Your Christmas list this year is sorted, as we’ve found the five best music gadgets around at the moment, which not only make listening to music that much better, but are sexy as hell to boot

1. HiDefJax headphones from Atomic Floyd

First up are these HiDefJax headphones from Atomic Floyd. We’ve had the good fortune to try these babies out, and compared to standard iPod headphones, the difference in the quality of sound is like the difference between the quality of HDTV to normal TV. The bass is amazing and we actually heard details in some tracks that we had never noticed before. This could be because of the in-ear design, which according to Atomic Floyd, ‘block out more ambient noise than conventional ear-buds’. This means that you don’t have to crank up the volume so high on the bus that other passengers give you dirty looks (we speak from experience here!) At £89, these are much cheaper than other noise-cancelling earphones, but the improvement in the quality of sound really is noticeable. These sleek, aluminium earphones are also the best looking we’ve seen so far!

2. North Face Etip Gloves

The next item on this list looks neither musical nor gadget-y. These look like skiing gloves from The North Face! Well, they are that but more, as these are North Face Etip gloves. These waterproof gloves have special thumb and finger pads that let you fiddle with your MP3 controls without having to expose your hands to the cold…genius! Not only are they very practical, they have the classic sporty stylishness that everything from The North Face seems to have. These gloves are unisex and are £22.

3. Pacemaker Portable DJ System

Music magazines and DJ’s have been raving about the Pacemaker Portable DJ System. This is essentially a set of turntables, on which you can mix, save and perform on the go. The system has a 120 GB hard drive which should be enough for even the hardest-working wannabe DJ out there. It can connect to either a Mac or a PC, and is compatible with almost all popular formats of digital music. Despite the Pacemaker’s small size, it’s capable of multiple functions, including dynamic beat detection, cue, crossfade and reverse, pitch change, bend, loop, effects and EQ. There is also free mix software available for the device, which goes for £399.99 for the 120 GB model and £299.99 for the lighter 60 GB model.

4. Zeppelin Mini

The Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin has been on the wish list for every stylish music-lover for a while. With its sleek but striking looks and the amazing sound quality, this docking system is the epitomy of stylish but functional gadgetry. However, B&W have just released the much-anticipated Zeppelin Mini, which has the same acoustic technology as the original, but is a lot more compact. It still looks amazing, and comes with a range of features such as the ability to stream music by connectting to a PC or Mac. The Zeppelin Mini is £299 and is a must for anyone with an iPod who takes their music seriously!

5. iPod

Last but not least…the mighty iPod. We tried to avoid including this cliché of an MP3 player, but there is a reason it’s on almost every list of must-have music gadgets! It’s easy to use, comes in different sizes according to your needs, and Apple’s characteristic sleek, minimalist design makes the iPod one of the most stylish MP3 players around. An engraved iPod nano in a favourite colour makes a great gift (especially when paired with any of the gadgets listed above!). The newest models even shoot video, while still remaining in sleek and slim. Prices start from £115, and engraving any message onto the iPod is free in Apple stores.

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