Audio Gear

Browse audio gear recommendations from people with great taste on Rec League.

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Geren

GOOD SH*T ON SALE - CMF Headphone Pro - $59 🤯

These are on an insane sale for the brands Fall Sale. Great gifts too. My ride or dies (in black) when the world is too loud at home or on a plane these save me. Enough smoosh to not make your ears feel happy. Good sound quality and they’re not $400. Big + the Bluetooth has been faultless in the six months I’ve used them even swapping between many inputs.

Dylan

AirFly Pro 2 White

GAME CHANGER! Allows you to use AirPods or wireless headphones with in-flight entertainment / other situations where there’s a wired jack and no Bluetooth connectivity

Good Thing Going by Lena Dunham

AT-LP70X

Right before she was born, my husband insisted that we get a record player. He wanted to ensure she heard every album he loves in its finest form 🥹It’s become the loveliest part of our day- waking up, putting on Ted Lucas or Joan Armatrading or The Cure or Judee Sill or Tracy Chapman and snuggling up in the nook with our girl. We have what my husband refers to as a “cheap and cheerful” Audio Technica (“it’s better to have things that aren’t too dear” he explains) from Redscroll Records- thanks for the help, Josh!

AM/FM Radio (with bluetooth!)

We are resurrecting the radio in our kitchen and dining room, and I highly recommend this Bluetooth AM FM. It comes in black or white. Even if you have a smart speaker in your home, I say double , if for no other reason than that the presence of this radio settles my nervous system. This is for anyone who wants to recreate a 90s childhood, when we all had an analog identity.

Practica

Wired Headphones > Bluetooth

Bluetooth is cool, that much is undeniable. That being said, once you get over the magic, the minor difference that were once forgivable, compound and become a bit too much. For starters — convenience. The last thing on earth any of us need is another device to charge. That means time without the headphones working, another charger to manage, a limited set of hours to be able to use your headphones and the often (even with AirPods!) fumbling of connecting from device to device. Wired headphones just work. They're ultra reliable, the mic is generally higher quality, they're often able to put out higher quality audio at considerably lower prices and it doesn't hurt quite as much when they break or are, almost inevitably, lost from time to time.

Steven Weill

iPod Classic

Normally I'm a purist about these types of things but I've gotten a few (one for home, one for car, couple for gifts) of these refurbished/modded iPod classics from this eBay seller. They're incredible. Everything you know and love about the best generation of iPod (fight me) but with infinitely better battery life & storage.

Coco Quizon

teenage engineering - ko ii

My husband got this as a gift but I’ve been using it to recreationally make “like and subscribe”-type and “losing at Tetris”-type beats and it’s very fun.

James Kylstra

Casio PX-110 88-Key Digital Piano

I got this guy when I was a teenager. Took it with me to college, moved it from NC to Chicago in the back seat of a Honda Civic, moved it back to NC 9 years later, and now my 10yo uses it for piano lessons. A total workhorse. Will break my heart when it dies (though it gives no indication that it's going to do so anytime soon).

Dylan

Noise Cancelling Headphones

an essential for plane travel & public transport & sensitive little souls who find the outside world A LOT. idk how I ever existed without them tbh.

Geren

GOOD SH*T ON SALE - Nothing Buds Pro - $39

I 100% did just order a back up pair for $39 (Navy is my favorite color and I will lose these eventually) Always with me. Basically if the world or the day go sideways these will save me. They’re navy blue and they’re inexpensive enough that if I lose them. I won’t freak out. I’ve retired my ear nods to backup status. Their app is good, the design is good, and they have lasted without issue. 100/10.

samael

OJAS x Klipsch kO-R1 speaker

in 2024 i said if i’m going to have a dumbass midlife crisis, it better sound + look somewhat interesting. but when i looked for unfugly speakers, what hadn’t changed was how audio companies still market their stuff to retiree business car dads or engineer~ish gearhead nerds. fucking gross dude. yes that’s how i identify, but don’t show me that. condescending as hell. art around the room + the sound coming out that thing should be the main focus. i geek’d on audiophile buys in my 20s and wanted to keep my burntout senses as far from that incremental subjective moneypit to fussy hell of a world as possible. had considered going the diy route. eh, was avoidant of another project. can do diy tweaks when it gets vintage’d. had seen Devon Turnbull / OJAS speakers at a bunch of clubs and bars, like Cafe Tropical in LA + Public Records in NY. and got to hear them at his listening rooms in the SF MOMA + 180 Studios in London. often nice experiences tied to important moments in mine & my friends’ lives. love that industrial horn element on the top of the box. piano and vocals sound great coming out of it. been neat seeing designers experiment with other horns + array patterns. nice bass that doesn’t drown out details when busy. the dream would be to have one of his OJAS x NNNN audio systems in any custom color. that thing would look bold as hell in any already obscene place. was mildly smart and frugal bout such a ridiculous purchase. got a hearing test. did some funny sound checks with neighbors and wasn’t worried about volume. listened to other speakers with my dad, who gave me a funny speaker testing playlist. bought used to save monies and dodge trump’s stupidass tariffs. def recommend buying any audio stuff used for obviou$ rea$on$, but also the experience of buying and meeting other music lovers who are selfless with their passion. met so many cool dads of other people and gotten so much free junk + knowledge dropped on me. underrated. ~~~ the amp had to have low-fuss tube warmth while being critter resistant (it out) and have no tackyass tech or button placements that make no fucking sense. also surprisingly hard to find. do you know how many audio companies have crap type or were acquired and cheapened? jesus h christ. and a optional wireless connector that’s tucked behind the amp cause it looks like every other fucking streaming box with tech lights. that’s just if it’s a pain to connect via amp or if i notice bluetooth sounding bad. but it’s fine, simple connect & convenience is p important too.

Steven Weill

Sennheiser HD 600

Distinctly remember these being a hot release when I started to drove the depths of the music obsessed internet. Mind blowing to recognize they are now fully vintage and have been out for 29 years. Even more mind blowing is that they're still more or less the gold standard for open back headphones. Which generally speaking, if you're not familiar, allow for better sound at the expense of everyone around you listening in to whatever you've put on. They're meant for a premium experience in a quiet environment. There are technically plenty of 'better' vintage and non vintage open back headphones on the market like stuff from HIFIMAN, STAX or AUDEZE. But the difference in quality (ESPECIALLY considering the boost in cost) is absurd. This is coming from someone who cares deeply and will find any reason to get the nicest version of whatever is available.

James Kylstra

Ear ( a )

I bought these off of Greg’s rec and they’ve been great! Cheap, take a beating, look nice. Thanks Greg!

Tivoli Model One

Looks and sounds great and the knobs are perfection

samael

Sennheiser HD 800 S

from a purely visual perspective. hot. so hot. the closed back version of these. nah, dork silhouette. other similar. basic dac + power + connect to your phone. ~~~ listening to ‘open back’ headphones is a unique experience, sound bleeds in~and~out. see how they work for how you listen. try something cheaper like Grado’s first. think price + how it functions make it unrealistic for a lot of people, so can find it much cheaper on the used market. really great for listening to live music or music that sounds vast. meant for home listening. but if you take them outside, they say: ‘fuckyou donttalktome’ but also ‘dont come near me and my music unless you want to listen too in which case thats ok’ or being a more chic version of ‘person listening to phone speakers on bus’

Chris Mueller

Parasound HALO HINT6 Amp

A total beast. I absolutely love everything about this amp. It's gorgeous, simple, and powerful. Everything sounds so so good. I pair this amp with KEF LS50 Metas. The LS50 Metas, though they're small, require a lot of power to sound good. This amp delivers. My go-to test for audio equipment is Attaboy from the Goat Rodeo Sessions recorded by Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, and Chris Thile. This track is complex and interwoven, just enough that you can pick out all the instruments and subtleties. Anything less than an A+ stereo setup quickly introduces mud and slop into the sound. The Halo Hint 6 will get you there. Great value for this price point.

seán patrick john paul george ringo doran

WR-7 Wooden Cabinet Radio /// SANGEAN

“Though some may say the radio is a thing of the past, we believe that it remains a timeless medium that plays a part in every scenario.” — SANGEAN, Our Vision

Chris Gardner

Shure SM57

Record a guitar amp. Record a snare drum. Record a shitty singer. Hammer a nail. This mic is a stone cold classic that does it all. About $100.

Steven Weill

Bose Acoustic Wave AW-1

My preferred cassette player (at least that isn't in my LX470). When I was growing up the Bose Wave line was truly the pinnacle of luxury. Maybe not everyone's version of reclaiming your childhood dream, but for me — this is as good as it gets. Looks great (in a 90s way), sounds great, works great.

samael

bass guitar [wip]

a recent thought bubble i’m looking into cause i find low frequencies calming and the style of play can be more melloooow. doing acrylic art therapy and want another outlet nearby to use as a flow distraction when feeling anx or thinkin’ creatively through a problem. can just pickup and groove to whatever is playing in my head or around me. want the option of adding pedals to it too to get a heavy distortion guitar sound like DFA1979 when i’m in that mood. color/shape/style: idk. more calming + inspiring feeling, less distracting to look at, but wont look out of place when playing heavy. i like the idea of fretless. budget: whatever. feeling + quality most important, but i dont want to be precious with it. again, i don’t know music and am welcoming any advice and opinions i come up on. but starting with asking my musician friends + y’all unknown talented strangers if you want to leave a comment ♡ ~~~ knowledge dropped on me: other sources sweetwater ~ overview of buying first bass scott's bass lessons ~ opinions on fretless

Ali LaBelle

Bose QuietComfort Headphones

I'm sensitive to sound, especially when I'm writing, and these have saved my brain when I'm having trouble focusing.

Chris Gardner

Audio Technica 2020

I think this is the best, do it all, bang for the buck, large diaphragm condenser mic. Vocal, drums, guitar, bass, room mic, acoustic. There are tons of cheap mics, but this is best bang for the buck. Record worthy.

Steven Weill

Vintage Record Players (Audiophile)

Denoting 'audiophile' here to add distinction from another post I'll make focused more on design oriented vintage turntables. Luckily for my sanity and life saving's, I'm a few years out from a MASSIVE record obsession. I've had so very many vintage turntables over the years but the one I linked above is what I've got my sights set on now. It is outrageously expensive but as you'll see in the audiophile space (God forbid you fall in love) and especially in the design-foward audio space, this really isn't anything outrageous cost wise.

samael

Hello Kitty karaoke mic

screaming into a hello kitty mic, shameless or with friends, is cheaper than therapy. after you got a good ‘py base, hopefully. that ain’t a real thing. back to therapy with you, dingus. underrated bday gift from 2024.

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