With the holidays quickly approaching, finding a gift for that audiophile might seem a little daunting. There are manyheadphones,earbuds, andgaming headsetsto choose from. Luckily, Game Rant has curated some of the best gifts for those audiophile friends and family.
There are a ton of audio gear products to choose from, but for simplicity’s sake, Game Rant decided to stick with headphones, earbuds, and DACs. For people who want a more budget option, picking up a gift card for the audiophile’s favorite music service or local record store is always an excellent way to go.
Fiio K7 Desktop DAC and Amp
Sennheiser IE 200
It’s no secret that Sennheiser strives to produce top-quality audio products, and IE 200 earphones are no exception. Built around Sennheiser’s True Response transducers, these earbuds deliver outstanding sound quality for a small package. Thanks to the IE 200’s ergonomic design and the selection of silicone ear tips, these earbuds can easily be worn all day without fatigue.
Sennheiser HD 600
The HD 600 is the audio purist’s choice for reference playback. An instrument of Sennheiser’s passion for perfect sound, it is globally recognized as the standard for analytical high-fidelity listening - even 20-plus years after its release. The velour HD 600 padding is supple to the touch for extended listening, and everything on the headphones feels extremely well-built, making the HD600 a pair of headphones that can last for years to come.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 4 Gaming Headset
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 4 offers next-gen wireless technology. It comes equipped with a 36-hour battery life and the headset also features a fast-charge USB-C battery, which provides 6 hours of use from just a 15-minute charge.The Nova 4 includes an AI-powered noise-canceling microphone, which can eliminate background noises like keyboard clicks and ambient noise. The microphone also fully retracts into the earcup.
OneOdio Monitor 80
The OneOdio Monitor 80 are headphones made to be a reliable daily driver for audiophiles. Using high-precision audio drivers, these headphones deliver solid bass and clear mids combining to make an incredible audio experience. With an impedance of 250 ohms, these headphones do need an amp to properly drive them, but the fantastic sound quality is worth it.
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones
Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones take noise cancelation to a new level with Dual Noise Sensor technology. The industry-leading feature filters out ambient noise very efficiently. The music quality is improved by artificial intelligence technology, Edge-AI.The Sony WH-1000XM4 offers up to 30 hours of playback. In addition, these headphones provide quick charging capability where a 10-minute charge can provide up to 5 hours of playback. The headphones feature touch sensor controls that manage play, pause, track skipping, volume control, voice assistant activation, and more.
Sony WF-1000XM4 Wireless Earbuds
The Sony WF-1000XM4 are high-end noise-canceling Bluetooth earbuds featuring the new Integrated Processor V1 that provides exceptional sound quality with support for LDAC codec. The earbuds also offer crystal-clear call quality thanks to the beamforming microphone and bone-conduction sensor, which provide clear voice detection even in noisy environments.Additionally, the Speak-to-Chat technology automatically reduces the volume during conversations for convenience. With 8 hours of battery life and noise-canceling turned on, the WF-1000XM4 earbuds are perfect for long listening sessions.
KZ ZSN Pro X
The KZ ZSN Pro X is an underrated budget IEM that will blow most audiophiles away. Using 10mm dynamic drivers, these earbuds have fantastic sound quality with robust lows, crystal clear mids, and sparkling highs. Plus, unlike many audiophile IEMs, these have inline controls and a mic.
FiiO BTR5 2021
The Fiio BTR5 is an incredibly powerful DAC for its size and portability. Utilizing an Audiophile-approved performance Bluetooth chip, the Qualcomm CSR8675 is a low-power Bluetooth chip with enhanced audio capabilities, such as supporting 24-bit audio processing and possessing a 120 MHz DSP, allowing it to powerfully handle various Bluetooth decoding functions with ease.
Aimed at audiophiles and music enthusiasts, the high-fidelityFiiO K7 is a compact desktop USB DAC and truly balanced headphone amplifier designed to reproduce any music faithfully. The large volume dial provides precisely tuned gain control over a smooth 112 steps of adjustment and even has some RGB lighting. The high- and low-hardware gain levels allow users to easily adjust the K7 to handle headphones of various impedances and sensitivities for rich and consistent listening.
How To Choose Gifts For Audiophiles
When sifting through the hundreds and hundreds of audiophile products, it can easily get quite overwhelming. Luckily, there is a method to the madness. So, when starting to search for that perfect audiophile gift, keep these factors in mind:
Exceptional Listening Experiences
Whether people are true audiophiles and have been exploring this world for a while or are just dipping their toes in, getting the first pair of high-quality headphones or a DAC to drive a pair of headphones properly is a magical feeling. The three headphones Game Rant has picked out as essential listening all have incredible sound quality and are great upgrades to existing setups or fantastic first HiFi headphones.
Editor’s Choice
Sennheiser IE 200 In-Ear Monitors
Often, when most people think about audiophile headphones, they think about the bulky and cumbersome over-ear headphones, but the Sennheiser IE 200 in-ear monitors are an excellent way to improve a listening experience while having a minimal footprint. Thanks to their ergonomic design and selection of ear tips to get the perfect fit, these earbuds are easy to wear all day with little to no fatigue.
Of course, with Sennheiser being who they are, the IE 200 sounds absolutely incredible. These earbuds will not have as powerful bass as others, like the Sony WF-1000X4, but they are very accurate and neutral. These earbuds are also very easy to drive with just a phone or mobile device. But if gamers want to get more power out of them, the Fiio BTR5 is an excellent portable DAC that can connect to any Bluetooth-compatible device.
Premium Pick
Sennheiser HD 600 Headphones
Another pick from Sennheiser, the HD 600 headphones, is the gold standard for open-back headphones in the audiophile community. These are very premium headphones that need a DAC/AMP to get the most out of them, but for people who can fit them in their budget, the HD 600 are some of the best-sounding headphones available. And at the time of writing, Amazon is running a great deal for 44% off.
The combination of a reasonably lightweight build, roomy earcups, and drivers with no peaking frequencies make these headphones incredibly comfortable to wear all day long. However, the open-back design is not for everyone. There is a fair amount of sound leakage, and they do not do much to block out outside noise. However, if users have a quiet room to listen to music, nothing is more magical than a good pair of open-back headphones.
Best Value
For gamers who want an excellent audio experience with all the comforts and compatibility of a gaming headset, look no further than the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 4. While it doesn’t have as many special features as its bigger sibling, the Arctis Nova 7, the Nova 4 offers terrific price to performance value, especially because of its current deal under $100 on Amazon.
This is not the best-sounding headset out there. The bass is a bit underwhelming, and the highs drop off around 5KHz. While the out-of-box EQ leaves a bit to be desired, gamers can make this headset sound excellent with some tweaking. And no one loves tweaking an EQ and playing with settings more than audiophiles.
