This one’s for the person who never fails to share their yearly ‘Spotify Wrapped’ with the rest of us — after all, it gives them an opportunity to show off their alternative taste. If you know a true connoisseur of music who’d scoff at you not having a “proper” sound system at home, you’ve come to the right place. From classy speakers that liven up the home space while offering top-quality sound, to just the most appropriate fashion pieces and accessories, here are the ultimate must-haves for any audiophile.
BEOPLAY A1 2ND GEN CLOT
— $479, exclusively available at the Bang & Olufsen Showroom at the Grand Hyatt and CHAMBER at Wisma Atria # 03-24.
Bang & Olufsen and fashion brand CLOT have collaborated for a special edition of the portable A1 bluetooth speaker. This comes in a catchy bright red shade with teh CLOT logo printed on the top. As for the sound, it’s loud and rich, and designed to be shared with everyone. It’s great that it’s also fully dust and waterproof, making this good for using outdoors.
SONY LSPX-S3 WIRELESS GLASS SOUND SPEAKER
— $499, available at the Sony Store online.
This looks like a lamp, but it’s actually a speaker with a built-in microphone (so you can take calls too). It’s fairly compact and wireless, so you can move it around the house — just be careful the cat or kids don’t knock it over because it’s made of glass. We haven’t heard the sound quality in person, but Sony says that it’s stunning (of course they would); there’s something called Advanced Vertical Drive Technology that uses three Actuators to vibrate the entire glass tweeter to spread sound in every direction. Sounds good (according to the press release).
SONOS ARC
— $1,539, available at tcacoustic.asia.
As much as the television brands tout their in-built speaker, nothing sounds better than a premium soundbar to truly bring all your entertainment to life. Sonos Arc is a sleek device that sits parallel to your TV, and comes in black or white.
TRANSPARENT SPEAKER
— $1,699, available at transpa.rent and local retailers including antelimited.com. and krisshop.com.
This speaker mesmerises for its minimalist, see-through design that hides no messy wires, and indeed, the cross-section shows that its electronic components are as clean as can be. Stripped back to include only the essential, the glass panels allow you to view the various components at work — while giving us statement-making technology that delivers on high-quality sound.
NOTHING EAR (1)
— $179, available at sg.nothing.tech.
Just like the Transparent Speaker, the Nothing earbuds have a transparent case that allows you to see the electronics within. It’s not just cool to look at, but these sound great too; there’s an 11.6mm dynamic driver with a spacious air chamber — Bass is strong, mids are balanced, and the treble is clear. You’ll get 5 hours of listening time and 34 hours in total with the charging case.
NATIVE UNION AIRPODS BEANIES
— $39, available at nativeunion.com.
Who needs a case when you can have a beanie to keep your AirPods cozy. This knitted case is both fun and functional, and comes in a four-pack that includes Glacier, Peach, Indigo and Sage colours.
STELLA MCCARTNEY + THE BEATLES GET BACK SGT PEPPERS PRINT SWEATSHIRT / T-SHIRT
— USD734 (sweatshirt) and USD364 (t-shirt), available at net-a-porter.com.
All you need is love… and a vintage-inspired t-shirt it seems. It’s quite a high chance that your friend’s a fan of The Beatles — get them a memento of one of the most legendary bands in the world, with this sweatshirt from the Stella McCartney x The Beatles capsule collection, printed with a Sgt. Pepper-style portrait that fans will absolutely adore.
SAINT LAURENT CASSETTE TAPE KEYRING
— $460, available at YSL stores and ysl.com.
Consider this an ode to the pre-playlist glory days of painstakingly recording the perfect mixtapes, when gifts for a loved one could be that much more intimate. If your friend’s the sentimental sort, they’ll appreciate the sentiment behind this one.
NINM LAB LONG TIME NO SEE PORTABLE CD PLAYER
— HKD918, available at ninmlab.com.
Your friend probably doesn’t need a CD player but it’s still nice to have one. This player is inspired by the 90s and has an all-new black transparent cover so you can see the CD playing. We like the built-in magnet so you can stick it on the fridge, and Bluetooth capabilities so you can use your wireless speakers and earphones with it.
BEYERDYNAMIC GAMING HEADSETS, MMX 100 / MMX 150
— $169 (MMX 100) and $199 (MMX 150), available early next year (sorry it’s not in time for Christmas).
These new additions to the popular MMX series are just right for gamers looking for comfort and good quality sound in their gear. There’s the MMX 100, which has a traditional analog outfit 3.5mm jack plug, and the MMX 150 that’s a digital USB gaming headset with integrated sound card and tuned features. Both headsets also feature the new META VOICE cardioid condenser microphone.
HUAWEI FREEBUDS LIPSTICK
— $298, available at Shopee.
These earbuds come in a case that’s packaged exactly like a lipstick. It may seem like a novelty (which actually makes it perfect as a gift) but these play really well. They use the brand’s open-fit design — it’s very comfortable — and dual-microphone noise cancellation, which picks up environmental noise effectively. You get 4 hours of playback and a total of 22 hours with the charging case.
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