9 inspired gift ideas for the music lover in your life, hand-picked by an audio expert

Looking for inspiration for the music-lover in your life? I get it – and I want to help you find them a gift they'll love listening to.

What I can tell you is that I would adore opening any one of these items this Holiday season – and in every case except the all-new and super-sparkly We Are Rewind Duran Duran-themed cassette player, I've heard the product, and I rate the sound. (The cassette player? I mean it's stunning – and while I love the warm and nostalgic hiss of magnetic tape as a cassette whirs away to bring music to my ears, nobody buys cassettes for truly clean, pristine audio).

Wondering whether to get them a set of earbuds? My top picks of 2025 would be the January 2025-launch Technics EAH-AZ100 for delicate and nuanced sound, or the June-issue Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) for a 'cocoon of silence' active noise cancellation experience.

Over-ears more their thing? Here, the budget-conscious can go for the late-September launch CMF Headphone Pro with my blessing, or if it's their 'big present', you really cannot go wrong with the excellent Sony WH-1000XM6, which arrived in May 2025.

Thinking a turntable might be out of the question? Hold on one minute! Consider the Sony PS-LX310BT, which will hook up to the Bluetooth speaker or wireless headphones they already own, so won't mean buying a full-blown sound system. And if it's a set of speakers they truly desire, my pick would be the excellent (and very handsome) Dali Kupid – which are so new, we only just published our five-star Dali Kupid review…

Whatever you get them, make sure you dance if you are able this festive season. And above all, enjoy the music!

Curated by

Curated by

Becky Scarrott

I've reviewed over 170 audio products since becoming a tech journalist, ranging from super-budget earbuds to high-end Hi-Res Audio music players. Before joining TechRadar, I spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing everything the world of audio had to offer; before that, I was a professional dancer. My love of music ties it all together.

My top gifts for audiophiles

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