20 Cool HIFI HOME THEATER & GAMING Fathers Day GIFTS

20 Cool HIFI HOME THEATER & GAMING Fathers Day GIFTS

If you struggle, like I often do, when it comes to knowing what Fathers Day gifts are best for Dad, we’ve created a buying guide that with 20 cool HIFI Home Theater & Gaming Fathers Day gifts to make life easier. We have tech gadgets at every budget and even some items that you might want to Treat Yo Self!

Be sure to watch the video above for all the best buys!

The Best Fathers Day Gifts in 2020

One of the best fathers day gifts in 2020 has to be the Playstation video game, The Last of Us Remastered. This video game is currently for sale for $9.99 and with the sequel The Last of Us II soon to be released, this is the perfect time to pick up this bargain of a game. The Last of Us Remastered for the PS4/PS4 Pro is among the best games for the console, if not one of the best games we’ve ever seen and played ourselves. Everything from the storyline to the gameplay itself is next level. Much of the time you will feel like you are watching a movie. Speaking of movies, home theater fans will love this video game. If you have a big 4K TV and surround sound speaker system, the visuals and soundtrack truly stand out. The Last of Us has turned us both back into gamers. Even if you’re not big into gaming, you will still enjoy this gem!

HOME THEATER, HIFI & GAMING Gift Ideas - Under $20

For the Vinyl Collector

The next two items are perfect for the vinyl collector in your life. One of the reasons I prefer vinyl records to streaming music is the album art. I love vinyl cover art. It is one of the reasons I became a graphic designer early in my career, because I wanted to create an iconic album cover like The Beatles’ Abby Road, or Nirvana’s Nevermind. I ultimately chose movie poster design but that doesn’t mean I don’t love showing off what’s currently spinning on my turntable. The simple, but effective KAIU Wooden Vinyl Record Holder enables me to show off what I’m currently listening to. It isn’t fancy, but it works, and its minimalist design speaks to me.

Speaking of vinyl records, we buy a lot of used records when we go out and not everything we buy comes with its original sleeve -or any sleeve. MoFi’s Original Master Sleeves are arguably better than any sleeve our used records were originally packaged in and they go a long way in keeping our collection in the best possible condition. So if you or someone you love has a sizable record collection, maybe gift them a package of MoFi Original Master Sleeves.

Lastly, you cannot go wrong buying the home theater fan in your life a movie on Blu-ray or UltraHD disc for their home cinema. We’re big fans of Rodger Deakins, so naturally we’ve selected one of his more recent pictures, Blade Runner 2049 because it’s currently on sale and also because it’s awesome!

Headphones and Bluetooth speakers

Headphones and bluetooth speakers are only growing in popularity. While I’m not the biggest user of traditional headphones, I do appreciate a good pair of earbuds when I see one. I reviewed the EarFun Free headphones a while back and they continue to provide me with hours of enjoyment. Plus, as far as bluetooth headphones are concerned, the EarFun Free buds are a tremendous value at $49.99.

When enjoying vintage audio video equipment, be it an integrated amplifier or stereo receiver, we don’t want to do without modern conveniences such as our Smart TV or HDMI connectivity. While a lot of older components may lack HDMI inputs and outputs, it doesn’t mean they have to be put to pasture. HDMI audio extractors like the J-Tech Digital enable you to take an HDMI signal from your HDTV or UltraHD TV’s HDMI ARC input/output and extract the audio for routing elsewhere, say to your vintage Pioneer stereo receiver you’ve loved since you were young. It really is a handy little piece of kit, and one that we use every day in our listening tests here at the house.

hifi & home theater gift ideas - under $50

We listen to a lot of music at our desks. When desktop speakers aren’t an option headphones rule, but the headphone jack on most computers is connected to an internal DAC and amp in your computer that, well, isn’t very good. The DacMagic XS from Cambridge Audio is a portable, easy to use headphone DAC that will improve the sound of virtually any headphone you would otherwise connect to your laptop or desktop computer without breaking the bank.

Speaking of headphones, unless you’re rockin’ the earbuds like the EarFun Frees I spoke about earlier, you’re likely going to need a place to set them -your headphones that is. Kanto Audio’s headphone stand is a simple, all-metal, minimalist headphone stand for your desk. The rubber clasp at the top keeps your headphones from sliding around or toppling over, and its perfect height means there is enough clearance for even the largest headphones on the market today. Available in several colors the Kanto Headphone Stand is a no-brainer for any headphone aficionado.

gaming, HIFI & VINYL GIFT IDEAS - UNDER $100

If you’re just getting started with listening to vinyl records or starting a record collection, we always recommend going with Audio Technica’s ATLP-60X turntable if you’re new to the hobby. The ATLP-60 is an affordable, fully-automatic and largely plug-n-play record player that despite what some folks may tell you, actually does sound really good. It’s smaller footprint and array of colors also make it decor and placement friendly. So don’t let the haters fool you, the Audio Technica ATLP-60 is the real deal and our go-to budget record player for first time vinyl enthusiasts!

Records wear with time and they don’t always sound their best when dirty, so keeping them clean is essential. Spin Clean’s Record Cleaning System is a simple, turnkey solution aimed at keeping your vinyl records spinning well into the future.

I never used to travel with anything but headphones, but sometimes when on location it’s nice to be able to share music with others too. Kristi and I bought the BOSE SoundLink Micro all weather bluetooth speaker before heading off to France last year and we fell in love with it. It knocked around in our bag while we hiked all over Paris and didn’t look any the worse for wear. It always sounded great. It didn’t mind getting wet and I don’t think we had to even recharge it once during our entire stay, because the battery life was so good. So while we know there are “cheaper” portable speakers on the market right now, the SoundLink Micro continues to be our pick!

UPGRADING YOUR RECORD PLAYER

If you already own a turntable and are still using the stock cartridge that came with it, consider upgrading your record player with one of my two favorites; the Ortofon 2M Red or 2M Blue. Admittedly I do prefer the Ortofon 2M Blue if given the choice, but I understand that not everyone may have that kind of money to spend on a cartridge, in which case the 2M Red will be a noticeable improvement over most record player’s stock cartridge. Just be sure to consult your turntable’s manual to make sure your tone arm and head shell are compatible before purchasing.

hifi & home theater gift ideas - under $200

best media streaming players

For first time users I always recommend Roku if you’re looking to get started with streaming video. The Roku Ultra is in my opinion one of the best media streaming players on the market next to Apple TV. The Ultra is Roku’s top of the line stand-alone streaming video player and is their best yet. The Roku interface is top-notch, easy to navigate and understand and even easier to enjoy.

But if you’re looking for slightly better performance and customization, I would suggest shopping for an NVIDIA Shield. NVIDIA’s Shield media streaming device is based on Android TV, which is my personal favorite platform out there and among the easiest to use if you have an existing Google Account (who doesn’t) as simply logging into gmail through the device will essentially populate the Shield with all your favorite programming, music and videos that you would otherwise enjoy on your computer.

Plus, the NVIDIA’s processing is far and away superior that what you’ll find in many of today’s budget Smart TVs, meaning that you may see a better, sharper picture via Netflix through the Shield than you would through the Netflix App already installed on your Smart 4K TV.

In keeping with the compact, digital theme of the Roku and NVIDIA Shield, Arylic’s A50 integrated amplifier is a shockingly full-featured integrated amp that isn’t much larger than your smart phone or portable hard drive. This Class D powered amp has bluetooth and Internet connectivity, the ability to drive even large tower speakers and analog inputs for your turntable. It retails for well under $200 and, without spoiling our review, sounds brilliant all things considered. If you’re looking to build a budget, small space stereo system the Arylic A50 should be on your list of products to consider.

treat yo self!

Cool Hifi, home theater & gaming gifts - over $200

Maybe Father’s Day is an excuse to ‘Treat Yo Self’ to some cool HIFI, Home Theater & Gaming Gifts. With the recent announcement of the PS5, now is a great time to grab the older but still amazing gaming console, the PS4 at a discount. Next up we have the Kanto’s YU lineup of powered monitor speakers. I’ve been a fan of the YU speaker line since getting my own pair of YU6s nearly two years ago. The YU line really does have everything most music lovers will ever truly need in 2020. Plus they just sound good and are easy on the eyes thanks to their numerous finish options.

Speaking of style, few in-home bluetooth speakers have as much swagger as Klipsch’s The Three II. Designed to look like Klipsch’s own Heritage line of loudspeakers, The Three II is capable of filling even large rooms with satisfying sound and is able to be connected to a wide range of both digital and analog components so you never have to go a moment without your favorite music.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve started to pay more attention to my health, and one of the tools I’ve turned to in order to do that is an Apple Watch. The Apple Watch is now in its 5th Series and is better than ever, especially if you are health conscious like me.

If you’re looking for a turntable that is a bit more upmarket but not too upmarket as to become unobtainable, we still recommend the U-Turn Audio Orbit Plus turntable. the Orbit Plus is (largely) made in America by some pretty cool cats near Boston, MA and is everything a vinyl enthusiast and music lover needs in a turntable and nothing they don’t. We dig its minimalist styling, especially when ordered in white, and just think that as far as turntables go, you’d have to spend a lot more in order to truly best the Orbit Plus. Also featured in the photo below, resting on the Kanto headphone stands are the Andover PM-50 Planar Headphones and with the record player on top is the Spinbase. We love both of these by Andover Audio. This company really knows how to make beautiful, easy to use products for music lovers.

For those of you who may want to build your first ever home theater or surround sound speaker system, the Jamo S 803 HCS is a great place to start. Retailing for well under $400 for a complete five speaker package that includes two bookshelf speakers, a center speaker and a pair of smaller surround speakers, the S 803 HCS system is one of the best values available today. Plus, for its asking price the S 803 HCS speaker system just looks so darn good, arguably better than most speakers costing a lot more!

No home cinema is complete without a display, which is why we recommend Hisense’s H8G 4K SmartTV still for those who want to watch their favorite movies in UltraHD/4K with the latest HDR formats but don’t want to break the bank. The Hisense H8G is a full-array LED backlit LCD TV with an Android TV user interface that rivals some costlier competition when it comes to its picture quality.