SOUND & VISION
Give the gift of smooth tunes and crisp, vivid visuals
1 JLAB GO AIR TONES
Although a lack of ANC means they might not be the most technologically advanced true wireless buds out there, JLab’s flesh-toned phones offer aural camouflage whatever your skin colour, and they’re cheap enough to slot into a stocking. Don’t think that means iffy sound, either. You can tweak the EQ through an app, and these don’t make any compromises where it counts.
£20, jlab.com
2 METZ ROKU TV
German firm Metz hasn’t made a big splash in the UK as yet, but there’s a good chance it’ll swallow up a big chunk of the budget TV market with its banner on this ultra-affordable Skyworth-made Roku-toting TV line. Kids’ rooms are well catered for with the £159 1080p 32-inch version; go all the way up to £450 and you’ll get 65 inches of full 4K. The sets combine linear TV and streaming, with fast zapping times. From £159, metzblue.com
3 B&O BEOLIT 20
The picnic basket looks of the Beolit 20 might be a bit of a clue as to where this Bluetooth speaker is best enjoyed: it’s loud and warm, a wonderful addition to a leisurely afternoon outside as much as it’s a whizz at spicing up the sounds in the kitchen. Powerful amplifiers and drivers really lift your music up to heady heights. And with a Qi charger built in to its lid, it’s two gifts in one.
£499, bang-olufsen.com
4 CHROMECAST WITH GOOGLE TV
The Chromecast of today is not the same as the basic device that kickstarted the stream-to-TV revolution: this is an app-packed conduit to all the services you love. While this latest version is a deliberate downgrade that tops out at 1080p, it’s an ideal upgrade for the TVs that’ll need it, and there’s no sense spending on 4K you don’t need.
£35, store.google.com