As we approach the peak of the gift-giving season, it’s tough to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list. But what’s a better gift than HiFi audio? Whether you’re an audiophile who’s looking to share your love of music with others, or you’re looking to surprise your HiFi minded friend or family member with something they need, there’s a lot of great options to stuff your stockings or wrap up under the tree.
Gifts any audiophile will appreciate
If you’re looking to buy something for a fan of finer headphones and IEMs, and you don’t have six grand to buy the HIFIMAN Susvara that every headphone enthusiast dreams of, accessories can be the right way to go.
Headphone Stands
For a headphone stand that’s both beautiful and functional, we have a selection of handmade, wood carved headphone stands from Hungary. Each one has a unique grain pattern which makes it a one-of-a-kind gift.
Cases
Whether they listen to music while they commute or in the office, a well designed case can help keep your mobile HiFi life organized. The iFi iTraveller provides a simple solution for keeping cables, DAPs, DACs, and whatever else you need in your travels all in one place.
Eartips
As a guitar player, I lose so many picks that I started an automatic monthly subscription. As an IEM user, I also lose eartips almost as often as I lose guitar picks, so getting those eartips replenished is always a blessing. A couple packs of SpinFit CP100+ or W1 tips make for a great stocking stuffer – and you might help someone find their new favorite eartip.
Cables
Along with eartips, anyone who’s started an IEM collection probably has started collecting cables as well. While you might not be buying an Eletech Ode to Laura or Aeneid for everyone on your list, the Kinera Ace is a great, inexpensive modular cable that allows you to connect to virtually any device with its balanced and single-ended connection options.
Introducing your friends to HiFi Sound
If you’ve been an audiophile for any length of time, you’ve probably started to get tired of the questions about why your headphones are better than Bose Quietcomfort or why you’d even bother with wires in 2022. If you’re looking to give those friends a taste of the hobby you’ve got a few options.
Budget-friendly Headphones
While the quality gap between mainstream and audiophile brands starts really ramping up around the $300-$400 mark, there’s still a treasure trove of less expensive options that could be someone’s audiophile awakening.
- Kinera Idun Golden delivers “airpod killer” levels of sound quality and a sweet, smooth tuning that brings out the best in your music.
- Sennheiser HD560S is the gateway to Sennheiser’s legendary reference sound.
- Meze 99 Neo hits a little closer to familiar consumer tunings, but there’s an extra level of detail and resolution that elevates it above the average set of bassy cans.
Portable DACs
A portable DAC is a great gift on its own for anyone who uses wired headphones and it pairs perfectly with any of the items on the list above.
- Questyle M12 is the perfect DAC to start with as it delivers a clear improvement over the built-in outputs on your phone, tablet, or computer, and does it at a low price and with simple, plug and play operation.
- iBasso DC06 is very similar to Questyle M12 but offers a slightly brighter, more energetic sound. DC06 is perfect for the more analytical minded listeners or for pairing with a warm sounding, bassy set of headphones like the Meze 99 Neo.
- iFi hip-dac2 provides a bigger punch with more power for your over-ear headphones, along with an extraordinary level of sound quality for the price.
Wireless
If you don’t think that you can get your friends to go wired yet, a great pair of wireless IEMs or Headphones can be the perfect stepping stone towards bigger things. Final Audio and Sennheiser offer great options that have a high level of sound quality along with the convenience of more mainstream products.
- Final ZE3000 takes Final Audio’s expertise in designing and tuning single driver IEMs all the way up to the flagship $2000 range, and applies it to these TWS IEMs. While ZE3000 can’t deliver A8000 levels of performance, there are hints of flagship tuning inside.
- Final UX3000 similarly takes the level of experience needed to create a masterpiece like the D8000 Pro, and tries to cram all that into a set of wireless headphones. While they don’t hold up to some of the more expensive consumer brands, they remain excellent for the price.
- Sennheiser Momentum 3 TWS basically set the current standard for audiophile TWS earphones. While others have surpassed its sound, nothing can match the combination of features, sound, and performance the way that Momentum 3 delivers it.
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 is the next generation of wireless over-ear headphones. Both from a wireless technology and from a sound perspective, Sennheiser has put decades worth of knowledge into one set of headphones.
Gifts for the HiFi enthusiast who has it all
Maybe you’re not looking to get the most bang for your buck or keep your gifts under budget: you just want to get the absolute best gift for an audiophile who already has it all. Here are some ideas to enhance the listening experience for your favorite personal audio aficionado.
Premium Cables
While we suggested that the Kinera Ace cable would be a great, more budget friendly option, Eletech Audio’s cables range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, and deliver luxurious style and feel as much as they do world class sound.
- Eletech Iliad is an IEM cable that uses silver, gold, and palladium to achieve its incredible level of detail and soundstage enhancement. While it isn’t Eletech’s top of the line, it has an incredible feel and delivers a big “wow” factor with its looks and sound.
- Eletech Inferno is a headphone cable that delivers a full, rich sound through a thick, weighty copper wire. Inferno looks, feels, and sounds like a next level upgrade for your headphones.
Luxury HiFi Travel Case
In addition to some of the best cables out there, Eletech also creates excellent cases for traveling with your DAP, DAC, IEMs, and cables. Electech Luxe is a configurable travel cases that helps organize IEMs, players, DACs, cables, and accessories – and to do all that in style. Handmade with high quality leather – and with only 100 available worldwide – it’s the perfect traveling companion for the discerning audiophile.
Blue Hawaii SE and Audeze CRBN
If you really want to go all out, don’t stop with a case or cable. Most HiFi setups are built around conventional dynamic or planar magnetic headphones, but electrostatic headphones can provide a next level of incredible performance. The Headamp Blue Hawaii SE is one of the best headphone amps out there, and paired with the Audeze CRBN, it can deliver some of the best audio you can imagine.
- Headamp Blue Hawaii is an incredible flagship electrostatic tube amp that helps deliver a sense of weight and body to electrostatic headphones like almost no other amp on the market.
- Audeze CRBN is the perfect pairing for Blue Hawaii as it delivers incredible resolution and a massive, spacious sound that’s perfectly bolstered and enhanced by Blue Hawaii.
