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The Best Gifts for Music Lovers, From Limited-Edition Merch to Portable Speakers
From the latest books and box sets, to audiophile headphones and speakers, we found the best gifts for people who love music
By
John Lonsdale, Nishka Dhawan, Brandt Ranj
December 12, 2022
Amazon
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Music is critically important to us at Rolling Stone, which is why we have some helpful gift suggestions if you’re stumped on what to get the music lover in your life, no matter the occasion.
Chances are they’ve got the basics covered already, so we went digging and found the hardware (from noise-cancelling headphones to long-lasting Bluetooth speakers) that can make their favorite tunes sing; limited-edition merch for both casual fans and collectors alike; and in-depth books and collectible box sets that’ll help them learn even more about their favorite artists.
Here are some of the best music gifts for music lovers that you can order online right now.
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Apple AirPods Pro
Image Credit: Amazon
These editor-approved earbuds are a must-have for every music lover in your life, thanks to their active noise-cancelling tech, long-lasting battery life, and immersive spatial audio sound. In short, they check all the boxes when it comes to the best new earbuds to gift this season. They come with multiple sizes of ear tips, so the recipient will get a more custom, secure fit whether they’re commuting or working out. The AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) boast up to 30 hours of battery life with the case, or six hours per charge. They also include a MagSafe charging case, meaning you can wirelessly charge them.
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Blackpink Rolling Stone Collector’s Edition Box Set
Image Credit: Rolling Stone
For the Blackpink fans on your list, gift them this exclusive Rolling Stone Collector’s Edition Box Set showcasing the music superstars’ iconic June 2022 Rolling Stone cover shoot. The limited-edition set includes four special covers of the magazine with each member of the group, and a 44-page zine “featuring an alternate group cover and individual interviews with Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé, alongside images you won’t find anywhere else.” That’s not all — they’ll also receive 5×7″ prints by photographer Peter Ash Lee, plus a set of collectible stickers you can only get here.
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Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO
Image Credit: Amazon
A solid turntable is the centerpiece of a good audio system, and Pro-Ject’s Debut Carbon EVO is a great gift for anyone you know who spins records.
Designed with vibration absorbing feet, gold-plated RCA outputs, and a handsome-looking deck, this turntable sounds and looks great. Pro-Ject bundles it with durable cables, too.
The Debut Carbon is a premium turntable that will last a lifetime.
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Marshall Emberton Bluetooth Speaker
Image Credit: Amazon
Our editors have long been fans of the compact Marshall Emberton Bluetooth speaker for its durability, water-resistant design, and, most importantly, its big sound in a small package. It’s one of the best Bluetooth speakers under $150 to gift, and it comes with Marshall’s amp-like style — a piece of tech you can display anywhere around your home that’s still super portable. It delivers 20 hours of tunes when it’s fully charged, and produces 360-degree sound with a 32-foot Bluetooth range. It’s a perfect fit for the hardcore music fan who can’t go without their playlists.
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After All Is Said and Done: Taping the Grateful Dead, 1965-1995 Book
Image Credit: Amazon
What do you get the biggest Grateful Dead fan in your life? Easy, give them After All Is Said and Done: Taping the Grateful Dead, 1965-1995, by Dead collector and artist Mark A. Rodriguez with a foreword by Trixie Garcia. Released in September, the book deserves a spot on every Deadhead’s coffee table. Officially authorized by the band, it dives into the world of bootleg tape records, “featuring dozens of interviews with tape enthusiasts and members of the Grateful Dead organization as well as the showstopping visuals from hundreds of archival cassette covers.”
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Klipsch “The Five” Speakers
Image Credit: Klipsch
Thanks to an extremely versatile design, Klipsch’s The Five speakers are the ultimate gift for audiophiles.
The active (powered) speakers support Bluetooth for wireless streaming, HDMI and Optical Audio for TV connectivity, Phono in for amplifying the sound of any turntable, RCA for connecting a high resolution media player, a USB port for computer connectivity, and a subwoofer out for more bass.
We’ve tested The Fives for ourselves, and they sound fantastic. We played records and high resolution audio, watched movies and TV shows, and played video games. Each time the results were impressive; with clear, balanced, and accurate music reproduction at any volume.
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Boundless Audio Record Cleaner Brush
Image Credit: Amazon
Boundless Audio’s Record Cleaner Brush is a great gift for any vinyl fan you know. Its carbon fiber bristles will remove dust and hairs from the record’s surface without the risk of scratching. The electrically conductive frame will remove static, too.
A couple of swipes from this brush will reduce the numbers of clicks and pops you’ll hear when spinning records, and keep them in the best possible shape.
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Grateful Dead Slowtide Fillmore Throw Blanket
Image Credit: Slowtide
This official collaboration between the Grateful Dead and SoCal-based lifestyle company Slowtide will keep any Deadhead warm and cozy in the lot and at home alike. Made with a soft, lightweight chambray and completely sustainably sourced cotton, the stylish throw features a Dead-inspired design with the Steal Your Face symbol, and can serve as artwork for your wall or a blanket at a music fest.
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Sonos Roam Speaker
Image Credit: Sonos
You can’t go wrong with any of Sonos’ excellent speakers, but if you want to gift the music lover a long-lasting Bluetooth speaker with impressive sound, the Sonos Roam is the way to go. Its compact size can fit in a tote bag, but don’t let its small design fool you – it can rock and produce stellar sound to soundtrack your next outdoor party. Bonus: It’s waterproof and resistant to drops and dings, plus boasts a 10-hour runtime per charge to play tunes all day long. It’s also voice-enabled so you can control your music with your favorite virtual assistant and the Sonos app.
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Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones
Image Credit: Amazon
Whether the music lover you’re shopping for is a frequent traveler or commuting throughout the week, these over-ear Sony cans deliver booming bass and crystal-clear sound in a sleek package that makes every song pop. They’re comfortable to wear for hours, and feature a 30-hour battery life per charge. On top of their impressive noise-cancelling sound, they’re also super functional, pausing your tunes when you take them off and automatically adjusting the volume when you’re chatting with a friend.
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Vibes High Fidelity Earplugs
Image Credit: Amazon
Going to live concerts can put a strain on your ears, but using traditional earplugs can mute the experience. Vibes’ High Fidelity Earplugs split the difference by insulating your eardrum in such a way that the wide frequency spectrum (ie. base, midrange, and treble) can still reach them. The result is clear sound without having to put up with ear ringing hours after the encore.
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Concert Videos
Image Credit: Amazon
After years in which most of us couldn’t go to concerts, DVDs and Blu Rays of famous concerts can help recreate the experience.
There are thousands of great shows from bands like Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, Norah Jones, The Cure, Pink Floyd, Stevie Nicks, and The Rolling Stones, but the two above stand out.
Festival is a compilation of performances from the Newport Folk Festival between 1963 and 1966, which features sets from Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Johnny Cash, Howlin Wolf, and more.
The Complete Monterey Pop Festival is the definitive statement of the first multi-day rock and roll festival that doubles as a chronicle of the peak of the “Summer of Love.” This concert was the first time a wide American audience was exposed to The Who and Jimi Hendrix.
Buy The Complete Monterey Pop Festival $54.06
Both of these films were released as part of The Criterion Collection, which means they’re presented in the highest possible fidelity, with ample bonus features and documentation, giving you a complete look at these two events.
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LEGO Jazz Quartet
Image Credit: LEGO
Create your own jazz band with this 1,600-piece LEGO set. Assemble a pianist, bassist, trumpeter, and drummer and customize your display by adjusting the poses and stage formation. You’ll also get to create their highly detailed instruments from a grand piano to a double bass.
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Rolling Stone Logo Crewneck
Image Credit: Rolling Stone
This Rolling Stone crewneck features the iconic logo on its back and makes a great gift for any music lover who’s a fan of the magazine. It’s unisex and features a heavyweight fleece build to keep your giftee warm on colder nights. It has a relaxed fit too, so make sure to size down if your giftee prefers something slimmer.
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Sign O The Times (Super Deluxe Edition)
Image Credit: Amazon
Prince’s legendary music vault has slowly been opened, and the Super Deluxe Edition of Sign O’ The Times proves the hype was real.
The nine-disc set includes a remastered version of the original album, one CD of single mixes, two discs of unreleased studio recordings, two discs of live tracks, and a DVD featuring Prince’s full New Years Eve 1987 show.
The box set is the definitive document of one of Prince’s most critically acclaimed albums, and a must-have for any Prince fan.
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Bose Smart Soundbar 900
Image Credit: Amazon
Bose’s Smart Soundbar is an audiophile upgrade for any TV. It’s designed to deliver rich, deep sound whether you’re watching movies, listening to music, or playing video games. Hooking the Smart Soundbar 900 up to your TV requires one cable, and you can connect audio to it wirelessly over Bluetooth. It even supports Amazon’s Alexa, so you can control it totally hands-free. If you know anyone who complains about how bad their TV sounds, this soundbar will be the best gift they receive this year.
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Wildflowers & All the Rest Deluxe Edition (7-LP Edition)
Image Credit: Amazon
This seven-piece vinyl set is the ultimate tribute to Tom Petty’s 1994 album Wildflowers. It features a remastered version of the full album, an additional disc out songs cut from the original release, demo recordings, and live cuts. This box set was a labor of love and was one of the last projects Petty ever worked on. If you or someone you know wants to know the full story behind this LP, don’t miss this release.
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All The Songs Books
Image Credit: Amazon
There are hundreds of great music books, from Chronicles: Volume One by Bob Dylan, to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young: The Wild, Definitive Saga of Rock’s Greatest Supergroup by Duncan Browne. We even have a full guide dedicated to the best music books here.
We’re recommending the Led Zeppelin and Queen entries in the All The Songs series because they document every track in a famous artist’s library with equisite detail. These books are well researched and can shine a light on every single, rarity, and B-side, giving you a better understanding of their work.
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Grateful Dead Dancing Care Bears Igloo Little Playmate Cooler
Image Credit: Igloo
For a bit of nostalgia and a hell of a lot of fun, the Deadhead on your list will appreciate this head-turning Igloo cooler collaboration. The Little Playmate features Grateful Dead motifs on top of the lid, plus a new take on the group’s dancing bears in true Care Bear fashion.Best of all, it’ll keep up to nine 12-ounce cans cold, whether they take it to a concert or a tailgate. Pro tip: Use it to pack more of their gifts inside so they get double the surprise when they unwrap it.
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AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt USB Digital-to-Analog Converter
Image Credit: Amazon
AudioQuest’s DragonFly Cobalt is a pocket-sized DAC (digital analog converter), and a great gift for your favorite audiophile. The flash-drive sized device improves the audio quality of all digital music, whether it comes from your local library or favorite streaming service by sending a cleaner signal from the computer to your headphones.
The result is music that sounds more natural, balanced, and easier on your ears. The difference is easy to pick up once you’ve heard it. Additionally, the DragonFly Cobalt can play high resolution (better-than-CD-quality) audio, which your computer may not be able to do on its own.
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Happy Socks Limited Edition
Image Credit: Amazon
Happy Socks’ tribute to The Beatles’ classic albums is a fun gift for your favorite Fab Four fan. This box set contains six pairs of socks in a themed box, each with different designs inspired by the iconic album art.
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“Rolling Stone: The Illustrated Portraits”
Image Credit: Rolling Stone
This coffee table must-have draws on five decades of Rolling Stone‘s archives and combines 200 iconic illustrations, from portraits of famous musical artists to depictions of key events in recent history.
You can grab the signed limited edition copy by Gus Wenner, President and CEO of Rolling Stone or you can pick up the general hardcopy on Amazon.
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