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The Goods:

• Sony WH-1000XM4

• WiiM Mini AirPlay 2

• Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm

• JBL Vibe Beam

• House of Marley Revolution Wireless Turntable with Speakers

• Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX4

• FreeYourMuisc

• Playlist Push

A pair of headphones whose reputation precedes them more often than not. Sure, they are packed with features, but the listening experience is warm and rich. They make the perfect set of headphones for those with a bit of budget and a need for stunning sound.

The ANC is one of the best on the market, easily filtering out people and almost all environmental noise. To get the most from these headphones, you will want to play with the EQ settings in the app. The sound ‘as standard’ can be heavily improved with the adjustments. The carry case makes them an ideal travel partner.

A big user issue is that they can’t be charged and used simultaneously. They’re a great all-rounder, comfortable enough to wear for hours, and like almost all headphones, they sound better plugged in.

The average price is $348, and the sales price is $198 (at the time of writing).

It beautifully bridges the gap between digital music streaming and analog in a really neat way. While not much to look at, this hockey-puck-looking piece of hardware packs a punch for under $100. WiiM Mini accesses your streaming services (Spotify, Tidal, etc.) and pumps music through wired speakers or multi-room group Bluetooth speakers like Alexa. You get optical and analog audio cables and a high-quality charging cable in the box. The WiiM Mini has a built-in DAC, or you can connect an external DAC if it has higher performance than the internal one.

For the price, it is a hard piece of kit to beat for those who want to extend their digital into analog or want a neat multi-room option. The Wiim Mini, Pro, and Plus have the same EQ options.

Average price: $99, sale price: $71 (at the time of writing).

These are for you if you like closed-back, crispy, clean sound and can’t imagine listening to music without a wire—a long one. While they are down as studio headphones, they work perfectly plugged into your computer for long work hours. They are built like workhorses, the plastic is thick, and if you can get a good seal, it's worth trying a few different positions. You’ll enjoy an excellent, V-shaped sound (great bass and clean treble, but without the midrange feeling too subdued).

They also work well for games in which you don’t want or need a mic. Since they are designed for a soundstage, they have an airy feel and work perfectly for intricate details. Why the 80 Ohm and not the 250 Ohm? The 80s are relatively balanced and fine for 99% of music listeners; 250 has a wider frequency response but is power-hungry.

Downfall? If there is one that users don’t enjoy, it’s that if you don’t have an average head shape and size, you might struggle with the fit.

Pair with a DAC for even cleaner listening. The average price is $170, but the sale price is $149 (at the time of writing).

Already well under the $50 mark, these JBLs pack a lot of punch. They are dust—and water-resistant and market themselves as true wireless and bass-accurate. Considering they’re a steal in terms of price, they make incredible alternatives to AirPods and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds.

Some users recommend using the EQ settings to give the bass more depth and that the charging case doesn’t feel sturdy. But again, they are under $50. Causal listeners running daily errands and regular walkers will appreciate the ease of use and sound quality that doesn’t break the bank.

Some other buds on the market struggle to compete with battery life; you’ll get a cool 8 hours, with a 24-hour top-up from a fully charged case. About ten minutes of charging will give you two hours of listening. They pair easily with your devices, and you can swap between them without fuss. The companion app has a couple of issues from time to time, but you can make them more individual with a customizable EQ.

Regular price: $50, sale price: $24.95 (at time of writing).

Want something even cheaper? Check out the Anker Soundcore P20i - currently $19.99.

For starter vinyl collectors, this is the perfect all-in-one, no-fuss turntable. You don’t need to know how to set up calibration because it is already done. It has an Audio-Technica stylus, felt mat, dust cover, anti-skate, pre-calibrated tracking force, and Bluetooth. Treat yourself to the matching bookshelf speakers. The Bluetooth speakers can be connected to your phone, laptop, or turntable. Perhaps the most remarkable bit is that it is sustainably made with REWIND fabric, post-consumer plastic, and bamboo. It looks good too.

This isn’t your high-end type of turntable set-up, but it will work wonders for those new to collecting and wanting to experiment more with analog (with a modern twist). Like all things BlueTooth, there is a loss of sound quality. But for most people, the joy of sliding on your first record will outweigh that.

The regular price is $169; the sale price is currently $119 for the turntable alone. Add speakers in a bundle for $239.

This is the perfect beginner DJ controller for those looking to dabble in DJing. It has a professional feel without the professional price tag. You can hook up the unit to your Mac or PC and start playing with Serato DJ lite or djay DJ software for free. Need something more? You can upgrade to Serato DJ Pro.

One of the coolest things about the unit is that it can be connected to Android phones and tablets, iPads, iPhones, Macs, or PCs. Cooler still is that if you’re using the controller with Rekordbox or djay for iOS/Android, you can use Bluetooth or a USB cable.

Although the controller is inspired by more heavy-duty professional Pioneer equipment, it is light enough to travel with you and looks slick.

The Smart Mixing features make it perfect for beginners, and it automatically adjusts bass levels, BPM, and volume. Combined with Smart CFX, you can twiddle a single knob to get cool pops of sound and effects.

It integrates seamlessly with TIDAL, Beatport Streaming, Beatsource Streaming, and SoundCloud Go+. (You’ll need a sub for those!).

Fancy getting your DJ on? The regular price is $299, but you can pick it up for between $220 and $299.

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Leading music transfer app FreeYourMusic is running their massive 30% off all plans, moving your music from one music streaming platform to another has never been so pocket-friendly.

What do you get?

• Auto-sync - 15-minute auto-synchronization of your playlists and albums.

• Cloud backup - Playlist security with cloud storage.

• Multi-account support - One license, multiple accounts.

• All platforms - iOS, MacOS, Android, Windows & Linux.

• Rematch - One button fix for missing or incorrect songs.

• Unlimited transfers - Yes, really, unlimited playlists and music transfers.

• Cancel any time.

• Song order—Your playlist's running order will remain intact when possible (some platforms don’t allow it).

• Dedicated support - on hand if you need it.

With over 6 million downloads and 15 billion songs moved, this FreeYourMusic deal is one not to be missed!

• Premium Quarterly: $4.66 per month ($13.99 per quarter)

• Premium Yearly: $2.92 per month ($34.99 for the year)

• Lifetime: $174.99 

Tap the purple banner at the top of the FreeYourMusic website to claim your discount.

This is one for the artists; we have included it several times in our newsletters. We kinda just love what they are doing.

“Over 25,000 independent and major label artists use our promotion services to get their music on Spotify playlists and in TikTok videos.”

Getting your work on a playlist can be challenging as a musician, but Playlist Push makes it super easy. Artists can pitch their music to playlist curators directly, and what’s more, their network is the largest Spotify playlist curator network around. With over 4 thousand playlists, over half a million playlist adds, and over 150 million reach, there is nowhere better to pitch you music.

Pricing works on a sliding scale, and you can set how much you want to spend and how many playlists you’ll reach.

For music lovers who want to make their playlists work for them, monetizing your playlists with Playlist Push is possible—using their creators, either Spotify or TikTok. They pay $15 per song you listen to and review; you can add them to your playlists if you like them. They ask for over 1,000 followers on your playlists so they can ensure their artists get heard, too.