Sony Xross Fade
Fulfill your dream of becoming a nerdful mix master with the Sony Xross Fade ($500; Sept.). This sleek DJ-style shelf system has dual iPod docks, CD player, and an AM/FM tuner, letting you mix music from each of these sources. The Xross Fade offers a party-worthy 450 watts of total power output, pumping your tunes through a pair of two-way bass reflex speakers and a dual 7-inch subwoofer enclosure. Aspiring DJs will appreciate the simplified cross-fader with monitor cue and a built-in two-channel mixer. Plus, a USB recording feature saves mixing sessions to a USB device in MP3 format, while another function easily converts CDs and AM/FM radio to MP3s.