2009 Christmas Gadget Countdown: 3. Home entertainment

Every accountant needs a few home gadgets, so here are a few suggestions from the 2009 charts in the popular gadget magazines.

Top hi-fi of 2009 according to Stuff magazine was the fairly humble looking £400 Marantz M-CR502. Apparently it sounds great despite its compact looks. Personally I fancy the slightly pricier NaimUniti (just £1995), which manages to combine 2x50watt hi-fi, DAB and Internet radio and iPod dock (although the iPod cable will cost you an extra £95!).

If you just want an iPod dock, look no further than the B&W Zeppelin, worth every penny of the £400 price tag for both its looks and massive 50 watts of sound and Kevlar-reinforced bass unit that thumps out every note.

Over in the visual department, anything less than the massive Philips 42PES001 (£1800) LCD TV is going to be a bit of a let down if you want to watch HD TV or Blu-ray films. Or you just want to cover a very large wall with a ridiculously expensive television.

As far as home cinema systems go, I have an innate dislike for cables, so I’d go for something like the B&W Panorama which tries to simulate surround sound from a single array of cleverly configured speakers that sit underneath your TV. Alternatively, pick up a bargain set of surround sound speakers in the January sales and take the opportunity to redecorate your lounge and bury the cables in the wall or skirting boards as you go. That way you’ll have something to look forward to after Christmas other than tax return filing!