Sennheiser's HD650 headphones are legendary in audio circles, and for good reason. The open-backed design lets in the sound of the outside world, but that openness creates one of the widest, most balanced soundstages we've ever heard from a pair of headphones. It sounds like your favorite band is set up right in front of you. 

This special-edition version of the HD650 comes in partnership with Drop, with one serious benefit (besides the special blue-black color): They're way cheaper. Where the normal HD650 retail for north of $300, these can be had for just $200, which is a screaming deal for some of the best headphones you can buy for under $1,000. They're also super comfortable, making them a top choice for extended listening sessions.

The best way to make sure headphones last a long time is to keep them somewhere safe, and that's why we like this cheap headphone stand. With simple metal construction and rounded hangers for two pairs of over-ears, it's a great place to admire your listening options, and to keep them safe when they're not on your noggin.

There are many awesome portable Bluetooth speakers, but I prefer the Sonos Roam (9/10, WIRED Recommends) because it works as a normal pair-and-go speaker when I'm out and about, but then it connects to my home Sonos system via Wi-Fi. That means I can easily stream Spotify, Apple Music, and other apps via the Sonos app at home, then use it as a standard Bluetooth speaker when I head out. It doesn't hurt that the triangular speaker sounds very good for the size, or that it's built to fit nearly perfectly in a car's cupholder.

The bookshelf-ready Atom can play high-res digital audio files from any source on your Wi-Fi network. If your loved one already has other Naim hardware in their home, the Atom will connect to those systems for a big, multiroom audio party. But even on it's own, it sounds absolutely incredible, with a pristine-sounding 40-watt amp that will drive whatever amazing speakers they already own. It even puts the album art on the full-color front display when streaming—a classy touch.

Monoprice's Monolith M570 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) have no business sounding as good as they do. Sleek design and a gorgeous zebrawood finish combine with a comfortable faux-leather headband to provide a gloriously comfortable listening experience. Audio comes via planar magnetic drivers, which use thin films of magnetized metal to provide better, more even frequency response than typical piston-style dynamic drivers like the Sennheiser HD6XX model above. That means excellent bass and crisp highs, with the open-backed headphones providing one of the widest soundstages this side of $1,000.

KEF's new LS50 Wireless II speakers (8/10, WIRED Recommends) look nearly identical to the previous version we know and love, but they come with improved amplification, better internal baffling, and even better colors. The company's famed Uni-Q drivers (in which the tweeter sits inside the woofer of the dual-driver speakers, making them look like a pair of gorgeous musical cyclopses) are immersive to listen to even at off-angles. They play anything and everything, thanks to Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and an HDMI eARC port for TVs and projectors.

This is a great starter turntable—or a perfect second turntable for somebody who's already deep into vinyl. It's belt-driven, with low noise, and comes loaded with a very nice AT95E elliptical stylus. It also has a built-in phono amp, so you can plug it directly into any set of powered speakers or into a stereo amp. You can also switch off the phono amp and connect it to equipment you already own. The bottom line is that the Fluance RT81 sounds as good as a deck twice its price.

These tiny little in-ears from Shure boast some of the most balanced, detailed sound you'll find at this price. I like that they have Shure's excellent foam ear tips, which provide a level of silence you'd be hard-pressed to come by without spending twice as much on active noise-canceling models. A replaceable cable makes them pretty durable long-term, and you can even make them wireless with a nifty adapter from Shure that puts batteries behind your ears.

This Bluetooth-enabled turntable isn't the highest-fidelity of the bunch, but it is excellent for those just starting a vinyl collection. I like that it has a headphone jack on the front for silent bedroom listening, and it also has Bluetooth onboard, which makes it a perfect gift for anyone who already has a speaker lying around. Sure, it's not analog end-to-end if you're using Bluetooth, but most of the fun of listening to vinyl isn't the fidelity, it's watching the records spin and playing with the liner notes!

They're spendy, but Apple's AirPods Max (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are among the best-sounding wireless headphones I've ever heard, and they're downright awesome with Apple devices. The metal-shelled over-ears remain comfortable courtesy of a bouncy mesh headband, and they come with arguably the greatest volume knob in the history of headphones on the top of the right ear cup. Noise canceling and onboard microphones are also second to none, which makes these some of the best headphones for both work and play.

The Fluance RT81 is a great starter turntable, but if you're looking to give the gift of even higher fidelity (and more eye-catching looks), the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo is the way to go. This no-frills turntable comes with a carbon-fiber tonearm for even better sound quality, and it also can be had in a wide assortment of gorgeous colors. It comes with an Ortofon Red cartridge and with a special new motor that is supposed to increase fidelity via better acoustic damping.

The legendary Koss Porta Pro on-ears have a classic ’80s-design that’ll make you feel like you're heading to the premiere of Blade Runner with your Walkman playing the Doobie Brothers. Oh, and they sound oddly great too—there's a reason Koss has been making them, relatively unchanged, for decades.

I'm a huge fan of the Master & Dynamic MW75 for their outstanding musical clarity, as well as their ability to act as a stand-alone digital-to-analog converter when you plug them in via USB—a nice touch for traveling audiophiles who don't want to carry more stuff. The 40-mm beryllium drivers are stiff and punchy, with a warm but defined low end combining with crisp and shimmery highs, and 30 hours of battery life with noise canceling on means you'll be able to enjoy your favorite music anywhere.

The LinkBuds (8/10, WIRED Recommends) have a hole in the middle, which makes them very usable when you actually want to hear the world and your music. I love these little headphones for hikes, runs, and walks around town, where I can easily hear someone yelling at me to get out of the way, or a bird call in the trees during my zen podcast. My wife likes them because she has smaller ears; these use cool detachable ear fins in many sizes to stay secure, even for those who often have problems making earbuds fit.

Most entry-level turntables come with built-in phono preamps, which take the signal from the stylus and bolster it to the “line level” your amp or powered speakers expect from those red and white RCA input cables. Adding an external phono preamp like this one from Cambridge Audio is a great way to up overall fidelity. If your friend, family member, or loved one has been getting into audio, this can be a really useful upgrade; my parents got me one for my birthday a few years back, and it's been a big and awesome change on my own system.

One of the most annoying things about most “now playing” stands—where you put your record sleeve while the plastic is spinning—is that they are too damn skinny. This one from Koeppel Design solves that problem, with space for up to 10 records or a couple of box sets. 

A nice quality record weight can add tightness and punch to the bass response of any record player, adding mass and securing the records to the surface of the platter. We like this cheap option from DJGearIX, which has a soft felt bottom that keeps it from scratching the labels on our favorite discs.

They might not seem like a glamorous gift, but there are very few vinyl enthusiasts who wouldn't joyously accept record sleeves as a gift. Think of them like the socks of the record world; you're always misplacing them, and you never—ever—can have enough.

A good record cleaner is an essential component of any proper vinyl setup. The tiny grooves of a record are too small for wipes or brushes to clean thoroughly, so the best method is to spray records down with a cleaner, then suck the cleaner out with a high-powered vacuum. This machine from Pro-Ject does just that, and it spins in two directions to ensure full suckage. I've been using it for months, and though some reviewers complain about the vacuum's exhaust port blowing onto the bottom of the records (and I myself was initially worried about this), it hasn't been a problem. All my records sound perfectly clean after a pass.

Affordable alternative: This $30 shop-vac attachment will give you the same effect by attaching to your existing vacuum hose and your own turntable.

We recommend these every year because they're just that great. Audioengine's amazing-sounding HD6 bookshelf speakers can play streaming audio from a phone or tablet, or your loved one can plug their favorite turntable or high-res digital player directly into the back. Versatile, well designed, and damn gorgeous, they're our favorite wireless stereo speakers for less than $1,000. They also make fantastic computer speakers.

The KEF LSX II (9/10, WIRED Recommends) are some of our favorite smaller speakers for most people, because they sound excellent and are dead simple to use. You can pair the Wi-Fi-enabled speakers to everything from a TV to a Spotify account, and they're easy to place or mount anywhere. Best of all? They're beautiful, with KEF's coaxial drivers looking like flowers in a colorful speaker surround.

These sturdy cubes are a great modular way to store all your favorite discs, thanks to their strong, easily stackable format. You can go with milk crates or Ikea shelves, but I prefer something like this because they're good looking and easy to move.

This little USB-C amp dongle from the folks at Fender contains numerous presets and effects, and it plugs right into your guitar, bass, or keyboard to give you a full amp effect in a tiny package. I bring it with me on road trips when I want to play my electric guitar but don't have room in the car for an amp. The sounds are pretty solid, and those familiar with Fender-style amps (most guitarists) will easily find something usable for their style of playing.

My wife bought this Bluetooth-enabled microphone earlier this year, and it's been bringing a ton of joy to our tiny house. You can pair your phone, and the mic has built-in reverb and delay to make you sound like the stars you're imitating. The speaker is baked into the handle, and it's loud for its size. Enjoy your karaoke night!

A great pair of speakers can get lost in a poorly treated room. So while acoustic panels might seem like the least sexy accessory in the audio world, they make a world of difference when it comes to the sound of any space. We like these affordable panels from ATS, which can absorb broad-frequency sound, making them ideal for taming overly reflective rooms to create more tonal balance. Don't worry about audio enthusiasts thinking you're weird for buying them some panels, either—almost everyone can use an extra panel or two somewhere.

NPR collaborated with Earpeace to make these easy-to-carry earplugs that don't make music sound worse, they just bring down the volume. That's super important, especially in environments like concerts where the sound can easily cause hearing damage. This isn't the most fun gift, but those who go to shows a lot will actually love them—there's nothing worse than having to put in normal foam earplugs when it's too loud and hurting your ears, only to lose all the fidelity. If these are good enough for NPR critic Bob Boilen to attend thousands of shows in, they're good enough for you!