Bose QC35 ii
The well-loved active noise cancellation from Bose now comes in a wireless pair of headphones, with Google Assistant built-in. The headphones are comfortable to wear for a commute or in the office, and second to none in this price range when it comes to cutting out that unnecessary noise, so you can focus on your work or music better. Just pressing the dedicated Smart button on the outer left cup lets you read the time and your pending notifications. Keep the button pressed to give it a command, like calling a contact or playing another song. You can assign some other function to the button as well, like changing the noise cancellation level (using the Bose connect app). Throw just about any genre of music at it and the pair can handle it pretty well — there’s slightly high treble and balanced bass, without distortion, similar to the original model. There’s also a standard 3.5mm audio cable bundled in the box. You can buy the QC 35 ii in grey and black. Rs 29,400
Chord Mojo
Most people don’t really care about compact amplifiers, but once used, they can really elevate your audio experience. The Chord Mojo is a portable amp; plug it between your headphones and source and notice the cleaner, smoother and punchier sound output. The amp not only makes the sound much nicer, but also looks quite nice itself, with its CNC aluminium build and LED indicative buttons adding to its character. There aren’t a lot of places here you can buy such audio accessories from, but headphonezone.in is one credible source. Rs 40,000
JBL E25BT
These sturdy in-ear Bluetooth earphones are more than handy to take and receive calls, or casually listen to your music on the go. The inline mic is high quality and doesn’t produce any interference or noise for the listener on the other side. The wired neck clip is quite light, and not a hassle for long usage. Thanks to the three control buttons, you don’t have to take out your phone in order to answer a call, or change the track or adjust volume. The pair lasts 7-8 hours on a single full charge, meaning not having to worry about its battery life in the middle of your working day. Rs 3,200
Fiio X7
Fiio is a popular name in the audiophile community for its top-notch products, and the X7 is no exception. This dedicated Android-based digital music player, which supports audio formats like ALAC, FLAC, mp3, ogg and many more, boasts of a sound quality that’s first class and doesn’t leave much to be desired. Play a high-quality audio file, and you may hear some chords or instrument in your favourite song that you may have not heard earlier. The mounted amp and DAC units produce enough punch to drive bass, while not missing mids and giving a great audio output. You get about 32 GB of internal storage, which can be further expanded by 128 GB using a microSD card. The player gives about 8 hours of music playback before you need to charge it again. Rs 35,000
Audio Technica LP3BK turntable
Audio Technica is a name often associated with audiophile quality. If you like your music the good old fashioned analogue way, then a quality turntable deserves to be part of your audio setup. The LP3BK is a fully automatic belt-drive turntable with adjustable pre-amps and an RCA output that can play both 45 and 33.3 RPM records. Weighing under 5.5 kg, this turntable comes equipped with controls for stop, play, speeds and for adjusting for the size of the record. The sound output is balanced, smooth and powerful enough for something like orchestra or vocals. This feature-rich turntable comes in black and white. Rs 50,000
Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay A6
The BeoPlay A6 is a speaker that can fill your living room with sound, without taking up too much space. The stylish speaker can stream music wirelessly via Chromecast, AirPlay, DLNA and Bluetooth, apart from wired music via the ethernet port or 3.5mm audio jack. You can also play hundreds of radio stations over TuneIn directly on it. The A6 is loud, clean and has a lot of oomph to it, handling vocals, movies and jazz really well, arguably better than most speakers of this size. Whether you have it attached to your TV wired, or your smartphone and NAS drive wirelessly, the A6 doesn’t disappoint in the sound or looks department. Rs 70,000
Sony HT-ST5000
This is Sony’s 7.1.2 channel soundbar, which carries 7.1 driven amplifier, sub-woofer and tweeters inside, with coaxial speakers. You can not only use these with optical input, USB port and 3.5mm audio jack, but also play your music over WiFi, Bluetooth and Chromecast from your device, using Sony’s app. The setup allows you to change the audio settings as per your house and setting, and doesn’t take too long. There is also multi-room support, so you can set up more than one soundbar in your home and have them play the same media. This elegant unit supports high-resolution audio, giving deep and clear sound that doesn’t seem tiny in a large room. Rs 1,39,000
Piega 5.2 Premium speakers
Piega is a Swiss brand that makes some unique, highquality audio products. The 5.2 Premium Speaker is a tower unit that can drive your audio setup really smoothly, giving punchy bass and treble without any noticeable distortion. The speaker delivers detailed as well as fuller sound that an audiophile will appreciate, and like to put in the centre of their multimedia experience. Make sure you have the correct source and audio setup to complement the speaker, and you should be on your way to an outstanding audio experience. Bring out your old audio or movie collection and hear the difference these speakers bring to the table. Rs 86,000 (per unit)
