Audiophile on a Budget: Monster Headphones for $40, $42 off a Polk Soundbar

In a perfect world, music would be delivered to our ears directly from the studio and our home theaters would just drop us into the movie. And it would all be free! But until technology catches up with our daydreams and replicators render money somewhat obsolete, then you'll have to settle for the best audio deals around. Score a pair of tangle-free earbuds for $10, save $34 on a pair of Monster headphones, and get a $42 price low on a Polk soundbar.

1. ZipBuds Fresh Tangle-Free Earbuds
   Store: Three Jack via eBay
   Price: $9.99 with free shipping
   Lowest By: $30

   Is It Worth It?: Ditch annoying tangled cables forever with the ZipBuds Fresh earbuds in Pink. These revolutionary earbuds sport a cable that's integrated with a zipper — just put 'em on, zip 'em up, and forget about fiddling with cord knots ever again. At $10, these earbuds are also an Editors' Choice $30 price low. Three sets of ear tips are also included, to make sure you get the perfect fit.

2. MEElectronics M6 Sport Noise-Isolating In-Ear Headphones
   Store: meelec via eBay
   Price: $9.99 with free shipping
   Lowest By: $9

   Is It Worth It?: You're not so worried about knots (see what we did there?), but need a pair of in-ear headphones that won't fly out during your run. Spend your $10 on the MEElectronics M6 Sport earphones instead, and you'll save $9. These noise-isolating earphones feature a memory-wire design that conforms to your ears, and come with six sets of ear tips, a carrying bag, a shirt clip, and more.

3. Monster NCredible NTune On-Ear Headphones
   Store: Newegg
   Price: $39.99 via $10 mail-in rebate with free shipping EXPIRED
   Lowest By: $34
   Expires: March 27

   Is It Worth It?: Should you prefer on-ear headphones to the in-ear sort, these cans from Monster can really deliver the boom. "With the right music, the Monster NCredible NTune headphones are clear and bright with no distortion and have a booming bottom end," the Gadgeteer's reviewer said. "If you are a fan of hip-hop, rap, dance/club, salsa, and the like, you'll like these headphones a lot." These Editors' Choice headphones also feature a built-in Skype-compatible ControlTalk remote. The rebate above cuts them to $40, saving you $34.

4. Denon AH-D510R Over-Ear Headphones
   Store: World Wide Stereo via Rakuten Shopping
   Price: $39.99 with free shipping
   Lowest By: $6

   Is It Worth It?: Looking for a nice pair of over-ear headphones instead of the styles above? The Denon AH-D510R are a great choice at $40. That's $39 under our previous mention and the best price we've seen, making these headphones a clear Editors' Choice pick. These comfy cans feature 42mm neodymium drivers, a contoured headband, an in-line mic, and built-in iPhone/iPod controls.

5. Polk Audio SurroundBar 2000 150-watt Stereo Soundbar
   Store: Walmart
   Price: $119.98 with free shipping EXPIRED
   Lowest By: $42

   Is It Worth It?: Streamlining the room-eating bulk and budget-eating price of a full-blown home theater sound system, soundbars are a great choice for most small- and medium-sized rooms. The Polk Audio SurroundBar 2000 is an Editors' Choice pick at $120, a $42 price low. This 31" soundbar puts out 150 watts RMS, and features dynamic balance and an on-board amplifier.