The shopping days are ticking down, and you may be wondering what to buy for the audio enthusiast in your life, or what you should be hinting that someone should buy you. Here are 10 great audio gift ideas, hand-picked by Audio Editor Andrew Everard.

Chord C-Line

Interconnects

£35/0.5m pair

The perfect upgrade for any system, bringing improved clarity and focus to the sound, these entry-level Chord cables are built to the same high standards as the rest of the company’s range, and use the same conductor layout as the flagship models, with foil shielding to reject interference. Will work with all line-level components, and a matching speaker cable, C-screen, is also available.

Find out more at chord.co.uk

SoundMagic E10C

In-ear headphones

£40

SoundMagic earphones have been picking up awards since they first appeared, and over the years the design has been refined, making them even better value for money. Available in a choice of colours, including suitably festive red and gold finishes, the E10C features passive noise isolation to keep outside sound at bay, and has an inline microphone suitable for use with smartphones while on the move.

Find out more at hifiheadphones.co.uk

Pro-Ject Primary

Turntable

£169

Pro-Ject started as a manufacturer of simple, high-quality and very affordable turntables, and the new Primary model follows in those footsteps with a specification designed to make it the ideal first choice for anyone discovering – or re-discovering – vinyl. Combining the thinking of the company’s Elemental and Essential II designs, it comes complete with a pre-fitted, pre-balanced tonearm and an excellent Ortofon OM5E cartridge already installed, so it really is completely plug and play.

Find out more at henleydesigns.co.uk

Bowers & Wilkins P3 Series 2

Headphones

from £120

The latest version of the original Bowers & Wilkins headphones has improved sound and a new soft-touch leather finish, making it even more desirable. Better bass and treble resolution improves the appeal of these highly portable headphones, designed to fold up and slip into a product when you’re on the move, while the skeletal design means they remain a style icon.

Find out more at bowers-wilkins.co.uk

Audioquest DragonFly Black

DAC/headphone amplifier

£90

The original DragonFly was a trendsetting product, combining as it did a digital-to-analogue converter and a headphone amplifier in a little USB stick you could plug into any computer, or even a phone or tablet, turning it into a high-quality listening solution on the move. The latest versions, including this DragonFly Black, are even better, and at less than £100 this model offers superb value for money – not to mention being the perfect gift.

Find out more at audioquest.com

Google ChromeCast Audio

Music player

£30

This tiny puck-shaped player shows just how the big software companies are staking their claim in the audio arena. For just £30 you get a device able to connect to your home network to access either music stored on a computer or network streaming services, or indeed a phone or tablet, and play music out through a hi-fi system using the little interconnect supplied in the package. Effective, smile-inducing and intriguing, it’s an ideal choice for newcomer to ‘computer music’.

Find out more at google.com

Gramofon

Wi-Fi music player

€59

One of the simplest ways to add Spotify music streaming to your system, this tiny music player simply connects between your Wi-Fi and your hi-fi, is controlled by a smartphone or tablet using simple player software, and can not just access streaming services, but also play any music you have shared on your network. It really couldn’t be much simpler, and you can use multiple units around the house to add more music systems to a multiroom network. Oh, and we like the name, too!

Find out more at gramofon.com

HEOS 1 HS2

Wireless multiroom speaker

£199

The HEOS 1 HS2 is not just a simple way to play music from your home network, or from a portable device using Bluetooth – it’s also the perfect introduction to the great-sounding, and highly flexible, HEOS multiroom system. Designed and made by Denon, it can be used as a standalone wireless speaker, paired up with another HEOS 1 to make a more powerful stereo system, taken outside with its option GoPack rechargeable battery, or combined with multiple HEOS speakers around the house to create a complete multiroom system – all controlled using a simple app on your phone or tablet.

Find out more at denon.co.uk

Bose QC35

QuietComfort wireless noise-reducing headphones

£290

Combining Bluetooth wireless with NFC one-touch connection, and Bose Acoustic Noise Cancelling technology, the QC35 is the ultimate travel headphone. Keep the noise out and great-sounding music in, whether on planes, trains or just the morning bus, thanks to noise reduction developed with professional pilots over decades, while a 20-hour battery life from the rechargeable battery will keep the tunes flowing.

Find out more at bose.co.uk

Naim Mu-so Qb

Wireless music system

£595

The second model in Naim’s Mu-so range of all-in-one network music systems is so-called because it’s – well, cubey! Within its compact dimensions are no fewer than five drive units – two treble and two midband, each driven by its own 50W amplifier, and a bass unit with a 100W – all under the control of sophisticated digital signal processing. It can play from network storage, streaming services including Spotify, Tidal and internet radio, and even portable devices using AirPlay or Bluetooth. You can combine multiple Mu-sos to create a multiroom music system, and it comes with a choice of grille colours, including red. Well, it is Christmas…

Find out more at naimaudio.com