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Best gifts under $500 for grads (photos)

Willing to spend a reasonable amount of money on your favorite grad this year? Here's a look at some top tech picks that cost less than $500.

David Carnoy
Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.
David Carnoy
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1 of 7 Audioengine

Audioengine 2 powered speakers

We have the more expensive Audioengine 5+ speakers on our Best gifts for under $500 for dads list. But we've always had a soft spot for the smaller and more affordable Audioengine 2 speakers, which come in white and black and retail for $199.
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2 of 7 Apple

Third-generation iPad

The new iPad starts at $499 for the Wi-Fi 16GB model. Ideally, you'd probably want to go with the 32GB model, but hey, if you only want to spend $500, let the kid bring the iPad back to an Apple Store and upgrade it to whatever capacity he or she wants (as long as they pay for it).
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3 of 7 Sarah Tew/CNET

Sony PS Vita

The Vita offers a true next-gen gaming experience in the palms of your hands. It's somewhat pricey, but grads won't care too much about that if you're paying for it. Just don't forget to pick up a memory card when you buy it.
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4 of 7 James Martin/CNET

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0

The Amazon Kindle Fire or the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet remain good options in 7-inch tablet department, but we're also high on Samsung's more full-featured Galaxy Tab 2 7.0. It starts at $249.
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5 of 7 Logitech

Logitech Wirless Boombox for iPad

Logitech's Wireless Boombox for iPad is a portable -- and affordable -- Bluetooth speaker that also happens to sound good. Though its name implies that it's designed for the iPad, it also works with any Bluetooth-enabled smartphone or tablet.
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6 of 7

Panasonic DMP-BDT220 Blu-ray player

You can always buy a grad a Sony PS3 to use as a Blu-ray player, but if you want to keep the gaming out of it, a standalone Blu-ray player is always an option. A CNET Editors' Choice, we consider the Panasonic DMP-BDT220 the best value in Blu-ray players today.
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7 of 7 Bowers & Wilkins

Bowers & Wilkins P5 Mobile HiFi Stereo Headphones

B&W's P5 headphones may not offer active noise canceling, but they sound sweet, are very comfortable, and have a standout design.

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