Top 10: Gifts for music lovers

1

Mixcder E8 headphones

If you're new to the world of wireless, noise cancelling headphones, then the Mixcder E8 would be a good place to start. They're an affordable pair of over-ear headphones that provide everything you need to enjoy your music while on the move.

For the most part, the E8 provides rich and bass-heavy sounds that make it easy to enjoy your favourite songs. And for under £60, it's difficult to deny that the E8 is anything short of excellent value.

>> Read our full review

3

DIY Synth Kit

Do you know a synthesiser fan who also happens to like tinkering with tech? Well, look no further for a gift. This DIY Synth Kit from Firebox lets you plug components into the prototyping breadboard to create three different type of synth: a Dub Siren, Stutter and Atari. 

Three potentiometers control the volume, pitch and frequency — but it's up you to to make circuit changes and add new parts to create an array of new sounds. You can even add a custom keyboard to hook it up with your computer.

5

Lenco L400 turntable

The direct-drive L-400 is great value for money and comes with everything you need — including a phono cartridge, all the relevant leads and a nice smoked dust cover lid too. It has a built in pre-amp so you don't necessarily need a separate amplifier to use it. Alternatively, you can hook it up directly to a stereo system. 

It can play both 33rpm and 45rpm records as you'd expect, plus it has pitch control, which allows you to adjust the speed by up to 10 per cent. Thanks to a USB output you can also save your vinyl records in digital form. For the aspiring DJ, this is a great bit of kit to get started with. Or if you're after something to listen to your old vinyl collection on, the L-400 will certainly do the job incredibly well.

>> Read our full review

7

Studio19 London Solo E500X speaker

Studio19 London's freestanding speaker is rechargeable, lasting up to eight hours — which makes it ideal if you want a speaker somewhere where there's no power source. The wraparound metal speaker at the top creates a 360 sound effect. It's essentially designed to create the sound of a multi-speaker set-up from a single unit, and it's definitely loud enough to fill a large room.

The patented DPAC (Dual Pressure Air Compression) tech also means you get fantastic bass without bulky subwoofers, which is great for those that are looking for a home sound system. While most speakers force you to choose between sound quality and portability, the E500X offers great low-end frequencies and clarity in a compact package.

>> Read our full review

9

Hooke Verse audio recording headphones

The Hooke Verse are the first wireless binaural sound recording in-ear headset on the market. If you don't know what 3D sound is, it's virtual reality for your ears, basically. By placing a microphone at either side of your head, binaural recording returns an audio track that properly replicates the way you hear the world around you.

Although the Verse provide an average music listening experience, it’s exceptional at its main job - which is to add truly immersive, spatial audio to recordings.

>> Read our full review