<p>Our picks include both products we’ve tried firsthand and ones we know music fans will love, across a range of budgets. For more ideas, check out our guides to the <a href=”https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/productreviews/tech/g46029050/gamergiftideas/” target=”_blank”>best gifts for gamers</a>, the <a href=”https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/productreviews/tech/g41188977/techgifts/” target=”_blank”>best technology gifts</a> and <a href=”https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/christmas/giftideas/g38136783/christmasgiftsforteens/” target=”_blank”>gifts for teenagers</a>, too. </p>” datanexthead/>
Simon specialises in testing the latest smart gadgets, home entertainment gear, headphones, speakers, portable chargers, radios, ebook readers and smartphones. He’s reviewed top tech products from brands including Google, Apple, Amazon, JBL and Bose.
A magazine journalism graduate from Kingston University in 2014, Simon also worked on the Discovery and Silkroad inflight magazines. He then gained experience writing about entertainment at SFX and Total Film. He also contributed reviews and interviews to TwitchFilm (later ScreenAnarchy), CultBox and Frame Rated.
He joined Good Housekeeping UK as the Editorial Assistant for Special Projects and was part of Good Housekeeping’s Consumer Affairs Team between 2014 and 2019. In this role, he conducted price comparison research, wrote detailed household and moneysaving advice guides and edited thousands of indepth reviews for the Good Housekeeping Institute.
He has focused on technology and gadgets since 2020, where he started by testing out power banks and instant cameras. He writes reviews, roundups, news articles and deals updates, and also covers top tech deals during sales like Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
When not testing out the latest gizmos, you’ll find Simon either catching up with the newest releases at his local cinema or out shooting with his beloved compact camera.
You can follow Simon on Instagram, on Bluesky, on LinkedIn and on Threads.
“,”jobTitle”:”Technology Editor”,”image”:”https://hips.hearstapps.com/rover/profile_photos/4ce2e87213f0455d8dd56368b2f0729b_1749637372.file”,”email”:”Simon.cocks@hearst.co.uk”,”sameAs”:[“www.instagram.com/simonrcocks”]},”about”:{“@type”:”ItemList”,”numberOfItems”:31,”itemListElement”:[{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:1,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Accentum”,”description”:”Sennheiser’s Accentum headphones deliver premium sound quality with active noise cancellation in a light and portable design. They’re ideal for budding audiophiles on the go, offering detailed renditions of all their favourite albums and long battery life. They’ll improve your giftee’s daily commutes and beyond. “,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/170196744371St1R5DFGL.jpg”,”sku”:”B0CGR586KV”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Sennheiser”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Accentum”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CGR586KV”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”99.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:2,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Music Frame Smart Speaker”,”description”:”This is both a stylish piece of art and a wireless speaker in one package that can be propped up on its stand or hung on a wall. Your giftee can print out pictures they love to put in the frame, and the speaker works with Dolby Atmos for cinematic sound, Amazon Alexa for smart assistance and Apple Airplay 2, Chromecast and Samsung SmartThings for additional connectivity. It’s an ideal bit of subtle tech that will complement their decor.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/1731431139samsungmusicframe67338ac92a48e.jpg”,”sku”:”johnlewis_111913923″,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Samsung”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Music Frame Smart Speaker”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.johnlewis.com/samsungmusicframesmartspeakerwithdolbyatmosalexabuiltin/p111913923″,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”349.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”John Lewis”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:3,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Go Link Max adapter”,”description”:”The iFi Go Link Max is a compact DAC and headphone amplifier dongle that enhances smartphone audio by supporting highresolution formats from wired headphones. It offers a neutral and clean sound, with features like jitter reduction and a solid build for highquality listening on the go.We already loved the original iFi Go Link, and the new Max adds support for 4.4mm balanced connections, a wider dynamic range and more output for powerhungry headphones. Basically, it’s one of our favourite ways to get highend sound out of a smartphone or laptop and over to wired headphones – so it’s ideal for someone who loves highres music.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/173210642361PovXibx7L.jpg”,”sku”:”B0DM9M155S”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”iFi”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Go Link Max adapter”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DM9M155S”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”79.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:4,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Melomania A100 Earbuds”,”description”:”British hifi brand Cambridge Audio makes our favourite pair of affordable earbuds for sound quality: the Melomania A100.These are a perfect pick for rich, energetic and entertaining audio along with a comfortable fit, an excellent app and effective noisecancellation. Oh, and did we mention that they’re just £119? That makes them £100 cheaper than Apple’s comparable AirPods Pro 3.If you’re shopping for an Apple fan, though, nothing beats the convenience of the best AirPods. Read our AirPods Pro 3 review to find out why.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/176279105351sU2g3x7qL.jpg”,”sku”:”B0F9PJHMDP”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Cambridge Audio”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Melomania A100 Earbuds”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0F9PJHMDP”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”119.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:5,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits”,”description”:”Buying a gift for someone starting to build out a vinyl collection? You really can’t go wrong with the classics, and ABBA’s Greatest Hits features all the band’s biggest songs released between 1973 and 1981 – that includes everything from ‘Dancing Queen’ to ‘Mamma Mia’.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/1762791213e1539a0a111448f690db6a6512e64d09.jpg”,”sku”:”goldgreatesthits”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:null},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://hmv.com/store/music/vinyl/goldgreatesthits”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”34.99″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”hmv”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:6,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Experience 2″,”description”:”A great gift for the live music fan in your life, a pair of Loop Experience earplugs is ideal for lowering the volume of a concert without ruining the quality of the music they’re there to enjoy.They’re reusable, easytoclean, and come with multiple tip sizes so they can find the perfect fit. We also recommend the SoundProtex from Sennheiser for highquality hearing protection that doesn’t affect the fidelity of live music.Read our Sleep & Wellness Editor’s Loop earplugs review. “,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/17627911431746114595loopexperience2681397bc068d8.png”,”sku”:null,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Loop”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Experience 2″,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.loopearplugs.com/products/experience”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”29.95″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”loopearplugs”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:7,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Heston 60 TV Soundbar”,”description”:”Soundbars tend to be best for enhancing the audio of your films and TV programmes, primarily, but this small model from Marshall is also made to boost your music experience. It has lots of connectivity options, and a dedicated mode for music on its physical controls. It’s ideal both for elevating your home cinema experience, and for great performance from your playlists, whether in Dolby Atmos or standard stereo.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/1762791401marshallheston600169120fd3ee6ae.jpg”,”sku”:”marshallheston60tvsoundbar_R04532392″,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Marshall”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Heston 60 TV Soundbar”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.selfridges.com/GB/en/product/marshallheston60tvsoundbar_R04532392/”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”499.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Selfridges”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:8,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”P1 Digital Audio Player”,”description”:”Yes, MP3 players are still kicking around and they’re a brilliant option for music lovers with their own digital music library. The Activo P1 offers highresolution audio support in a portable, stylish design. Its userfriendly Android interface, combined with support for various audio formats, helps deliver a premium listening experience.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/172855886871gIALvH5kL.jpg”,”sku”:”B0D7J22FGB”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Activo”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”P1 Digital Audio Player”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0D7J22FGB”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”399.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:9,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”SoundLink Micro 2 Wireless Speaker”,”description”:”You can’t go wrong with the secondgen Bose SoundLink Micro if you’re looking for a highquality speaker that’s small enough to be truly portable.This little speaker is almost pocketsize – it only weighs 330g – yet is capable of pumping out sound that beats much larger models. We adore its water and dust proofing, versatile design, simple controls, and handy companion app.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/176279151751maFLcwyL.jpg”,”sku”:”B0FDLD34V5″,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Bose”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”SoundLink Micro 2 Wireless Speaker”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FDLD34V5″,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”119.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:10,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”The Beatles: Get Back: By The Beatles”,”description”:”Dive into the creative process of The Beatles’ final album with this beautifully illustrated book. It’s a musthave for any fan of the Fab Four’s legendary discography.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/1731431442817ta4ncolsl150067338bfb28573.jpg”,”sku”:”0935112960″,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Callaway Arts & Entertainment”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”The Beatles: Get Back: By The Beatles”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0935112960″,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”14.42″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:11,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Qobuz Gift Card”,”description”:”If they’re always going on about how Spotify doesn’t deliver the adequate bitrate and quality to hear all the nuances and details of their favourite albums, we recommend giving them the gift of highresolution music streaming with a Qobuz subscription. It’s ideal for those trying to get studioquality sound on the go, with millions of tracks across all genres and loads of resources for music discovery and curation. These subscriptions don’t automatically renew and are available for either three, six or 12 months.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/173143118517013441921701090464qobuz1585924009.jpg”,”sku”:”offerqobuz”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:null},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Qobuz Gift Card”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.qobuz.com/gben/offerqobuz”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”129.99″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”qobuz”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:12,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Chu II wired earbuds”,”description”:”As good as wireless earbuds get, it only takes a couple of minutes with a more affordable pair of wired inear monitors to realise that most wireless models simply can’t deliver this kind of sound quality. For a first step into wired headphones, we suggest the Moondrop Chu II – they have robust metal shells and a balanced audio profile with no distortion. They’re also fantastic value at under £20. “,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/172907355561KBHRMn8ZL.jpg”,”sku”:”B0CB8HHS8V”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Moondrop”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Chu II wired earbuds”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CB8HHS8V”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”15.19″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:13,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology (2CD) Taylor Swift”,”description”:”Buying a gift for an avowed Swiftie who’s building their own CD collection? If they don’t already have it, get them the blockbuster 2CD edition of 2024’s biggest album, The Tortured Poets Department. This set packs 35 tracks, including four acoustic bonus songs, so they get everything in one box.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/17627916341142c9ffbb4c4ecd991ef852575daaa6.jpg”,”sku”:”thetorturedpoetsdepartmenttheanthology”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:null},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology (2CD) Taylor Swift”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://hmv.com/store/music/cd/thetorturedpoetsdepartmenttheanthology”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”20.99″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”hmv”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:14,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Px8 S2″,”description”:”It can be hard to find headphones that feel really special, especially when so many have plasticky designs and look so similar. That’s not the case with this stunning B&W pair, which is made to be comfortable for extended listening and uses premium materials like diecast aluminium and soft leather.These headphones are excellent for rich, dynamic and nuanced sound, noisecancelling and battery life, too. Yes, they’re expensive, but we think they’re the ideal luxe gift for the music lover in your life.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/176279100551zBxYrfyKL.jpg”,”sku”:”B0FH5QDTBQ”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Bowers & Wilkins”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Px8 S2″,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FH5QDTBQ”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”629.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:15,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”100 Albums Scratch Bucket List Poster”,”description”:”Put their musical knowledge to the test and help them track their listening journey with an interactive poster featuring 100 iconic albums to scratch off. It’s made for revisiting old classics and discovering new favourites. A great gift for someone who’s hard to shop for. “,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/1731431655original_100albumsscratchbucketlistposter.jpg”,”sku”:”notonthehighstreet_100albumsscratchbucketlistposter”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Gift Republic”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”100 Albums Scratch Bucket List Poster”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.notonthehighstreet.com/giftrepublic/product/100albumsscratchbucketlistposter”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”12.99″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Not On The High Street”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:16,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Authentics 300″,”description”:”With its retroinspired design and powerful sound, the JBL Authentics 300 is one of the most impressive wireless home speakers we’ve tested, delivering loads of connected smarts in addition to its highquality audio and tactile control knobs. You can’t go wrong, but there’s also the Authentics 200 or Authentics 500, which are great options if you want something either a little more compact or larger. The benefit of the 300, though, is that even if it isn’t designed to go outside, it does have a battery and can be used as a portable speaker.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/173143155571Hk2MSdALL.jpg”,”sku”:”B0CD263FWB”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”JBL”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Authentics 300″,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CD263FWB”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”289.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:17,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Personalised Solid Oak Headphone Stand”,”description”:”We like the look of this sturdy and sleek wooden stand for your headphones – it would be ideal for an organised bedside or desk setup and can be personalised with the recipient’s name and a message.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/1716984185original_personalisedheadphonestand.jpg”,”sku”:”notonthehighstreet_personalisedheadphonestand”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”MijMoj Design”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Personalised Solid Oak Headphone Stand”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.notonthehighstreet.com/mijmoj/product/personalisedheadphonestand”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”32.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Not On The High Street”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:18,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Pi8″,”description”:”These buds offer studioquality sound with adaptive noise cancellation and a long battery life. They aren’t cheap, but they set the standard with a premium design and exceptional comfort. They’re tailormade for users who demand highfidelity audio on the go.Read our Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review for more on their fit, comfort, features and audio performance.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/173143090071zp91gyaqlacsl1500673389ebd7ae0.jpg”,”sku”:”B0DBRD9YTK”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Bowers & Wilkins “},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Pi8″,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DBRD9YTK”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”299.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:19,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Panasonic SCDM202EGK Compact Micro HiFi Stereo System”,”description”:”This is an ideal present for someone with a CD collection that’s just waiting to be rediscovered. This excellent compact hifi player is capable of bringing their timeless albums and wellloved compilations back to life with crisp audio quality, and it has handy builtin DAB+/FM radio support and Bluetooth connectivity too.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/173142921271QjbXf0yL.jpg”,”sku”:”B0C69H1X49″,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Panasonic”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Panasonic SCDM202EGK Compact Micro HiFi Stereo System”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C69H1X49″,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”128.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:20,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Rough Trade Club”,”description”:”A perfect gift for vinyl lovers, this subscription delivers handpicked records from rising artists straight to their door each month. That’s in addition to exclusive merch, money off instore purchases, and exclusive ticket access.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/1731431329image.png”,”sku”:null,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”club”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Rough Trade Club”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.roughtrade.com/engb/club”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”2024.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”roughtrade”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:21,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Ace headphones”,”description”:”The excellent Sonos Ace are brilliant for allday wear, smooth and clear audio performance and an immersive spatial audio mode for movies and music. They’re even better if your giftee owns a Sonos soundbar, as they have seamless switching tech to move the audio from the TV to the headphones.Read our indepth Sonos Ace review for more details on why we love them.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/1718707679513zhkvTfQL.jpg”,”sku”:”B0D37H1T6H”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Sonos”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Ace headphones”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0D37H1T6H”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”399.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:22,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”House of Marley Stir it Up Lux”,”description”:”If they’ve mentioned dusting off their old records or getting back into buying vinyl to support artists, this excellent player will help them on their way. We love how it’s made of recycled materials, has a simple construction, comes with lots of features (including Bluetooth support) and delivers a warm, authoritative and rich sound to get the most out of those LPs.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/169541564761owiBgcL.jpg”,”sku”:”B0CDCMFTKB”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Marley”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”House of Marley Stir it Up Lux”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CDCMFTKB”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”299.99″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:23,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Beosound Explore”,”description”:”The Beosound Explore is one of our favourite rugged outdoor wireless speakers. With full water and dust protection, up to 27 hours of battery life between charges and a builtin carabiner for attaching it to a bag or backpack, this is tailormade for surviving adventures. And yes, it works just as well for blasting some music during a garden party, too.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/17627917601664443973bangandolufsenexplore1664443957.jpg”,”sku”:null,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Bang & Olufsen”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Beosound Explore”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.bangolufsen.com/en/gb/speakers/beosoundexplore”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”219.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”bangolufsen”}},{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08YRT9T38″,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”184.99″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:24,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Roam 2″,”description”:”After more connectivity from your portable Bluetooth speaker? This a gift we’d be thrilled to receive. It’s a highly portable smart device with fantastic audio quality, top build quality and water resistance, plus it can be controlled with your voice by using Sonos Voice, Alexa or Google Assistant.Read our Sonos Roam 2 review for more information on this handy little speaker.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/175491526661qrzJ29lL.jpg”,”sku”:”B0D37BY6ZR”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Sonos”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Roam 2″,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0D37BY6ZR”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”179.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:25,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Amiron 300 wireless noise cancelling earbuds”,”description”:”These are lovely little earbuds that deliver fantastic sound quality. They’ve also got excellent touch controls, a great companion app, capable noisecancelling and lots of battery life. Audiophiles trust Beyerdynamic’s reputation for highquality sound reproduction, and these won’t let them down.Read our Beyerdynamic Amiron 300 earbuds review for more detail.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/1734106887618X02u08L.jpg”,”sku”:”B0DCC6GQT6″,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Beyerdynamic”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Amiron 300 wireless noise cancelling earbuds”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DCC6GQT6″,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”155.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:26,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Snowsky Retro Nano”,”description”:”Made to look like a cassette player, this is a charming, nostalgic dongle with Bluetooth, highquality audio, and a replaceable battery, making it a perfect gift for anyone connecting wired headphones to their phone or PC. It includes accessories like stickers and a USBC cable, and offers control via its mini screen or app.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/176279185351AUMqGZpL.jpg”,”sku”:”B0DR5VBY7P”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”FiiO”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Snowsky Retro Nano”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DR5VBY7P”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”59.99″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:27,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”X”,”description”:”If you’re buying for someone who’d like an allinone speaker but also wants an enormous amount of bass, then the Brane X is the one to pick. It’s one chunky unit, but all you need for the kind of deep, booming bass you’d typically need a more comprehensive speaker system to deliver.Read our Brane X review for more of our handson impressions.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/1762792218branexspeaker691212be3f752.jpg”,”sku”:null,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Brane”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”X”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://shop.braneaudio.com/eneu/products/branexsmartspeakeruk”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”449.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”braneaudio”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:28,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”IO8″,”description”:”Dali IO8 noisecancelling headphones are “true hifi speakers for your head” and, for sound quality alone, they’re about as impressive as it gets. They’re stylish without being overthetop and comfy to wear all day, with simple circular ear cups and lots of cushioning. There’s a great battery life to go with the engaging sound – and they work in wired mode too.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/176279225471BYuaAp2IL.jpg”,”sku”:”B0DHSY33DS”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”DALI”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”IO8″,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DHSY33DS”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”449.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:29,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”DM13 Portable CD Player with Bluetooth”,”description”:”For CD fans in your life, the FiiO DM13 is perfect for breathing some life back into a disc collection. It’s ideal whether they listen via wired headphones, wireless ones (yes, it’s got Bluetooth!) or a speaker setup, with all the connection options they need.Unlike older players, it has “electronic shock protection” that should prevent your music from skipping, USB audio output, sturdy build quality, and a rechargeable battery that will last for eight hours of playback. All that, and it comes in five colours: red, white, black, silver and blue.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/176279230951pGHUr4PL.jpg”,”sku”:”B0DMTHJ866″,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”FiiO”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”DM13 Portable CD Player with Bluetooth”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DMTHJ866″,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”139.99″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:30,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”SoundLink Home”,”description”:”This is a nofuss Bluetooth home speaker that really looks the part. It has a chic style with curved brushed aluminium all around, a fabric grille and intuitive tactile buttons on top.Punchy, nuanced and crisp, it’s more capable of filling a room than we expected for its small size, and it doesn’t get distorted at a high volume. It’s one for those who only care about good sound and good looks.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/176279235961IRy4EEewL.jpg”,”sku”:”B0DT7FT7BC”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Bose”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”SoundLink Home”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DT7FT7BC”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”219.95″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:31,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Aventho 100″,”description”:”After retrostyled wireless onear headphones that look premium but don’t weigh a wearer down as much as bulky overears? These are a great fit. They’ve got loads of battery life for allweek use, noisecancelling for the commute, and a great sound quality for music of any genre, along with an app to change the sound profile.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/1762792407619dLhr9voL.jpg”,”sku”:”B0F9YDNQRB”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Beyerdynamic”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Aventho 100″,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0F9YDNQRB”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”169.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}}]}}]
We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
2
Samsung Music Frame Smart Speaker
This is both a stylish piece of art and a wireless speaker in one package that can be propped up on its stand or hung on a wall.
Your giftee can print out pictures they love to put in the frame, and the speaker works with Dolby Atmos for cinematic sound, Amazon Alexa for smart assistance and Apple Airplay 2, Chromecast and Samsung SmartThings for additional connectivity. It’s an ideal bit of subtle tech that will complement their decor.
The iFi Go Link Max is a compact DAC and headphone amplifier dongle that enhances smartphone audio by supporting highresolution formats from wired headphones. It offers a neutral and clean sound, with features like jitter reduction and a solid build for highquality listening on the go.
We already loved the original iFi Go Link, and the new Max adds support for 4.4mm balanced connections, a wider dynamic range and more output for powerhungry headphones. Basically, it’s one of our favourite ways to get highend sound out of a smartphone or laptop and over to wired headphones – so it’s ideal for someone who loves highres music.
4
Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 Earbuds
British hifi brand Cambridge Audio makes our favourite pair of affordable earbuds for sound quality: the Melomania A100.
These are a perfect pick for rich, energetic and entertaining audio along with a comfortable fit, an excellent app and effective noisecancellation. Oh, and did we mention that they’re just £119? That makes them £100 cheaper than Apple’s comparable AirPods Pro 3.
If you’re shopping for an Apple fan, though, nothing beats the convenience of the best AirPods. Read our AirPods Pro 3 review to find out why.
5
ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits
Buying a gift for someone starting to build out a vinyl collection? You really can’t go wrong with the classics, and ABBA’s Greatest Hits features all the band’s biggest songs released between 1973 and 1981 – that includes everything from ‘Dancing Queen’ to ‘Mamma Mia’.
A great gift for the live music fan in your life, a pair of Loop Experience earplugs is ideal for lowering the volume of a concert without ruining the quality of the music they’re there to enjoy.
They’re reusable, easytoclean, and come with multiple tip sizes so they can find the perfect fit. We also recommend the SoundProtex from Sennheiser for highquality hearing protection that doesn’t affect the fidelity of live music.
Read our Sleep & Wellness Editor’s Loop earplugs review.
7
Marshall Heston 60 TV Soundbar
Soundbars tend to be best for enhancing the audio of your films and TV programmes, primarily, but this small model from Marshall is also made to boost your music experience.
It has lots of connectivity options, and a dedicated mode for music on its physical controls. It’s ideal both for elevating your home cinema experience, and for great performance from your playlists, whether in Dolby Atmos or standard stereo.
8
Activo P1 Digital Audio Player
Yes, MP3 players are still kicking around and they’re a brilliant option for music lovers with their own digital music library.
The Activo P1 offers highresolution audio support in a portable, stylish design. Its userfriendly Android interface, combined with support for various audio formats, helps deliver a premium listening experience.
9
Bose SoundLink Micro 2 Wireless Speaker
You can’t go wrong with the secondgen Bose SoundLink Micro if you’re looking for a highquality speaker that’s small enough to be truly portable.
This little speaker is almost pocketsize – it only weighs 330g – yet is capable of pumping out sound that beats much larger models. We adore its water and dust proofing, versatile design, simple controls, and handy companion app.
10
The Beatles: Get Back: By The Beatles
Dive into the creative process of The Beatles’ final album with this beautifully illustrated book. It’s a musthave for any fan of the Fab Four’s legendary discography.
If they’re always going on about how Spotify doesn’t deliver the adequate bitrate and quality to hear all the nuances and details of their favourite albums, we recommend giving them the gift of highresolution music streaming with a Qobuz subscription.
It’s ideal for those trying to get studioquality sound on the go, with millions of tracks across all genres and loads of resources for music discovery and curation. These subscriptions don’t automatically renew and are available for either three, six or 12 months.
12
Moondrop Chu II wired earbuds
As good as wireless earbuds get, it only takes a couple of minutes with a more affordable pair of wired inear monitors to realise that most wireless models simply can’t deliver this kind of sound quality.
For a first step into wired headphones, we suggest the Moondrop Chu II – they have robust metal shells and a balanced audio profile with no distortion. They’re also fantastic value at under £20.
13
The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology (2CD) Taylor Swift
Buying a gift for an avowed Swiftie who’s building their own CD collection? If they don’t already have it, get them the blockbuster 2CD edition of 2024’s biggest album, The Tortured Poets Department. This set packs 35 tracks, including four acoustic bonus songs, so they get everything in one box.
14
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
It can be hard to find headphones that feel really special, especially when so many have plasticky designs and look so similar. That’s not the case with this stunning B&W pair, which is made to be comfortable for extended listening and uses premium materials like diecast aluminium and soft leather.
These headphones are excellent for rich, dynamic and nuanced sound, noisecancelling and battery life, too. Yes, they’re expensive, but we think they’re the ideal luxe gift for the music lover in your life.
15
Gift Republic 100 Albums Scratch Bucket List Poster
Put their musical knowledge to the test and help them track their listening journey with an interactive poster featuring 100 iconic albums to scratch off. It’s made for revisiting old classics and discovering new favourites. A great gift for someone who’s hard to shop for.
With its retroinspired design and powerful sound, the JBL Authentics 300 is one of the most impressive wireless home speakers we’ve tested, delivering loads of connected smarts in addition to its highquality audio and tactile control knobs.
You can’t go wrong, but there’s also the Authentics 200 or Authentics 500, which are great options if you want something either a little more compact or larger. The benefit of the 300, though, is that even if it isn’t designed to go outside, it does have a battery and can be used as a portable speaker.
17
MijMoj Design Personalised Solid Oak Headphone Stand
We like the look of this sturdy and sleek wooden stand for your headphones – it would be ideal for an organised bedside or desk setup and can be personalised with the recipient’s name and a message.
These buds offer studioquality sound with adaptive noise cancellation and a long battery life. They aren’t cheap, but they set the standard with a premium design and exceptional comfort. They’re tailormade for users who demand highfidelity audio on the go.
Read our Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review for more on their fit, comfort, features and audio performance.
19
Panasonic SCDM202EGK Compact Micro HiFi Stereo System
This is an ideal present for someone with a CD collection that’s just waiting to be rediscovered. This excellent compact hifi player is capable of bringing their timeless albums and wellloved compilations back to life with crisp audio quality, and it has handy builtin DAB+/FM radio support and Bluetooth connectivity too.
A perfect gift for vinyl lovers, this subscription delivers handpicked records from rising artists straight to their door each month. That’s in addition to exclusive merch, money off instore purchases, and exclusive ticket access.
Simon Cocks is Good Housekeeping UK’s Technology Editor, overseeing tech shopping content and strategy for the title. He previously also worked across other titles including Esquire UK, Digital Spy, Men’s Health UK and Women’s Health UK.
Simon specialises in testing the latest smart gadgets, home entertainment gear, headphones, speakers, portable chargers, radios, ebook readers and smartphones. He’s reviewed top tech products from brands including Google, Apple, Amazon, JBL and Bose.
A magazine journalism graduate from Kingston University in 2014, Simon also worked on the Discovery and Silkroad inflight magazines. He then gained experience writing about entertainment at SFX and Total Film. He also contributed reviews and interviews to TwitchFilm (later ScreenAnarchy), CultBox and Frame Rated.
He joined Good Housekeeping UK as the Editorial Assistant for Special Projects and was part of Good Housekeeping’s Consumer Affairs Team between 2014 and 2019. In this role, he conducted price comparison research, wrote detailed household and moneysaving advice guides and edited thousands of indepth reviews for the Good Housekeeping Institute.
He has focused on technology and gadgets since 2020, where he started by testing out power banks and instant cameras. He writes reviews, roundups, news articles and deals updates, and also covers top tech deals during sales like Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
When not testing out the latest gizmos, you’ll find Simon either catching up with the newest releases at his local cinema or out shooting with his beloved compact camera.
You can follow Simon on Instagram, on Bluesky, on LinkedIn and on Threads.
Advertisement Continue Reading Below
Advertisement Continue Reading Below
Advertisement Continue Reading Below
