Every year, the staff at Compudio Gadget Reviews puts together a top 10 gift guide to help those in need of some inspiration on what to get for that geeky loved one (or yourself!). This year, we've put together a great guide, with ideas ranging from high performance luxury items to some of the best bang-for-the-buck gadgets. All of the items are hand picked from the hundreds of products we looked at and they best represent what we think our readers would enjoy the most. Take it away!



ListenHear Starkey Tunz Duo Custom IEMs


The first item on our gift guide is the Tunz Duo Custom In-ear Monitors from ListenHear. Back in June, we reviewed the Tunz Duo S custom monitors. For the price of $600+, we thought they were some pretty good earphones. This year, however, the spotlight will probably shed on the Tunz Duo custom monitors. With a mere price of $250, these rockstars seem to outshine those that cost 3 times as much.

Price: $250



Psyko Labs Psyko 5.1 Surround Sound Headphones



The Psyko 5.1 Headphones are more of a luxury item than your average consumer audio device. The headphones feature true 5.1 surround sound capability, which utilizes small speakers within the headband to channel sound to different places of the headphone structure. According to the company, the sound offers an extremely realistic perception of a 3 dimensional environment. Unfortunately, we are unable to confirm the claim. We've contacted the marketing division of Psyko Audio Labs multiple times to request a sample for review. It appears that they are unwilling to loan us a review unit for a comparison with other high-end and surround gaming headphones. If you are looking for a good, bang-for-the-buck surround sound headphones that has been rated and approved by us, the Logitech G35 is an excellent choice.

Price: $300



VTech LS6245 Cordless Home Phone



VTech is known to make fantastic home phones. In fact, you've probably seen a VTech phone numerous times if you're a fan of the hit TV series Two and a Half Men, Smallville, or Gossip Girl. VTech's newest flagship model, the LS6245, utilizes the new Dect 6.0 frequency to ensure optimum sound quality and wireless range. In addition to touch sensitive buttons and an extremely stylish interface, the LS6245 also boasts Bluetooth technology that allows you to make and receive your cellular calls right through your home phone system.

Price: $50 - $80 (single /expandable up to 12 handsets)



Cowon X7 Portable Media Player



Cowon has always made quality products. They made their breakthrough with the Cowon S9, which showcases the possibility of having style and quality in a product that is not made by Apple. The Cowon x7 is a new height for the company. Boasting a gorgeous 4.3 inch touchscreen, full codec support, and 103 hours of battery life for audio playback (10 hrs for video playback), the X7 rivals the iPod Touch in every aspect (except perhaps in application support). Best of all, the x7 features one of the best sound qualities in the portable audio industry.

Price: under $320 (160GB)



Auzen X-Meridian 7.1 Sound Card



Whether you are a gamer or an audiophile, you'd love the newest addition to the Auzentech family - the Meridian 7.1 sound card. With loads of audio format support including Dolby Headphone, the Meridian with its 7.1 feature will surely give you an upper hand in the next generation of standardized 7.1 surround sound system. Best of all, the audio coming out of the Meridian simply sounds fantastic!

Price: $160



Ultimate Ears UE600 Universal IEM



We reviewed the Super.fi 5 from Ultimate Ears back in 2008 and we really thought the earphones were fantastic for their price. Recently, the company updated all their product models and pricing. The Super.fi 5 are now the UE600, and are priced lower at $99. This is a great gift item for anyone looking to significantly upgrade their portable music experience for under $100.

Price: under $100



Asus G53Jw Gaming Laptop



Since Asus released their first affordable gaming laptop, the Z71V, back in 2005, their high-performance series has never been better. With the downturn of the economy, the Taiwanese company's concept of combining affordability and performance has proven to be a huge success. The 15.6 inch G53JW laptop follows the trend of its predecessors. Combining an Intel i7 1.73Ghz Quad processor, Nvidia GTX 460M graphics, and a THX certified audio chip with EAX 5.0 support, this gamers' dream can be had for only under $1500.

Price: under $1500



Sennheiser PX100 (left) & PX100-II (right) Portable Headphones



If you simply cannot live with the bulkiness of a full-sized headphones, the light weight, portable PX100 or PX100-II should top your shopping list. Both foldable headphones boast some amazing sound, with a rich, warm sound signature that will melt you away in a cold winter night. The PX100-II is an upgraded version of the PX100, and features a deeper, more pronounced bass presence and a more durable headband. Both are excellent headphones for under $100.

PX100 Price: $40 - $80
PX100 II Price: $70 - $100



Logitech G700 Wireless Gaming Mouse



Logitech makes some of the best gaming mice out there. Their G700 wireless gaming mouse is no exception as it currently stands as the best wireless gaming mouse on the market today. With laser tracking up to 5700 dpi, 2.4Ghz wireless transmitting 1000 reports per second, and 13 programmable buttons, users will undoubtedly gain a lead in both MMORPG and FPS games.

Price: $80 - $100



Alienware M11x Gaming Netbook



Thought you'd never see the words 'gaming' and 'netbook' put side by side? Think again. The 11-inch Alienware M11x gaming netbook by Dell does just that. With a 1GB Nvidia GT335M gpu, customizable LED backlit keys, and the ability to switch to a low-powered onboard graphics chip to save battery, the M11x is able to handle all your gaming needs on the go. With Asian laptop makers like Asus and Acer coming into the scene with a variety of affordable powerhouse, you'd think the over-priced Alienware would be a thing of the past. Dell surprised us all with the M11x. Priced at just $799 for the base model, the M11x is a great bargain within the luxury netbook series.

Price: $800 and up


All items are in no particular order. Happy shopping and have a great holiday.