And just like that, here we are, putting up our Christmas trees, smashing through our chocolate advent calendars and enjoying terribly cringy, straight-to-streaming Christmas movies more than we should be.
But what about those pesky presents? If, like many of us, you still have plenty of gifts left to buy for family and friends, don't worry – we're here to help.
If you're buying for someone who loves their music, movies, games and tech, we've put together a curated list of the best gift ideas chosen by What Hi-Fi? editors – these are items we would all genuinely want to see under our tree.
There are xxxx. While we've kept the majority of these presents under £200, there are also some big-ticket items to splash out on, if you're able to.
We hope you find inspiration from the gift guide below and, if you're really stuck, there's always the ultimate life-savers when it comes to last-minute Christmas gift-giving: gift cards.
Enjoy shopping, and have a very Merry Christmas!
Gifts under £50
Sony WF-C510 wireless earbuds – £39
You know you’ll be asked for a pair of wireless earbuds, but you don’t need to break the bank to get a pair. Sony’s latest buds are affordable and sound great, have a long battery life, and offer terrific value for money.
See the Sony WF-C510 at Amazon
JBL Go 4 Bluetooth speaker – £30
This tiny, soap-sized Bluetooth speaker is a hit, surprising us with an organised and punchy sound for its size and price. Adorable and portable, rugged and waterproof – it’s the ultimate travel companion.
See the JBL Go 4 at Amazon
‘Now Playing’ light-up vinyl stand – £30
Whether your vinyl collection is bursting at the seams or your kid (or friend) has bought just the one record for popular concert tickets, this elegant stand with a plug-in light will put your favourite album on illuminated display.
See the ‘Now Playing’ light-up vinyl stand on Amazon
Smartphone stand – £18
We’re all multi-taskers these days, so whether you’re catching up on Bake Off while working (shh!) or following along to a recipe when making dinner, having your phone securely propped up nearby so you can see the screen clearly and it doesn’t slide or fall is crucial. This cute and compact wooden phone stand will add whimsy and stability to your life.
See the smartphone stand on Amazon
Pixel Art LED Bluetooth speaker – £35.19
We can’t speak to this device’s Bluetooth speaker talents, but we love the LED display screen that shows off colourful pixel art and animations. It can play internet radio and be used as an alarm clock, but the real fun is displaying pre-made pixel art or even creating your own for the customisable screen.
See the Pixel Art LED Bluetooth speaker at Amazon
Mini retro games console – £17
A great stocking filler for budding gamers or nostalgic ones, this pocket-sized retro console has a colour LCD and classic red buttons. But unlike the Nintendo one my dad had with just one game (called Egg), this version comes packed with 150 8-bit games.
See the Mini retro games console at Amazon
What Hi-Fi? magazine subscription
What could be a better gift than a subscription to the world’s best hi-fi and home cinema magazine? Do let us indulge in this annual act of shameless self-promotion, as we can’t help but suggest our print editions as the perfect gift for any audio-visual fan. Our yearly subscription brings you 13 issues, with new reviews on the latest products, round ups, insightful features and exhaustive buying guide from our dedicated editorial team.
Subscribe to What Hi-Fi? magazine here
Gifts under £100
Roberts Revival Petite 2 radio – £92
This adorable radio is a What Hi-Fi? team favourite. It is delightful to use and look at in any finish, has a tiny footprint and will pump out radio or Bluetooth tunes with a lively, punchy sound and a detailed, natural way with voices.
See the Roberts Revival Petite 2 at Amazon
Green Day's American Idiot 20th anniversary boxset – £70
Celebrating the album’s 20th anniversary, this snazzily designed special edition boxset comes with four CDs and two Blu-rays with a host of demo songs, live footage, an unreleased documentary, and a bunch of extra goodies. Perfect for the Green Day fan in your life.
See the Green Day American Idiot anniversary boxset at HMV
Sandisk Pokemon microSD cards – from £30
Who says microSD cards have to look boring? These colourful Pokemon-themed cards designed for the Nintendo Switch come in three sizes and designs: 1TB with Snorlax, 512GB with Gengar and 256GB with Pikachu on them. Catch ‘em all.
See Sandisk Pokemon microSD cards at Amazon
Gifts under £200
Apple AirPods 4 with ANC – £179
Chances are, you know someone who desperately wants a pair of AirPods. These new AirPods 4 are just the ticket: compact design, clean and neutral sound, good noise-cancelling and work seamlessly with iPhones.
See the AirPods 4 with ANC at Amazon
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) – £129.95
Not an Apple fan? These new Bose buds are the same money and offer a comfortable fit, superb noise-cancelling, and enjoyable, punchy sound. A talented wireless pair that offers a flagship experience for cheaper.
See the Bose QC Earbuds at Amazon
FiiO DM13 portable CD player – £140
Compact, stylish, retro: this portable FiiO CD player offers Bluetooth, an eight-hour battery life, a sleek metallic finish and a huge dose of nostalgia. CDs may not be as popular as the ongoing vinyl revival, but this player could appeal to those of us who dearly miss our old Discman.
See the FiiO D13 at Advanced MP3 Players
Gifts for music fans
Ruark Audio R1S smart radio – £299
Beautiful design, great usability and the kind of sound quality that popular wireless speakers could only dream of. Ruark’s gorgeous unit is packed with streaming talents alongside FM/DAB/internet radio, but it’s the stunningly insightful, richly detailed and sophisticated sound that will win you over.
See the Ruark Audio R1S at Sevenoaks or Peter Tyson
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 wireless headphones – £399
If you have a healthy headphones budget and want the best portable sound while on your commute or long-haul flights, B&W’s luxuriously made, superb-sounding wireless headphones will give you elevated sound as well as effective noise-cancelling.
See the B&W Px8 at Amazon or Peter Tyson
LEGO retro radio – £90
If we can’t have the Ruark radio, we want this. Based on a classic 1970s transistor radio, this 906-piece LEGO set looks detailed and involving, and you can even turn the dial to see the tuner move There’s also a hidden section for your smartphone or small speaker so you can ‘play’ music through it.
See the LEGO retro radio at LEGO
The Colours of Taylor Swift print – £30
Chances are, there’s someone in your life who is a huge Swiftie. And they probably won’t ever have seen merch like this. This minimalist design displays all of Swift’s tracks as paint swatches, with the colours cleverly matched to the song names. A unique print for a mega fan.
See the Taylor Swift colours print at Dorothy
Denon D-M41DAB microsystem - £250
The long-standing compact microsystem with speakers is a tried-and-tested Christmas hi-fi present for parents and in-laws. This Award-winning Denon plays CDs, Bluetooth and radio, is easy to use, and sounds fantastic for its package price.
See the Denon D-M41DAB at Amazon or Currys
Gifts for vinyl fans
Drift Record of the Month Club – from £85 (3 months)
There are plenty of monthly vinyl subscriptions, with even independent stores offering up monthly subs as part of the continued craze for vinyl. The one we’ll highlight here is from Totnes-based Drift Records, whose staff handpicks one vinyl or CD (depending on the chosen subscription) for a monthly surprise to add to your music collection. And they always have good taste.
Booze and Vinyl: A Spirited Guide to Great Music and Mixed Drinks – £18.65
This coffee table book matches 70 of the biggest 1950s to 2000s albums with curated drinks and cocktails. There’s rhyme and reason (and ingredients) for each pairing, and makes for a great read even if you’re not in the mood for a tipple.
See the Boozer and Vinyl book at Amazon
Oasis' Definitely Maybe 30th anniversary box set – £58.49
Oasis getting back together was the biggest music news of the year, but we didn’t all get tickets for the big tour, did we? Instead, we can console ourselves by spinning this 30th-anniversary 4LP vinyl box set of their debut album Definitely Maybe.
See the Oasis Definitely Maybe anniversary boxset at Amazon
Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Volume II 30th anniversary boxset – £55
Another seminal album celebrating its 30th anniversary this year comes from electronics/techno/ambient maestro Aphex Twin, and this expanded edition with four records features all the original tracks alongside new tracks released officially on physical formats for the first time.
See Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Volume II boxset at HMV
Gifts for film fans
MUBI subscription – from £50 (3 months)
For the discerning film fan, a MUBI subscription is a must. It has cult classics, international films and new releases that you won’t find on the other popular video streaming services, such as 2024’s The Substance, Past Lives, My Life As A Courgette, The Florida Project and more. Three-month and one-year subscription gift cards are available.
Alien: Romulus 4K Blu-ray – £25
Director Fede Alvarez puts his spin on the Alien franchise, and this horror sci-fi film is one of the bigger blockbusters of the year. There are scares and twists aplenty aboard a claustrophobic ship, along with throwbacks to the originals. A thriller that deserves to be seen on a vivid screen that can handle deep, lush blacks and subtle but punchy contrasts.
Dune: Part Two 4K Blu-ray – £20
A glorious treat for your eyes and ears, the epic landscape, visuals, wider myth and storytelling scope of Dune is even more astounding in the second film, with a more action-heavy plot that puts a thrilling sandworm chase front and centre. Play it on a great big screen with a full surround system, and you’ll be left in awe.
Dune by Frank Herbert – The Folio Society edition – £105
We’ll stop talking about Dune, we promise. But any genre fan should check out the special Folio Society editions of their favourite books – there are stunning editions of Dune, Game of Thrones, Dracula, The Lord of the Rings, Howl’s Moving Castle and more available. The Folio editions are gorgeous hardcovers with beautiful new illustrations and are ultimate collector’s items.
See Frank Herbert's Dune at The Folio Society
Godzilla: The Showa Era Films 1954-1975 Limited Edition Blu-ray boxset
This beautifully packaged Criterion Collection box set features all 15 Godzilla films from Japan’s Showa era (1954-1975), along with a host of bonus features, interviews and commentaries in these Blu-ray transfers, and a stunning hardcover book of essays by cinema historians filled with a variety of new illustrations.
