Nota bene: All products in this article are independently selected and vetted by InsideHook editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Nota bene: All products in this article are independently selected and vetted by InsideHook editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
For whatever reason, this week had me looking for comfort. And as I often do when this is the case, I turned to music. Or I attempted to, anyway. Nothing was really connecting the way I wanted it to. Whether it’s because my Spotify just keeps recommending the same six records over and over again, or because my account has been overtaken by my daughters’ musical preferences instead of mine — although, real talk, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Juno” might just be the salve our nation so badly needs — or because I’m simply asking for more than even music is able to provide, I’ve been having a difficult time figuring out what to listen to. This, reader, is a topic for another day.
“Simple Sabotage” — The CIA’s Guide for “Rascally Spies”
America’s WWII advice for citizen saboteurs included telegram tampering and giving bad directions.So for now, because it’s easier to talk about electronic gadgets than it is, say, my emotions, I thought I’d focus on some of the gear I use to listen to music, from my various go-to headphones to portable speakers and multiple vinyl setups. I’m generally pleased with the performance of all of it, but I’m also always halfway in the market to upgrade. If you’ve got thoughts on where the weak links are and advice on products I should consider, by all means let me know.
For some additional context, if it matters, I use all of this gear to listen to what I fear is a predictable mix of guitar-centric folk- and indie-rock, new and old, from Dylan, Neil and Gram to Wilco, Big Thief and Waxahatchee, along with a healthy dose of weirder, noisier stuff from throughout the years. Call it dad rock if you must. I’m fine with it.
My Stuff:
This speaker lives on a shelf in my kitchen, and I use it exclusively while cooking or emptying/loading the dishwasher. I connect to it via my house’s wifi network rather than Bluetooth, which seems weirdly archaic, but it works seamlessly and has since the day I got it. I don’t think I have it placed correctly for optimum sound quality, but it’s more than sufficient for how I use it. If you’re tight on space and don’t have room for a proper stereo setup, there’s a very good chance this will meet all your needs.
Another piece of gear with a very specific use case, the JBL Charge 4 is my go-to when I’m hanging out in my backyard, whether I’m having people over, grilling for my family or just sitting out there by myself to relax doomscroll with a beverage. It sounds…fine. I’ve honestly spent zero time researching Bluetooth speakers like this one, but I have no complaints and two very important bits of praise: the battery life on this thing lasts forever, and it has survived despite me leaving it out in the rain countless times at this point.
I resisted the whole AirPod thing for a long time, and for no good reason. I convinced myself they probably sounded bad at first, opting instead for a series of much more expensive wireless earbud options from Sony and Master & Dynamic, both of which did sound great but were never super reliable in terms of connectivity. Also, I destroyed both of them with excessive sweat on the treadmill. I finally gave in, though, and I feel like an idiot that it took me this long. These things do not sound markedly worse than the outstanding Sonys I had, they connect like magic without fail, and they have absorbed as much sweat as the others without any issues so far. If you’ve been on the fence, I encourage you to take the leap.
These live on a nifty little Grovemade stand in my home office, and I use them when I want to do more critical listening or while dabbling with recording music. They sound fantastic, offering a crystal clear and balanced sound that is unmistakably a step up from your run-of-the-mill earbuds. These are a bit of a luxury, but I’m glad to have ‘em.
Alright, now we’re getting to the fun stuff. My main stereo setup lives in my basement with all of my records, and at the heart of it sits the Pro-Ject Debut Pro S. I reviewed it when it came out, and I’ve been using it ever since. It’s reliable, sounds great and is pretty damn sexy if you ask me. But even so, this is one of the components I’m always thinking of upgrading. Demoing turntables is no easy feat, though, and I’m always left wondering how much money I’d have to spend to hear a real, noticeable difference. The Rega Planar 6 has always caught my eye, as has the Clearaudio Concept, but for now I think my money would be better spent upgrading other components, like these next two.
At an extremely reasonable $500 a pair, the Klipsch RP-600M II offers some of the best value in the home audio space. Real audiophile nerds definitely take issue with elements of their performance — specifically that they’re known for offering a “fun” listening experience as opposed to the far more expensive stuff that offers more of a flat or honest presentation of the music exactly as it was recorded. Regular people, though, will just be impressed by how bright and lively they sound. I’ve been looking at alternatives from Monitor Audio, Bowers & Wilkins and KEF, but I don’t foresee a time when RP-600Ms aren’t in my life in one way or another.
Another piece of gear known for its outstanding value, the AXA35 from British company Cambridge Audio punches well above its weight in sound quality. I never know quite how to describe these things, but the sound strikes me as extraordinarily composed while still remaining pleasantly airy? Where this unit lacks, though, is in features — most notably that there’s no Bluetooth connectivity or USB ports. For its pure sound and more than approachable price point, it’s an absolute no-brainer, but I’m still on the lookout for something new. The brand just released an updated version of their best-in-class CXA81, which, if I were to buy something without auditioning it first, would be what I’d go for.
I have a secondary turntable setup in my living room, which I refer to as secondary mostly because it’s positioned in a way that there’s not an ideal place to sit for dedicated listening. Nerdy, I know. But circumstances aside, there’s really very, very little separating it from the more expensive setup in the basement. Fluance is doing incredible things with some very appealing price tags, offering easy setup and outstanding sound for people looking to upgrade from the real junk out there. The RT85 is at the top of their line at $500, and with its included Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge, it’s more than enough turntable for all but the most discerning or snobby listeners. I use it while cleaning the house or entertaining; my 14-year-old uses it any chance she gets.
Perhaps even more so than the table, these speakers are the real workhorses of this setup. First of all, they’re powered, so they don’t require any external amplification, which is convenient in a living room as opposed to, say, a basement. And most importantly, these also offer super simple Bluetooth connectivity for streaming from my phone. A lifesaver while cleaning, and really the most practical option while entertaining.
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