From the novel to the covetable, LUXUO presents a curated list of desirable gadgets and gizmos to gift technologically savvy loved ones this festive season. From luxury home appliances to the most desired speakers, these gifting ideas are not just for home interiors but are ideal for those hosting holiday gatherings and evening parties this festive season. Look no further than this selection of tech gifts that seamlessly marry innovation and style.
Ruark Audio R-CD100 and the Revo SuperCD
You can tell it’s more than just a fleeting resurgence when well-known companies like Ruark Audio venture out to create their first CD player. Since the R-CD100 is an accessory for Ruark’s 100 Series of standalone music players, it represents a bit of a shift for the company. Because of their onboard digital and analogue radio tuners and support for the entire range of streaming services, these devices—which include the R410, R610, and R810—are typically kept as standalone units.
With ultra-high-end components for a silent playback system, the little R-CD100 is made from the same fused walnut and machined aluminium combination as the ample cabinets. The player uses USB to connect and power itself, and it instantly syncs with the 100 Series players’ operating system and display.
Ruarkaudio.com
Marantz Horizon Wireless Speakers
With premium materials, a striking, eye-catching design, and significant power, the new Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon take the wireless speaker concept to the next level. The two spherical Horizon speakers immediately highlight sound quality using high-grade materials. The system is offered in three finishes—Midnight Sky, Moon Ray, and Marantz Champagne. The company has taken a cue from the automotive sector and developed its sustainable fabric, called “Marantz Radiance 360-degree Seamless Ecofiber,” which is derived from ocean plastics. It adds embedded gold lurex threads for a glistening, luxurious look that goes well with the three distinct finishes.
Additionally, the optional American walnut tripod floor stand (or wall brackets if that’s a better alternative) is included with the external hardware. Each colourway has a different natural marble base on which the circular devices rest. The Horizon line, overseen by Begüm Tomruk, the Industrial Design Director of Marantz, sets a new visual standard for the company. What about the actual technology? In addition to paying homage to Marantz’s “porthole” style, the circular shape functions as the central component of the subwoofer driver system. Interactive lighting around the circle’s edge indicates the volume level, and touch-sensitive technology lets you instantly select a volume from the dial.
The Grand Horizon’s subwoofer is 200mm (8in), whereas the Horizon’s is 165mm (6.5in). The bigger Grand Horizon model has four 76” midrange drive units, while the Horizon model has three 50mm (2 in) drive units. Marantz’s software, operated through its HEOS app, enhances the room-filling capabilities by allowing users to adjust the sound equaliser to their liking.
www.marantz.com
Satechi Mac Mini Stand & Hub
A new USB hub from accessory manufacturer Satechi is made to function with Apple’s most recent Mac mini. In summary, the new Mac mini has undergone a total overhaul. The latest Apple M4 and M4 Pro CPUs power the new model, which is significantly smaller than its predecessor. However, Apple has decided not to incorporate USB Type-A ports on the latest Mac mini because of its compact size. It’s not necessarily a deal breaker, but it’s a pain for people who still use USB-A devices, such as keyboards and mice. Satechi’s new Mac mini Stand & Hub with NVMe Enclosure is helpful in this situation. The aluminium hub sits perfectly on the Mac mini. It has an SD card reader and three USB-A connections on the front.
Up to 10Gbps speeds are possible with USB 3.2; two USB-A ports are also supported. The third can only handle rates up to 480 Mbps because it supports USB 2.0. Additionally, because the hub can support M.2 SSDs, it also functions as storage expansion. According to the manufacturer, the hub can accommodate M.2 2230/2242/2260/2280 SSDs with a maximum capacity of 4TB and support speeds of up to 10Gbps. According to initial observations, the Satechi Mac mini Stand & Hub with NVMe Enclosure solves the primary issues with the new Mac mini, namely its absence of an SD card reader and USB-A connections. Considering how much Apple charges for storage expansions, increasing storage is also helpful. Its design must surely be a key selling factor, given how well it works with the Mac mini.
https://satechi.net
Cassina Radio
Franco Albini created the design for the Radio in Cristallo in 1938. A radio that Albini had received as a wedding gift was disassembled and again reconstructed, but this time, the electrical parts were positioned between two panes of glass. Now manufactured by Cassina, the style is entirely contemporary and remains so to this day. In Cristallo, the radio draws the viewer in and creates a sense of lightness. You can get the wood and glass design radio with visible metal components in satin or white lacquered stainless steel. The radio is 72 x 66 x 28 cm in height. Stocked at W. Atelier, the FM and DAB radio in Cristallo now has built-in Bluetooth and an optional subwoofer for WLAN connectivity (Android and iOS).
Pro-ject Vertical Turntable
This futuristic-looking Pro-Ject VT-E turntable has fantastic features to enhance your listening pleasure. This model has a premium silicone belt that cushions vibrations produced by the TT’s engine while running. The low-vibration synchronous motor enhances the sound purity and playback quality. The Pro-Ject device has an 8.6” aluminium tonearm with an Ortofon OM 5E cartridge pre-mounted, unlike the Fuse record player with the Audio Technica cartridge. The tonearm traces the record grooves smoothly, and a threaded clamp and a unique tracking mechanism guarantee that the record is firmly fastened to the vertical platter. The turntable is already adjusted when it is first delivered. It doesn’t need any significant changes. The manufacturer has already set the tracking and anti-skating forces, so you don’t need to do it yourself. This turntable’s deck accommodates left- and right-handed users (two product variations are available). Additionally, it can be mounted on the wall or placed on a table. 33 and 45 RPM are the two-speed settings it offers.
This stand-up record player includes a phono preamplifier to enable wireless communication to speakers or headphones. The playback quality is stunning overall, and the player’s quiet operation will wow you. Second, the bass is deep without being boomy or overpowering, the highs are clear, and the audio is warm and precise. You will adore the sound of old records played on this table!
https://pro-jectusa.com/product/vt-e/
Dyson WashG1
The WashG1 is Dyson’s newest addition to the home cleaning market. It can clean up to 3,000 square feet of hard floors in a single charge and is designed to do so both wet and dry. It can run for up to 35 minutes on a single battery. It can eliminate stubborn spills, stains, and even dried debris. Two powerful motorised counter-rotating microfiber rollers are used to remove dry and moist filth simultaneously. Dyson engineers have advanced their inventiveness by enabling the rollers to clean themselves as they go. The rollers clean themselves with clean water from beginning to end by removing dirt during each rotation before being uniformly hydrated. You can change directions whenever possible because the device is lightweight and easy to manoeuvre. Cleaning low, awkward, and difficult-to-reach areas is part of its design. The best part is that the innovative technology uses a clean, touchless disposal method to remove debris from the contaminated water automatically.
www.dyson.com
Bose 901 Speakers
Brooklyn furniture designer Mark Jupiter and American clothing brand Kith have refurbished Bose’s 1960 speakers, which are enclosed in elegant wood enclosures and metal bases. To commemorate the speakers’ 60th anniversary, Kith was entrusted with redesigning the speaker casing. The company collaborated with the audio engineering firm in Massachusetts to offer a modern interpretation of a design that has gained popularity since its 1968 release. As a result, just twelve pairs of the revised hardware were produced, making the collection small. This is important because it has speakers facing backwards, reflecting sound off of walls to create an illusion of surround sound.
This gear was positioned within wooden enclosures to emphasise the speakers’ potential as décor. Two distinct wood casings created the speakers: a natural air-dried walnut and white-washed ash. As they emerge from the wooden bases, they are supported by pronged pedestals made of hand-rubbed brass that give the product a modern appearance. Overall, the speaker system’s shape remains similar to the original, and Kith even sourced the fronts’ grey-tone fabric from the 1968 edition.
www.bose.com
Samsung The Premiere 9 and The Premiere 7 4K Laser Projectors
Samsung’s Premiere projector, first introduced in 2020, has finally received improvements. The 4K ultra-short-throw laser projector, which had a bulb life of more than 20,000 hours, amazed us back then. It was available in two models (the LSP7T and LSP9T, respectively), with screens of 120 and 130 inches, peak brightness of 2,200 and 2,800 ANSI lumens, and DCI-P3 gamut coverage of 83% and 147%, respectively.
The new Premiere 9 and Premiere 7 models offer a maximum brightness of 3,450 ISO lumens and 2,500 ISO lumens, respectively, and support HDR10+. According to Samsung, this brightness level is roughly 23% and 14% brighter than the previous generations and is based on International Organization for Standardization (ISO) requirements. The Premiere 9 has 154% colour gamut coverage, whereas The Premiere 7 has 100% DCI-P3 standard coverage. They have the same screen sizes as their predecessors.
The primary distinction between Premiere 7 and Premiere 9 is the laser technology employed. While the Premiere 7 includes Smart Laser technology, the Premiere 9 employs Smart Triple Laser technology. The two diverge most in colour accuracy. Because triple laser technology can directly produce the primary colours, it can create more accurate and bright images than single laser technology.
It is challenging to avoid AI upgrades these days, and The Premiere 9 and The Premiere 7 offer AI Upscaling and Vision Booster as examples. According to Samsung, Vision Booster intelligently modifies brightness and contrast in various lighting settings for the best possible image quality. At the same time, AI Upscaling guarantees that content is shown in 4K resolution regardless of its original quality.
Both models feature Dolby Atmos for audio; The Premiere 7 has 30W 2.2ch speakers, and The Premiere 9 has 40W 2.2.2 channel upfiring speakers. The Premiere 7 and Premiere 9 ship with Samsung Tizen OS Home, just like their predecessors. With built-in voice assistant support, users can easily control the projector and other connected devices with simple voice commands. They can also access streaming services like Samsung TV Plus (which might not be available in Singapore), Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and more. Additionally, they can share content from their smartphones to the big screen using Tap View and Mirroring.
Additionally, Samsung’s own technological advancements are included with the projectors. There is the Samsung Gaming Hub for gamers, which allows users to access cloud-based games straight through the projector and play games without a console. Please be aware that Singapore may not have access to this service. Using Custom Ambient, you can make mood videos from your memories to play on the projectors. The SmartThings smartphone app allows users to blend images, videos, and widgets freely. Users control other Samsung smart home appliances from the projector by using the SmartThings app. Samsung’s online site in the United States sells The Premiere 9 and The Premiere 7 for US$5,999.99 and US$2,999.99, respectively.
www.samsung.com
JBL Modern Audio (MA) AV Receivers and Stage 2 Loudspeakers
With the launch of JBL Modern Audio (MA) AV Receivers and Stage 2 Loudspeakers, audio technology pioneer JBL Singapore elevates personal audio. This new JBL Home Theatre Solution, created for the upcoming generation of movie and music lovers, offers a unified audio system that balances cost, quality, and scalability.
These innovative devices simplify the home theatre experience by utilising JBL’s extensive knowledge of cinema sound, including patented loudspeaker technology and digital amplification. Many customers find buying a home theatre component scary and too complicated. This is not the case with JBL MA AV Receivers and Stage 2 Loudspeakers, which were intentionally created as straightforward, turnkey solutions that are easy to install and comprehend.
Customers can utilise the mobile app in a few minutes to adjust the system to fit their area precisely. Wi-Fi-enabled AVRs with “Works with SmartThings” integration let users set up automatic routines that control other IOT devices with a single button push. Numerous audio platforms are compatible with the system. Users can rely on a flawless and fluid audio experience whether they stream from Spotify, couple their phone with their device via Bluetooth, or connect their music using Apple AirPlay or Chromecast. The system is available at selected JBL authorised dealers, with prices ranging from SG$699 to SG$2,499 for JBL MA AV Receivers and SG$599 to SG$2,199 for JBL Stage 2 Loudspeakers.
https://www.jblonlinestore.com/