The holidays have arrived again. It’s strange how the season always seems to sneak up on us! Though the season brings the joys of family, friends, and carefree, reminiscent evenings, it also brings the stress of planning and execution.
Audio-Technica has simplified at least one aspect of your holiday hustle – gifts, with a Holiday Gift Guide where you’ll find some of our best microphones and headphones in tailored suggestions for the different types of people in your life.
Audio-Technica Holiday Gift Guide
For the Active Listener
Smartphones and other contemporary tech let us take our favorite tunes with us everywhere. We can plug into our choice music selections as never before and it’s time for our headphones to reflect that mobility and that activity. ATH-CKX5iS & ATH- CKX7iS SonicFuel™ headphones are perfect for the job. With 360-degree rotating eartips and a C-tip configuration, a comfortable fit that stays in place is guaranteed. The in-line control lets the active listener answer calls and play audio and video on his or her smartphone or portable device without slowing down.
For the Performer
The System 10 Digital Wireless System provides user-friendly, interference-free operation to let the performer move confidently beyond it. It has three levels of diversity assurance, instantaneous channel selection and transmitter configurations to meet every need. Give a great wireless microphone system that won’t quit to the loved one who’s always on. Or if you don’t need wireless, try the ATM510 cardioid microphone, a workhouse microphone with smooth delivery for singing and speaking, a rare-earth magnet for high output and a multi-stage grille design for excellent protection against plosives.
For the Sports and Fitness Enthusiast
SonicSport™ in-ear fitness headphones are the perfect gift for people you know who always seem to be just finishing a run or workout. These headphones stay put, in spite of the active life, and sport an IPX5 waterproof rating, which means they can be washed after each use. With three designs and interchangeable tips, there’s a headphone to suit every athlete.
For the Musician
Audio-Technica strives to make it easy to record music quickly with professional results. The AT4040 side-address condenser microphone has low noise, wide dynamic range, and high SPL capability, making it perfect for a variety of studio and live applications. The AT2020USB+ USB condenser mic is specifically designed for digital recording, providing studio-quality articulation and intelligibility for the musician on the go. Its mix control lets the musician blend mic and pre-recorded audio, and it has a headphone jack for direct monitoring. To monitor, the ATH-M50 studio monitor headphones is the best tool for the job. Their closed-back design, 45 mm drivers, and 180-degree swiveling earpieces make them an industry standard.
For the Traveler
Our QuietPoint® active noise-cancelling headphones cover a different set of people on the move. These are perfect for the commuter or the person taking many business trips. Flip the switch and these headphones will cut ambient noise by 80-95%, depending on the model. This lets the listener screen out the sounds of the plane or train, so they can work, read, relax, or just fall into their favorite tunes.
For the DJ
The AT-LP120-USB direct-drive turntable and ATH-PRO700MK2 monitor headphones are designed for professionals, giving DJs everything they need to produce their art. The turntable plays at three speeds (33, 45, and 75 RPM), forward and reverse, with a start/stop button, and features a 1/2-inch mount Dual Magnet™ phono cartridge, quartz-controlled pitch lock and pitch change slider control with +/- 10% or +/- 20% adjustment ranges. Its USB cable allows for seamless computer connection. The headphones are very light, sporting 53 mm drivers, ultra-clear delivery, well-defined audio with rich bass, and 50/90-degree swiveling earpieces, making monitoring a breeze. The DJ you know will thank you.
Hopefully, this holiday gift guide has given you a little peace of mind in the maelstrom of holiday planning. Now it’s just a matter of keeping everything else together, but don’t forget to celebrate!