Bringing the boom: our love affair with portable audio




![<p>Clive Sinclair was way ahead of his time when he released the Sinclair Micro-6 portable radio in 1964. This matchbox-sized player let you tune in and drop out without disturbing your neighbors and paved the way for future portable audio devices like Sony's Walkman and <a href="http://www.engadget.com/products/apple/ipod/1st-gen/">Apple's iPod</a>.</p>
<p>Sinclair also offered a special "Transrista" watchband so you could secure the Micro-6 to your wrist, making it the latest in wearable-tech fashion.</p>
<p><small>[Image: AP Photo]</small></p>](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/p__3hf9tzEKQtnzoQuPN3w--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTkzNQ--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/0iJea7QBQmKkCi71nUCdaQ--~B/aD03Nzk7dz04MDA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/285/868/1/S2858681/slug/l/sinclair-micro-6-800-1.jpg)







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Groove is in the art of portable audio
From gramophones in the garden to the block-rocking boomboxes of the '80s to today's pocket-sized portables, we've been finding new ways to keep the groove going wherever we go. Although the sizes of these devices have shrunk down over time, the star attraction has always been the sound. So join us as we highlight some of the milestones in the history of portable audio devices.