Hi there!
It's Laura, wife of Scott, the owner of Verdant Audio. If you are like me, having a partner or family member who is an audiophile is very daunting when it comes to buying them presents. Not only are there so many choices out there, but the options are such a personal preference that it is hard to pick the right item! I sat down with Scott and asked him to compile of a list of "safe products" for the holiday season, meaning products that usually are universally liked by many audiophiles. Now there will always be outliers, but I am hoping this list will save you from giving up your never-ending quest to surprise the hifi-junkie you love. This year, you won't have to say, "Just go buy something you like."
For the one that needs headphones - Focal makes amazing headphones that are easy to drive, work with most headphone amps and can fit most audiophile budgets. They get progressively better as the price increases with more detail and a better soundstage:
Focal Headphones - Celeste for $990
Focal Headphones - Clear MG for $1490
Focal Headphones - Stellia for $2990
For the one who works from home - Q Acoustics makes some awesome powered speakers that are easy to fit in a desktop environment and don't require a separate amplifier:
Q Acoustics Active 200 Bookshelf Loudspeakers (Pair) starting at $1995
For the one who misses the iPod - Questyle makes incredibly good handheld players that will fit in your pocket and deliver Hi-Res, lossless music and will hold up to 2TB of data on a micro-SD card:
Questyle QPM Portable Lossless Player / DAP for $1599
Questyle QP2R Portable Player / DAP for $906.50
For the minimalist in your life - The Naim Uniti series of products are small, powerful and packed full of features. All-in-one units that will fit any lifestyle while also delivering incredible sound that will meet the standards of the most discerning audiophile:
Naim Uniti Atom for $3290
Naim Uniti Star for $4990
Naim Uniti Nova for $5990
And a treat for you when you need quiet - Do you wish sometimes they would listen to headphones instead of their stereo. Well, this wonderful headphone amp from Questyle can power any headphone and also has an excellent DAC that delivers refined sound:
Questyle CMA12 DAC and Headphone Amp starting at $1499
Questyle CMA 15 DAC, Preamp, Headphone Amp w/ Analog Input for $2499