With the days we've chosen to honor our parental units quickly approaching, it can be tough to find a gift that isn't just the same old stuff as last year. While grilling utensils or a bath kit can be the stereotypical and affordable solution, these 10 audio gift ideas can seriously impress your forbears—even if your parents aren't music lovers.
For Vinyl Lovers: Audio-Technica Sound Burger and Audio-Technica ATLP70XBT
Society writ large has decided that vinyl is back and here to stay. Whether you have parents who have collected a library of vintage records or they just want to go back into the halcyon days of vinyl, these are high quality, affordable record players that can get them back into the groove.
The Audio-Technica Sound Burger is a nifty little portable vinyl playback system that makes vinyl something you can legitimately enjoy even out of the home. Though it may look like a toy, this clamshell designed vinyl player is equipped with high-quality components, a rechargeable battery, Bluetooth support for wireless speakers, a 3.5mm lineout to work with wired speakers (and comes with a 3.5mm to dual RCA cable), and a speed changer between 33 1/3 and 45 rpm.
It pulls no punches, sporting a belt-driven DC motor, a diecast aluminum alloy platter, and comes preinstalled with a replaceable ATN3600L stylus. I've used the thing myself, and it's a very cool gift for any vinyl lover in your life—and the price isn't too bad either.
Those with parents who don't already have a vinyl player at home can check out the Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT, a well-built, sleek, and affordable belt-driven turntable with Bluetooth functionality and a built-in switchable photo pre-amp, so there's no need to buy an external one.
The AT-LP70XBT can switch between 33 1/3 and 45 rpm and comes with a replaceable VMN95C stylus. This machine is great for beginners or those who are trying to get back into vinyl—if your parent fits this description, make sure to get them a couple records along with it!
For Workout Warriors: SHOKZ OpenRun Pro 2 Wireless Hybrid Sports Headphones
If you have a mom or dad who loves to go on a run, work out, or stay active in general, the SHOKZ OpenRun Pro 2 headphones (or arguably their entire lineup) might be a perfect choice. Unlike normal earbuds, these headphones use bone conduction to keep your ears entirely clear so you can be aware of your surroundings without having to worry about earbuds falling or slipping out of your ears from intense movement, sweat, or anything else that might happen during a workout.
The SHOKZ lineup of bone conduction headphones come in a variety of colors and price points, so you should be able to find a pair quite easily.
For Movie and Music Lovers Who Want to Share … or Not: Sennheiser BTA1 TV Transmitter with Auracast
For those with parents who like to watch or listen to different things at the same time or have issues hearing the TV when sitting on the couch, you probably understand how frustrating that can be. With the Sennheiser BTA1 (or any Auracast transmitter), a ton of these problems can be solved!
Unlike traditional Bluetooth, Auracast allows a single transmitter to broadcast high-quality audio to any number of Auracast enabled headphones or speakers. This means your parents can stop shouting over each other to turn up or down the volume. Instead, they can now adjust their own individual levels to their own headphones, enjoy a TV or music individually or together (while having the TV speakers still playing audio if needed), or go to another room without missing out on any sound.
The BTA1 accepts optical, HDMI (ARC) and 3.5mm inputs, so it can work with a modern TV or audio receiver, making it possible to use with whatever audio source that's compatible—listen to a TV broadcast, movie, or record—it can support it all.
As someone with a dad who has hearing issues and a mom who has supersonic hearing, I wish I knew this product existed sooner. The Sennheiser BTA1 can be purchased solo or with a pair of Auracast enabled headphones. Many popular headphones are Auracast enabled, particularly from Sennheiser, Sony, and JBL, including the Sony WH-1000XM6.
For Entertainers and Movie Nights: Sonos Arc Ultra Soundbar
The Sonos Arc Ultra is a low-profile soundbar with a 9.1.4-Channel system that delivers Dolby Atmos compatible spatial audio in one package, sporting features like Dialog Enhancement for TV and movies, Sonos Trueplay that adapts the sound profile to your specific room, Night Sound for using while others are asleep, and full Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capability with the Sonos S2 app.
While a bit of a luxury item, the Sonos Arc Ultra can be the first step into building an entire Sonos ecosystem which can include separately purchased speakers that can be used as rear L/R speakers for more authentic surround sound or can be placed around the home for music listening throughout different spaces, making the Art Ultra a centerpiece for high-level audio entertainment.
People with parents who love movies and music or who love to entertain the neighbors for the big game, group watch events, or listening parties are sure to thrill them with this powerful and luxurious sound bar.
For Apple Users: Apple AirPods Max2
The newly revamped Apple AirPods Max2 over-ear headphones released back in March 2026, making it the perfect time to wow Mom or Dad with the flagship personal audio product Apple has on offer.
This new run offers better active noise cancellation with 1.5 times effectiveness, new digital signal processing algorithms so your parents can be aware of their surroundings even when wearing them, spatial audio with headtracking for simulated surround sound or Dolby Atmos, and 24-bit/48kHz lossless audio compatibility when connected with the included USB-C cable.
AirPods Max 2 have all the normal bells and whistles AirPods have, like hands-free calls with Siri, on-head detection which pauses or resumes audio depending on if they're being worn, and a bevy of other intelligent features that everyone is sure to appreciate. Anyone with parents who can't live without their Apple products can't go wrong with the best Apple has to offer!
For Parents Who Listen on the Go: The JBL Portable Speaker Lineup
Whether Mom and Dad want to blast their playlist for the neighborhood or just have a personal listening device for their commute or daily run, the lineup of JBL portable Bluetooth speakers has something for them no matter your budget—and they come in plenty of colors.
Those who want to give their parents a small thoughtful gift can look at the JBL Go and Clip—both small and super-portable speakers that sound surprisingly large.
If you need more power but still want easy portability, the Flip and Grip models are easy enough to throw in a bag or carry in hand for comfortable listening anywhere.
Serious listeners that are trying to fill the whole house or backyard with music can use the Charge, and if your parents are active (or just love to hang by the pool), you can look at the slightly larger Xtreme lineup with its IP67 water and dustproof rating or the even larger and waterproof Boombox 4.
Finally, those with parents who just can't stop partying can use the wheeled-luggage-style portable PartyBox lineup for the ultimate party experience with options from 120W to 1100W, lights and all. The JBL lineup is full of great sounding products that are competitively priced—you can't go wrong with one!
For Parents Who Need Their Sleep: Soundcore by Anker Sleep A30 Special Sleep Earbuds
The Soundcore by Anker Sleep A30 true wireless earbuds are specifically designed to be used while you sleep with a lightweight ultra-slim profile that will prove comfortable for even the most dedicated of side-sleepers. These earbuds (which I personally use myself) have a fantastic ANC system that dynamically adjusts to your ears to block low-frequency noises like music from another room, compensates for snoring (whether it's you or someone else), and intelligently blocks other waking sounds, all while sporting silicone airwing tips that make for a perfect seal in your upper ear.
You can use them as normal true wireless earbuds to listen to whatever you'd like (sometimes I'll use them as a backup pair when I forget to charge my mains overnight), but its built-in AI brainwave audio system (switched on by tapping on one earbud twice) delivers relaxing sleep sounds like a forest or ocean—but can also use binaural beats to deliver different frequencies to each ear which can help promote restful sleep.
It also includes a personalized app for iOS and Android devices that will allow you to choose and customize your bedtime audio, program sleep reminders, and built-in alarms. This could be a gift for the whole family, especially if there's a snorer!
For World Travelers: Timekettle W4 Pro AI Interpreter Earbuds
These earbuds use AI to translate between 40 different languages with 93 accents in as little as 0.2 seconds, making it perfect for globetrotters or those always on an international business trip—you can even hand another person the second earbud to converse in-real time (we're really living in science fiction).
The Timekettle W4 is built for meetings and correspondence capable of recording audio and creating subtitles (with a paid app) and can translate for others to hear through your phone. Anyone with parents who love to travel would do well to give this useful gift.
For Creatives and Producers: teenage engineering EP Series
The teenage engineering EP series is a group of standalone sampler/composers that can work with or without extra setup—the unit by itself, plus headphones/speakers and a way to export your audio files, is all you need to create great music.
These creation stations can include built-in speakers and mics for sampling, ample built-in memory, high-quality faders and potentiometers, sequencing and looping capability, synchronization with MIDI gear, and pressure sensitive keys. The developers at teenage engineering are known for how versatile and powerful their machines are, and they've been used to make some well-known stuff.
The EP series comes in a few different versions, including the EP-40 RIDDIM, EP-133 K.O. II, and EP-1320 Medieval, all sleek and beautifully designed machines at a fairly affordable price point.
