Audio gift guide 2024<\/h2> Ruark R610 Music Console \u00a31,200\u00a0<\/h3>
A gift for those at the very top of Santa\u2019s Nice List, Ruark\u2019s latest music system is an absolute beauty, with a retro aesthetic harking back to the company\u2019s inception in 1985. Available with or without matching Sabre-S speakers (\u00a3699 per pair), and in walnut or charcoal lacquer, the all-in-one streaming system features Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Apple Airplay 2 and Google Cast, plus Internet\/DAB\/DAB+ and FM radio tuners. The 75w Class D amplifier and 32-bit\/384kHz resolution DAC promises great things, and there\u2019s also HDMI for TV connectivity, a phono stage for your turntable and rumours of a CD drive being launched soon to complete the package.<\/p>
ruarkaudio.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p> It\u2019s good to see uber-cool tech brand Nothing adopting the latest \u2018open\u2019 style earbuds, which allow you to enjoy your music while remaining aware of the world around you. This is especially important when exercising, where noise cancellation can be dangerous. Early examples were a little clunky, but these are elegantly designed, weigh just 8.1g each \u2013 so you barely notice they\u2019re there \u2013 and sound genuinely impressive without leaking audio to those who happen to be in the vicinity.<\/p> nothing.tech<\/a><\/strong><\/p> A brilliantly affordable audio upgrade for the headphone user in your life, this tiny USB-C plug-in transmitter upgrades the quality of your Bluetooth streaming. If you\u2019re an iPhone user (limited to AAC quality of 320 kbps), you can now enjoy the improvements of Bluetooth 5.4 aptX Lossless (420 kbps), aptX HD (576 kbps) and Sony\u2019s LDAC (up to 990 kbps). Your headphones will need to be compatible, and most are these days, but you can also plug it into your laptop\u2019s USB-C port and boost the streaming from there too.<\/p> fiio.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p> JBL isn\u2019t a traditional turntable brand, but this Bluetooth-streaming, belt-driven design is worth your attention. Pairing to any Bluetooth device is easy, making it a great option for those new to the joys of vinyl. But there\u2019s also a built-in phono preamp, and traditional line-in so you can add active speakers for an audio quality boost, or plug into an existing amplifier. It comes with the popular Audio Technica AT3600L cartridge, which punches above its weight, but if you want to boost the performance, you can esily upgrade it.\u00a0<\/p> jbl.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p> I\u2019m not suggesting \u00a3150 is loose change, but compared to many headphones launched this year, the Space One Pro are possibly the best value. The four-stage active noise cancellation (ANC) is superb, the battery lasts an impressive 40 hours (60 hours if you turn off the ANC), and the engineers have developed a flexible head-band design that folds down to half the size of the competition. With detailed, balanced audio, they\u2019re a superb all-rounder.<\/p> soundcore.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p> Instantly recognisable, and utterly adorable, this tiny bedside radio alarm clock could only be from Roberts Radio. It\u2019s a shrunken (15cm wide) version of their classic kitchen design, but has all the features you need for bedtime, including dimmable LCD display, sleep timer and alarm clock that can be set to buzz you awake, or wake to your favourite radio station \u2013 Radio 3, naturally \u2013 as well as enjoy FM and DAB (DAB+) radio stations. Available in black or classic duck egg blue.<\/p> robertsradio.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p> Regular readers will be well accustomed to my love letters to Astell & Kern and their fabulous \u2013 and fabulously expensive \u2013 hi-res music players. Well, good news: Activo is their sub brand, and the P1 is a pocket-friendly hi-res audio player that will happily compete with designs thrice the price. At its heart is the superb ES9219Q SABRE DAC that does magical things to your hi-res recordings and, with multiple connections and aptX HD and LDAC codec, supports your new Bluetooth headphones with fantastic streaming performance. That said, it will still sound best using wired headphones.<\/p> astellnkern.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p> You don’t need to be familiar with the oeuvre of glam rock Swedish icon Mikael Jepson to appreciate the unique aesthetic of his limited edition portable Bluetooth speakers. This gorgeous multi-coloured design has a 30hr battery life and impressive sound quality, and it supports Apple lossless, MP3, WMA and FLAC1 files, while a 3.5mm input means you can also plug in a media player.<\/p> audiopro.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p> Over the summer I noticed something unusual: young fashionable types were all wearing wired earbuds. At first I thought Gen Z had experienced an audiophile epiphany, realising the best sound quality comes from plugging in. Sadly, it was simple 1990s nostalgia and a fashion rather than audio statement. And at \u00a319, Apple EarPods (apple.com<\/a><\/strong>) are even priced nostalgically.<\/p> But nostalgia remains a big driver for audio brands, with retro-style turntables and speakers selling by the truckload. While rarely offering the best in hi-fi quality, these inexpensive Bluetooth designs help to bridge the gap between analogue and digital worlds. What next? I won\u2019t be at all surprised if portable CD players make a comeback in the next 12 months.<\/p>
Nothing Ear (open) \u00a3129\u00a0<\/h3>
Fiio BT11 Lossless Bluetooth Transmitter \u00a342<\/h3>
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Audio gift guide 2024<\/h2>
JBL Spinner BT \u00a3379<\/h3>
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Anker Soundcore Space One Pro \u00a3149<\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/11\/Anker-Soundcore.jpg\")
Roberts Revival Rest \u00a3129<\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/11\/Roberts-Revival-Rest.jpg\")
Audio gift guide 2024<\/h2>
Activo P1 \u00a3399<\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/11\/Activo-P1.jpg\")
Audio Pro T3+ Jepson \u00a3180<\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/11\/Audio-Pro-T3.jpg\")
And on to 2025…<\/h2>