25 Best Back-to-School Gadgets

Wait — isn't it still summer? Technically, yes, but it's never too early to start prepping your arsenal of back-to-school gadgets for the fall. We've searched high and low for the perfect laptop, digital camera, cell phone and even toothbrush to make your academic year complete

ZVOX Mini speaker

Zvox mini

Let's face it — a cramped dorm room is no place for a six-speaker surround-sound system. That's where the ZVOX Mini comes in. This 13-in.-wide (33 cm), 10-in.-deep (25 cm) speaker connects to just about anything with RCA-type audio outputs or a headphone jack (such as a TV, a PC or an iPod), and it packs in three standard speaker drivers, a built-in subwoofer for bass and integrated PhaseCue circuitry that essentially tricks your ears into hearing a three-dimensional soundstage. The ZVOX Mini should fill your room with high-quality sound while taking up very little space, even if its simulated surround sound doesn't quite equal that of a true 5.1-speaker setup. Just be careful not to lose the compact under a pile of dirty laundry.

Price: $199

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