Father’s Day Gift Guide: Top 5 audio choices for your Dad
It’s nearing that time again (June 17th in the UK and US) when Dads are expecting gifts from their favourite children and woe betide anyone who decides to buy their old man slippers rather than a 1980s Boombox or a pair of cool looking headphones! Chris Price picks his Top 5 audio gifts for Father’s Day…
GPO Brooklyn Classic Boombox £249
If your Dad is a child of the 1980s then he’ll love this classic boombox from GPO. It’s a little expensive compared to the original models but decide to splash the cash and buy it for Father’s Day and you’ll end up being his favourite child (probably). Fully portable, it features two 40 watt speakers, a good old fashioned cassette deck, CD player and of course flashing LED lights which were so popular back in the day. However, it also boasts more up to date features too including a DAB Radio and Bluetooth. That’s progress for you!
STREAM waterproof MP3 Player $99
Described by the US manufacturer as offering unparalleled sound for swimming, the STREAM waterproof MP3 player makes a great gift for swimming and diving Dads. STREAM can receive music from your smart phone over a wireless Bluetooth connection. Just pair your smartphone (iPhone, Samsung, etc.) with the STREAM player and receive Spotify from your phone (though remember Bluetooth doesn’t work underwater). Up to 10 hours of playtime (2000 songs) can be squeezed onto the device’s 8GB memory with various formats supported (including MP3, WMA, FLAC and APE). Waterproof to 12ft (3m), the STREAM also sports a 360 Snap-Clip for attaching to your goggles, swimsuit or board-shorts. Simply rotate the clip to find the best angle for your needs.
Groov-E wireless speaker £24.99
Looking for a cheap waterproof Bluetooth speaker that your Dad can take on holiday or to festivals? The Wave II offers impressive sound in a small package. Splashproof (IPX4 water resistant) with a handy Carabiner and a 6W speaker, users can listen to music during any adventure thanks to its 1200mAh battery which provides up to eight hours of music playback. The Wave II can also be fully recharged within three hours via a micro USB cable. It’s available now from www.groov-e.co.uk and World Duty Free for under £25.
GPO Vinyl Record Case £49.99
Has your Dad got lots of vinyl that he needs to store or perhaps transport around with him? Look no further than the 12 Inch GPO Vinyl Case. When you love your records, you want to make sure they stay in immaculate condition; more than anything else they sound better that way! The cases have a removable lid and come with retro metal corner protectors to keep your collection fully protected. They also come in different colours including black, red, blue and brown.
Astell&Kern Billie Jean earphones £299
Is your Dad looking for specialist earphones? And do you love him enough to spend best part of £300? If the answer to either of these questions is yes then you may be interested in this design recently unveiled at the High End Audio Show in Munich. The Astell&Kern Billie Jean earphones are the latest in the Siren series of earphones engineered by in-ear monitor specialist, Jerry Harvey Audio. The manufacturer claims they are an affordable price for an interesting and innovative design that combines patented Jerry Harvey Audio technologies with the production values of extremely hi end hi-fi manufacturer, Astell&Kern.
Father’s Day is on Sunday June 17th in the UK and US. Other countries may vary.
