2010 Holiday Gift Guide: Tech

bang and olufsen beosound 8 hands on 15Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 8 ($1,000)
There’s no shortage of MP3 docks on the market. Many are great for keeping in the shower, the kitchen, or next to your bed, but they’re hardly premium home audio equipment. The BeoSound 8, however, is something you build a room around. It’s eye-catching looks are backed up by superior sound quality (yes, audiophile geeks, we understand its inherent limitations) courtesy of 70W custom conical speakers and four high-performance digital amps. It supports nearly all models of the iPhone, iPod, and iPad, and you can purchase adapters that make it compatible with non-Mac products. Dress it up with custom color decals that cover the speakers, or leave them in the signature black or white.