Best audio gear under $500

The Yamaha YAS-209 is the best-sounding smart soundbar I've heard yet. It performs equally well with movies and music, and the provision of HDMI ports and the ability to command Alexa along the way seal the deal.

Originally manufactured as the high-end Sennheiser HD 650, this $195 Drop-exclusive update brings the audiophile-friendly headphone to a more affordable level. The sound is smooth, yet still detailed and with plenty of bass, and the fit is crazy-comfortable. The HD 6XX would make a great addition to your home theater -- watching TV with these is like nothing I've experienced before, as the sound stage is so lifelike. The only thing to note is that they'll need a good headphone amp or high-end receiver to make the most of them. It pairs exceptionally well with the $175 Massdrop X Alex Cavalli Tube Hybrid Amp.

With its excellent feature set, solid build and winning sound, the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo is the turntable to buy for under $500. A great record player for the money.

If there's one audio product I use every single day it's Roon. It's a multiroom controller, desktop player, music collection aggregator and a music discovery service all in one, and it's excellent. Whether it's listening to music at work, testing a new audio component or putting sleep sounds on for my kid, I'm using Roon. It has gorgeous design and a high level of customization. It combines the contents of your NAS, iTunes and Tidal or Qobuz libraries and streams them to whichever wireless speakers you have -- Chromecast built-in, Sonos, Apple AirPlay or Roon Ready. Sure, at $120 a year the software costs more than any other comparable player, but that's because it's also the best.

AudioQuest makes three excellent USB DACs -- the Black, Red and Cobalt -- but as you'd expect the most expensive is also the best. It's able to drive any headphone you throw at it resulting in a powerful, confident performance. If you're working from home, it's one of the best upgrades you can make for listening to music.

It's not an audio product per se, but a universal remote improves the experience of using an AV receiver so much, it's pretty much a required accessory in my book. There are plenty of remote options out there -- Caavo, Amazon Cube -- but as a long-term Harmony user the one I like best is the Harmony Elite. Unlike the competitors it doesn't require you to rewire your system, just add a little IR hub and fire up your smartphone. It works with almost every product on the market, and it's easy to use.