The best JBL and AKG music tech products to buy for the holidays and level up your studio

Deck the halls with products by Harman! A global leader in professional audio, lighting, car technology, and more just so happen to own two of Headliner’s all-time favourites: JBL speakers and headphones, and AKG microphones. 

If you’re looking to level up your studio setup for the holidays, get yourself some of these incredible bits of gear, ranging from affordable to high-end pricing. 

And, festively, Harman is offering some special festive-period-only price offers of 25% and more that end December 31st. So, grab a mince pie, and let’s dive into some of the best bits of music and audio gear you can gift yourself before 2024 bows out.

AKG K240 MKII Headphones

Following on from the original K240 model being ubiquitous in studios and stages the world over, the MKII headphones from AKG always came at a great price, but now is the time to scoop a pair up while they are right below £/$100 until the end of December. The semi-open design gives the best of both worlds: the airiness you’d expect from open headphones, with the more powerful bass response of closed headphones. Vitally, the incredible sound accuracy the K240s deliver is the reason they are a firm favourite by so many engineers, musicians and producers. Don’t worry about durability, as these are built to last.

Holidays price: $79

RRP: $106

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JBL 104-BT

Over to JBL now to take a look at some of the best affordable speakers you could ever hope to own. The 104-BTs are a fantastic choice if you have home recording, podcasting and/or portability in mind. As per usual from JBL, the audio results are immensely impressive, especially at one of the lowest price points you’ll find. It’s a fantastically balanced sound across a wide frequency range to make music projecgts so enjoyable. And, as they’re equipped with Bluetooth 5, once you’re done producing your track, you can have these monitors in your living room for a family singalong of the First Nowell streaming from your phone.

Holidays price: $129

RRP: $149

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JBL 3 Series MkII Studio Monitors

Also available at Christmas snip pricing are all of the monitor models in JBL’s 3 Series, MkII.

A step up in quality from the JBL 104 speakers just mentioned, the brilliant 305P, 306P and 308P MkII are some of the best and most professional-sounding monitors you could hope to own at their individual price points. They will serve you faithfully and brilliantly for mixing, mastering, recording, or whatever aspect of music-making you throw at them. These monitors are packed with features, including a panoramic soundstage, and deft integration of the mid/bass and high-frequency drive units. These details work stunningly with the mid/bass woofer unit, delivering the highest-quality bass at the lowest to highest volume levels.

Holidays price: $119-$199

RRP: $149-$249

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JBL IRX One

Last but not least from JBL, if you’d really like to treat yourself this Christmas, then how about one of the best PA systems money can buy? The IRX ONE is a portable PA system with a sleek design and powerful features. It comes kitted out with Bluetooth 5.0 streaming and dbx AFS, so it's versatile and easy to set up and get going with. Expect gut-punching bass from the 8” woofer, plus clear and wide sound coverage for the C-shaped array. DJs, presenters,and musicians, unite for a fantastic PA system!

Holidays price: $699

RRP: $949

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AKG C414 XLS Condenser Microphone

If you’d like to record your cover of Wonderful Christmastime with stunning precision, then you’d be remiss to not check out the C414 XLS; a versatile workhorse of a microphone, it offers nine polar patterns to capture any sound source with excellent clarity. The peak hold LED comes in handy to ensure you're in full control, while the disable controls make this mic perfect for live sound and fixed installations. This microphone continues the legacy of the C414 B-ULS, thanks to a neutral and detailed sound that has made it a go-to mic for decades.

Holidays price: $999

RRP: $1319

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AKG C414 XLII

Many of the best condenser microphones out there are designed to emulate a classic one, and in the case of the AKG C414 is a recreation of their iconic 1950s C12. It has nine(!) switchable patterns, which delivers incredible value (especially at this Crimbo price!). Additionally, there are five base patterns — cardioid, hyper-cardioid, wide cardioid, figure-8 and omnidirectional. This enormous amount of features means the C414 is a condenser microphone that can handle more or less any job you bring to it. Whether you’re recording vocals or have a violinist coming in for the day, you can expect wonderful results. On top of all this, it’s very well built and ultra-durable.

Holidays price: $999

RRP: $1319

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That’s a wrap on our ho, ho, ho Harman holidays buyer’s guide. Act fast before some of those prices jump up 25% or more on January 1st. This is a fantastic opportunity to bolster your studio setup with two of the most epic names in contemporary audio. Feliz Navidad!