JBL Authentics Speakers

The most impressive thing about the JBL Authentics Speakers ($600-$1,000) isn't their looks, though they are gorgeous in walnut or gloss black finishes — and it's not their sound, though they do sound great with either four or six speakers and 30-50 watts of power. The most impressive thing isn't even hardware, it's software: Signal Doctor by Harman software. This tech allows the speakers to instantly repair the audio signal from digital music in real time, letting your MP3s and other compressed media sound their absolute best. Additional features include wireless connectivity over WiFI, DLNA, AirPlay, and Bluetooth, USB charging ports, and the JBL MusicFlow app that lets you easily control playback on iOS or Android.

ClearView Clio Speaker

Representing the latest innovation in home audio technology, the ClearView Clio Speaker features a nearly-invisible acrylic glass stereo transducer. Its unique curving shape, and its ability to emit sound through its edges (rather than from the rear like normal cones) lets it fill any space with sound in multiple directions. It uses Bluetooth connectivity to interface with a range of devices, including your mobile phone, letting you play music from whatever source is at hand. Available in silver, dark bronze, and charcoal, this speaker looks great in any space, while providing an engaging centerpiece for any room.

Sony In-Car Smartphone Cradle Receiver

There are already plenty of ways to connect your mobile device to your car stereo — whether wirelessly, over USB, or using an auxiliary input — letting you listen to music, take calls, and more. But the Sony XSP-N1BT Smartphone Cradle Receiver ($250) is the first system that turns your device into the interface for your infotainment. Its unique clamping system grips your phone in landscape orientation, and when combined with their AppRemote for iOS and Android devices, functions as the complete input for your stereo. Wireless connection is available for Android devices, while iPhones will still have to connect over USB, which also charges your device while it's in use.

Samsung Shape Speaker System

With plans of taking a shot across Sonos' bow at the upcoming International CES, Samsung has added another weapon to their multi room wireless audio arsenal, the Samsung Shape Speaker System ($50-$400). Combined with the already-existing Shape M7 Speaker, the smaller and less-expensive Shape M5 gives you a flexible solution for audio across your home or apartment. With the optional wireless connectivity hub and Samsung's iOS or Android app, you can play music through these speakers from a range of services, including Amazon Cloud Player, Pandora, Rhapsody, and TuneIn Radio, as well as connectivity over NFC and Bluetooth.

Polk Woodbourne Speaker

Free your space of wires and clunky, unattractive audio systems with the Polk Woodbourne Speaker ($600), a wireless, wood-enclosed, all-in-one speaker system. Made to sound as great as it looks, this speaker system features two one-inch 20-watt silk polymer dome tweeters and two 5.25-inch 70-watt polypropylene mid woofers. With an on-board power amplifier and processing by Dolby-Digital, as well as a range of connectivity options (including Airplay, Bluetooth, USB, optical, stereo, and ethernet), you can listen to music from nearly any device, while enjoying it exactly how the artist intended. And with a half-inch-think MDF enclosure finished in wood veneer, as well as a curved front lattice grill, it looks just as good as it sounds.

McIntosh MT5 Turntable

You've spent years carefully cultivating your record collection — scouring the racks at music stores everywhere you can find one for classic, meaningful vinyl recordings. So isn't it time you had a record player that reflected your passion for listening? The McIntosh MT5 Turntable ($6,500) is the pinnacle of musical performance, with perfectly-engineered components that let you hear your albums, not the player. It features the distinct neon green display that has come to represent McIntosh, while a luminous platter invites attention every time you place a record on it. The precise belt-drive motor operates at three speeds, spinning the platter quietly, while a magnetic tone arm is completely stable, and resists skips and scratches.

Orbit Turntable

If you care at all about music, you know there's nothing quite like the sound of your favorite album playing on vinyl — and if you haven't made the plunge and bought a record player, it's about time you thought about picking up the Orbit Turntable ($180-$280). With a fully-manual belt drive, a two-speed pulley, a 24-volt synchronous motor, and vibration damping feet, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better one on the market. Choose between the basic and the plus for either an MDF platter, or an acrylic platter, with either an Ortofon or Audio-Technica cartridge in the basic, or an Audio-Technica AT95E cartridge in the plus. Either way, it's the perfect option to upgrade your listening experience.

Soundmatters Dash7 Speaker

The next time you're out traveling, don't settle for the mediocre speakers on your smartphone or laptop — upgrade your mobile audio with the Soundmatters Dash7 Speaker ($250). One of the slimmest, lightest high fidelity Bluetooth speakers available, this little unit measures three-quarters of an inch high and weighs less than half a pound, while still packing plenty of sound. It features Bluetooth connectivity for wireless listening, or an auxiliary input if you don't mind being connected. With 12 hours of Bluetooth battery life, and as much as 20 hours if you use the auxiliary cord, you won't have to worry about it dying on you. Available in range of colors, this speaker also includes an international charging kit, cables, and a carrying case.

Harman Kardon Aura

Fill your favorite space with sound — whether it's your living room, bedroom, or your home office — without sacrificing style using the Harman Kardon Aura ($645). Its small size belies the massive sound (produced by six 1.5-inch high- and mid-range drivers and a 4.5-inch subwoofer) this speaker system is capable of producing. With a transparent enclosure that lets you view the sub, illuminating LED lights, and a cloth grill, it truly looks as good as it sounds. With AirPlay, Bluetooth, DLNA, and WiFi connectivity, compatibility with iOS and Android devices, and a 3.5mm stereo input, you can play music from nearly any source, while controlling it with their remote app.

Beats by Alexander Wang Collection

It seems like everywhere you look, someone is sporting some sort of Beats device — whether it's a pair of headphones, earbuds, or portable speakers — but none of them look quite like the Beats by Alexander Wang Collection ($150-$450). This very limited edition takes three of these devices and coats them in matte black with pale gold accents, making them truly stand out. They include the Beats Pill portable speakers, Ur Beats ear buds, and Beats Studio headphones, and each comes in an Alexander Wang embossed glossy stingray case with a zipper and clip. Each one is available in limited amounts in a pre-sale event, but won't be for long.

Linn Sondek 40th Anniversary LP12 Turntable

It may be more common than you think, connoisseurs of fine scotch also being audiophiles. To mark their 40th anniversary, Linn teamed up with Highland Park, makers of fine single malt scotch whiskey for the exclusive, and amazing Sondek LP12 Turntable ($40,000). Linn took their highest performance turntables and encased them in a remarkable whisky wood plinth, made from the actual solid oak casks that matured Highland Park whisky. If that sounds exclusive, it is, and there are only 40 of these that were made. But hey, at least they are throwing in a 40-year-old bottle of Highland Park, valued at nearly $1,500, to boot.

Ultimate Ears Boom Speaker

While most of the available portable speaker systems out there project sound in just one direction, the Ultimate Ears Boom Speaker ($180) projects sound 360 degrees, filling any space with immersive audio. At a weight of just above one pound, and just over a half-foot long, these speakers are also made to go anywhere, easily slipping into most bags. It's coated in an acoustic skin (available in a range of colors) that makes it resistant to water and stains, so you don't have to worry about ruining it if the weather turns sour. Wireless connectivity with a 50 foot range, 15 hours of battery life, and the ability to chain multiple speakers together gives it plenty of versatility and reliability.

iRecorder Speaker

Ever have one of those toy tape recorders as a kid? If so, the iRecorder Speaker ($50) should immediately spawn memories of packed lunches and horrible, thankfully-lost recordings of you singing along to Bon Jovi records. This novelty system features a built-in speaker, a pull-out handle for childlike ghetto blasting, working buttons, the ability to run off micro USB or 3AA battery power, and a "tape compartment" for your iPhone. The only thing that's missing? A built-in mic and a record button — although that might be a good thing.

Harman Kardon Nova Sound System

Whether you're on the hunt for a beautiful set of wireless speakers to sit on top of your desk, or you're just looking to add to your existing home audio set up, the Harman Kardon Nova Sound System ($270) is a strong solution combining a great listening experience with striking design. Each speaker produces 40 watts of power played through two-and-a-half-inch drivers and one-and-a-quarter inch tweeters, while passive radiators provide powerful bass response. They're compatible with just about any device you could think of, thanks to wired analog and optical inputs, as well as Bluetooth connectivity with near field communication.

Grain Audio Packable Wireless Speaker

Forget about all of those lightweight, plastic audio boxes out there that feel like they would crumble with their first fall, and embrace the Grain Audio Packable Wireless Speaker ($250). Its solid walnut construction gives it some heft and durability, while lending the natural beauty and acoustic properties of a hardwood cabinet. Dual two-inch drivers, a passive radiator, and the technical proficiency Grammy Award-winning Waves MaxAudio Suite deliver music the way it was meant to sound — without all the gimmicky enhancements found in lots of portable speaker systems. Combine all that with powerful Bluetooth connectivity, eight hours of battery life, and a carrying pouch, and what you get is one of the best (and best looking) small speakers available.

Sponsored by our friends at Grain Audio.

Bang & Olufsen Beolab 18 Speakers

If you're the kind of guy whose deep pockets are matched only by his desire to listen to music exactly as the artist intended, then these Bang & Olufsen Beolab 18 Speakers ($6,600) are an obvious necessity. As is typical of products from the Danish speaker company, these towers are a work of modern art, with stunning curves, gorgeous woodwork, and an unbelievable attention to detail evident in every inch. They operate on a 24-bit wireless frequency even an audiophile would approve of, letting you say goodbye to those unsightly speaker wires. Twin four-inch midrange drivers powered by separate 160-watt amplifiers and acoustic lens tweeters complete the package.

Timbre Speakers

You spend enough time at your desk that you care about what everything on it looks like, or you at least should care. That's why you need a set of Timbre Speakers ($125) — they're the ideal combination of attractive design and fantastic sound to please audiophiles and design freaks alike. Machined from a single piece of solid alder wood and stainless steel, they have a long-lasting construction that actually contributes to the sound. The stainless steel sheet along the front acts as the diaphragm and suspension of the speaker, thanks to an attached voice coil. This results in a full sound across the entire range that's perfect for whatever music helps you make you tackle that to-do list.

Bose SoundTouch

Fortunately for the masses of music lovers out there who don't know a tweeter from a hole in the wall, it's easier than ever to set up a wireless speaker system in your place without audiophile expertise or dropping a month's pay. Case in point, the Bose SoundTouch ($400-$700) line of wireless speakers. Choose from three available options in the line: the SoundTouch 30, great for large spaces; the SoundTouch 20, perfect for bedrooms or kitchens; and the SoundTouch Portable, with a rechargeable battery for when you're on the move. All three are easy to set up on your existing WiFi, have preset buttons for a range of audio sources, and come with an iOS app that cues up any music source instantly.