So you’ve got a geeky musician in your Christmas midst? Here’s what to get them for Crimbo.
Nokia/Monster Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones
If you’re buying for a music lover that hates their listening experience being spoiled by loud idiots, then these are the over-ear headphones for them. Sure, they’re a bit obnoxious-looking, but maybe they like that sort of thing. They’re fairly affordable from a Bluetooth noise-cancelling headphone perspective too at just $349.
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Beats Studio 2013 Edition
Yes, we really are recommending a pair of Beats headphones. The last pair we had in really sucked, but the new, “re-imagined” Studio headphones are actually awesome. They’re comfortable over-ear headphones with noise-cancelling, attenuation button and a toned-down design so you don’t look a huge twat walking around with them on.
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A Music Service Subscription
Spotify. Samsung Music Hub. Google Play Music. Rdio. Pandora. All of these are music streaming services that people use, and that your giftee would love a 12-month premium subscription to. All of them range between $12 and $15 per month, meaning that a 12-month subscription shouldn’t set you back that much. Don’t just buy them one month and be super stingy about it either: go the whole year!
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Pro-Ject Turntable RPM 1.3 Genie
Who said you can’t buy anything for analogue music buffs these days? Just because they get their music from a crate rather than a cloud doesn’t mean you can’t buy anything for them. A fancy new turntable like the Pro-Ject RPM 1.3 Genie would go a long way to making their future listening both aesthetically and audibly pleasing.
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Samsung HW-F751 Soundbar
It doesn’t have a catchy name, but their sound will never be dull again with the Crystal Surround Airtrack soundbar from Samsung. Complete with a giant subwoofer, the HW-F751 is cleverly configured to project sound all around the environment to create a true virtual surround experience. It’s also packing vacuum tube technology for incredible clarity. Alternatively, if this one’s too expensive but you still prefer the design of the Samsung system, try the gorgeous DA-F61 portable wireless Bluetooth speaker for $299. You won’t be disappointed with either, and neither will your music lover!
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iPod Touch
There’s nothing wrong with a good portable music player, and the iPod Touch is the best one on the market right now in our opinion. If it’s a bit too pricey for you, try the iPod Nano or even the screenless iPod Shuffle.
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Ableton Push
Push is designed to be an all-in-one music production solution, which allows you to play and sequence your beats from start to finish. Playing and sequencing centres around 64 RGB-coloured, velocity and pressure sensitive pads. You can then use the controller’s other tools to fine-tune the parameters of your sounds.
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iPad Mini
This one’s a bit off the wall, but if you’ve got a bit of cash and they don’t have a tablet, grab them an iPad Mini (with or without Retina display) and install some awesome new music making apps on there. GarageBand, Myusic and the Ableton Launchpad app should be great starters on their new tablet-based musical adventure.
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Surface 2 With Music Cover
Microsoft did a cool thing for music makers recently and outed the new Surface 2 tablet with a cool DJ cover. It’s like a MIDI controller, only it’s a touch keyboard thing you clip onto your tablet. The app is free and included, and it’s a great way for them to make music on the go!
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What are you getting your favourite music lover? Tell us in the comments!