It’s already Day 4 of Tech Guide’s 2020 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas – and we’re here to help you find the right present for your family and friends in this busy shopping period.
Today is Day 4 and we’re taking a look at arguably the most popular tech category – headphones, earphones and speakers which will be on everyone’s shopping list.
Here are Tech Guide’s 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas:
Day 4: Headphones/speakers
DAY 5: Gaming
DAY 6: Tablets/e-readers
DAY 7: Drones/Gadgets
DAY 8: Smart/IoT devices
DAY 9: In-car gadgets
DAY 10: TVs/Blu-Ray/4K
DAY 11: Appliances
DAY 12: Computers
DAY 4: Headphones/Speakers
APPLE AIRPODS PRO – $399
The AirPods Pro have been out for more than a year now and they are still one of the most popular earphones you can buy today thanks to their great sounds, impressive noise cancellation and excellent connectivity to iPhones.
The regular AirPods are also still hugely popular if your budget is a little smaller at $319 (AirPods with Wireless Charging case) and $249 (with regular charging case).
READ TECH GUIDE’S REVIEW OF THE AIRPODS PRO
APPLE HOMEPOD MINI – $149
The new Apple HomePod mini might be small in size but it’s big on sound and big on features and can also connect to and control your home’s smart devices.
The unit stands just 8.5 centimetres tall and its dwarfed by its big brother, the original HomePod.
But don’t let the small size fool you into thinking It lacks power. Quite the opposite.
It provides a room filling 360-degree sound and all of your favourite music and playlists. podcasts and audiobooks are just a voice command away.
READ TECH GUIDE’S FULL REVIEW OF THE HOMEPOD MINI
BOSE QUIETCOMFORT EARBUDS – $399
When it comes to high audio quality and noise cancellation, Bose are always at the top of their game and they’ve added those features to the new QuietComfort Earbuds.
It’s the same excellent level of noise cancellation you get with Bose headphones but shrunk down to work with the earbuds so you can switch off the outside world and just focus on your music or podcast or audiobook.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds use a patented combination of active and passive noise cancellation.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE BOSE QUIETCOMFORT EARBUDS
SONY WH-1000XM4 – $395
Sony’s WH-1000XM4 noise cancelling headphones are not only a huge improvement in audio quality but also include a range of intelligent features that take into account where you are, what you’re doing and even when you’re talking.
The fourth generation of Sony’s premium headphones offer an impressive level of personalisation to improve your listening experience and adjust the sound and level of noise cancellation based on your surroundings and if you’re sitting, standing or walking.
The new Speak-to-Chat feature is a game changer.
While listening to music, the user just has to start speaking and the music will pause without the need to press a button or remove the headphones.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE SONY WH-1000XM4
AUDIOFLY AFT2 TRUE WIRELESS IN-EAR HEADPHONES – $199.95
Excite everyone from the motivated musician to the hardcore listener this Christmas with the latest AFT2 True Wireless earphones from Audiofly, delivering pro-quality sound derived from its music industry roots and available in a multitude of Australian earth colours.
With finely-tuned 6mm dynamic drivers, the AFT2s offer unmatched pro-quality sound as well as first-class comfort inspired by its heritage in moulded in-ear monitors for professional musicians. Available from Store DJ & Manny’s Music.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE AFT2
PANASONIC RZ-S500W EARPHONES – $349
There are a lot of wire-free earphones on the market and finding the right balance of features, value and quality is tricky but one that ticks all the boxes is the Panasonic RZ-S500W earphones.
Panasonic is usually associated with TVs, cameras and appliances but they also have a rich audio heritage and is also the brand behind audio brand Technics.
The RZ-S500W wire-free noise cancelling earphones are part of Panasonic’s new range of earphones and headphones.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE RZ-S500W
SENNHEISER MOMENTUM TRUE WIRELESS 2 – $499
There are 75 years of audio heritage packed into the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 wire-free earphones which offer remarkable noise cancellation and impressive audio quality at the same time.
Quality is the keyword here – the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 earphones are well crafted and, while slightly larger than other wire-free earphones, they are still quite comfortable.
They are available in black or white and also come with a charging case which has a fabric layer on the outside.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE SENNHEISER MOMENTUM TRUE WIRELESS 2
BELKIN BOOST↑CHARGE WIRELESS CHARGING STAND + SPEAKER – $99.
The Stand + Speaker combination allows you to listen to music, watch videos, and take phone calls, while charging their phone in multiple viewing angles. A simple one-touch Bluetooth button provides a seamless experience, and the wireless charging stand provides a steady charge up to 10W for Qi-enabled smart phones.
READ TECH GUIDE’S REPORT ON THE BELKIN BOOST CHARGING WIRELESS CHARGING STAND + SPEAKER
BELKIN ROCKSTAR HEADPHONES WITH USB-C CONNECTOR $69.95
With high quality sound, supreme comfort and fit, and exceptional durability, ROCKSTAR Headphones with USB-C connector are the headphones you, and your USB-C smartphone, have been waiting for.
Packed with features, including water-resistance and noise-isolation, these compact headphones deliver superior audio without distraction – so you can lose yourself in music, be transported to a different world with an audio book, or experience the highs and lows of every story with compelling podcast content.
READ TECH GUIDE’S REPORT ON THE BELKIN ROCKSTAR HEADPHONES
GOOGLE PIXEL BUDS – $279
The latest Google Pixel Buds are a huge improvement over its larger predecessor but even though they are much smaller, the earbuds still pack a lot of punch and offer impressive sound wherever you go.
Priced at $279, the Google Pixel Buds were designed to be comfortable, to sound good and to offer convenience on the move. And it succeeds at all three.
Design-wise, the first thing you’ll notice about the Pixel Buds is how much smaller they are.
The earbuds themselves have quite a low profile and hardly protrude from your ear.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE GOOGLE PIXEL BUDS
BEATS FLEX – $79.95
The Flex-Form cable provides all-day comfort with durable Nitinol construction, while four ear tip options offer a personalised fit.
Magnetic earbuds make listening that much easier by automatically playing music when they’re in your ears and pausing when they’re attached around your neck.
Beats Flex boasts up to 12 hours of listening time for all-day use. If you need a little extra power, 10 minutes of Fast Fuel charging gives 1.5 hours of playback when the battery is low.
BLUEANT X5 BLUETOOTH SPEAKER _$399.95
You can’t go to a concert but you can still rock your next party at home with the new BlueAnt X5 speaker which offers a solid house-filling sound and a couple of microphones if you fancy yourself as a singer.
The $399.95 Australian-made 60W Bluetooth speaker has a built-in Class D amplifier and can produce 110dB of sound and great bass with an impressive sound range that doesn’t distort when you crank it up and wake the neighbours.
READ TECH GUIDE”S REPORT ON THE BLUEANT X5
LG TONEFREE EARPHONES – $279
The top-line feature of the LG Tone Free wire-free earphones when they were announced was that the charging case uses ultra violet light to kill 99.9 per cent of germs – but it’s the audio quality that will be the first thing to get your attention.
Yes the UVnano case, an industry first, can kill bacteria and E. Coli and this was a relevant feature during the COVID pandemic in a time of social distancing and hand sanitizer.
When the earphones are resting inside the case you can see the blue/purple glow below the medical grade silicon ear gel tips which is the ultra violet light doing its thing and disinfecting the buds. It only take 10 minutes inside the case.
But you buy earphones to listen to not to clean and the LG Tone Free earphones certainly deliver an excellent listening experience.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE LG TONEFREE
SKULLCANDY EVO TRUE WIRELESS EARBUDS – $179.95
Resistant to water, sweat and dust, the Indy Evo™ True Wireless Earbuds are the perfect stocking stuffer. And just in case any part is lost or damaged, our Fearless Use Promise® means we’ll replace it at a discount. Built-in Tile™ technology makes it easy to track down either earbud if you ever misplace them.
LASER BLUETOOTH WATER RESISTENT SPEAKER – $69
No matter the time or weather, keep the tunes pumping with Laser’s portable Bluetooth speaker. Compatible with any smartphone and tablet, this weatherproof speaker comes with a built-in rechargeable battery and a 3.5mm cable for direct connectivity to your device. It also has a splash proof rating of IPX4, so fear not if you do find yourself caught up in the rain.
