable (old, but eh, it's fine) and did a good ol, drag and drop of my folders onto the device. Honestly, a dream. No fussing with software, no updates to be done, and the little DAP even shows the album art. I swear the music sounded so good, better than streamed highest-res-possible audio. Maybe because I was focusing on the songs. I was so happy. It's a cheap device with nice weight to it, and even if this lasts a couple of years I'll be happy and maybe upgrade to a fancier setup in the future. But it's what I need right now.