Looking for inspiration for the music-lover in your life? I get it – and I want to help you find them a gift they’ll love listening to.
What I can tell you is that I would adore opening any one of these items this Holiday season – and in every case except the all-new and super-sparkly We Are Rewind Duran Duran-themed cassette player, I’ve heard the product, and I rate the sound. (The cassette player? I mean it’s stunning – and while I love the warm and nostalgic hiss of magnetic tape as a cassette whirs away to bring music to my ears, nobody buys cassettes for truly clean, pristine audio).
Wondering whether to get them a set of earbuds? My top picks of 2025 would be the January 2025-launch Technics EAH-AZ100 for delicate and nuanced sound, or the June-issue Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) for a ‘cocoon of silence’ active noise cancellation experience.
Over-ears more their thing? Here, the budget-conscious can go for the late-September launch CMF Headphone Pro with my blessing, or if it’s their ‘big present’, you really cannot go wrong with the excellent Sony WH-1000XM6, which arrived in May 2025.
Thinking a turntable might be out of the question? Hold on one minute! Consider the Sony PS-LX310BT, which will hook up to the Bluetooth speaker or wireless headphones they already own, so won’t mean buying a full-blown sound system. And if it’s a set of speakers they truly desire, my pick would be the excellent (and very handsome) Dali Kupid – which are so new, we only just published our five-star Dali Kupid review…
Whatever you get them, make sure you dance if you are able this festive season. And above all, enjoy the music!
My top gifts for audiophiles
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