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The best tech values today

Everybody likes a good deal, which is why we've decided to round up a bunch of gear we think is well priced and delivers a lot of bang for the buck.

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 26 Lori Grunin/CNET

Best tech values

Everybody likes a good deal, which is why we've decided to round up a bunch of gear we think is well priced and delivers a lot of bang for the buck.

Naturally, we didn't find every deal, but we did our best to find the best deal among the products we've reviewed. As always, if you feel we've missed a product that's a great deal, post a comment to get your 2 cents in. We'll be updating this list in the future and may very well include it.

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2 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

JVC Flats: On-ear headphone

There's nothing fancy about the JVC Flats, but it delivers solid sound and a comfortable fit for very little money. Available in multiple colors.

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3 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Panasonic RP HTX7 over-the-ear headphone

The Panasonic RP HTX7 remains an impressive deal at around $30 online. Available in multiple color options.

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4 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Panasonic ErgoFit RP-HJE120

You can't ask for too much more from an $8 earphone. The Panasonic ErgoFit RP-HJE120 is now also available for $3 more in a model with an integrated microphone (the RP-TCM125-K).

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5 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Google Nexus 7 (2013)

The Nexus 7 is about half the price of the iPad Mini Retina (on left).

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6 of 26 Josh Miller/CNET

Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7

Amazon basically sells its Kindle Fire HDX 7 and HDX 8.9 tablets at cost -- or close to it anyway.

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7 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Sony STR-DN840 AV receiver

We called the Sony STR-DN840, which is loaded with features, the best value in AV receivers for 2013.

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8 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Motorola Moto G

The Moto G has a few shortcomings, but it only costs $199 (16GB) without a contract. Note: We prefer this model to the Moto G Google Play Edition.

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9 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Google Nexus 5

The Nexus 5 is a solid choice if you're looking for a high-end Android phone for a reasonable price without a contract.

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10 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Sony BDP-S5100 Blu-ray player

It's always tough to figure out which Blu-ray player to buy. We think the Sony BDP-S5100 is one of the better choices at its modest price point.

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11 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Asus Transformer Book T100 Windows 8.1 tablet w/keyboard

For around $400 (and sometimes $350), the Asus Transformer Book T100 stands out among the budget-priced, netbook-style Windows tablets.

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12 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Roku 3

We like Apple TV a lot, but the Roku 3 is more compelling at the same price or slightly less (you can often get it for closer to $90).

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13 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Nikon D5300

The Nikon D5300 is arguably the best dSLR you can buy for a little more than $1,000 with a lens.

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14 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Pioneer SP-SB23W sound bar

The Pioneer SP-SB23W may not be all that stylish, but it delivers great sound for the money.

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15 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro ultrabook/hybrid

At around $1,000, the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro features an ultra high-resolution 3,200x1,800-pixel screen in a convertible design. In fact, the whole Lenovo Yoga family (yes, there are several models) offers good bang for the buck.

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16 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Pioneer SP-PK52FS surround speaker system

We thought Pioneer's sound bar sounded really good for the money and so does its Andrew Jones designed SP-PK52FS surround speaker system, which retails for a mere $549.99.

You can also buy the speakers separately, with the excellent SP-BS21-LR bookshelf speakers going for less than $100 a pair at Amazon (the price sometimes dips to to less than $70) and the SP-FS52-LR towers selling for $130 (each) and sometimes less.

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17 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Vizio M-Series M1d-A2R

Many Vizio TV models represent good values, but the M-Series M1d-A2R delivers the most bang for the buck.

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18 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Sharp LE650: LCD TV

Sharp's LE650, available in a few different sizes (up to 80 inches), must be selling pretty well because it isn't readily available.

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19 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Sony R520/R550 series LCD TV

CNET's video guru David Katzmaier had generally high praise for Sony's well-priced R520/R550 series LCD TVs.

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20 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 5020

The Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 5020 is our current top pick for value home-theater projectors.

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21 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Sonos Play:1 wireless speaker

If you're interested in starting a multiroom audio system, the Sonos Play:1 is a good place to start. Just try to pick it up when Sonos is offering its Bridge ($50) as part of the package. Look for that deal to crop up every few months.

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22 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

IronX by DXG 5G9V HD action cam

GoPro's higher-end models offer superior image quality, but the IronX by DXG 5G9V HD action cam is no slouch for around $165. Monoprice also sells a version of this same model for about $15 less.

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23 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Canon PowerShot SX280 HS megazoom camera

If you're in the market for a modestly priced point-and-shoot megazoom camera, it's hard to do better than the Canon PowerShot SX280 HS at $200.

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24 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Logitech Harmony Smart Control

The Harmony Smart Control is down to $99.99 on Amazon -- or $30 off its list price. If you're looking for a universal remote and don't have a ton of components, it's an excellent choice.

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25 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Fluance Fi30 Bluetooth speaker

Fluance, an online direct-to-consumer Canadian company, is known for serving up excellent performing speaker for modest prices.

The large and minimalist design of the company's Fi30 wireless Bluetooth speaker isn't for everyone, particularly if you're looking for a smaller wireless speaker that's truly portable and has a battery-powered option. But for those in search of the best sound for their Bluetooth buck, the Fi30 is hard to beat at only $149.99.

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26 of 26 Sarah Tew/CNET

Oontz Curve by Cambridge SoundWorks

The Oontz Curve isn't considerably better than the rest of the tiny budget speakers out there, but it is sturdily built and you're not going to do too much better for $30. Just don't come in expecting to get incredible sound for that money and you should be happy with the Curve.

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