Stanton Stereos & Equipment, $100 - $150

 

Just like music, modern electronics has variety. Likewise, from a boombox to a home theater, Overstock.com's audio department is the place to find great stereos and low prices. For the casual listeners in small apartments, mini stereo systems will be most suitable; a docking system for your iPod or MP3 player or a small stereo amplifier and a couple of bookshelf speakers will do the trick.

More sophisticated audiophiles with plenty of space will prefer putting together a customized home theater. More speakers will require a bigger power amplifier. Patch in a 7-band equalizer and bring out the best tones in your tunes. A satellite radio receiver will do so much more than your old AM/FM radio. Upgrade your speakers to a 7.1-channel surround sound system. Still got a cassette deck? You need a CD player! Visit Overstock.com for this year's gear at last year's prices. By the way, you've spent good coin on the components, don't skimp on the connectors. Gold-plated digital cables are a bit pricey, but they give superior audio signal transfer.

If you prefer an inexpensive, portable stereo, the boombox is still a classic option, but most people these days are into small, personal audio. That means they look for iPods and MP3 players, portable CD players or a mini stereo. By the way, a head cleaning kit is also a good idea; if the amplifier isn't sending clean signal to the speakers, your sound system will not give you the best sound it can.

If you are on a tight budget, or if you just don't know your sub-woofer from your super-tweeter, consider a home theater in a box. This complete-in-one-package unit usually consist of a stereo receiver (stereo amplifier, AM-FM radio combination) plus a 5.1-channel surround sound system. You just can't beat it for economical audio power, any more than you can beat Overstock.com for economical electronics--and so much more!