The Music Aficionado
Christmas Gift Guide: Sound advice for the music aficionado
We select a range of great products that will be music to your ears this festive season
Do you prefer the finer things in life? Good wine, good food and good music to accompany it all? If you are shopping for a music lover then we've done the legwork for you to unearth great gifts that are sure to make this Christmas Day is an enjoyable one. We've shortlisted some of our favourite products to get your gift list started.
Plus we've tracked down some good deals if you're after a pair of headphones, an MP3 player or a digital radio this Christmas.
Soundmatters foxL
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Soundmatters foxL portable speaker
The Soundmatters foxL portable speaker packs quite a punch given its small size. It's a good companion for an iPod or mobile phone if you're travelling, with warm and expansive sound.
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OXX Digital Vantage digital radio
We are very impressed with the Vantage: it has great features, it's aesthetically pleasing and, for a digital radio, it's cheap!
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Sennheiser PXC 210 BT wireless headphones
Sennheiser's PXC 210 BT wireless headphones provide great sound quality even when connected via Bluetooth, though they don't offer the active noise-cancellation of more expensive models.
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Sennheiser MM 450 Travel headset
Sennheiser's premier Bluetooth travel headset has great sound quality considering its portability. Good active noise-cancelling and a flawless Bluetooth implementation make it even more appealing.
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Pure EVOKE-2S digital radio
The Pure EVOKE-2S comes with a hefty price tag but it delivers great sound quality.
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Pure EVOKE Flow digital radio
The Pure EVOKE Flow is a digital radio that adds extra multimedia features and integrated Wi-Fi networking to a well-designed piece of hardware. It’s expensive, but you get a stylish device for your dollar.
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OXX Classic DAB+ digital radio
OXX's Classic DAB+ digital radio is one of the most well-rounded digital radios we've tested. It can receive digital and FM radio frequencies, play podcasts, stream music from your PC and work with an external audio input. The addition of great design and a good screen means we wholeheartedly recommend it.
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Apple iPod nano (5th generation)
Though retailing at the same price point as the previous generation, the fifth-generation iPod Nano offers a swag of new features, including video recording and an FM radio.
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Sony Walkman X-Series (16GB)
While it is certainly on a par with the Touch in terms of audio and video quality, the Walkman just doesn't have the iPod Touch's readily available plethora of apps and accessories. A lower price would have given the Walkman the edge of being a less expensive, but still it's a high-quality alternative to the iPod Touch.
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Bush BR10DAB digital radio
If you’re looking for a simple DAB+ radio, you can’t go wrong with the Bush BR10DAB. It tunes in and plays DAB+ radio without a hassle.
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Pure ONE Classic DAB+ digital radio
As a simple introduction to the glittery world of DAB+ digital radio, the Pure One Classic is a good product. Decent monaural sound, an easy interface and a great design combine to create a digital radio that is equally usable at home or while on the move.
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Pure ONE Classic DAB+ digital radio
As a simple introduction to the glittery world of DAB+ digital radio, the Pure One Classic is a good product. Decent monaural sound, an easy interface and a great design combine to create a digital radio that is equally usable at home or while on the move.
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Grundig GDR700DAB digital radio
The Grundig GDR700DAB's retro design and decent integrated speakers make for a lovely DAB+ digital radio that evokes memories of old transistor radios. It may not be perfectly built and the internal components leave a little to be desired, but we like the mix of style, portability and sound quality that the Grundig GDR700DAB offers.
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Sangean DPR-99 DAB+ Radio
The Sangean DPR-99 DAB+ Radio is a good looking, portable digital radio that can pick up FM radio, DAB and DAB+ signals. Although it's a little pricey for a digital radio that lacks extra features, it's well worth considering.
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Cowon S9
If you’re looking for a portable media player with exceptionally good audio and video quality, and the added bonus of native XviD support, the Cowon S9 is the one for you. It doesn’t have the design flair or great interface of the Apple iPod touch, but overall it is an impressive product.
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Sony MDR-NC500D
The Sony MDR-NC500D noise-cancelling headphones do a fantastic job of blocking out repetitive ambient noise. When listening to music they also acquit themselves well, with clear sound and a pleasant character.
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Sony MDR-NC500D
The Sony MDR-NC500D noise-cancelling headphones do a fantastic job of blocking out repetitive ambient noise. When listening to music they also acquit themselves well, with clear sound and a pleasant character.
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Sennheiser HD 800
Despite the price we were very impressed with the Sennheiser HD 800 headphones. They consistently handled every bass and treble note we threw at them, and the build quality is exceptional.
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Altec Lansing iM600
Altec Lansing's iM600 packs quite a punch for its size, producing very reasonable sound quality.
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Altec Lansing orbit MP3 (IM237)
The Altec Lansing orbit MP3 (IM237) is a great portable speaker designed for listening to music while on the go. Good battery life and acceptable sound quality make for a great way of sharing music with friends.
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Samsung YP-U4
The YP-U4 is an excellent MP3 player that packs in plenty of cool features for the asking price. While it fails to reach the lofty heights set by its YP-U3 predecessor, it remains a solid offering that won't disappoint the average music fan.
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Apple iPod touch (2nd Generation)
New features coupled with lower prices increase the second-generation model's appeal, but this version of the Touch doesn't supply enough incentive for existing owners to upgrade.