Father’s Day (June 19th) is coming soon! Have you bought Dad a gift yet? Is he a music lover? Is he still listening to his tunes on a beat-up old stereo system or headphones purchased before you were born? Well, Fathers’ Day is the perfect time to help him upgrade his hi-fi rig! Below is a list of affordable audiophile speakers, headphones, amps, and DACs that will make his music come alive and not break the bank! Forget the Tie…this stuff will definitely put a smile on his face!
1. EarFun Air Pro 2 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Earphones ($79.99 + $20 Coupon)
For: The Workout Warrior Dad
We really loved the first version of these noise-canceling earphones, but the EarFun Air Pro 2 has several improvements over the original, including stronger ANC, a wireless charging case, more responsive controls, and a more refined treble. This is an excellent AirPods Pro or Galaxy Buds Pro alternative.
2. Technics True Wireless Multipoint Bluetooth Earbuds with Advanced Noise Cancelling ($229.99)
For: The Commuter Dad
The Technics EAH-AZ60 is a great-looking set of True Wireless Earbuds that has great comfort, responsive touch controls, superb ANC, plus excellent call handling and a slick app that lets you customize features to your liking. They also sound great (especially in LDAC mode) with a rich midrange that brings your music to life.
3. Technics Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones EAH-A800-K ($347.99)
For: The Jet-Set Dad
The Technics EAH-A800 Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones are an excellent package. The marketing materials promise superior audio, exceptional comfort, and sparkling call quality, and they deliver. We loved their comfort and call quality in my review, and we feel the sound quality slightly edges the current class leaders. In addition, they have class-leading active noise canceling, and the companion app is excellent. The Technics EAH-A800 also gives you a choice of 3 Bluetooth audio codecs (SBC, AAC, LDAC), with LDAC capable of providing CD-Quality sound.
4. Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones with Auto Noise Canceling Optimizer ($398.00)
For: The WFH Dad
While the Technics EAH-A800 are (a little bit) better sounding than these headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM5 has a slight edge in ANC performance, a little bit more comfort, and some other bells and whistles the Technics doesn’t have. That would include an adaptive noise canceling feature that will automatically adjust noise-canceling strength based on your environment. That said, these headphones may be a little too bassy for some audiophiles, and the Technics offers a more balanced sound with a simpler operation for less cash.
5. iFi Audio GO bar – Ultraportable DAC/preamp/Headphone amp ($329)
For: The Headphone Junkie
While it’s just a touch larger than the DAC Amp combos, there is no other USB DAC/Amp in the ultra-portable category with the same power, features, and refined sound quality. As a result, this product, which is about the size of a pack of gum, can competently drive full-sized flagship headphones, a fact that changes the game.
6. Andover Audio Songbird Plug-and-Play Hi-Res Internet Streamer ($179)
For: The Digital Music Collector
The Songbird Music Streamer was initially marketed as a source for the excellent SpinBase turntable speaker, but it’s actually a great budget Wi-Fi streamer for anyone who wants to bring high-quality wi-fi audio to their hi-fi system.
This compact, affordable device has both digital and analog outputs to connect any component, plus it streams all the major music services (TIDAL, Qobuz, Spotify). It also streams files from a network drive (DLNA), Apple Airplay, or Bluetooth. It also sounds fantastic. If you temper your expectations in light of the very reasonable price point, I think you will find the Andover Audio Songbird is an excellent value.
7. Auris bluMe Pro HiFi Bluetooth 5.0 Music Receiver ($169)
For: The Old Time Audiophile
This is one of the nicest Bluetooth Receivers we have ever seen! It has a crisp OLED screen with information like Bluetooth connection status, audio codec, sampling rate, song name, etc. It also has audiophile Bluetooth codecs like LDAC and aptX HD, plus a USB input for the computer. This is one of the best ways to add music streaming to an old stereo system!
For: The Techie Dad
The Hifiman DEVA Pro is a well-built set of cans that are relatively comfortable, sound excellent, and can be used either wireless with the included DAC/Bluetooth module or on the wire. At the end of the day, the DEVA Pro is the best wireless audiophile headphone we’ve heard outside of Hifiman’s own ANANDA-BT, which is bulkier and more expensive.
9. Sennheiser HD 560 S Over-The-Ear Audiophile Headphones ($199.95)
For: The Relaxed Dad
These are excellent headphones for lounging around the house and enjoying your favorite music. Amazing for the price.
10. ELAC Debut 2.0 B5.2 Bookshelf Speakers ($329)
For: The Dad Who Needs To Replace His Old Speakers
If you’re looking for a low-cost do it all hi-fi speaker, the ELAC Debut is one to get. Designed by master speaker designer Andrew Jones, they have smooth treble and midrange, along with a nice punchy bass that plays nicely with any genre of music.
It’s a speaker that’s easy to listen to and matches up well with a variety of electronics. If you want to get acquainted with audiophile stuff like soundstage, imaging, and perspective without spending a ton of money, this is an excellent speaker to get.
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