Best 5 home audio products

Pioneer VSX-1019AH-K

Best midrange AV receiver
The iPod is the most popular audio gadget of the decade, which is why it's incredibly frustrating that it's not easier to use it with your AV receiver. That's why the Pioneer VSX-1019AH-K's iPod friendly USB port is such a great feature; just plug in your iPod using the included cable and you can navigate your music collection using the graphical user interface. With four HDMI inputs, 1080p analog video upconversion and sweet sound quality, the Pioneer's excellent combination of features and performance make it the best midrange AV receiver we've tested this year.

Price:$479.00 - $599.00 (check prices)

Filed in: Best 5 home audio products, Best AV receivers

Read full review

Logitech Squeezebox Duet

Best digital audio system under $500
From one perspective, it's hard to call the Logitech Squeezebox Duet a groundbreaking product because it follows in the footsteps of the Sonos Digital Music System, which first appeared in 2005. But the fact is that the Squeezebox Duet delivers much of the same functionality of the Sonos at a far lower pricepoint--and without many compromises. (That said, stick with the Sonos if you want the best multi-room option.) Prefer a version with built-in speakers? Go for the equally excellent Logitech Squeezebox Boom.

Price:$339.99 - $436.16 (check prices)

Filed in: Best 5 home audio products, Best network music players

Read full review

Aperion Intimus 4T Hybrid SD

Best mid-size speakers for the money
If you're serious about surround sound, you need to invest in a speaker system with some real gravitas--but most people just don't want the living room overrun with giant tower speakers. But the Aperion Intimus 4T Hybrid SD package manages to downsize the towers without sacrificing the sound. At just 34 inches tall and only 5 wide, these mini-towers gorgeous minitowers will fit into smaller rooms with no problems. And you can choose an 8-inch (shown), 10-inch, or 12-inch subwoofer, depending on your bass (and size) requirements. But if they're still too big, there are some worthwhile alternatives: KEF KHT-3005, KEF KHT5005.2 and the Mirage Nanosat Home Theater System all offer great sound from even smaller speakers, and they're all available for under $2,000.

Price:$1,569.00 - $1,569.00 (check prices)

Filed in: Best 5 home audio products, Best home theater speakers

Read full review

Sony HT-CT100

Best single-speaker home audio unit for under $300
Surround sound is a hot commodity, but many just can't handle the aesthetic compromises that come from a full 5.1-channel speaker system in the living room--and the speaker cables that go along with it. That's prompted an expanded "single speaker" home audio category. The best budget one we've seen is the Sony HT-CT100. With its included subwoofer, the system packs quite a sonic wallop without taking up a lot of space--and its built-in amplification and support for up to 3 HDMI sources means you can get away without using an AV receiver.

Price:$229.25 - $317.99 (check prices)

Filed in: Best 5 home audio products, Best virtual surround speakers

Read full review

Samsung HT-BD1250

Best budget Blu-ray home-theater-in-a-box system
DVD home-theater-in-box systems seem to offer a lot of value from the spec sheet, but are often seriously disappointing in use, with lackluster audio and video being the norm. So far our experience with Blu-ray HTIBs has been the exact opposite; almost all of the systems we've tested this year offer a legitimate home theater experience and the Samsung HT-BD1250 is the best budget system so far. With built-in Blu-ray, streaming media from Netflix and Pandora, and excellent audio and video quality, the Samsung HT-BD1250 is an excellent way to get into Blu-ray without spending a ton.

Price:$441.76 - $549.99 (check prices)

Filed in: Best 5 home audio products, Best home theater systems (HTIB)

Read full review