Looking for a touch of inspiration ahead of this gift-giving season — specifically for the music-lover in your life? I love that. I want to help you find them a gift they’ll love, whether they’re embracing the retro wired trend, vinyl/CD/cassette collecting or streaming to a wireless hi-fi setup.
I am TechRadar’s Audio Editor, and I can tell you that I’d love to receive any one of these items this Holiday season. Even the three cheapest items on this list look and sound far more expensive than they are — and if it’s inexpensive you want, head straight to the Stylophone Mini (this thing is addictive, I’m telling you), the JBL Go 5 Bluetooth speaker or, for a set of truly tiny cheap earbuds, the JLab JBuds Mini ANC.
If they’re into hi-res audio, you can’t go wrong with the utterly stunning little FiiO Retro Nano Bluetooth amp and DAC (yes, it looks like a tiny Walkman — only no, it’s not). Check out the ‘view details’ extra info tab beneath the image, for more info.
Are they happily embracing the wind beneath their wires in 2026? Look to Sony‘s 1979-inspired MDR-3R wired headphones, which also come in a special Stranger Things variant. If they want to reenact the Running up that Hill (A Deal With God) scene, just like Max Mayfield trying to evade Vecna, you cannot buy better.
On the other hand, maybe they need cheap wireless cans? They’ll love the inexpensive Sony WH-530, which only arrived a couple of months ago and just reviewed very well indeed — or for wired earbuds, Bose’s also-new Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds are a great shout (if they aren’t sold out already; wired audio really is having a moment).
For album lovers rediscovering the joy of the physical, “you’ll always own this” music product (take that, Spotify!), I have several recommendations. There’s the excellent Sony PS-LX5BT turntable, the Gadhouse MIKO cassette player or the kn5 CP1 portable CD player, all of which will make superb gifts.
Oh, and if you want to go big (maybe they’ve had a tough year; maybe this is a Big Present), the Marshall Bromley 150 is a stunning Bluetooth speaker with loads of rock ‘n’ roll appeal, while the Creative XF1 are very capable desktop speakers.
Whatever you buy them, you’re getting a TechRadar approved audio product — don’t forget the ‘view details’ tab for our product-specific coverage to help you further. And above all, enjoy some tunes while gift-wrapping!
Becky Scarrott
I’ve reviewed over 180 audio products since becoming a tech journalist, ranging from super-budget earbuds to high-end Hi-Res Audio music players. Before joining TechRadar, I spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing everything the world of audio had to offer; before that, I was a professional dancer. My love of music ties it all together.
My top gifts for audiophiles
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becky.scarrott@futurenet.com (Becky Scarrott)
