If you're a music-loving student heading to university, it can be hard to find the right audio products to get you through the years, and for a tight budget, too.
Looking for second-hand bargains is always a good idea, but a strict budget doesn't mean you have to compromise on quality at all. In this list, I've compiled five superb audio products – including budget headphones, a stylish portable radio, the best-value music streaming service – that I've loved testing and using personally, and ones I genuinely wish had been around when I was at university myself.
With trendy, versatile, user-friendly designs and detailed, engaging sound, all products here have achieved five-star status and have become our go-to recommendations over the years. Best of all, they're also genuinely affordable: everything can be bought for well under £100 / £130 – some for even lower when you hunt for a deal.
If you care about great sound, these five brilliant products that sound (and look) great and offer terrific value for money will keep you in good company across the best years of your life. And hey, it's only the start of your (audio) journey...
1. Roberts Revival Petite 2 portable radio
I adore this little radio. Yes, £99 (approx. $129) may sound pricey, but for that amount, you get a talented FM/DAB+ radio that also has Bluetooth, can be used as an alarm, can set 20 presets and even has a long 20-hour battery life. You can even plug a pair of headphones into its 3.5mm port.
This portable unit is tiny and cute, and will tempt you to fire up BBC 6 Music or Classic FM (or any other station) to accompany your study sessions. You can also stream your own playlists from your smartphone, play podcasts, listen to live sports and more with this petite radio, which genuinely fits in the palm of the hand. It's so small you can find space for it on any surface: perched on the edge of your desk, on a windowsill, in a bookshelf, or, as I have it, in the kitchen.
It sounds great for its size too. There's solidity and weight, with a natural way with voices, packed with detail and personality. You won't get a lot of bass but it's a nicely judged balance so there's enough warmth and character to presenters' voices and ample rhythm and dynamics to music. The Petite 2 sounds engaging, punchy and has plenty of drive, and overall it's a friendly design that's a joy to use.
Read the full Roberts Revival Petite 2 review
2. Grado SR80x wired headphones
Look at them, don't they look cool? Grado's retro-styled wired cans won't be to everyone's tastes, but they certainly stand out amongst the more standard headphone designs.
More importantly, the SR80x – which you can find regularly for around £99 / $125 – are comfortable to wear over long hours. The on-ear design and foam cushions (which are both durable and replaceable) are lightweight, and the headband can be adjusted to suit various head sizes. The open-back design means they do leak noise, but the trade-off is a wonderfully open, airy and clear sound. They're ideal for late-night listening when you're trying to get a lot of writing done for a deadline (as relevant today in my current job as it was during my student years).
Timing and rhythmic agility are the SR80x's strong points, with engaging dynamism that drives a song forward and holds your attention. Voices are breathtakingly detailed and sound natural, there are layers of subtlety and texture unearthed, and they suit all kinds of genres. They're a long-lasting pair that will remain, musically and aesthetically, timeless.
Read the full Grado SR80x review
3. JBL Flip 6 Bluetooth speaker
JBL's recent run of portable Bluetooth speakers has been terrific, and you can't go wrong with any of their Go, Flip, Charge or Xtreme models. The current Flip 6 is a five-star performer, combining a rugged, durable build with an entertaining, dynamic, spacious and richly layered performance you wouldn't expect from such a compact unit. There's more insight and clarity than in previous generations and the bass performance is punchy and fun – only going up to the larger (and pricier) JBL Charge 5 will please you more.
Whether you're blasting out tunes at a house party, taking it to the park or the beach or simply round to your mate's, the burrito-sized Flip 6 is easy to pack into your bag and connects seamlessly with any Bluetooth mobile device. It's one of the friendliest, most accessible products we've tested. Battery life lasts a decent 12 hours, you can choose from a variety of colourful shades, it is designed to survive bad weather conditions, lots of dirt and drops, and the price regularly drops below £90 / $99 these days – an absolute bargain.
Read the full JBL Flip 6 review
4. Tidal music streaming service
My colleague Becky Roberts has already gone into detail as to why Tidal is the music streaming service to choose over Spotify, but here's the gist: it sounds better thanks to higher-quality streaming files, it boasts a huge catalogue of immersive Dolby Atmos music, and it's cheaper.
You may not hear the audio difference if you're using a pair of cheap wireless earbuds, but if you care about sound quality and are lucky enough to have a decent set-up – even a pair of those Grados (above) connected to a laptop will suffice, although you can also add in a DAC if you want a further step up in audio quality – then Tidal is the clear winner.
We find it represents better value overall, too, with the high-resolution library out-doing Spotify's disappointing low-quality streams. The recommendations, regular mixes and discovery is great, too. Spotify does have a fully free tier (if you can live with ads interrupting your playlists), and both streaming apps offer discounted student subscriptions with a 30-day free trial to start with. After that initial month, you're in better hands with Tidal, which costs just $5.49 / £5.49 / AU$6.49 per month. Spotify charges you 50p/50c more – and every little helps when it comes to reducing your monthly spend when you're a student.
5. Sony WF-C500/WF-C700N wireless earbuds
We didn't have wireless earbuds when I was at university. It's true: I had to make do with the rather rubbish wired in-ears that came bundled with my Discman or iPhone 3GS (like the old Apple EarPods). These days, however, you have immense choice when it comes to the best wireless earbuds, from super cheap to premium models.
They come loaded with fun features too, such as the JBL Live Beam 3 with its smart display case or the Cambridge Audio M100 with special voice guest Matt Berry bellowing in your ear.
But for sheer value, it has to be the Award-winning Sony WF-C500 buds that are my top recommendation. These are small enough to carry with you everwhere, have 10-20 hours of battery life, and have no business sounding this good for under £50. Currently, they're only £39 / $70! They sound a little safe and small-scaled, but they are lively, well-balanced performers with plenty of detail, rhythmic cohesion and agility.
If you want active noise-cancelling in the mix, you can step up to the excellent Sony WF-C700N (another Award-winner), which are a steal for around £83 / $98 (but prices come down much lower during big sales events). Bargain!
Read the full Sony WF-C500 review
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