2019 AV Holiday Shopping Guide
The Holidays are upon us and with them the want (and sometimes need) to upgrade one’s audio and video equipment. But what to buy? I do my best to breakdown just which products you should take a look at and/or purchase this holiday season. Check out my 2019 AV Holiday Shopping Guide below!
Audio Lover Gift Guide
All of the products that appear in this guide are products I have personally demoed in 2019, and would stand behind, or even buy myself (if I haven’t already) because I found their performance to be exceptional. All products will be broken down into categories, and presented in a good, better and best fashion in order to keep things as straightforward as possible.
BEST AUDIO GIFTS UNDER $100
Bose SoundLink Micro
Say what you will (or want) about Bose, I don’t care because Kristi and I LOVED this little all-weather Bluetooth speaker. It’s arguably the best, truly portable bluetooth speaker on the market at its price and, AND it sounds GREAT!
EarFun FREE Bluetooth Earbuds
These AirPod alternatives manage to look and sound the part for FAR less money, and sound surprisingly good all things considered. For under $50 you can do worse than the EarFun Earbuds, but you’ll have to spend (maybe) double to do better.
Proster Stylus Force Gauge
It isn’t sexy, but it works, I use the Proster Stylus Force Gauge each and every time I setup a turntable. Stylus force gauges aren’t wholly necessary, but they definitely don’t hurt and provide a certain amount of peace of mind in the end.
TURNTABLES FOR VINYL LOVERS
Audio Technica AT-LP60XBT Turntable
The Audio Technica AT-LP60XBT is a fully automatic turntable aimed at first time users and music lovers. It has everything you need to get up and running simply, easily and affordably.
U-Turn Audio Orbit Turntable
The U-Turn Audio Orbit is my favorite entry-point for vinyl enthusiasts looking for a turntable that allows for some future upgradability while being incredibly easy to setup and enjoy straight from the factory. A clear step up from the Audio Technica, and a turntable that can hold its own against costlier competition.
Music Hall Classic Turntable
The Music Hall Classic is like a budget Technics 1500C in a Pro-Ject X2 body. If that doesn’t make sense that’s okay, all you need to know is that the Classic is a full-featured, semi-automatic, belt-driven turntable that punches WAY above its class and is likely all the turntable 90% of consumers would ever want or need.
TURN IT UP! - RECOMMENDED LOUDSPEAKERS
Kanto YU6 Powered Loudspeaker
The Kanto YU6 is a great entry point for music lovers and audiophiles alike for it possesses not only terrific sonic qualities, but a host of connection options -including a built-in phono preamp. Therefore the YU6 (and YU4) are near ideal for people just getting started in their audiophile or hi-fi journey.
JBL L100 Classic Loudspeaker
The JBL L100 Classic may look like a vintage speaker, but rest assured it’s anything but. Packed with style and possessing true audiophile-grade sound, the L100 Classic is my reference loudspeaker of 2019. Sure it may cost a bit more than some of the other speakers I reviewed this year, nevertheless it was among the best and most fun loudspeaker experiences I’ve had in a long while.
Bowers & Wilkins Formation Duo Loudspeaker
Arguably the “best” loudspeaker I reviewed in 2019 all things considered, the Formation Duo is a high-end wireless loudspeaker from Bowers & Wilkins that is admittedly not for everyone. Due to its largely proprietary nature, the Formation Duo is limited in its compatibility and expandability when it comes to existing AV systems. Still, if you can live within the confines of its limitations (for now), it’s still one hell of a fine loudspeaker.
AMPLIFIERS AND RECEIVERS
Crown XLS DriveCore 2 Amplifier
The Crown XLS DriveCore 2 series of amplifiers are a personal favorite of mine and continue to be to this day. Their terrific, neutral sound is not only well-suited for a lot of different loudspeakers, but every amp within the series has gobs of power at a truly affordable price.
Marantz NR1200 Stereo Receiver
The NR1200 was a surprise for me, I never thought a manufacturer would essentially make a full-featured integrated amplifier with AV-like video capability, and yet Marantz has done it! The NR1200 allows for users to connect to and enjoy 4K/UltraHD video displays, while also enjoying their favorite music sources -including vinyl records for the NR1200 has a built-in phono preamplifier. For those who may need more than two channels of amplification, look at Marantz’s NR1510 AV Receiver.
Technics SU-G700 Integrated Amplifier
The Technics SU-G700 integrated amplifier is my favorite amplifier of 2019. While it isn’t cheap, nor as full-featured as even the Marantz NR1200, what it is, is an amazing achievement. It is one of the most musical and neutral Class D amplifiers I’ve ever encountered, has an incredible built-in DAC and a wonderful phono preamp to boot, but why I love it so, is because of all the amps I demoed in 2019, the Technics was the one I just wanted to keep listening to the most.
NETFLIX AND CHILL - MY FAVORITE TELEVISIONS
Hisense H8F 4K/UltraHD Smart TV
Admittedly I had almost ZERO expectations when it came to the Hisense, and yet, it was one of the breakout displays I reviewed in 2019, and the first TV I’ve reviewed on my channel. The Hisense H8F may not be Hisense’s flagship display, but it sure does act like it. Moreover, its out of the box performance in its Theater Day picture mode is near perfect from a calibration standpoint. Throw in an excellent Android TV smart interface that all but makes third party streaming devices unnecessary and you have a killer TV for little money in the H8F.
Sony X950G 4K/UltraHD Smart TV
The Sony X950G is the only other TV I reviewed in all of 2019 that I would consider purchasing in addition to or over the Hisense H8F, for it is better and post calibration on par even with OLED, which up and to the X950G’s arrival on the scene, had been my reference point. The X950G is a little more than some of its competition, but it’s arguably all the TV one needs in 2019/2020.
GIFTS FOR THE CAMERA NERDS
Lumix G9 Micro Four Thirds Mirrorless Camera
The Lumix G9 is the camera I use more than any other to film content both on my YouTube channel as well as professionally in the real world. I own other cameras, but it is the G9 that I find myself reaching for the most. While everyone else may be clamoring over Sony or Fuji (I’ve owned both) nothing on the market today can touch the G9 pound-for-pound which is why it is my go-to camera of choice.
Lumix GX85 Micro Four Thirds Mirrorless Camera
This tiny little rangefinder style camera may not have the most megapixels, nor all the absolute latest features available today, but man, does the Lumix GX85 have everything you actually want and need for an affordable price. I use these as B and C cameras alongside my G9 and GH5, though I’ve come to rely on them as A cameras lately due to their small stature.
Ricoh GRII Point-n-Shoot Camera
Nope, I’m not talking about the GRIII but rather the GRII -the “old” one. For just over $500, it’s a great camera, period. Long known as the street photographer’s budget Leica, this pocketable camera is a joy to use. Of course, if you want to splurge on the latest version, you’ll find the GRIII here.
KEEP IT PRODUCTIVE - GIFTS FOR THE ORGANIZER IN YOUR LIFE
12 South Backpack for iMac
This HDD shelf designed specifically for iMac users is the reason why on my show, Noise Complaints, my desk always looks so clean. It works, it’s genius and I wish I had learned about it years ago.
Seagate 4TB Portable Hard Drive
The ONLY external HDD Kristi and I use anymore. The SEAGATE 4TB PORTABLE HDD are good for both photo and 4K video work.
BDI Centro Lift (Sit-Stand) Desk
The BDI Centro is my personal sit-stand desk. As you know if you watch my channel I have an ailment that requires me to stand more than I sit (if I can help it) and so a desk like the Centro is essential for my work. I know the Centro is more than other sit-stand desks, but it is better built, looks nicer and after a year of solid use I can say, it is more reliable. I’ve had many sit-stand desks in the past, and the Centro is the only one that has stood up to the rigors of daily up and down usage.
