The present invention includes a data storage system. The data storage system includes an enclosure and at least one perpendicular recording device positioned within the enclosure and in communication with a recording medium. The recording medium includes a layer of magnetic material that has a permeability that is substantially similar to a permeability of a magnetic material in the recording device. The data storage system also includes a soft magnetic material included in the enclosure for shielding magnetic stray fields from the perpendicular recording device. The soft magnetic material has a permeability that is at least as great as approximately the permeability of the layer of magnetic material of the recording medium.