As a music-lover, I’ve curated quite the collection of music related purchases and gifts. From my vinyl record journey, to my mission to find the perfect headphones, I’ve had an extensive experience with trying out all the bits and bobs that can be used to play or amplify music.
I’ve had some that I love – and some that I hate. But today, I’ll be focusing on my daily staples. Heads up, some of them are pretty pricey. Unfortunately, the reality with physical music or any kind of speaker or headphones is that the pricier, more name-brand options actually do have some merit behind the price increase. Every time I’ve upgraded an item to a more expensive one, I’ve been satisfied with it.
But no worries, I’ll try to sprinkle in a couple more affordable options.
This is a pretty basic one, and one you likely already have (maybe in the form of Apple Music). In the digital streaming era, that $10 a month really is worth it to not have to worry about saving your skips, or not being able to download songs to your devices.
You could also do what I’ve done to get a bigger bang for your buck, and get the family subscription, which brings the price down for each person. And on the topic of Spotify vs. Apple Music, I’ve used both, and both have benefits and pitfalls, but Spotify will always come out on top for me. They have similar price points, so if you want to compare streaming services, check out an earlier blog post from this year where I listed pros and cons for each to see which is the best fit for you.
To add onto your Spotify subscription, a fun way to track your listening trends and rankings of your top artists, songs and albums over different timelines is Stats FM. Stats FM is an app where you can sync your Spotify listening data and it will automatically update over time, tracking as many different data points as you can think of.
They do have a free version, but it’s pretty limited. The benefit with Stats FM’s premium subscription is it’s a one-time purchase. I got mine very cheap during a Black Friday sale, for $6.99, but the regular price is just $13.99, which in the long run, is not much at all.
You may not care at all to track your top tracks and artists, but if you’re a bit of a nerd about it like me, and enjoy seeing how your taste has evolved over the years, this is a great affordable, fun purchase.
If you’re looking for a good wired speaker, especially if you’re a vinyl record consumer, these are perfect. They’re great quality speakers in the middle price range. When I was searching for a higher quality speaker for my record player setup, the prices were appalling.
These still sit at $120, but they’re 100% worth it. The woody appearance hiding under the gray cover (it pops right off) fits in perfectly with the “vintage” feel of record players.
Important to note, they are wired speakers, not Bluetooth, because wired speakers sound better with record players. But no worries if you want something that can connect to your phone, Edifier carries a wide variety of speakers, including an array of Bluetooth ones.
Hear me out on this one. I know the price is insane. I still think it’s a little excessive, but I’m obsessed with these headphones. I never would’ve bought these for myself because I was so snobby about not buying $500 headphones, but after using them as a Christmas gift, I understand the hype.
The sound quality is immaculate. The noise cancelling is next level. And on top of it, they’re sleek and minimalist, an appearance I don’t see in most other headphones. A great cheaper alternative (they’re still pricey, I know) are the regular AirPods.
But if you have the regular AirPods and are looking for a reason to upgrade to the headphones, the noise cancelling is just that much better in the Maxes that I can wrap my head around the price.
Now this is my holy grail. If you’ve been stuck with your $50 suitcase player, this is your sign to splurge. Similar to the Maxes, I didn’t understand how the price jump could be worth it, but buying a high quality record player is the best decision I’ve ever made.
Not only does it look more legit, it sounds it. Goodbye to the crackly, robot-sounding speakers of my Target suitcase player. I also noticed that my old player began to damage some of my records, so it was time to upgrade.
This player also comes with a Bluetooth feature, lending itself to a significant price increase over the regular version. It’s cool to listen to it with bluetooth headphones, but the feature really isn’t worth it for the price jump. I’d recommend sticking with the regular non-Bluetooth player.
These products have really amplified my listening experience and enjoyment over the years. Though they’re not things to buy all at once, I hope you’ll take my recommendations into account when you’re buying new headphones or speakers along your music listening journey.
