An audio playback/recording apparatus includes an audio input processing section
which receives analog audio data, and converts the analog audio data to digital
audio data; a playback/recording processing section which compresses digital audio
data output from the audio input processing section and stores the compressed digital
audio data into a RAM and which decompresses the compressed digital audio data
according to attribution data indicating a type of compression; an audio output
processing section which receives the decompressed digital audio data, converts
the decompressed digital audio data to analog audio data, and outputs the analog
audio data to an output apparatus; and an external recording circuit section which
records compressed digital audio data stored in the RAM into an external recording
medium, reads out the compressed digital audio data, and stores the data into the RAM.
