The 'pop' example given at the beginning of the article when switching on an 80s machine with built-in audio is typically caused by a DC blocking capacitor in l

The 'pop' example given at the beginning of the article when switching on an 80s machine with built-in audio is typically caused by a DC blocking capacitor in line with the speaker. Because those machines typically only had a +ve supply rail, the output amplifier swings the output between gnd and +5v (or +12v, whatever the supply is), so there's a 1/2 rail voltage DC offset on the speaker output, and the blocking cap absorbs this during that 'pop'. So the sound is quite analog, it's an exponentially decaying voltage as the capacitor charges :)