Gifts for Music Lovers

Expansive sound from a compact footprint. The Griffin Evolve is a wireless iPod speaker system with 3 parts: A charging base and two 5.5" cube-shaped speakers, each with its own on/off switch, that can be moved up to 150 feet away from the base station, so you can put them wherever you want and get real stereo sound. MTV.com says "If you're looking for a simple yet effective and incredibly designed wireless speaker system, you can stop looking right now -- the Griffin Evolve reigns supreme."

We used to think of Haier as a no-name manufacturer of cheap electronics primarily sold at Walmart. But it looks like the brand is coming up in the world. Its Ibiza Rhapsody MP3 player - available in 4GB, 8GB, or 30GB in several colors - has some really cool features. The player comes with a free 30-day subscription to Rhapsody, and if you hear something you like on the Rhapsody channel, you can save it to the player. It also has a Wi-Fi connection (so you can update podcasts on the go from any Wi-Fi hot spot), a video player, basic Web browser, and it even comes with really good headphones. Too bad it only works with Windows XP and Vista.

This clock radio and iPod speaker accommodates 2 iPods (or iPhones), side by side, and is still only 13" wide. You can switch back and forth between iPod A and iPod B, but there's no mention of being able to play both at the same time. There's an illuminate strip under each iPod dock that you can set to display 1 of 9 colors. Other features include an AM/FM tuner, remote control, and video output. We're guessing couples with very different tastes in music will love this gadget.

According to Belkin, more than half of all teenagers listen to their iPods at school. (And you thought they went to school to learn.) So Belkin created the RockStar to let them share their playlists with friends and also create their own music mixes. The RockStar has 5 jacks, which lets 5 people listen to one or more iPods (or other MP3 or DVD players). The device also has mixing and fade-in controls so you can mix songs together and pretend you're a DJ.

Koss first started making PortaPro headphones in 1984, and they're still some of the best headphones that (not much) money can buy, even if the design is a bit retro-looking. Designed for people with "refined musical acuity," the lightweight, comfortable PortaPros deliver deep bass and a wide frequency response (from 15-25,000 Hz), so you can get the most out of movies (or heavy metal) while your spouse sleeps. The fold-up design is well-suited for commuting, while the 4 foot-long cord is ideal for the living room.

As far as we know, one of the greatest rap albums of all time, Doug E. Fresh's "Oh My God!" (1986, Reality Records) has not been reissued on CD. We still have the cassette at home, even though we no longer have a cassette player. But now, thanks to the Ion Tape2PC, a gadget that converts audio cassette recordings into MP3s and imports them directly into iTunes, we can listen to those songs again. The Tape2PC works with Macs and PCs, comes with easy-to-use software, and has a plug-and-play audio interface. We can't wait to get "All The Way To Heaven" and "Lovin' Every Minute Of It" onto our iPods.

The Microsoft Zune has gotten quite a makeover. The new Zunes are smaller, use rubberized touch control pads, and come in 3 new sizes (4GB, 8GB, and 80GB) and several new colors. You can sync the new Zune to your computer over a home Wi-Fi network, import TV shows or movies to the Zune (provided you recorded them with a PC running Windows Media Center), and even plug the Zune into your Xbox 360 to customize the soundtrack in supported games.

Love the iPod, hate the earbuds? Same here. Which is why we're seriously considering shelling out for these Shure SE110 earphones. CNET says they're "the most affordable entry point for high-endurance, high-fidelity earphones," and that they'll "withstand both audiophile scrutiny and physical abuse." The earphones block out background noise, and come with a foam and rubber "fit kit" so you can get the most comfortable fit. Best of all, they have a 2-year warranty, which means they might even outlive your MP3 player.

It's just like the iPhone, only there's no phone, it's even thinner, and it has Wi-Fi. The new iPod Touch has the same multitouch interface with the same accelerometer technology that makes it go into landscape mode when you turn it sideways. The built-in Safari browser and special YouTube player give you access to hours of entertainment, and if that's not enough, you can always buy more from the iTunes store. The iPod Touch will even name the song that's playing at Starbucks while you wait for your latte, just in case you want to buy the song too.

Back in January, at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Philips HTS8100 SoundBar turned lots of heads and even won a Best of CES award. Why? Because this single-speaker home theater system has virtual surround sound and a built-in CD and DVD player that offers 1080p upconversion via HDMI. The HTS8100 is only 5" thick and features Philips' proprietary Ambisound technology, with 5 integrated amplifiers. It comes with a remote and a bracket so you can mount it on the wall.