15 BEST GIFT Ideas for AUDIOPHILES and MUSIC Lovers

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Күн бұрын

The Audiophiliac brings good cheer and a bag full of great gift ideas for Audiophiles and Music lovers!
Audiophiliac T-shirts, Mugs, and Posters, audiophiliac-daily-show-store...
Andrew Hickey's Patreon / andrewhickey
The Audiophiliac's Patreon / audiophiliac
Fern & Roby Record Weight www.fernandroby.com/products/...
King Crimson's In The Court of the Crimson King Movie www.itcotck.com
David Byrne's How Music Works Book
ELAC Debut Connex Active Speakers www.elac.com/series/connex/co...
Riverstone Stylus Force Gauge www.riverstoneaudio.com/recor...
Joel Liebman Furniture www.jlfurniture.com
Schiit Gjallahorn power amp Audiophiliac review • More SCHIIT: Rekkr & G...
Schiit Loki Mini + Equalizer Audiophiliac review • NEW SCHIIT, the LOKI M...
Triode Wire Labs Biwire speaker cables triodewirelabs.com/product/am...
Dayton Audio HTA100 Audiophilisc review • Outrageously Sweet: DA...
SolidSteel SS6 speaker stands solidsteel.it/my-product/ss-6...
Buchardt speaker stands buchardtaudio.com/products/bu...
Nuggets Vol 1 LP and 4 CD Nuggets box set store.rhino.com/en/search/?q=...
#audiophiles #hifi #musicgifts

Пікірлер: 118

@CosmicKnight1 7 ай бұрын

Steve has great recommendations. I put it to the test a few years ago and bought a small portable Bluetooth speaker he recommended. I figured the inexpensive recommendation would be the place someone might ‘phone it in’ but not Steve. I love that little speaker! It’s great by the pool, picnics, back yard, drive in, camping, etc. Since then I’ve come to really appreciate what Steve says in his reviews. Having listened to some the things he’s reviewed I better understand stand how to interpret his reviews and that has been gold. Steve’s reviews and recommendations are really good stuff!

@StephaneVorstellung 7 ай бұрын

nuggets is one of my desert island picks---always

@user-ux5go7gv6d 7 ай бұрын

The Andrew Hickey podcast was your gift to me, because I've started listening to it following one of your videos, and I'm now addicted (in a good way). And I'm going to spread the gospel this Christmas!

@keplermission 7 ай бұрын

Yep but Steve also mentioned speaker cable and for many years I've always used Radio Shack 278-1273, the 14 gauge flat Megacable that was $19 for a 50ft roll. That was a great cable even although I'd recommend used mains flex found on a long reach appliance like a lawnmower or hedge trimmer. Speaker cable is good stuff and I found that OFC didn't sound best. There are always a bunch of old cables on auction sites going back to the days when copper was better quality than today. These will need a run-in time but could sound better than modern options, NEW PRICES today are very high.

@Dirtweed 7 ай бұрын

I love my Solid Steel speaker stands. Best looking ones I have own that work perfectly.

@samuelreggio1611 7 ай бұрын

Nuggets is so great. Great comp, amazing songs, and incredible as a sort of musical historical document. Definitely get the 4cd set.

@jackwhitney-ov1bl 7 ай бұрын

Great one Steve…. Live forever baby 🤩

@bacarandii 7 ай бұрын

You turned me on to Andrew Hickey last year and I've fallen under his spell. I read a lot of musical history and analysis and now his mellifluous voice has become part of my internal monologue: I always imagine how it would sound if HE was reading it out loud! I can't help it. Anyway, his research is awe-inspiring and his delivery is mesmerizing. Season's greetings and many thanks to you both.

@danielwilliams1921 7 ай бұрын

Great show - thanks!

@jimbuckets 7 ай бұрын

Thank you for this great list. I ordered the Riverstone and will get the speaker stands in the new year.

@user-mz6lt2pr9s 7 ай бұрын

Thanks for your gift suggestions. Love playing Santa and Harry Hanukkah. Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas to all!

@cnhhnc 7 ай бұрын

Very nice list of possibilities for almost everyone. Well done! Looking forward to the Elac powered speaker review as I may need to buy a set for my daughter for TV and music duty in her apartment bedroom? Also, that furniture is beautiful!

@asan1050 7 ай бұрын

Steve Thank you for posting.

@CUBICUB 7 ай бұрын

Great recommendations !

@joelliebmancustomfurniture3596 7 ай бұрын

Learned word of the day... Bespoke. Love it.

@dank.6942 7 ай бұрын

Been hearing about Andrew Hickey's podcast for a while now. I am a history and music buff so I'm sure I'll dig it, but it is so big, it's daunting and I keep telling myself "I don't have time" to start. The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step so I guess "time has come today", you are the tipping point... thanks Steve!

@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac 7 ай бұрын

That's good, enjoy. I don't listen to complete episodes in one dose, I listen in half hour increments. Even the longest ones are amazing. But sometimes it takes a while to get rolling.

@09876username 7 ай бұрын

I agree the podcasts are long. Some artists may be more interesting to explore. I’m listening to my favorite artists first. But it is a handy reference for future listening in case you need information later on in your listening journey.

@keplermission 7 ай бұрын

Jefferson Airplane, Greasy Heart? Steve what do you really really think of that track if I may ask? You know Grateful Dead that you mention are okay ... even though back in the Early 1970s? Wow ... the Grateful Dead, wow Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan ... so awesome. I think you're just great bringing back these memories of that time, even though it's too long ago for me. Fantastic time to be around!

@Niels133 7 ай бұрын

Have the book from Byrne. Good book, lots of info.

@AdamJRichardson 7 ай бұрын

I heard the Elac Connex at Capitol Audio Fest and was pretty gobsmacked by them (props to Elac for demo-ing their cheapest product at the show, not just their priciest ones). The rep said they'd go on sale for $399 the following day, so myself and the friend I was with both snapped them up. Really happy with them! Orange for me, on my desk.

@sebastianbirch2187 7 ай бұрын

Thank you Steve for recommending Andrew Hickey's Podcast, I started after your original recommendation and got literally obsessed with it. The History Of rock Music in 500 songs is an absolute MUST for any music lover, rock or any other. Andrew is going deep in his analyzes, finding connections and roots of rock in places many may not previously realized. Knowledge, passion and professional delivery of that show is not to be match anywhere else. This podcast and books, based on it, could be received as Encyclopedia Of Rock in the future. Thanks Steve for finding , not only interesting gear to review, but also beautiful albums ...and the podcasts for us to discover. Cheers, and Happy Holidays!

@keplermission 7 ай бұрын

De nada. But I like to pin up Steve's Heads Up on the $200 Dayton Audio HTA100B because there was a time that some of us had been so poor (or the outsides of our homes had looked so poor) that we cobbled our Stereo together from parts of old wore out car radios ... and back then I learned some neat circuitry tricks from HongKong radio engineers of old. So I'd recommend Lanzar Optima Chinese speakers for the Dayton as it does have a 4-ohm car radio output stage and Lanzar were the BEST VALUE speakers on offer anyhare in the USA. More recently though since they got popular here, they're often been seen at inflated prices so scrapyards are great for old, you know Xmas time speaker projects.

@keplermission 7 ай бұрын

'Anyhare in the USA', I'm multitasking and been thinking about Chicago's O'Hare international airport. Yep there will be a few of Steve's readers going through there at this time of year. Very popular place at the best of times.

@karlhartwig3981 7 ай бұрын

I'm sending this list to my better half, she thinks you're pretty cool too, though she's not an audiophile. That King Crimson video looks pretty interesting, love that band and seen them many times, I'm sure the musicians have some stories to tell!

@detourbooksfoundintranslat1115 7 ай бұрын

Just watched the Crimson trailer. I can see why it's listed as documentary/horror. Fripp is pretty scary. Great gift guide - thanks! 🐾

@mrgear100 7 ай бұрын

Nuggets is a great recording. Thank you Lenny Kaye for all the liner notes!

@mikemajors2385 7 ай бұрын

I would like to add iFi Audio enhancer`s. The USB, SPDIF, DC and LAN can all be improved with these and are my pick as the biggest value in hifi. I use these in my reference system with great success. Thank`s Steve.

@steveniemi9299 7 ай бұрын

Dillon built up a nice Pangea Vulcan Audio rack, cleverly using an add-on LP storage shelf, up high, to act as a 'table shelf (below his main 'table)

@aceofspades6667 7 ай бұрын

Morley humm exterminator is awesome along with schiit skoll. There’s also record turntable weights / dampeners which are awesome.

@keplermission 7 ай бұрын

Morley Hum Exterminator? Well ... I should just say to help out that a long time ago I bought a Radio Shack receiver, a STAV-3100 (made by Pioneer) and hooked it up to speakers that I'd owned that were made in Japan by Tamon but branded as Wharfedale Laser, yeah they were cool speakers, 91.5dB SPL at 6 ohm, speakers for Technics New Class A and Yamaha Class A but didn't they have this annoying hum noise? Well I took it back to the store and they ran it on OPTIMUS 1000 speakers made by Fisher/Sanyo and the hum just vanished and better yet it was a wonderful 3D seductive sound. So hum can come from a bad x-over match to amplifiers. But you know I'd like to say more about Optimus 1000.

@HappyHighwayman 7 ай бұрын

What about room treatment panels?

@simonirvine1628 7 ай бұрын

Well with a stroke of good old Xmas luck I better be getting the Calibre, from Legacy Audio and if I don't Santa's gonna get it BIG TIME.

@chuckmaddison2924 7 ай бұрын

Some really nice suggestions. This might sound strange something I would like is a Dansette record player from UK. ( 1960's). I have a couple of Kriesler (Australian) but the Dansette with Garrard stacker is something of a cult.

@BobGeogeo 7 ай бұрын

Nuggets is a fun album.

@rogerhuston8287 7 ай бұрын

All I want for Christmas is a Mass Kobo 465.

@rudymcmillan 7 ай бұрын

Hello and thank you you have to review or would you? The audio lab 6000A on a pair of KEF LS50s already had the 6000A and just got the LS50 in it's the best sounding thing I've ever heard It reminds me of when you review the LS50s I know exactly what you were talking about !

@3rdaxis649 7 ай бұрын

Looks like I'm firing up the CNC machines to make some record weights, wow! 135 bucks??

@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac 7 ай бұрын

Sell for $99, you'll be rich! Do it!!!

@3rdaxis649 7 ай бұрын

I'm not even joking, I'll spin out some prototypes and send them to you to try out. May have to make mine with the ability to add or subtract weight too;)@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac

@3rdaxis649 7 ай бұрын

I'll send one to your friend Elliott White as well. He's not far from me and it will give me an excuse to listen to some of his wonderful wares. lol@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac

@hippydippy 7 ай бұрын

Cool List... Strange though that on the Nugget's LP it has the great "Summer Time Blues" by Blue Cheer, but it's not on the 4 cd box set. Anyone know why? It's one of my favorites.

@esotericist 5 ай бұрын

Hi Steve, May I ask? - what are the panels on the wall behind you. Very futuristic.

@DNW2868 7 ай бұрын

Steve what about CD players. Looking at Rotel cd14mk2 or Rotel 1572 mk2.

@alphasixty1316 7 ай бұрын

It has always been curious to me how locked down, Fripp/King Crimson, has kept the access to their recordings.

@michaelsrensen8027 7 ай бұрын

Hi Steve, could you perhaps review Audio Note An-E? Saw your old video with Singer on Snell. I love Snell speakers, but would love to hear your take on this hyper expensive “simple design” speaker.

@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac 7 ай бұрын

Well, audio notes speakers are designed to be used in room corners, my room isn't suitable for that sort of thing. I've heard them many times it shows and occasionally in peoples homes, it's not my thing.

@rabit818 7 ай бұрын

The gift of Bose.

@jakenord5027 7 ай бұрын

Hmm… is this basically a “what am I going to gift myself this year” video? 😂

@simonirvine1628 7 ай бұрын

A great Xmas present for those DAC loving people out there is the Highly recommended data cloths for keeping your precious downloaded music files nice and clean. They range between $9.99 - $29.99. A total Bargain.

@2ChukBuk 7 ай бұрын

Steve, what would you suggest for a vinyl record cleaner that won't break the bank? Great gift suggestions, btw!

@keplermission 7 ай бұрын

The Keith Monks vinyl record cleaner machine is you know, the official thing but I don't recommend cleaners. I found that they did something to the sound, made it worse all around. Better to buy a new record every time, just try it.

@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac 7 ай бұрын

Spin Clean

@crazyprayingmantis5596 7 ай бұрын

A paint cut in tool and a microfiber towel

@tonykernighan9175 7 ай бұрын

IM obsessed with music and speakers I have so many from sound core to edifier to Logitech. and I did some research and found a company called PSB. I was wondering if you have ever heard they're speakers before ? if so let me know :) thank you

@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac 7 ай бұрын

Yes, I've reviewed many PSB speakers over the years. Good stuff.

@tonykernighan9175 7 ай бұрын

@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac thank you so much for you're reply.

@HappyHighwayman 7 ай бұрын

Is it possible to use a weight that is too heavy for the motor?

@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac 7 ай бұрын

Yes, for turntables with lightweight platters I would recommend a record clamp, not a weight.

@HappyHighwayman 7 ай бұрын

@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Thanks Steve!

@keplermission 7 ай бұрын

@@HappyHighwayman You know there's a turntable called the Mag Lev? Maybe the electromagnetism in the floating platter mechanism would interfere with the cartridges? Then there's Steve's record clamp theory. Other thing is players like the Logic DM 101 and the platter wobble produced by center weights. SONY used to have Biotracer arm to cope with lumpy records, clamps didn't do much but hey.

@HappyHighwayman 7 ай бұрын

@@keplermission I have a weight but it's mostly for aesthetics part of the ritual I find it annoying to use with no noticeable benefit because my records aren't warped

@keplermission 7 ай бұрын

The Fairchild 750 is a 1950s Californian turntable and in its 530A version has a 35lb platter but there's a heavier chrome version with a record weight and the motor drive in these was Rim Drive, not Belt or Direct Driven. I reckon these brass weights Steve is offering are for Garrard 301 or 401, Rim Drive players.

@sixergixer 7 ай бұрын

Make sure you all know that not all turntables can support record weights! Many platter bearings aren't designed for that extra significant weight so everyone make sure to do the research on whether a weight or a clamp is a better idea for your deck. :)

@GeirRssaak 7 ай бұрын

If your table is good, your concerns is nothing to worry about!

@sixergixer 7 ай бұрын

@@GeirRssaak "Good" has literally nothing to do with whether that bearing is designed for that extra weight or not. A bearing that is not designed with that weight in mind is not an inherently "bad" one. It does not automatically make a table bad. What a weirdly narrow frame of mind... 🙄 That's why clamps exist in this world, after all.

@keplermission 7 ай бұрын

You know ... the problem is that the rotating high spindle mass of the added weight could trick the servo mechanism and we'd get a severe speed error. Don't we all remember Technics claimed 0.025% W & F that was proved to be over-optimistic? It was nearer 0.035 but still better than harman/kardon of the time. The 1200 Mk II was a nice-looking machine but I used a Radio Shack LAB-395 you know, not as good as the older LAB-390 but same motor and able to take a heavier platter as the 390 had compared to the 395. 395 needed the plinth filled up to stop the feedback howl but it was a very sweet turntable at low enough volumes. Direct Drive gram motors keep their rotating mass low down and a high weight, may well wear a bearing faster but it won't worry a lot of buyers.

@GeirRssaak 7 ай бұрын

I have never experienced that weight is an issue with turntables!? Could you please explain!

@sixergixer 7 ай бұрын

@@GeirRssaak Apologies, but there is plenty of information available on the internet. Just google "record weights versus record clamps" and that should point you in the right direction. But basically, it comes down to significant extra weight causing additional wear on the spindle bearing if that bearing is not designed for it.

@robertwright5487 7 ай бұрын

My comment disappeared. Oh, well 🤷. Thanks, Steve, for the podcast.

@GeirRssaak 7 ай бұрын

Dear Steve! I like your videos! However, as a Norwegian engineer, i think you should not promote strange cables and obscure snakeoil!

@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac 7 ай бұрын

That's cool, YOU shouldn't buy expensive cables! Everyone else can decide for themselves.

@kuglepen64 7 ай бұрын

Cables make no difference. It’s all autosuggestion, confirmation bias. A difference has never been show to exist in a randomised double-blind listening test.

@keplermission 7 ай бұрын

Well the USAF would agree, 'wire is wire' but Radio Techs know that wire is more or less resistive and a long time ago, well probably long before you were even born, we had pre/power amplifiers from Hitachi, (the HMA 7500 MOSFET and the HCA 7500 PRE) or as used to say in the US OV A, 'the controller amplifier', and these had a 'capacitance load' trim feature at a time that Hitachi (or Lo-D) had built harman/kardon equipment for Sidney Harman of NYC, so our harman/kardon amplifiers of the early 1980s had the cap trim feature. Speaker Wire has big difference but we're often deceived by silver because it increases treble. So as Herb would say, short-lived benefits there.

@herosquadlivemusic4815 7 ай бұрын

Hey everyone, don't trust your ears, trust an anonymous internet commenter like kugle who will tell you your ears are wrong to discern a distinction in sound presentation between cables.

@bdee3614 7 ай бұрын

In the course of moving homes, I had hastily set up my speakers, amp & CD player. I wanted background music while unpacking, organizing, and the like. For about a month,I enjoyed the new space but did not replace the set-up. When I was finally settled in and comfortable I finally got around finishing my setupby connecting my turntable. I used all my favorite RCA's and speaker wire. Wow! What a difference! Fuller, wider, richer sound! While it's not the end all/be all, good interconnects and speaker wire do make a difference

@_fakeklg 7 ай бұрын

Ladies and gentlemen: we’ve found the one person who can definitively say, with complete objectivity and after having listened to all systems AND using every know type of cable, that they don’t work. Finally. 😂

@fixnreview 7 ай бұрын

Feed a mono signal in ur L&R amplifier input and try to hook a gauge 22 aluminum wire on the left channel of ur amplifier output and hook a gauge 10 copper wire on the right channel.Try to listen & compare the sound from low to high volume level. Easy & simple!