Music is an integral part of human culture, heavily interwoven in multiple aspects from religion to leisure. It is the one thing every person on this planet can attest to liking, because much like the endless types of people out there, there is an equally endless variety of music. Coddle your auditory senses with this selection of high-end gadgets that will bring you the best experience possible for your money.
Audio-Technica AT-LP60
The vinyl revival is in full swing, but for those who are looking to either get into vinyl or rekindle their youth, the cost for a decent high-end turntable is ghastly. Enter the AT-LP60. For what is a very low price for a quality turntable, it features a built-in phono preamplifier, a user-replaceable stylus and fully automatic operation. It’s capable of playing both 7- and 12-inch records with excellent precision and bright playback. Hook it up to near any device with an analogue input and watch that record spin: most turntables other only preamp-level phono outputs, which require either a dedicated phono amplifier or high-end AV receiver.
Price: Rs53,499
Available at: urban.lk
Devialet Phantom Premier
Looking like a spaceship straight out of a Men In Black movie, the Phantom is one of the most premier small-form factor speakers money can buy. This is by no means a large unit, nor does it have any purpose behaving like one. About the size of your microwave oven at home, the Phantom is a 4,500 watt system that can go as loud as 108 dB (as loud as a live rock band) with absolutely no distortion, no saturation, and no background noise. Not to mention its operational frequency at 14-27kHz, which FYI is past human limits. Sounds perfect? Well, perfection comes at a price, and for her, it’s a heart attack-inducing.
Price: $2,990
Available at: devialet.com
Jabra Elite Active 65t
Step aside, Airpods, there is a new king in town. Small, sleek and unobtrusive, and extremely comfortable, these won’t budge at all thanks to the three sizes of gell buds it comes with. The Jabra app that comes with it allows you to tweak the sound with its inbuilt equaliser to your preference. The ‘HearThrough’ feature lets you hear the environment around you without having to take out the headset, which can get annoying. Battery life is exceptional, realistically lasting 5 hours on a charge, with the case holding a further two charges.
Price: Rs46,900
Available at: techmart.lk
JBL Charge 3
The Charge is one of the best all-around Bluetooth speakers you can get. A sizeable speaker, but owing to that, it delivers 20 hours of battery life, thundering bass, volume and waterproofing, although the latter does mute the high notes a bit. Overall, it others excellent sound for the price, and the additional waterproofing over its predecessor gives you peace of mind when travelling with it. And did we mention you can use the speaker as a powerbank for your phone? This way you can keep the tunes playing for hours on end without the dreaded low battery ruining your party.
Price: Rs35,999
Available at: takas.lk
Klipsch The Sixes
If you’re looking for a set of proper bookshelf speakers that punch over their price category, look no further than the Sixes. No need for an external amplifier to power these as the right speaker houses two, hundred watt amplifiers, one for each speaker. Plenty of sources to choose from including Bluetooth, USB, Optical, 3.5mm mini-jack and your standard RCA inputs. For midsized speakers, they produce astonishing detail and oomph, the bass is tight, the vocals are crisp and the clarity is nothing short of amazing for its price and weight class. Not to mention the walnut veneer leaves it achingly good looking.
Price: $799.99
Available at: amazon.com
Focal Spirit Professional
When it comes to good quality headphones for those on-the-go, nothing quite beats Focal Spirits, offering what is one of the best-in-class sound isolation and the audio quality is next level. Ideally driven from a headphone amp, as is common with audiophile-grade studio monitors, familiar tracks will sound unexpectedly fresh, delivering excellent audio performance in combination with good isolation that is substantially better than nearly all other studio headphones. So the next time you’re in the market for a set of all-purpose cans, give these Spirits a go. We’d dare say you won’t be disappointed.
Price: Rs45.000
Available at: Redline Technologies
Shure SE535 Sound Isolating Earphones
A pair of in-ear headphones whose price hasn’t budged in nearly a decade. Truly in a class of its own, the SE535 offers effects similar to active noise cancellation passively thanks to its wide variety of foam tips. The cable itself deserves mention due to it being detachable, Kevlar-reinforced, and is quite thick, which helps it to reduce tangles and prevents microphonics (those annoying sounds you get when the cable hits your clothing). But where these really shine is the audio quality, delivering a perfect sound registry with near-unbelievable realism and precision. Quality is what this Shure is all about and the price is justified.
Price: Rs114,299
Available at: urban.lk