Gifts for the Audio Connoisseur
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No two audiophiles’ preferences are exactly alike, but these holiday gift ideas for music and audio buffs are sure to please everyone from hard rock fans to podcast devotees.
Wicked Audio Shred 2
Neck Lock Design
Free yourself from the tangled mess of traditional wired headphones with the Wicked Audio Shred 2 earbuds. Bluetooth compatible with your favorite gadgets, the Shred 2 ensures maximum freedom when you’re riding across town, running the trails, or jamming out at work. The multiple fin options secures them in place during rapid movement, ensuring a stay put fit. 10mm Neodymium drivers deliver enhanced bass and crystal clear notes. The integrated remote with built-in mic allows for effortless track control and call management with the simple push of a button. The rechargeable battery lasts up to five hours for use on the go and full charges in an hour and a half. In addition, the Neck Lock technology keeps the buds around your neck even if they’re not in your ears. The Wicked Audio Shred 2 earbuds deliver great sound without spending a fortune.
Features
- Wireless Bluetooth listen up to 32 ft away from your device
- IPX4 Sweat-proof lets you sweat without worry
- Neck Lock technology keeps your earbuds around
- Improved sound, enhanced bass and high fidelity
- Total customization with multiple sizes, attachments, cushions, and colors
- Rechargeable Battery, Included Charging Cable
- Security with Triple Battery Protection
- 5 hour battery life
- MSRP $59.99
For more information on the Shred 2 or other Wicked Audio products, visit amazon.com/wickedaudio.
Jaybird X4
Rugged Versatility
The latest evolution of do-it-all wireless headphones designed for the all-around runner and outdoor athlete, from trail runs and mountain bike rides to summit scrambles and deep powder days, the go-anywhere Jaybird X4 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones are as versatile as you make them. The X4 Headphones withstand strenuous workouts and everyday abuse subjected to them while training at the gym and running outside. Jaybird uses a Sport Fit Plus versatile design that runs over your ears, and comes with an adjustable Speed Cinch for a secure, sport-specific fit, meaning they won’t unexpectedly fall out when you’re running and training. Or they can be worn under the ears for more relaxed music moments. Bluetooth wirelessly streams calls and music up to 33 feet away from your smartphone, tablet, or computer for hands-free convenience without being tethered to cords.
The integrated microphone and three-button remote mean you won’t have to dig into your pack to take an incoming call or pause your playlist. The X4’s have a rugged design that protects them from bumps and scratches when they accidentally get dropped or left in a pack. They are sweat and waterproof, so you won’t have to worry about them being ruined when you’re pouring with sweat at the gym or get caught in a rainstorm while running outdoors.
Pairing a smartphone with the Jaybird X4’s and you will get premium sound quality with the option of a custom EQ that lets you crank up the bass or treble within the Jaybird app to customize your sound and save your personal settings directly to the ear buds. The thoughtful design works with music and contact lists, letting you take and make calls easily, all while creating a comfortable experience with every jog or set.
Features
- Rechargeable battery – Offers up to 8 hours of use on a charge. 10 minutes of charging provides a full hour of play time.
- Sweat and water-resistant – Provides protection from sweat and water, so you can easily wear headphones while working out.
- Sport Fit Plus – Comfortable, versatile design runs over your ears for a secure, sport-specific fit or under for more relaxed situations.
- Clear sound with custom EQ – High sound quality that’s compatible with the Jaybird App to customize sound EQ and save personal settings to the buds.
- Headset controls – Manage calls, and control and listen to music with the push of a button.
- Voice assistant built-in – Convenient, one-touch access to your phone’s Siri or Google Assistant manages calls while running or riding.
- Speed cinch system – Allows for fast and easy adjustability.
- Bluetooth 4.1 interface – Enables simple wireless pairing with your Bluetooth-enabled device.
- Carrying pouch included – For easy portability.
- MSRP $129
For more information on the X4’s or other Jaybird products, visit jaybirdsport.com
Jlab Epic Air Elite True Wireless Sport Earbuds
Long Playtime
The Jlab Epic Air Elite True Wireless Sport Earbuds are designed for serious runners and dedicated athletes pushing their limits on the road and trail. Bluetooth streams music up to 30 feet away from your smartphone, tablet, or computer, so you won’t have to be tethered by tangle prone wires. Integrated touch-and-tap controls for changing tracks, cranking up the volume, and taking calls make it easy to remain focused while running and working out, as you won’t have to dig into your pocket for the distracting smartphone.
Running always poses challenges for ear buds in terms of staying put, the Epic Air Elite Sport Earbuds feature Jlab’s earhook design that delivers a secure fit, plus a multitude of ear tips that pipe in music and remain firmly in place. This innovative fit allows you to run and train rigorously without them falling out, which is a huge benefit if you’re used to constantly re-adjusting your ear buds.
JLab delivers a monsterous total battery life of 38 hours, which means the earbuds last for 6 hours of continuous listening, plus there’s a portable charging pack that’s good for an additional 5 full charges. The charging case is also a universal charger, not just to keep the Epic Air going for the additional 32 hours, but also for charging your device. Using the included cord allows for charging of an Android or use an iPhone charger to charge an iPhone. The lights on the case indicate how much power is remaining so you’ll know when to recharge the case as well.
Features
- In-ear design – Fits securely and directs music into your ears for full, uninterrupted audio.
- Custom EQ3 Sound – Choose between three sounds for your preferred tune: Signature, Balanced, or Bass Boost
- Bluetooth 4.1 with aptX technology – Offers connectivity up to 30 feet away and reduces environmental detuning.
- IP55 sweatproof – Gives protection from sweat and water, so you can easily wear the headset while working out.
- Microphone in both earbuds – Allows you to take calls or activate Siri or Google Assistant.
- 8mm drivers – Deliver powerful sound.
- Be Aware Audio – Allow natural ambient noise in to hear your surroundings, turn on and off when needed.
- Rechargeable battery – Offers up to 6 hours of use on a single charge.
- Hard charging case – Provides 32 additional hours of battery life.
- MSRP $149
For more information on the Epic Air or other JLab products, visit jlabaudio.com
Jabra Sport Elite Earbuds
Superior Sound Quality
Make sure to stay in the zone with the Jabra Sport Elite Earbuds. Delivering the ultimate in comfort, convenience, and performance, these wireless earbuds will accompany you on any and all of your outdoor adventures. They’ve got a full 4.5 hours of charge, and come complete with a compact charging case for easy charging on the go, ensuring that you can stay ready for both short and extended adventures.
The Sport Elites were made for the most heart-pumping and strenuous pursuits, thanks to their water-resistance, sweat-proofing, and streamlined fit. You’ll even have interchangeable wings, gel tips and foam tips to suit your activity level, ensuring a comfortable and secure fit. But all this talk about performance wouldn’t mean much if the sound quality wasn’t up to par, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Especially with the EQ levels that are easy to control with the Jabra Sport Life app, letting you customize your sound for the trail ahead. The Jabra Elite Sport wireless earbuds not only deliver superior sound quality, their innovative hear-through technology lets you filter in background sounds when you want, and an in-ear heart rate monitor helps you track workout goals within the Jabra Sport Life app.
Features
- In-ear design – Fits securely and directs music into your ears for full, uninterrupted audio.
- Bluetooth 4.1 interface – Enables simple wireless pairing with your Bluetooth-enabled device. Supports Headset v1.2 , Hands free v1.6, A2DP v1.3, AVRCP v1.6, PBAP v1.1 Bluetooth profiles.
- Clinical-grade in-ear heart rate monitor – Helps you stay on top of your health.
- All-day power – The rechargeable battery that delivers up to 4.5 hours of playback and the portable case, adding 9 hours and charging your earbuds on the go, provide you with a total of 13.5 hours of power.
- Four-microphone call technology – Helps filter out background noise ensuring that only your voice is heard clearly and with no distraction in every environment.
- Integrated Jabra Sport Life app – The in-ear precision heart rate monitor works with the app to track and analyze your fitness as well as provide personalized audio coaching in real-time during your workout.
- Water-resistant design – Helps prevent sweat and water from entering the headphones.
- Sweat-resistant construction – Provides protection from sweat, so you can easily wear headphones while working out.
- HearThrough technology – Provides external ambient noise into earbuds for awareness.
- 6.8 x 5.1mm drivers – Deliver powerful sound.
- 20Hz – 20kHz headphones frequency response – Along with a 100Hz – 10kHz microphone frequency response ensures faithful sound reproduction.
- 16 ohms impedance – To efficiently conduct power.
- MSRP $219
For more information on the Sport Elites or other Jabra products, visit jabra.com
Ultimate Ears MegaBoom 3
Spatial 360° Sound
Bring on the boom with the Logitech Ultimate Ears MegaBoom 3 portable speaker. It brings the party outdoors, indoors, and everywhere in-between with its waterproof construction, cylindrical design, and immersive 360-degree sound. The MegaBoom 3 speaker sports a cylindrical design that fits comfortable in the hand and backpack pockets for easy traveling. Bluetooth music streaming allows you to control tracks from the palm of your hand, or play, pause and skip tracks right on the speaker for convenient control.
It’s shockproof, waterproof and floats, so you won’t have to worry about splashes, passing showers, and accidental drops in the lake or the pool. Dual passive radiators and two 50mm full range drivers project immersive sound that’s sure to get the party rocking or serve as inspiration for your active lifestyle. Moreover, this Bluetooth speaker lasts up to twenty hours of continuous listening. It blasts loud, clear, and immersive 360° sound with deep thundering bass. And it’s all meticulously balanced so you hear every note. Plus all this awesomeness comes wrapped in a stunning, two-tone, high-performance fabric.
Features
- Powerfully loud, immersive, and balanced 360° sound with deep thundering bass
- Magic Button lets you play, pause, and skip streaming music tracks directly on the speaker
- Tough yet beautiful two-tone fabric cover engineered for extreme performance
- Charge wirelessly with POWER UP charging dock (sold separately)
- Floats and is completely waterproof with IP67 water and dustproof rating
- Totally submersible in water for up to 30 minutes
- Nearly indestructible having passed more than 25 durability tests
- Use PartyUp on the Ultimate Ears app to pair as many as 150 BOOM and MEGABOOM speakers from any generation
- Stays powered up to 20 hours using the same battery cell technology as in highly desirable electric cars
- MSRP $199
For more information on the Mega Boom 3 or other Ultimate Ears products, visit amazon.com/ultimateears.
JBL Xtreme 2 Speaker
Powerful Sound
Delivering mind-blowing audio quality within a portable design, the JBL Xtreme 2 Speaker is an ideal choice for outdoor parties, adventurous outings, and casual use around the house. This portable speaker syncs via Bluetooth with your favorite media player, laptop, or smartphone, ensuring wireless track control from the palm of your hand. And for truly immersive sound, the Xtreme 2 daisy chains to other JBL Connect speakers to amplify the listen experience.
The speaker itself is relatively light, tipping the scales at just over five pounds making it easy to pack for outdoor adventures. The speaker carries integrated hooks, a durable metal base, and an added bottle opener to the carrying strap adding to the convenience level while on the go. The speaker is waterproof which ensures protection from passing showers, pool parties mishaps and accidental drink spills. Four active drivers and two visible JBL Bass Radiators deliver a pleasurable listening experience with precise highs and Xtremely powerful bass. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery lasts up to 15 hours when you’re listening off the grid. It also features a speakerphone for clear conference calls, as well as dual USB charging for powering electronic devices.
Features
- Connect wirelessly from a distance – Pair this speaker with your smartphone, tablet or other Bluetooth-enabled device.
- Rechargeable lithium-polymer 10,000 mAh battery – Play your favorite tunes for up to 15 hours on a full charge.
- IPX7 waterproof – To enable use at the beach or by the pool.
- 40W RMS system power – Delivers crisp, robust sound to complement your favorite music.
- 55Hz – 20kHz frequency response – Ensures a wide range of accurately reproduced sound.
- 80d B signal-to-noise ratio – Provides clear audio.
- Built-in microphone – Accepts hands-free calls through the speaker.
- Auxiliary audio input – Allows simple wired connectivity.
- MSRP $299.95
For more information on the Xtreme 2 or other JBL products, visit jbl.com
Soundcast V5 Portable Weather Resistant Speaker
Outdoor Performance
When you want the entire campground to join the party, bring along the Soundcast V5 Portable Weather Resistant Speaker. There are times for sitting quietly and enjoying the crackling of the campfire, and there are other times for blasting some tunes and having a dance party in the woods. The Soundcast V5 Speaker is here to help you with the latter. This powerful speaker delivers a crisp bass filled sound courtesy of one 6″ long-throw woofer in a downward-firing configuration and two 3″ full-range drivers in a stereo 360º array that keep the jams going for 10 hours. It’s built with a weather-resistant housing that will withstand a sudden rainstorm or spilled beer. The VG5 features a capacitive backlit touch interface built for the outdoors so you can keep rocking when the sun goes down. And if your friend brings along their VG5 speaker, you can sync the two together using TrueWireless Stereo (TWS) Pairing to deliver immersive full-stereo sound that will keep the woodland dance party going all night long. If you want bass booming tunes for a pool party or an overnight camping trip, the Soundcast VG5 will deliver.
Features
- Capacitive touch interface built for the outdoors so you can keep rocking, by the pool or on the couch
- Premium Drivers: One 6″ long-throw woofer in a downward-firing configuration with high efficiency BL ferrite motor design for increased battery life and high-performance IMPP cone with butyl rubber surround
- Two 3″ full-range drivers in a stereo 360º array with high SPL Neodymium motor design, aluminum cones and butyl rubber surrounds
- Built-in Bluetooth 4.2 technology with 8 memory slots
- Aux input 1/8″ (3.5mm mini jack) AC/DC power input
- Amplifiers: Bi-Amp 60W + 10 RMS, Class D
- Built-in Bluetooth 4.2
- aptX audio coding for high-fidelity streaming with compatible devices
- Weather-resistant
- 5 watts x 2 for full-range drivers, and 60 watts for the subwoofer
- Pair two VG5 speakers for two-channel stereo
- Rechargeable internal battery lasts up to 10 hours
- AC power adapter
- 7-3.4″W x 17″H x 7-3/4″D
- 11.7 lbs.
- MSRP $199.99
For more information on the V5 or other Soundcast products, visit amazon.com/gosoundcast.
