Audio Video News

Star Wars: A New Hope – 40th Anniversary 3LP Collector's Edition ($100)
Initially released on three 180-gram LPs in November 2017 to tie in with the 40th anniversary of the storied George Lucas franchise, Star Wars: A New Hope box set is the crown jewel in the Disney LP canon. The set comes in a sturdy textured black slipcase, replete with the signature curvy Star Wars logo emblazoned in shiny rectangular form and centered perfectly on the front. It also includes a 52-page book that's rife with historical information and includes a pair of detailed essays—Jeff Bond's "Tuning Up a Galaxy" and Jeff Eldridge's "John Williams' Journey to Star Wars"—give full breadth to the overall significance of the original motion picture soundtrack itself. The addition of many rarely seen recording session photos, artist renderings and character sketches, and various archetypical film stills add to the excellence factor of the packaging. —Mike Mettler
disneymusicemporium.com

Victrola Wooden Record Crate ($40)
Perfect for vinyl newbies and boomers who want to relive college-dorm days, Victrola's retro-cool record crate (model VA-20) is made of real wood and holds more than 50 LPs. It ships in a flat box but can be quickly assembled without tools. Available in white or one of three shades natural wood (two light, and one dark).
victrola.com

Bose Sport Earbuds ($180)
It almost goes without saying: Wireless earbuds are the other go-to gift choice for holiday shoppers but like their full-size counterparts, the question remains: which ones? Having spent hours listening with Bose's reengineered Sport Earbuds—streaming eclectic mixes of tracks over Tidal and biking for miles with the buds pressed into my ears—they're easy to recommend. Whether I was swaying to Ella Fitzgerald singing "Early Autumn" or rockin' to the title track of Joe Bonamassa's new album Royal Tea, the sound was full and clear with just the right amount of bass and they were super comfortable, even after wearing them three or four hours straight. The buds also stayed "locked" in my ears whether I was biking, exercising, or doing yard work, making them a great choice for on-the-go listeners. Bose rates battery life as 5 hours but I found it to be somewhat less.
bose.com

SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD ($73 and up)
Enthusiasts with meticulously curated collections of music and movies will appreciate being able to quickly and easily store A/V treasures on a solid-state drive (SSD) that's water-resistant and smaller than a smartphone. SanDisk's Extreme Portable SSD supports transfer speeds up to 550MB/s and comes in four sizes: 250GB ($73), 500GB ($85), 1TB ($150), and 2TB ($290). Outdoor types might be better served by the Extreme Pro drive, which adds an extra layer of shock protection and comes in three sizes with transfer speeds up to 1050MB/s: 500GB ($108), 1TB ($190), and 2TB ($350). Prices shown reflect discounts offered on westerndigital.com.
westerndigital.com

Stocking Stuffers

1More Hi-Definition Bluetooth Adapter ($30)
With 1More's Bluetooth adapter you can give the gift of wireless without having to buy a new set of headphones—provided the recipient already owns a kick-ass set of wired earbuds or headphones. Plug 'em into this tiny device and, like magic, they become wireless. Not much bigger than a USB thumb drive, the adapter harnesses the newer Bluetooth 5.0 standard and supports Sony's LDAC coding technology for better-than-CD quality. Rated playtime is 8 hours per charge and an integral clip makes it easy to attach the adapter to clothing.
usa.1more.com

Austere Clean & Protect Kit ($30)
The perfect stocking stuffer for any gear-obsessed enthusiast, Austere's Clean & Protect kit provides everything they need to keep treasured electronic possessions—from phones to TV screens—squeaky clean. The kit includes a machine-washable 12 x 12-inch microfiber polishing cloth and an ammonia-free solution formulated to kill germs and eliminate static buildup. The cleaning solution is applied with a special applicator that emits a fine mist to prevent streaks and fingerprints.
austere.com

For The Kids

Vtech KidiZoom Creator Cam ($60)
Let a child's imagination run wild with the KidiZoom Creator Cam, a self-contained video-production kit for kids ages 5 and up that makes it easy to convert any room in the house into a mini TV studio. Budding auteurs select from one of more than 20 animated backgrounds—from the land of T-Rex to outer space—and shoot against a green screen to create their own movie or TV show—in HD resolution. The camera is equipped with simple onscreen editing software with tools for creating trick shots and has a handle that doubles as a tripod/selfie stick. A built-in microphone records audio and, though there's no wireless connectivity, a USB cable is included for uploading videos with parental oversight. The camera will run continuously for up to 2 hours when fully charged and has a microSD card slot for increasing storage up to 32GB.
vtechkids.com

More Great Gift Ideas To Consider

Andover Spinbase Turntable Speaker ($399)
[Click here for our review.]

1More True Wireless ANC Earbuds ($200)
[Click here for our review.]

Amazon Echo Noise-Cancelling True Wireless Earbuds ($130)
[Click here for our review.]