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Audio Christmas Gift Guide: Speakers & Earbuds

Audio Christmas Gift Guide: Speakers & Earbuds

If you have someone in your life that loves music and/or technology, then an audio gift is always a good choice.

With this being a Christmas gift guide, I have tried not to get too carried away with my fondness for expensive gear and recommended some affordable options moving into the mid-range.

Earphones / Headphones

Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+

I reviewed the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ a little over a year ago when they were priced at around £100, and I thought they were excellent. You can now buy them for as little as £40 if you go for the white pay or £50 for the black model. That’s astonishingly good value for money.

Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro

Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro 5 - Audio Christmas Gift Guide: Speakers & Earbuds
Preview Product Rating Price
soundcore by Anker Liberty 3 Pro Noise Cancelling Earbuds,... soundcore by Anker Liberty 3 Pro Noise Cancelling Earbuds,... 8,759 Reviews £85.99Amazon Prime

I also reviewed the Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro about a year ago. Thinking over all the TWS earbud reviews I have done in the past year, I would say these are up there with my favourite.

I reviewed them at £140, but you can now pick them up for as low as £90, and I would buy these any day over the Nothing Ear (1) (though they are not a bad buy at £86, currently)

Jabra Elite 5

Preview Product Rating Price
Jabra Elite 5 True Wireless In Ear Bluetooth Earbuds with... Jabra Elite 5 True Wireless In Ear Bluetooth Earbuds with... No ratings yet £99.99Amazon Prime

I have not personally used the Jabra Elite 5, but I do love the Elite 85t and the 75t. The newer Elite 5 has been universally well-reviewed and is an easy recommendation for anyone looking for something a little more premium  

Sony WF-1000XM4 ANC Earbuds

Preview Product Rating Price
Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphone -... Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphone -... No ratings yet £218.99Amazon Prime

If you want noise-cancelling earbuds, the Sony WF-1000XM4 is the gold standard, and they currently have a big discount on Amazon, bringing them down to a relatively affordable £160.

Speakers

Sonos

Sonos One

Preview Product Rating Price
Sonos One (Gen2) The powerful smart speaker with built in... Sonos One (Gen2) The powerful smart speaker with built in... No ratings yet £175.00

You can’t really go wrong with Sonos, and I don’t think anyone would be upset if you bought them a Sonos speaker. The Sonos One is an obvious choice, providing a good balance of affordability and performance.

Sonos Roam

Preview Product Rating Price
Sonos Roam SL. Experience size-defying sound at home and on... Sonos Roam SL. Experience size-defying sound at home and on... No ratings yet £149.00

I prefer a bit more oomph from my speakers, but the Roam has a lot of appeal being both portable and affordable. I’d prefer a Move myself, but I don’t think anyone loves me enough to spend £400 on me.

Audio Pro

Audio Pro C5 MkII or Audio Pro C10 MkII

Preview Product Rating Price
Audio Pro - C10 MKII Multiroom Speaker - Black Audio Pro - C10 MKII Multiroom Speaker - Black No ratings yet £321.66Amazon Prime

I recently reviewed the Audio Pro C5 MKII but I’d be inclined to recommend the C10 MkII as you get more bang for your buck.

Buy the C5 MKII from Audio Pro

I was impressed with this speaker, the overall feature set can compete with Sonos and Audio Pro and have an extensive range of speakers, so this could be extended into a whole home solution.

Audio Pro is a better option than Sonos for anyone that values aesthetics as much as they do sound quality.

Marshal

Marshall Emberton II & others

Marshall Emberton II Review 1 - Audio Christmas Gift Guide: Speakers & Earbuds
Preview Product Rating Price
Marshall Emberton II Portable Bluetooth Speaker, Wireless &... Marshall Emberton II Portable Bluetooth Speaker, Wireless &... No ratings yet £149.00Amazon Prime

Marshall is another brand that’s easy to recommend if you want to buy someone a good-looking speaker. I recently reviewed the diminutive Marshall Emberton II. It’s a beautiful speaker in a tiny package with a surprisingly punchy sound.

Preview Product Rating Price
Marshall Stanmore II Wireless Bluetooth Speaker - Brown Marshall Stanmore II Wireless Bluetooth Speaker - Brown No ratings yet £299.99Amazon Prime

Marshall has lots of other attractive options too. If you want to stick to portable speakers, the Kilburn II Portable Speaker is a step up from the Emberton, or the Marshall Stanmore II is a beautiful Bluetooth speaker (that needs plugging in).

Edifier

Edifier MP230 Retro Bluetooth Portable Speaker

Preview Product Rating Price
Edifier MP230 Retro Bluetooth Portable Speaker with Classic... Edifier MP230 Retro Bluetooth Portable Speaker with Classic... No ratings yet £99.99Amazon Prime

This is the speaker I’d recommend if the Marshall Emberton II is above your budget. It is a beautiful speaker, and it sounds good, considering its size and price. It is not waterproof, though, unlike the Marshall.

Edifier MS50A Smart Speaker

Edifier MS50A Smart Speaker Review 4 - Audio Christmas Gift Guide: Speakers & Earbuds
Preview Product Rating Price
Edifier MS50A Wi-Fi Smart Speaker Without Microphone, Works... Edifier MS50A Wi-Fi Smart Speaker Without Microphone, Works... No ratings yet £129.99Amazon Prime

If you want an affordable WiFi speaker that works with Spotify and Alexa but without the intrusive nature of a microphone-equipped Alexa speaker, then the Edifier MS50A is a solid choice. It sounds good, and it provides a good bang for your buck at around £130.

Edifier R2000DB Active Bookshelf Speaker

Preview Product Rating Price
Edifier R2000DB Bluetooth Active Bookshelf Speaker System... Edifier R2000DB Bluetooth Active Bookshelf Speaker System... No ratings yet £249.99Amazon Prime

I used to use the Edifier R2000DB as my personal office speaker before I ditched them for the bigger and more expensive Edifier S3000 Pro. The S3000 Pro are perhaps too big and expensive to be casually recommended for a Christmas gift, but the R2000DB is a solid choice. I loved them, and they are universally well-reviewed by others.

A lot of my other recommendations will likely work for anyone, whereas I think active bookshelf speakers are a gift that someone needs to specifically want.

Last update on 2023-09-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API