Michael Prager

Imagine a set of compact headphones that produce Dolby 5.1 surround sound with great fidelity, portability, and ability to be used anywhere.

That was no doubt the vision of the folks at Sunnytech, who've produced the Mentor 5.1 headphones.

Though they've made strides on the central problem - how do you recreate the sonic sensations produced by a six-speaker array with two cups, each the size of a fist? - they haven't yet made a product that I'm willing to spend $139 on.

Have you ever scratched an itch you didn't know you had? I don't think I ever have, but I've felt that sensation since I hooked up XM Satellite Radio in my car a few weeks ago.

The itch was comedy. Three of XM's 100 channels are devoted to it, and I've returned to them repeatedly, almost as defaults, as I've shuttled to work and back. It's quite surprising, considering that I own one comedy album, more than 40 years old, and I hardly ever listen to it.

To me, it demonstrates XM's foremost attribute: You can spin the dial and be surprised, again and again.

I'm a lucky guy. Not only is my new wife a sweetheart, she's almost as avid a gadgeteer as I am. But that doesn't mean she wouldn't prefer to have fewer remote controls on the coffee table. We had eight at last count, though that includes the two or three for decommissioned devices.

Such clutter is why manufacturers continue to roll out universal remote controls. A decent one is Universal's Automator ($150). It boasts that it can replace up to 10 remotes, and my experience nearly approached that.

The big question about Cambridge Soundworks' combination radio and CD player, the Radio CD 740, might be: Where do you put it?

The company might say it's suited for the living room, for "people who want spacious FM stereo sound . . . without the size or bother of a component stereo system." And yes, it does boom out a rich sound.

But when you combine its small package with its capabilities, you could easily conclude that its proper place is in the bedroom as one very sophisticated alarm clock, albeit an expensive one.

The Boom, a pricey, hands-free headset for cellphones and some home telephones, is an example of how hard it is to be great.

Its foundation is the fabulous noise-canceling voice-recognition technology developed for use in brokerage houses and proven on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, one of the noisiest places you'll ever want to call home from.

The technology was adapted for consumers with help from Frog Design, which has designed everything from cruise ships and motorcycles to faucets and the first Apple computer.

Even though it should be obvious, the secret weapon of a home entertainment system is its speakers. Many buyers focus on what they can see, either in the quality of the TV picture or, worse, in how a flat screen or other component blends in with the divan.

You can test this question of component supremacy for yourself, however: Pop, say, "Jurassic Park" into your DVD player and watch for a few minutes without sound. Then add sound and hide the screen and see which one gets your juices flowing.

One of the recurring minor questions of the technological age is, "Should we?"

Should we have, say, an electric blanket that can be turned on from the car 10 minutes before arriving home? Or a remote control that will pop corn while it's shuttering the windows for the 1:43 p.m. home-theater showing of "Rocky VI"? Should there be a "Rocky VI"? (Oh, wait. That's the subject of a different column. But no, there shouldn't.)

Do-it-yourself home designers used to have only graph paper and a ruler for tools, but you can find better tools these days on the Internet. The bad sites aren't that bad, and the best ones are getting better. jordansfurniture.com

A new software package by Hookumu Inc., a Salem, N.H., developer, could turn out to be one of the very best. It is due to debut by the end of this month on the Jordan's Furniture website. I got to test the package last week at home, and found it to be pretty snazzy: easy, efficient, and eminently customizable.