2025 Annual Holiday Gadget Gift Guide

It’s that time of year again. Halloween is over, and November is here.  Which means that it’s also time for our annual Holiday Gadget Gift Guide.  Some family and loved ones are easy to shop for, and for others we need a little help.  Hopefully we can provide some assistance with that.  Below are products that could be a great gift, with their description of what they are and a link to the review or the schedule when to come back for the review.

 

Family and friends are an important part of our lives.  If you like to entertain, music is an important part of the party.  And sometimes a small Bluetooth speaker just won’t cut it.  You need something bigger for those outdoor venues and when there are a lot of people involved.  The Fender X Teufel Rockstar Air 2 could be exactly what you need.  Check out its review here:

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2025/03/fender-x-teufel-rockster-air-2-hi-end.html

 

Life can be stressful. Somehow, music can help with that.  And if your car speakers are either starting to fail, or don’t sound as good as you would like, it could be time for a replacement.  Harman Kardon has a great sounding direct fit factory speaker replacement in their FIT6CF and FIT6F. It could be just the thing to put a smile on the face of a loved one. Check out its review here:

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2025/07/car-factory-speakers-upgrade-featuring.html

 

Electronics has found its way into a lot of the products we use.  Even with gun safes, many use biometrics for ease of access.  The Headrest Company, has brought that feature into a gun safe for our vehicles.  Now you have a nice safe that is well hidden, that can be used for a gun or any other valuables.  Check back here for the review scheduled for the week ending 12/14/25.

 

There’s a lot of bass heads out there.  I like a lot of bass myself, especially in my car.  But sometimes you may not have much space for a subwoofer.  If you have a loved one who is always using their trunk, but would love to be able to have more bass, Infinity can help.  The Infinity Reference 1000SSL 10-inch car passive subwoofer with passive radiator could put a big smile on their face. Check out its review here:

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2025/06/infinity-reference-1000ssl-10-inch-car.html

 

I like to take my music on the go.  Whether its by the pool, or up in the mountains while camping, JBL has a wireless speaker for you.  One of their biggest of portables is the JBL Boombox 3.  It plays loud, but is also waterproof.  So no matter the location or weather, your tunes can continue.  If you have a loved one who enjoys the same, this could be perfect for them.  Check out the review here:

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2025/09/jbl-boombox-3-bluetooth-speaker-review.html

 

I love my music.  But not only that, I like it loud!  If you have a loved one who fits that bill, their factory car radio may not be providing the power their speakers need.  In this scenario, a separate amplifier could be what’s needed.  JBL makes a great one with their JBL Club A758 High Performance Class D 8 Channel Car Amplifier.  Check out its review here:

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2025/03/jbl-club-a758-high-performance-class-d.html

 

PowerBass is known for their subwoofers, but they also have a great portable boombox.  It’s smaller, yet is till big on sound.  With its passive radiators it even provides good bass.  The waterproof feature makes it easy to take anywhere. Add to it the built-in power bank feature, and it has excellent usability.  You can even link two of them together for true wireless stereo sound.  Check back here for the review scheduled for the week ending 11/30/25.

 

For many decades, we have gotten accustomed to electricity.  It powers just about everything. But there are times when the power does go out.  Many of us may not think about it, but there are a lot of preppers that do.  If you know someone who falls into that group, the Romoss X1000 Portable Power Station and BE1000 Expansion Battery Pack could be perfect for them.  Check out its review here:

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2025/02/ramoss-x1000-portable-power-station-and.html

 

Many of us like a lot of bass in our music.  And then, some people can take that love for bass to a whole new level of loud!  All that bass requires a lot of power, and many amps aren’t up to the task.  If you have a loved one who would love more sub power, Sundown Audio has the answer in their SALT-2 sub amp.  Its review is found here:

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2025/07/sundown-audio-salt-2-subwoofer-amp.html

 

Music is not always about the bass.  Some of us like all of the sound really loud.  If your loved one likes premium sound quality, but also play it loud enough so everyone around can also enjoy it, Sundown Audio has a solution.  It’s a great sounding factory speaker system replacement that not only sounds great, it does so while playing really loud.  Its their SA-6.5CXv2 and SA-6.5CSv3 factory upgrade speaker system.  Check out its review here:

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2025/10/sundown-audio-sa-65csv3-2-way-component.html

 

So many of us do a lot of shopping on Amazon.  Package deliveries are getting much more popular.  Whether you want to see who is at your door, or you want to watch over packages that were delivered, a video doorbell could be just what your loved one could use.  And the Swann SwannBuddy 4K Video Doorbell could be the perfect solution.  Check out its review here:

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2025/03/swann-swannbuddy4k-video-doorbell-review.html

 

Torras Coolify Cyber Neck Air Conditioner.  Just as the product name states, it’s a portable air conditioner that you wear around your neck.  It provides heat in the winter, cold air in the summer, or a fan for those slightly warm periods.  If you know someone who loves to travel, this could be perfect for them.  After all, the weather at some of our planned destinations could be less than ideal for us. Check out the review here:

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2025/02/torras-coolify-cyber-neck-air.html

 

Smart Watches are getting more and more popular.  They do so much for us.  Sometimes you’re busy and can’t answer a text or phone call.  But just a glance at your watch could tell you if it’s something that can’t wait.  But some of these smart watches aren’t very dressy.  The Withings ScanWatch Nova Brilliant is a really classy looking dress watch, but manages to also have a digital display on the face.  It even has medical grade sensors.  It could be a perfect gift for that loved one who likes to look sharp.  Check out its review here:

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2025/05/withings-scanwatch-nova-brilliant.html

 

 

We tried really hard to give you a good variety of products in our gift guide.  Not everyone is the same.  And they all are well made products that give great functionality.  We hope we gave you some good gift ideas for your loved ones.  And from our family to yours, Happy Holidays!

Sundown Audio SA-6.5CSv3 2-way Component and SA-6.5CX Coaxial Premium Factory Speaker System Upgrade Review

We all like our tunes, especially in our rides. Unfortunately, those factory speakers in most cars, are lacking. It’s basically planned obsolescence. So whether the days of your factory speakers are over, or you just want a serious upgrade, it’s time to replace them. There’s lots of options for you. You could go basic, high quality, or premium. We previously covered a high quality upgrade system from Harmon Kardan. This is part two of our upgrade review, and features Sundown Audio. It’s their SA-6.5CSv3 2-way components for the front, and SA-6.5CXv2 co-axial for the rear. MSRP is $399 and $199.

 

Features and specs:

SA-6.5CXv2:

120 watts RMS

Silk dome tweeter

Hybrid fiber cone

Adjustable crossover - midrange and tweeter

Cast aluminum frame

Magnet ID shorting ring (midrange)

Machined aluminum tweeter housing 

High-compliance rubber surround

2.75" DEPTH

 

SA-6.5CSv3:

6.5" Component Speakers System

125 Watts / Side

Silk Dome Tweeter

Machine Aluminum Tweeter Housing

Case Aluminum Frame

Magnet ID Shorting Ring (Midrange)

Carbon Fiber Cone

Rubber Surround

24dB/Octave Crossover

Adjustable Tweeter Level (-3, 0, +3)

Mounting Depth: 2.87"

Cutout: 5.63"

 

 

Both the Sundown Audio SA-6.5CXv2 and SA-6.5CSv3 came in a nice color printed box with specs printed on the box. Opening the box revealed a well-protected speaker held in place by custom molded foam. Materials used in the construction was mostly metal with some plastic, rubber, and hybrid fiber cone. Quality of materials used as well as fit and finish, was excellent. Included was woofer with built-in tweeter for the coaxial, separate woofer and tweeter and passive crossovers, for the component system, as well as wiring and screws for mounting.

 

As I mentioned before, most factory speakers are less desirable. They sound just ok and are usually made with thin paper cones and thin surround that won’t last long term. Hence the planned obsolescence. Most aftermarket speakers tend to be cheap, using a lot of plastic and stamped baskets. Some companies spend a lot of time developing a better-quality speaker with better sound, yet still cut some corners to save costs, such as using stamped baskets. With premium speakers you get superior build quality as well as superior sound.

 

I love the design of the Sundown Audio SA series speakers. Having been in business for almost 20 years, most of it building premium subwoofers. They used this experience for premium coaxial and component speakers, such as using an extended pole piece to allow for more excursion. For cooling there is a vented voice coil collar and vented magnetic gap. Having 6mm of linear one-way excursion and the extra venting translates into higher power handling. The employment of the blend of paper and wool fibers assist in damping any unwanted resonances, as does the rubber surround. Depending on where you cross over the midrange, they can handle 60-125+ watts RMS.

 

To mate well with the midrange, they paid a lot of attention on the tweeter. A silk dome is used for similar smoothness of sound. Then there’s the passive crossover. To maintain the high sound quality goal, they used high quality air core inductors and mylar capacitors. The end result yields a very well-made product for great SQ. And the crossover even allows for CPF slope as well as tweeter slope. Now let’s see how they sound.

 

Earth, Wind & Fire: September – shaker sounded really crisp, wood block had really nice woodiness to the tone. Trumpet was really clean with excellent harmonics. Cymbal was equally really crisp and clean. Vocals had excellent resolution of the texture of the timbre. Drums were really dynamic with nice low-end extension.

Disturbed: Sound of Silance – Piano sounded really natural with very nice harmonics. Vocals were extremely crisp with excellent texture of the timbre. Strings were equally as crisp with nice resolution of the decay of the strings.

Nat King Cole: L-O-V-E – cymbals and high-hat were really crisp and clean, piano sounded very natural with good resolution of the strings. Strings also were silky smooth with very nice resolution of the bass. Trumpet was not only equally smooth, but also extremely dynamic with excellent harmonics. Vocals were smooth like honey with equally excellent resolution of the timbre. Soundstage was also very deep and wide, with imaging on a dime.

 

In contrast during the installation, I inspected the stock speakers in the older 2004 Toyota Rav4 when they were taken out.  I was shocked that they weren’t blown, especially with their thin cones and surrounds. The person I got it from must have never used the stereo. And their magnet was so so small, I’m surprised the speakers sounded as good as they did.  But don’t take that the wrong way.  Out of 10 I would give them a 4, but with the magnet as small as it was, I’m surprised they weren’t a 3.  And the plastic tweeter was equally unimpressive.  While you could hear the music, that’s the best I could give them. It was like listening to qood speakers with thick earmuffs on. You could hear the music, but it sounded extremely thin, flat, hardly any resolution or highs.   The Sundown Audio was a night and day difference, like a revelation.

 

Not only does the Sundown Audio SA-6.5CXv2 and SA6.5CSv3 designed to handle a lot of power, they also sound great doing it. And thanks to the excellent build quality, they should have you rocking for years. If you want to take the sound in your ride to a whole new level, the Sundown SA6.5CXv2 and SA6.5CSv3 should be on your short list. Based on their design, features, quality and performance, they have earned our Editor’s Choice Award. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.sundownaudio.com.

Lexar Introduces 1TB Capacities of its ARMOR GOLD SDXC™ Card and ARMOR SILVER PRO SDXC™ Card

Lexar Introduces 1TB Capacities of its ARMOR GOLD SDXC™ Card and ARMOR SILVER PRO SDXC™ Card

Lexar’s latest SD cards provide expansive capacity and use a stainless-steel construction for extreme durability

Key Features

●        Stainless steel construction is 37X stronger than typical SD cards

●        Rated IP68 for dust- and water-resistance, drop-resistant to 5 meters

●        Simplified designs make a sturdier card with no ribs and no write-protection switch

●        Read speeds up to 280MB/s¹ to quickly transfer content

●        Video Speed Class 60 (V60) to seamlessly capture 6K footage

●        Pairs with a USB 3.2 card reader to quickly transfer photos and videos at up to 280MB/s¹

San Jose, CA, USA, October 1, 2025—Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory solutions, is excited to announce the 1TB capacity point for its stainless-steel SD cards, the ARMOR GOLD SDXC™ Card and the ARMOR SILVER PRO SDXC™ Card.  

Now available in 1TB, the Lexar® ARMOR GOLD SDXC™ Card and the Lexar® ARMOR SILVER PRO SDXC™ Card can store more photos and footage on a single card. 1TB capacity also provides the room for multiple burst photo collections and 6K video files.

The 1TB Lexar® ARMOR GOLD SDXC™ Card and the 1TB Lexar® ARMOR SILVER PRO SDXC™ Card are classified with a V60 recording speed, to seamlessly capture video in up to 6K without missing a frame. Combined with a read speed of 280MB/s¹, users can quickly offload photos and videos and get back into the field.

Built using an extremely durable stainless-steel construction (37x higher than standard memory cards), the 1TB Lexar® ARMOR GOLD SDXC™ Card and the 1TB Lexar® ARMOR SILVER PRO SDXC™ Card are both rated IP68 and are designed to take the hits while users explore the wild.

“Designed for maximum durability, ARMOR SD Cards are built tough to withstand harsh conditions without sacrificing performance,” said Joey Lopez, Director of Brand Marketing. “With the new 1TB capacity, the ARMOR SD cards allow creators to stay in the field longer, record more footage, and capture the right moment without the need of constantly switching cards.”

The 1TB Lexar® ARMOR GOLD SDXC™ Card is compatible with UHS-II and UHS-I devices and will be available late Q3 2025 at an MSRP of $369.99. The 1TB Lexar® ARMOR SILVER PRO SDXC™ Card is compatible with UHS-II and UHS-I devices and will be available Q4 2025 at an MSRP of $364.99.

Availability

Lexar® ARMOR GOLD SDXC™ Card

·        B&H

Lexar® ARMOR SILVER PRO SDXC™ Card

·        Amazon

About Lexar

For more than 25 years, Lexar has been trusted as a leading global brand of memory solutions. Our award-winning lineup includes memory cards, USB Flash Drives, card readers, solid-state drives, and DRAM. With so many options, it’s easy to find the right Lexar solution to fit your needs.

Disclosures

¹      Up to 280MB/s read transfer, write speeds lower. Highest transfer speeds achieved when paired with an SD UHS-II reader. Speeds based on internal testing. Actual performance may vary. X=150KB/s.

²     Limited lifetime warranty is limited to 10 years from purchase in Germany and regions not recognizing lifetime warranty.

 

Social Media

Instagram: instagram.com/lexarmemory

X (Twitter): twitter.com/lexarmemory

Facebook: facebook.com/lexarmemory

YouTube: youtube.com/c/LexarMemoryOfficial

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/lexarmemory

Threads: threads.net/@lexarmemory

 

Lexar. 1737 N First Street, Suite 680, San Jose, CA USA

Meet the DAC Backpack for Your Phone & the Fits-Anything, Futureproof Headphone Cable

New Campfire Audio DAC Wallet & Time Link cable are the must-have accessories for portable audio listening

 

Portland, Oregon, September 23rd–– Campfire Audio has announced two new accessories to enhance your portable listening life: the Portable DAC Wallet to keep things looking neat and sounding great, and the Time Link cable to quickly adapt your earphones to suit a range of devices (and provide an in-line USB DAC, too).

 

The DAC backpack for your phone
​Crafted from leather, the Campfire Audio Portable DAC Wallet magnetically attaches to your smartphone and snugly holds your choice of sound-boosting DAC. A custom USB-C cable allows you to further reduce the tangle of tech in your pocket and avoids ‘dongle DACs’ dangling precariously on an overlong lead.

 

Portable DAC Wallet

 

As well as being compact, the Portable DAC Wallet’s custom USB-C cable aligns connection points for a lower-profile, reduced-tension fit – minimising the risk of port-wear on either your phone or portable DAC device.

 

The Campfire Audio Portable DAC Wallet is the ideal match for the Campfire Audio Relay DAC but also happily houses a wide range of alternatives. For phones or other portable devices without built-in magnetic support, an optional adhesive magnetic ring is supplied.

 

One cable to rule them all
​Quickly and easily adapt your earphones to suit a range of devices ​ - ​ from smartphone to laptop to digital audio player and more - with the ​ Campfire Audio Time Link cable. Six conductors of high-purity copper and silver-plated copper channel your signal into the swappable termination of your choice, including a powerful, Cirrus Logic, USB-C DAC.

 

Time Link Cable

 

Time Link comes with six conductors (3 x copper; 3 x silver-plated copper) and these swappable terminations: 3.5mm single-ended; 4.4mm balanced; USB-C DAC.

 

Pricing and availability
​The Campfire Audio DAC Wallet + Custom USB-C cable is available now from Amazon and a range of specialist audio retailers, with a suggested retail price of $59.

 

The Campfire Audio Time Link cable is also available now from Amazon and specialist stockists, with an SRP of $299.

 

For more information about Campfire Audio, please visit: www.campfireaudio.com

 

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JBL BoomBox 3 Bluetooth Speaker Review by Jeff Roy

We all like our music. It’s also fun to take our music on the go. To allow us to take our music on the go, the boombox became popular several decades ago in the 70’s. JBL has re-invented the boombox with their BoomBox. Up for review is their BoomBox 3 with a $499 MSRP.

 

Features and specs:

 

General Specifications

Output power (W): 1x80W RMS-subwoofer + 2x40W RMS-midrange + 2x10W RMS-tweeter (AC mode) 1x60W RMS-subwoofer + 2x30W RMS-midrange + 2x8W RMS-tweeter (Battery mode)

Audio Specifications

Dynamic frequency response range (Hz): 40 Hz - 20k Hz

Dimensions

Dimensions (Width x Height x Depth) (cm): 48.2 x 25.7 x 20.0

Dimensions (Width x Height x Depth) (in): 19.0 x 10.1 x 7.9

Weight (kgs): 6.7

Weight (lbs): 14.7

Control and Connection Specifications

Bluetooth profiles: A2DP 1.3, AVRCP 1.6

Bluetooth frequency: 2.402GHz - 2.480GHz

Bluetooth transmitted modulation: GFSK, π/4 DQPSK, 8DPSK

Bluetooth transmitter power: ≤ 9 dBm (EIRP)

Bluetooth version: 5.3

Battery

Charging time (hrs): 6.5

Maximum music playing time (hrs): 24

Features

JBL PartyBoost: Yes

3.5 mm audio cable Input: Yes

Bluetooth: Yes

Charging cable: Yes

Powerbank: Yes

Waterproof: Yes

Wireless: Yes

Rechargable battery: Yes

IP Code: IP67

 

The JBL BoomBox 3 came in a nice-looking color printed box. Opening the box revealed a well-protected product held in place by custom cardboard. Materials used in construction were mostly plastic with some metal, rubber and cloth. Quality of materials used, as well as fit and finish, was excellent. Also included was the quick start guide and power cord.

 

As a child of the 70’s, 80’s and early 90’s, before talking about the design of the JBL BoomBox 3, I feel I need to first talk about boomboxes in general and its evolution. I have owned my share of boomboxes. And they were designed to bring our music on the go. This was the radio and cassette tapes, add later included CD.s. They also improved on the sound by going from a single full range speaker to also include a separate tweeter. And to custom tailor the sound to our performance, many also included a graphic equalizer. I was the life of the party with my boombox.

 

Through the next few decades, our music has changed. Cassette tapes are gone, and CD’s are rarely used. Regular radio is also not used nearly as often. Born on physical media like cassette tapes, CD’s and radio listened to a large percentage of the time, I have even succumbed to the evolution of how we listen to our music. JBL BoomBox 3 is a result of this evolution. After all, why include a radio turner and CD player as well as the cost for them, when they may not be used?

 

I love the design of the JBL BoomBox 3. It has a similar form factor as the boomboxes of old, yet includes the features we need. Gone are the CD and radio turner replaced with Bluetooth. Most of what we listen to is accessed on our phones, be it downloaded music tracks or music services like Amazon, or Spotify, to name a couple. So all you really need is Bluetooth to connect to your phone. You can even connect 2 phones, to allow friends in on the action.

 

For it to be really easy to use, JBL went with a simple design. There are buttons for power, Bluetooth, play, volume up and down and link to link other JBL wireless speakers. At the bottom of the front is an LED to show the battery charge level. Connections on the back are for power cord, audio in for an external audio device, and USB port to access the internal power bank. This simplistic design also yields a clean look, and it looks great! The JBL app is also really simplistic, but gives good features with the 3-way equalizer, streaming to multiple JBL wireless speakers, and the quick start guide.

 

Unlike boomboxes of old, JBL also has upped its game in the sound quality of the BoomBox 3. JBL employs a 3-way system. There’s a .75” tweeter, 2.75”midrange, and 4.5”x7.4” subwoofer. But there’s also a passive radiator on each end. It’s a sophisticated subwoofer system that uses a single active subwoofer that is similar in cone area as a 6-inch round driver, and dual 5-inch passive radiators. I’m a fan of passive radiators.  And while use of a passive radiator is rare, this one uses two. Very rare, and very impressive! You get a separate tweeter and midrange for crisp and clean sound, with an active subwoofer with dual passive radiators to maximize the amount of bass from a small package. Add the IP67 dustproof and 1-meter waterproof feature, and you can get great sound anywhere. Now let’s see how they sound.

 

Earth Wind & Fire: September – Wood blocks had really good resolution of the woodiness tone of the block, tambourine was crisp and clean as were the cymbals. Vocals were silky smooth with great texture of the timbre. Shaker block also had nice texture. Snare was nice and dynamic.  Kick drum was also dynamic with really good low-end extension and played with authority. Trumpet was also really dynamic, super clean, with great harmonics.

Disturbed: Sound of Silance – piano sounded natural with very good harmonics. Vocals were smooth like honey with excellent resolution of the texture of the timbre. Acoustic guitar had really nice resolution of the strings. Strings were also smooth with excellent harmonics of the strings. Tympani had nice dynamics and low-end extension and authority with good resolution of the pad.

Tiesto @ Sevenn: Boom – Holy *#@*! I was not expecting this from a little boombox! Some of the bass beats were not as deep, but were nice and tight, super clean, and hit hard. Thers were deeper bass beats that also hit really hard with great low-end extension. And then others were really deep, really clean as well, but shook the room! I knew the single subwoofer with two passive radiators had high potential, but wow!

 

If you want to take your music with you outdoors, you’ll want great sound and a speaker that can handle any outdoor environment. The JBL BoomBox 3 handles both. It’s also well made to provide years of use. If you’re looking for an outdoor wireless speaker that sounds REALLY good, especially if you like a lot of bass, the JBL BoomBox 3 is unique in that aspect and deserves to be on your short list. Based on its design, features, quality and performance, the JBL Boombox 3 has earned our Editor’s Choice Award. For more info check out their website at www.jbl.com.