The Christmas Holiday Season is upon us again! This year just flew by, didn’t it?
Well, here we are back again to help out with Christmas Gifts, and let you know precisely what the Audiophile/Music lover in your life wants under the tree! We will have several posts with gifts at all different price points, starting with this one covering the best stocking stuffers and Christmas Gifts under $100. Check it out and stay tuned for our follow up posts!
(Update: Our best gifts under $500 posts is now up! Check it out…Audiophile Holiday Gift Guide 2019: Best Christmas Gifts Under $500!)
1.) Shanling MTW100 True Wireless Earphone, Bluetooth 5.0 Earbuds– I reviewed these True Wireless Buds not too long ago, and I fell in love with them! They are lightweight, and the case is super small, the perfect size for a guy to slip in his pocket. They look great, they’re very comfortable, and they will go for seven hours on a single charge. All of that is nice, but my favorite part is the balanced armature driver, which is rare to have in a wireless earphone. The BA driver gives you clarity and sharpness of sound you don’t get from other TWS earphones. Get these for that special music lover on your list.
2.) Tranya T3 Sports Wireless Headphones, Bluetooth 5.0 Deep Bass True Wireless Earbuds Built-in Microphone– This is a cheaper alternative to the earbuds above. Since they have a Dynamic Driver and not a Balanced Armature like the Shanling, the sound is not quite as crisp, but it’s still excellent. I also found them comfortable and easy to use when I did my review. These are a great pick to impress someone without spending a ton of money.
3.) FiiO M5 AK4377 32bit /384kHz DAC chip Hi-Res Bluetooth Touch Screen MP3 Music Player with aptX/aptX HD/LDAC, USB Audio/DAC– This tiny music player packs a lot into one small chassis. It tells time, counts your steps like a Fitbit, records audio, and of course, it’s an excellent music player. If you buy the watchband accessory, you can even wear it like an Apple Watch! It also works as a headphone amplifier/DAC for your laptop, giving you a much better sound than you would get from the crappy headphone jack on the computer.
4.) FiiO M3K Mini HiFi Metal Shell MP3 Player with Digital Voice Recorder-This player is too big to wear as a watch, and it doesn’t count steps, but it will make your music sound great for a little less than the player above. It will also work as a USB Headphone Amp/DAC for your computer, a beautiful gift for people who like to listen to music at work. Save your phone juice for phone calls!
5.) Final Audio E1000 in-Ear Monitor Dynamic Headphones-This is one of my favorite earphones to use on the go, and they have a big following amongst headphone enthusiasts. They have a sweet easy-going, spacious, mid-centric sound that is amazing with pop and singer/songwriter music and good with just about anything else. Vocals sound like a live performance. They are tiny and inexpensive (around $30) earbuds made for audiophiles, so they will blow away department store earphones. Nice and cheap to pop in your bag without worrying too much, plus you don’t have to settle for bad sound. They’re also super comfortable.
6.) Linsoul KZ ZSX 5BA+1DD 6 Driver Hybrid in-Ear HiFi Earphones– When I reviewed these earphones a couple of months back, I called them “most transparent and cohesive of any KZ so far.” That means for around $60 bucks you can get a fun pair of in-ear monitors that will give you a full, clear sound better than any earbuds you will see at Best Buy. With six speakers per side, you can provide the music lover in your life a personal concert for their ears! They also look cool.
7.) GRADO SR60e Prestige Series Wired Open-Back Stereo Headphones– The Grado SR-60 has been the budget headphone king for many years now, offering great detail in the midrange and treble along with fast, controlled low-end presence for those who like to rock out. The open-back design, coupled with the long cord, makes these more suited for use at home, but if you want to give someone the taste of what an actual hi-fi headphone sounds like without spending a ton of money (around 70 bucks), look no further — great gift for a guy who loves speakers, and wants to get started with headphones.
8.) Brainwavz Hengja – The Desk Headphone Hanger – Believe me, if you know someone with a big set of headphones on their desk, they will love you for this gift! This hanger lets them keep their headphones out of the way and save room at the same time!
9.) Brainwavz Hard Earphone Case – Suitable for Most Earphone Sizes – If you know someone who has a bunch of earphones, this will be a welcome gift. Even if they have only one pair and just travel a lot, they will love this. Most earphones nowadays only come with a soft storage pouch or no storage option at all. This hard case will protect them and help them last longer!
10.) FiiO BTR3 HiFi Bluetooth Receiver&USB DAC | aptX/aptX HD/aptX LL/LDAC/AAC/HWA Support– This baby will turn your headphone jack deprived smartphone into a full-fledged high-resolution music player, add headphones! All you have to do is connect to it via Bluetooth, plug in your earphones, and you’re ready to go! It supports CD-quality wireless music transfers if your phone supports it, and the internal DAC will make your music sound crisper, even better than a device that still has a headphone jack. The best part is that it’s reasonably priced!
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I’m an audio writer who started as a young audio salesman/consumer electronics professional back in the late 90s. That’s where I discovered the magic of 2-Channel sound. My thirst for great sound has led me on a delightful music quest that continues today.
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