Holiday Gift Guide 2023 Part 1: Share the Joy of HiFi with Someone You Love

Are you an audiophile looking to spread the joy of HiFi to those around you, but you know they’re not quite ready for a stocking full of OTL tube amps, R2R DACs, and planar magnetic headphones? We put together some gift ideas to help upgrade the way your friends and loved ones experience music without getting too complicated.

Affordable Wireless Headphones That Don’t Suck

While many of us would rather die from tripping over the tangled mess of our own cables before going fully wireless, most people prefer a wire free existence for watching movies or listening to podcasts and music. Wireless doesn’t have to mean bad though, and we have a few options that balance price, audio performance, and simplicity.

The 1MORE Product Line

Pretty much the complete 1MORE product line is specifically designed to provide an accurate, detailed listening experience while also providing features your average Best Buy shopper is looking for, like active noise canceling and good call quality. Several of us at Bloom have personally used Sonoflow and Evo for traveling, and each of us have walked away impressed with the whole experience.

I’ll add an additional personal endorsement for ComfoBuds Mini: its combination of small size and great ANC makes it an incredible tool for traveling with children with ADHD or other sensory related issues. They fit securely in small ears, and can effectively block out noise in a crowded airport, or give a child a moment of peace at a crowded family get-together.

Campfire Audio Orbit

While there are plenty of TWS options in the $200-$300 range, few match the balance of style and sound that Orbit provides. If you’re buying for someone who appreciates both visual aesthetics and great sound, Orbit has an earthy style that stands out against the bright white and alien curves of many other TWS options and top notch detail. 

Sennheiser Accentum

Sennheiser’s wireless headphones have gained a reputation for balancing mainstream consumer oriented features with high fidelity sound. Accentum adds another layer by offering the same sort of sound and features as the Momentum series, but offering it at a more affordable price. Great sound and tons of app features, along with the light weight and excellent comfort means that Accentum is sure to be a crowd favorite.

Wireless Headphones that Don't Suck

Getting Started With Headphones and IEMs

If you’re looking at headphones for someone with more traditional tastes, there are a number of great wired options that you can enjoy plugged directly into your laptop of mobile device, or with a simple dongle DAC. Whether you want to focus on simplicity, get a detailed reference sound above all else, or want more luxurious experience, we’ve got some combos that will get the job done.

UCOTECH RE-2 + Questyle M12

Know someone who wants studio quality sound in their pocket? For about $200, the combination of the UCOTECH RE-2 and Questyle M12 will deliver a level of detail and precision you’ll have a hard time believing. RE-2 has been a crowd favorite, leaving seasoned audiophiles stunned with the excellent tuning and strong detail. M12 delivers a smooth, transparent sound that’s perfect for upgrading from the built-in DAC in your phone or laptop to something that’s both technically impressive, and adds a little extra sweetness to your sound.

Moondrop Blessing3 + iBasso DX170 

iBasso DX170 is quite possibly the best sounding digital audio player under $500, and another item that comes with a personal recommendation, as something I’ve used as my “daily driver” at home since it launched last year. The simple setup and basic Android OS means that it's not a hassle to set up for anyone who's used to your average smartphone.

Moondrop Blessing3 is, similarly, one of the best IEMs available for under $500, and each iteration of the Blessing series has won accolades from reviewers and audio journalists around the world. If you’re looking for a “you can’t go wrong with” IEM option to introduce someone to the HiFi hobby, Blessing3 is a great bet.

Sennheiser HD660 S2 + iFi hip-dac3

If you’re looking to give something closer to a vintage desktop HiFi experience, the combination of the Sennheiser HD660 S2 and the iFi hip-dac3 could trick you into believing you’ve got a stack of expensive gear powering your headphones and not a little box with a volume knob plugged into your phone.

HD660 S2 is the current culmination of Sennheiser HD600 series, with each version offering small tweaks to improve the tuning and overall performance of the headphones. HD660 S2 offers a reference style tuning with deeper bass extension and more upper end clarity than previous revisions. hip-dac3 is the latest in iFi’s hip-dac series, this time adding more features and much simpler connection to modern smartphones than the previous generations.

Focal Celestee + Astell&Kern SR35

Focal and Astell&Kern are brands that emphasize the complete experience, with the product materials and design offering a sense of quality luxury that complements the quality of the sound being produced. Put Astell&Kern SR35 together with Focal Celestee and you have an unearthly combination of sound performance and overall experience.

Focal doesn’t just offer the perception of luxury either, their headphones are handcrafted in France using premium materials that provide beauty that's more than skin deep. Similarly Astell&Kern builds their players in Korea, with a level of attention to detail in the process that puts revered mainstream brands like Apple or Bose to shame.

Best DACs and DAPs to Give

Best Headphones to Give

The Bottom Line

Whether you’re looking to spark a life-long interest in HiFi audio with your gift, or just want to make sure that the people you love are getting the most out of their music, there are a lot of options across a variety of budgets to make the joy of music a little bit brighter for the people in your life.