Sony's STR-DT1030 provides users 145W (x7) of 7.2-ch surround sound, AirPlay integration, and HD Digital Cinema Sound.

The Pioneer Elite VSX-70 carries the Elite badge, but doesn’t seem to carry the Elite pedigree. Though the receiver is an operational darling and its sound is free of aberrations, we just found ourselves wanting more.

Although the Harman/Kardon AVR 3700 possesses the sonic signature of a high-end amplifier and is one of the best-looking receivers we’ve seen in a while, it comes with a handful of quirks you’ll want to be aware of.

Call them computer speakers if you must, but the KEF X300A are some of the finest-sounding speakers available for the money. That they are self-amplified with USB digital inputs are just big bonuses for those seeking a digital audio speaker solution.

Klipsch’s size-no-object SB3 sound bar offers sonic accuracy on par with high-end stereo speakers and the best-sounding subwoofer we’ve seen in a bundled package, but its lack of digital inputs and control features may cause pause for some.

Toshiba’s Mini 3D sound bar astounded us with jaw-dropping sound from a box less than a foot long, with a price just as improbably small.

The Sonos Playbar delivers on its promise of offering sweet, musical sound for audio purists, and its wireless ecosystem remains one of the best in the business. We just wish this sound bar offered more than one, lonely input.

Not all soundbars are created equal. In our Bose SoundTouch 300 review, we explore how well Bose delivers on the "big sound, small package" promise, and discuss whether the company's latest soundbar delivers convincing virtual surround sound.

Sonos’ Play:3 Wireless Music Player delivers room-filling sound from any easy-to-use package.

The Audeo Phonak PFE122 in-ear headphones delivery great comfort, a solid sound experience and are have a decent price tag.

Antelope’s cream-of-the-crop Zodiac digital-to-analog converter (DAC) brings out the best in music of any quality thanks to an almost obsessive attention to design.

The NuForce Air DAC Wireless system has great sound quality, is simple to use, and in some cases outshines Apple's AirPlay.

JVC’s HA-FX40 earphones cost only $30 but offer a significant improvement over most bundled freebies, and even their low-cost competition.

Dual’s Painted Tunes headphones start with a gimmicky “paint tube” packaging and don’t offer much else.

Bell’O Digital’s BDH650 are a surprisingly pleasant and affordable pair of headphones from a company used to making furniture.

Sennheiser’s MM 500-X Bluetooth headphones heap features and comfortable, attractive design on top of what is already one of the best-sounding headphones in its price range.

HP’s Wireless Audio system streams music from place to place without wires, but sacrifices fidelity along the way, and can’t compare to similar offerings from competing companies.

Koss shuns Bluetooth for better range and direct Internet radio streaming with the Striva Pro, but grueling setup and reliability woes sabotage the effort.

Panasonic’s RP-HTX7 retro-style headphones deliver well-rounded sound at a sweet price.

The unique Vox AC30 headphones can plug directly into a guitar or an ordinary music source, and deliver surprisingly intricate, detailed sound for their price tag.

The lightly refreshed Marantz SR6007 loses some connectivity in favor of a streamlined interface and more digital features, all without losing its signature Marantz sound.

Fluance’s FITSD600 iPhone speaker dock sets expectations high with its enormous physical size and price, and promptly dashes those expectations the moment you turn it on.

Grado’s SR60i sport a nearly ancient design, but still justify their distinguished reputation with audiophile-quality sound and a budget price tag.

Sonos finds some missing oomph with its Sub wireless subwoofer, a potent box of boom to round out the bottom of end of your Sonos system, no wires needed.

Bowers & Wilkins’ A5 doesn’t come cheap, but premium design and almost unbelievably big bass distinguish it from the scrum of less expensive competitors.

Paradigm's Millenia CT system puts most other compact, self-powered speaker systems to shame with supreme sound the defies its compact size.

KEF’s T100 speaker system looks too thin to deserve a stamp of audiophile approval, but sounds bigger – and better – than plenty of much larger traditional speakers.

Pioneer pulled in the help of high-end speaker designer Andrew Jones in an effort to pull its standard speaker line’s reputation out of the garage and into the great room. In our review, we find out if Pioneer’s tactic worked.

Yamaha’s RX-A3020 Aventage receiver keeps all of the muscle and audiophile-pleasing engineering of its predecessor, but adds in some much-needed features, putting it in lock-step with competing models. The result is an upgrade well worthy of the extra $200 Yamaha is asking this year.

Though Klipsch’s HD Theater 600 may be a bit finicky when it comes to placement, a little time and attention pays back with well-balanced, exciting sound delivered from a package that looks smart wherever you end up putting it.

As compact speaker systems go, it just doesn’t get much better than the latest iteration of Klipsch’s Qunitet system, where build quality, rich sound and impressive dynamics come together in an attractive and affordable package.

Denon’s flagship A/V receivers have historically been the stuff of legend. Unfortunately, the AVR-4520CI drops the torch. While its feature set is at the top of its class, its audio performance turned out to be a letdown.

Monoprice’s Monolith K-BAS speakers deliver bass worthy of the speaker’s name, but a dip in the treble and midrange glosses over details.

Elac, which brought us the best bookshelf speakers we’ve heard this side of $1K, offers an excellent, feature-rich integrated amplifier for the modern age.