A phone is a phone, a laptop a laptop, a speaker a speaker. Sure. If that’s your approach, log your own mental 404 error. Every mediaphile knows better. So while shopping for such an opinionated discerning person can be tedious, the beautiful thing is that no matter what they obsess over — be it film, vinyl or video games — there will always be something new. As long as you know what your mediaphile is into, rest assured that there’s something damn cool for you to get them.
Skullcandy Barricade Mini Bluetooth Speaker
Great sound can be portable; the Barricade Mini proves it. This impact- and water-resistant Bluetooth speaker is perfectly adept at camping or hiking, and transporting it is an afterthought — it’s small and light enough to palm with one hand.
Eero
For the mediaphile who constantly complains about wi-fi issues, this is the remedy. The innovative home wi-fi system takes the place of a traditional router by working as a set of wi-fi hubs that can grow as big or as small as the user needs (meaning that one Eero makes a great starter gift), and they don’t create multiple wi-fi networks like a conventional router and a wi-fi extender, which means no switching back and forth between networks.
Tanner Goods Leather Slipmat
Even budding vinyl-heads’ turntables should look the part. This slipmat is beautiful, stamped with a Geoglyph pattern and on a cut of high-grade English bridle leather.
Sony PlayStation 4 Pro
Though the PS4 Pro isn’t a new generation of console, it does boast substantial upgrades over the PS4. It has twice the processing power of the original PS4 and a slimmer design, and it now supports 4K and HDR gaming.
Apple AirPods
They’re pretty much the same as the EarPods he’s been using for as long as he’s owned an iPhone. Only now, like seemingly every pair of headphones, they’re wireless.
Google Chromecast Ultra
It’s 2016; he should own a 4K streaming device. This update to the standard Google Chromecast adds 4K and HDR streaming; he’ll thank you for it.
Yamaha YAS-106 Sound Bar
Here, Yamaha created premium surround sound at an affordable price point. The Sound Bar features built-in dual subwoofers and two bass reflex ports, and all of it can be controlled entirely from your smartphone.
LG V20 Smartphone
The V20 comes with Android 7.0 Nougat pre-installed. But that’s not why he’ll love it. It has a Quad DAC to appease the audiophile in him, plus a dual rear camera setup complete with a wide-angle lens, so he won’t have to break out the DSLR as often.
Sony HX500 USB Turntable
That’s right, USB turntables are finally worth it. But the Sony HX500 can do more than convert vinyl to digital without signal or quality loss. It’s also a top-quality record player. (For more info, read our full review.)
Twelve South Fermata Headphone Stand
You wouldn’t expect him to just leave his $300+ headphones laying on his desk, would you? This Twelve South headphone stand complements those high-end headphones with a leather-covered hook and premium aluminum body.
3 Great Non-Fiction Books
Even the mediaphile has to turn off his LED screen — and not just when going to bed. Besides, he can still listen to music and read at the same time? Some would call that mulitasking.
Stories I Tell Myself: Growing Up with Hunter S. Thompson: $16 (Via Amazon)
Every Song Ever: Twenty Ways to Listen in an Age of Musical Plenty: $19 (Via Amazon)
Seven Brief Lessons on Physics: $12 (Via Amazon)
3 Top Video Games
Titanfall 2, Uncharted 4 and Battlefield 1 were three of the most badass games (objectively) of 2016. Just make sure to know what console or PC setup he has before buying.
Battlefield 1: $60 (Via Amazon)
Gear Patrol Magazine Issue 3
Our latest issue is 320 pages of rich photography, thoughtful writing and, most importantly, gear. For the mediaphile specifically, there’s plenty to geek out on: a Greg Fessler Statocaster, the future of VR, and a tour of Leica’s factory in Germany.
Buy Now: $20 (Via Gear Patrol)
DJI Mavic Pro
The perfect entry-level drone. It’s compact and light enough to travel with. Plus, it’s packed with smart flying functionality: it can trail a target, fly to a specific point and automatically avoid obstacles. And of course, its 12MP camera shoots 4K at 30 frames per second. Not shabby at all.
Vizio M Series TV
You won’t find a better 4K Ultra HD television at a better price. Plus, it comes with a 6-inch tablet remote that can be used on its own if he wants. It’s like two gifts in one.
Sony PlayStation VR
Full-motion VR, like with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, is the ultimate experience. Unfortunately, those cost well over a grand, minimum, when you factor in the cost of a computer. If he already owns a PS4, this will get him a similar experience for far less.
The Splurge
If You Really Like Him
KEF LS50 Wireless Speakers
These gorgeous speakers boast three-dimensional sound on par with any number of high-end surround-sound systems, thanks to KEF’s patented Uni-Q sound dispersion technology, and they stream content over Bluetooth and wi-fi alike — putting the “wow” factor at your fingertips at all times.
