9 great gift ideas for audiophiles, from wired headphones to turntables and MP3 players
Perfect gifts for an audiophile
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The audiophile in your life probably already has some of thebest headphonesbut there are plenty of other gifts you can buy them this Christmas. So many that it can feel pretty intimidating to know where to start.
That’s where we’re here to help. We’ve used our expert knowledge and experience to come up with some great gift ideas for the audiophile in your life. A lot of audio equipment isn’t cheap but we’ve done our best to include items for a wide range of budgets so there’s something for every situation.
To help you out, we’ve looked at a little bit of everything from MP3 players to turntables – all with a focus on them providing the best audio experience for the music addict in your life. Check out what we consider to be the perfect gifts for audiophiles, below.
If you still need some other inspiration, take a look at our guides to the bestChristmas salesin the US andBoxing Day salesin the UK. We’ve also gathered together plenty of other holiday andChristmas gift ideasto help you figure out what to buy.
Best turntable and Bluetooth speaker gifts
best turntable
The best turntable
The Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO isn’t a cheap turntable but it easily tops our look at thebest turntablesthanks to its great quality. It’s the most refined one around offering a detailed listen and an automatic speed control so there’s no need for you to do much. It sounds fantastic so even the pickiest of audiophiles will be delighted.
great budget turntable
Best budget turntable
For the best budget turntable, consider the Audio-Technica Full Automatic Turntable. It’s still fully automatic which is useful with the only difference being that it could sound a little crisper and more balanced than a pricier alternative. An old-school look, it suits those wanting a more traditional aesthetic right down to its lack of modern features. It’s ideal for newbies to the vinyl world who want to try something new.
Bluetooth speaker
Powerful Bluetooth speaker
For a more modern listening experience, try theSonos Roam. Sonos has a great reputation for audio quality for good reason. This speaker is portable so you can take it around with you for up to 10 hours. It pairs up with other Sonos speakers so you can set up a multiroom arrangement, while there’s support for everything you can think of including Alexa and Google Assistant.
Best wired and over-ear headphone gifts
Budget IEM
Hi-res sound on a budget
Audiophiles know that wired sound is simply better. The1More Triple Driver In-Ear Earphonesdemonstrate you don’t even have to spend much to enjoy hi-res audio and earphones tuned by a Grammy Award winning sound engineer. Two balanced armatures and a separate dynamic driver ensure an incredibly accurate experience with fantastic clarity and deep bass as needed.
Premium IEM
High-end wired listening
Lightweight, comfy to wear, and offering balanced and stunningly detailed hi-res sound, theSennheiser IE 300 Pro in-ear headphonesare perfect for audiophiles. They provide amazing isolation from your environment which is perfect for music production or simply gaining the benefit from every note in your favorite song.With a specialized back volume and absorbing resonator chamber, clarity is far improved making these quite exceptional for the right ear.
Premium headphones
Ideal Over-Ear cans
For those who prefer over-ear headphones, theSennheiser HD 660S2are a delight. They provide high-fidelity sound with extra sub bass while still feeling natural and relaxed. Improved ventilation compared to others means minimal distortion so you can hear the lowest note as well as the kick of a bass drum. An open-back design makes them perfect for extended recording sessions too.
Best MP3 player and radio gifts
MP3 player
Superior to any phone
TheFIIO M11S Hi-Res MP3 playerreminds audiophiles of why your phone just doesn’t cut it for hi-res audio, no matter what features it offers. Here, you get a dedicated listening experience with lossless DSD/MQA. There’s support for Tidal too with Android 10 ably capable of handling everything you want to do here. Sound is bold, detailed, and fantastic.
Mid-range MP3 player
Classic MP3 experience
The Sony NW-A306 Walkman is a reminder of how great Sony was at making Walkmans cool and excellent. There’s support for hi-res audio here along with DSD format up to 11.2MHz and 360 Reality Audio – Sony’s specialist feature which enhances the soundstage of your music. Up to 36 hours of 44.1KHz FLAC playback between charges ensures this is going to be permanently attached to audiophiles.
DAB Radio
Gorgeous DAB radio
DAB radios remain pretty useful while providing better sound than the dated FM format. TheRoberts Rambler DAB Radiolooks as good as it sounds. Its 1970s stylings work well while there are tactile knobs for interacting with it. Most importantly for audiophiles, it offers some good sound with Bluetooth streaming its particular penchant alongside radio stations. It’s a little quiet but a lovely addition to your kitchen.
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Jennifer is a roving tech freelancer with over 10 years experience. Having graduated from Swansea University with a degree in Media and Communication Studies, and later with a diploma from Staffordshire University with a post graduate diploma in Computer Games Design, she’s written for a huge number of publications, including T3, FitandWell, Top Ten Reviews, Eurogamer, NME and many more.
Her main areas of interest are all things B2B, smart technology, wearables, speakers, headphones, and anything gaming related, and you’ll find her writing everything from product reviews to buying guides and hunting down the latest coupon codes to save you money. In her spare time, she enjoys the cinema, walking, and attempting to train her pet guinea pigs. She is yet to succeed.
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