Sound & Vison's Best
The best gear to buy right now
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Music Portables & Extras
Klipsch iFi iPod sound system
$400, May 2005
The best-sounding iPod speaker add-on we’ve tried to date.
klipsch.com/ifi
Creative Zen Vision portable video player
$400, November 2005
Superb picture quality, good sound, and an intuitive interface meet in this all-in-one video-music-photo player.
creative.com
Garmin nüvi 350 Personal Travel Assistant
$900, April 2006
Pricey for a handheld nav system, but there's much more in this compact package for travelers.
garmin.com
Apple iPod nano
$249, December 2005
With up to 4 gigabytes of unskippable flash memory coupled to the justly beloved Click Wheel interface, the super-slim nano takes cool to an entirely new level.
apple.com
Pioneer Inno XM2go satellite radio
$399, June 2006
This second-generation XM2go handheld comes with fewer accessories than its predecessors but takes the design and screen interface up a notch.
www.pioneerelectronics.com
Apple iPod Hi-Fi Speaker System
$349, May 2006
This one-piece, portable tabletop solution was designed with good sound in mind — and you’ll hear it on every track.
apple.com
Camcorders
Sony HDR-HC1 (high-def MiniDV)
$2,000, December 2005
Stunning widescreen high-definition footage on regular MiniDV tape plus extensive user controls at a price budding filmmakers and serious enthusiasts can aspire to.
www.sonystyle.com
JVC Everio GZ-MG30 (hard-drive)
$900, December 2005
The tapeless/discless camcorder has truly arrived thanks to a 30-gigabyte hard drive that captures 7 hours of DVD-quality video.
www.jvc.com
Sanyo HD1 High-Def Camcorder
$800, April 2006
This compact camera records true high-def to an SD card and grabs sharp 5-megapixel stills at a price that's within reach.
sanyo.com
Add-Ons
Harman Kardon TC30 Universal Remote
$299, July/August 2006
Harman wisely licensed the web-based programming capabilities and "activity-driven" operation from Harmony's award-winning remotes for this sleek spinoff.
harmankardon.com
Universal Remote Control MX-3000 Universal Remote
$999, September 2006
universalremote.com
Polk Audio XRt12 XM satellite radio tuner
$330, Feb/March 2005
Notable sound quality and a TV output for viewing channel data make this a worthy add-on.
polkaudio.com
Xbox 360 game console
$299 ($399 with optional hard disk), January 2006
A quantum leap in gaming plus the ability to stream video, pictures, and music from your PC to your home theater.
xbox.com
Logitech Harmony 880 universal remote control
$250, July/Aug 2005
This advanced model boasts a full-color LCD screen, but any Harmony remote is a good remote.
logitech.com
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