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Sound Advice: Listen here for holiday headphone gift ideas

Don Lindich, Tribune News Service on

Published in Entertainment News

Earphones and headphones featured this week: If you are looking for yourself or as a gift, here are some great options just in time for the holidays!

EarFun Air Pro 4+ earphones only $65.99: The EarFun Air Pro 4+ earphones have recently received overwhelmingly positive reviews from tech and audio websites and are becoming widely known as the best budget (under $100) earbuds on the market. I recently tried them and was thrilled with the rich, clear and engaging sound quality, light weight and comfortable fit. They have a laundry list of advanced features and technology too long to cover even if I used an entire column, such as premium drivers and electronic components, adjustable noise cancellation and multiple microphones for improved call clarity. Even with all the noteworthy technology and features, it is the absolutely wonderful sound quality that makes them so special. For most listeners these are all the earphones they will ever want or need, and they make a great spare or gym pair for those who already have expensive earbuds. Regularly $99.99, you can save 34% by using the code SAVE34 at checkout on myearfun.com, reducing the price $34 to only $65.99.

Q. Does anyone make headphones with both a Bluetooth and wired connection? Noise canceling would be a plus, too. We have several trips planned and my wife wants to use them on the plane. I am not sure if all planes currently have Bluetooth for watching in-flight movies, which is why we need wired. She has an iPhone and we use Spotify. I would like to stay under $300, but am flexible if it is worth it.

—C.S., Martinez, California

 

A. Several months ago I wrote about the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 headphones, which I loved for the features and wonderful musicality. The Melomania P100 was recently superseded by the upgraded Melomania P100 SE. These noise-canceling headphones have just plain good sound that makes you not want to take them off, and can be used with Bluetooth, a wired headphone connection or a direct USB-C connection. I strongly recommend the USB-C connection to a phone or tablet when possible because it has the best sound quality. (You can use the included charging cable for this.) Battery life is 100 hours between charges, and the batteries are user-replaceable when they eventually wear out. The Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 SE lists for $299 per pair and is currently available for $249 as part of a Black Friday sale, and no code or coupon is required for the savings. cambridgeaudio.com

If you have a lot of price flexibility, the Focal Bathys was long recognized as the absolute best headphone of this type until the upgraded $1,499 Focal Bathys MG headphones were introduced earlier this year. French manufacturer Focal is known for making some of the world's very finest headphones, with top-of-the-line models selling for $5,000 per pair. The Bathys has premium high-end components made in France, Bluetooth, wired and USB-C connections, and noise cancellation. The avant-garde design and high-end materials and workmanship make them a joy to behold and handle, and of course they sound absolutely beautiful. Last Christmas I splurged and bought a pair of Bathys headphones in the Dune color for a friend. She was over the moon with them then, and still is. Normally $849, for a limited time they are on sale at authorized retailers for $699. I realize this is well above your stated budget, but this Ferrari of headphones is something that is rarely if ever discounted at all, and I wanted to put it out there and let you decide. focal.com

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