Ecoball

The Ecoball Sound System concept was designed by Pedro Gomes. It offers up a new solution for ecological portable sound speakers and features an attention-getting modular spherical design that is enhanced with the clever use of recycled colored rubber. The rubber material covers the handle, speakers, supports and volume controller.

The speaker batteries get their juice from photovoltaic panels embedded in the handle. The energy is collected by the panels that charge the battery via plug-ins on each speaker. The Ecoball portable sound system was listed among the 50 best projects at the AlcantaraLab Design competition. No word on when or if we will see this design hit the shelves.

Pure Acoustics five-speaker Dream Tower

Pure Acoustics five-speaker Dream Tower system is an elegant small room system comprised of the Dream Tower-100 front towers, 101 center speaker, and 102 surrounds. Each 100 tower stands waist high, with wooden construction that makes it surprisingly heavy yet more akin to fine furniture in style and look than most acoustical components. If you or your spouse has an aversion to the space age look and feel of many electronic components, the Dream Tower system will be a welcome change of pace.

The system set-up is pretty easy and requires not special skills, and the sound itself is clean and crisp. Even the most hardened surround sound snob will not be disappointed. If you lean towards the mellow end of the sound spectrum, you may find the Dream Tower a bit on the bright side, but for Home Theater use, that is generally a perk. The Pure Acoustics Dream Tower system retails for $1580.

Sony HT-DDWG700

The Sony HT-DDWG700 is Sony’s entry level Home Theater surround sound system. The DDWG700 supports Dolby Digital, Pro Logic, and DTS decoding and includes optical and coax digital audio inputs and 4 analog inputs. An iPod docking station is included as well to allow users to directly connect their iPods to the tuner.

The impressive 900 watt speakers are not able to make full use of the wattage due to the low impedance of the five speakers and sub-woofer, but at this price point the sound is quite excellent and will certainly give the new home theater enthusiast the desired surround sound experience. Other perks include a built in AM/FM tuner and XM Connect and Play compliance which make they System easy to integrate an XM satellite radio tuner. The Sony HT-DDWG700 retails for a painless $155 to $185.

Logitech Z

The Logitech Z Cinema Advanced Surround Sound System has several advantages over comparable home theater sound set ups. First, the Logitech Z system provides a surround sound home theater experience without the need for rear speakers. Second, the system needs only a single USB connection to your computer to operate and plugs into any standard home electrical outlet. The system will function on Windows XP MCE, Vista Home Premium, or Vista Ultimate editions and the satellite speaker allows you to plug in earphones or an MP3 music player directly. A remote control (included with the system) allows you to access Windows Media center on your computer and manage digital files without getting up.

The Logitech Z Cinema Advanced Surround Sound System is a good entry level system for people who are backing into home theater by streaming movies through a PC. For a retail price that averages right around $250, the Logitech Z system provides lots of sound option for not a lot of money.