Raksha Bandhan: Audio gift ideas for your beloved sister

By Nikhil Rastogi Raksha Bandhan, the traditional secular Hindu festival which celebrates the love and duty between brothers and sisters, also popularly used to celebrate the relationship between men and women who are relatives or biologically unrelated. Or is it? Is it just a festival where sisters just ‘lootao’ their poor brothers for expensive gifts? Whatever may be the intention, a lovely gift is a must.We look at the some of the best audio options you want to gift your sister from a speaker to a small earphone. Fear not, we’ve got you covered dear brothers!   For the Music-on-the-Go Sister Your sister works several KM’s away and her most trusted companion are the earphones she plugs in to keep away the noise of everyday traffic. If you are looking to replace her worn-out earphones, then look no further. Cowon EM1 _(_Rs 1,149)  These are surprisingly cheap and deceptively good (see review ) earphones. If your sister is used to listening to just the el-cheapo earphones bundled with her phone, she’ll definitely love these. Assorted Styles  If your sister likes style, funk and pizzazz more than sound (we all have one in the family), then perhaps she’d love the funky Minions earphones or the super-cool Avenger super-hero earphones to add that spunk to her accessory line-up. Best of all, these are all supercheap too at around Rs.350 each. Gift one for the ultimate el-cheapo brotherly feel or gift several for the sophisticated, suave, and urbane brotherly impression; you pick.   For the Basshead Sister “I like big bass and I cannot lie”, this is as true for men as it is for women. Bass is something personal, some like it more, some like it punchy, some like it boomy. Sony MDR-XB450AP (approximately Rs 2,000)  Sony “XB” line is meant for one thing and one thing only, to deliver that “boom boom shake the room” bass and it achieves this in copious amounts shamelessly. The best part is that you have several striking colours such as pink, blue and of course black. Amazon India has the lowest price for it at Rs 1,732, couple that with Amazon Prime delivery and you are set for Raksha Bandhan. Sennheiser CX 3.00 _(_approximately Rs 2,700)  If big bass headphones are “too big”, try Sennheiser’s CX 3.00 (read full review ) earphones which would suit her compact style more. Not only do these earphones look stylish and pretty “like wearing earrings”, they also sound really good and have just the right sound for a bass head.   For a Spontaneous Party Sister  If your sister’s into random on the spot parties, camping out with friends or just plain listening to music playing in the background while working, then Creative Woof 3 portable Bluetooth speakers have plenty of bow-wow in them to rock the room. It’s clear and loud but lacks the well-rounded bass. For Rs 2,500 you cannot ask for more, read our full review here . Of course, if you want better sound with plenty of oomph, Harmon Kardon Esquire 2 (read review ) are superb speakers to consider. But of course, they’ll set you back for Rs 20,000.   For the Sporty Sister If your sister’s fun time is to go for a 40km long run at 5AM in the morning, these earphones are what she probably needs the most. _Sennheiser PMX 686G (_Rs 6,880)  When we reviewed these neckband earphones, we came out quite impressed with the durability, sweat/water resistant, single cord for sports activities and the overall thought put into making PMX 686’s excellent sports earphones. However, we felt the fitting was far too tight, so watch out for that before you buy. _Brainwavz XFIT XF-200 (_Rs 1,700)  An excellent pair of earphones for the sports savvy sister. These earphones have a unique over-the-ear design that sticks deep into the ears. Not as sturdy as PMX 686’s but no slouch either and comes with a plethora of accessories. It’s a great price, with good sound, just a little tricky to wear.   For the Gamer Sister Ooh, this breed is rather rare, these sisters definitely deserve a good gift, don’t be cheap, coz she’ll kick your digital arse easily. _HyperX Cloud II Headset (_Rs 8,000)  This headset is on the higher side as it comes with a USB 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound which is a perfect upgrade from the onboard sound card on her laptop/desktop. Plus, it comes with individual headphone and volume control on the cable itself, a detachable mic and also comes in white-pink colour. Hey, she’s macho but with a hint of pink. _SIBERIA 200 Headset (_Rs 4,500)  If you find the above too expensive, perhaps the SIBERIA 200 headset would be perfect. It does all of the above minus the surround sound gimmicks, or the discrete built-in sound card. But it comes with seven different colours to choose from and will certainly make her happy. The only problem, you’ll probably get your arse handed to you faster in multiplayer games with better sound from these cans.   For the Audio Enthusiast Sister These kind are the rarest, for them cheap-and-good is an oxymoron. They love their music and take it quite seriously. Here nothing but quality will work, be warned, only brothers with deep pockets apply. _Sennheiser HD 650 (_Rs 32,000)  Oh, these Senn’s sound divine, the superb sound stage, the clarity and of course well-balanced sound actually are far more natural to the ears than the clinical sound of the HD 600’s or of the bigger brethren HD 800’s. This is truly the sweet spot, however, if unsure, it is better to connect with Sennheiser company directly for try-before-you-buy before she decides on the one she truly loves. _Beyerdynamic DT 990 (_Rs 15,000)  The DT 990’s come in 32 Ohms (for portable devices) or 250 Ohms headphones (amplifier driven) variety to suit their application. For the price, you get an open back design, strong bass and treble, a natural balanced sound and a very comfortable fit. Either ways a definite upgrade from her current setup. The only downside, none of these come in really girl-friendly colours but hey she’s no ordinary girl either! What are your favourite audio gifts that you’d like to give to your sister? Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below.